The Suzuki DR 800, the Dr Big

The Suzuki DR 800, the Dr Big

In the ultimate attempt to set the world's most ideal single-cylinder adventurer on the wheels, Suzuki came up with the DR 800, which soon got its nickname DR Big. Doctor Great. Something like that. The Suzuki DR 800 was the largest single-cylinder series in the world. Because 779 cc is a lot of cylinder capacity for a single-pitter.

50 pk and lots of torque

The Suzuki delivered 50 horsepower and had a torque of approximately 3.000 Nm between the 5.000 and the almost 60 revolutions. Two balance shafts ensured that the machine and driver were not shaken to pieces. The single cylinder had a highly impressive seat height of 86 cm and in terms of weight it was not really anorex: it weighed 223 kilos with an empty tank. But once you had scrambled on it, you had a phenomenal traffic / terrain overview. The fact that the DR 800 was intended for serious journeys was also demonstrated by the maximum load capacity. That was a serious 203 kilo.

Thanks to the long ferry routes, the Suzuki danced flawlessly over the most battered roads. Because the suspension and damping were good for each other.

Nothing is more boring than perfection

With all luggage or a passenger on board, it was necessary to increase the spring preload of the rear spring element because the spring would otherwise break. A disadvantage of the smooth suspension was that it was at the expense of the feeling with the road and that the thick Suzuki was very much in the front brake. In such braking actions, the driver pushed forward with his family jewels. The seating comfort was also less. The buddy pressed firmly against the coccyx, but the brakes did their job properly. Off road, the DR did not even do badly. This was mainly due to its smooth engine character. All that displacement caused a little braving through a gasoline consumption of 1 on 10.

The Suzuki DR was put on the market at a very competitive price. But the sales were not thunderous.

The advantages

High max load capacity
A comfortable seat for the passenger
Good performances
Good brakes
A good bicycle part
A powerful, smooth engine
The nice big tank

The cons

The DR is a strong drinker
The impressive seat height
The moderate paint quality
The rusting exhaust
Hmmm. His appearance