Long, long ago I grew up in a motorcycling family. My Dad raced
motorcycles, then my brother raced motorcycles, and even my Mam rode a
650 Triumph Thunderbird. Naturally I became a motorcyclist, also, and regularily
competed in Trials (off road events that involve riding a bike over apparently
impossible terrain!). I stopped riding when I came to Canada in 1971
but fate decided I should meet Hal Scott and his Yamaha in Arizona earlier
this year. The bug bit and I'm now back in my second childhood!
Here it is:
![]() For the technically inclined, it is a 1994 Suzuki DR350SE. This a Dual Sport (a Street-Legal off-road bike), 350cc single, air-cooled SOHC 4-stroke. It has electric start, 6 speed gearbox, disc brakes front and rear, HUGE amount of suspension travel, lights and turn signals, and weighs 280 lbs. The picture above is the stock 1994 model - mine has a few extras, like an oversized fuel tank (standard is only 2 gallon), 'bark bashers' (hand protection), brake rotor rock guards, fork guards, and a custom luggage rack (used by the previous owner for carrying camping gear into the outback). Here's mine:
The Suzuki is a great bike for solo riding, either on or off-road. What it is NOT good at is 2-up riding, and that is a must for when we go exploring the countryside. Sightseeing from a car is like watching a movie - you just observe views through the windows. Motorcycling makes you feel like you are there - right in the middle of things. Our efforts at "touring" on the DR were too uncomfortable to try it again so we bought a more suitable bike before heading to Arizona for our winter trip - a 2001 Kawasaki KLR650 - sort of the motorcycling equivalent to a Jeep 4X4. To check out the pictures and specs on this bike click here. |
This page last updated on Nov 5, 2001