A great video about SUZUKI & Dakar! As "DR. BIG" I am very happy about it! But I will allow myself to correct you on a few points.. (and I do this as a real insider - have a look: th-cam.com/video/kdNpUHfZX4M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x8vN93cJzlKRw1x4) btw. I haven't just collected the motorcycles - I've been racing them for years. Real races. 🙂 The engine: Suzuki did not intend to win with a simple single cylinder. The initial plan was to build an engine with oval pistons - with 8 valves like the Honda NR750). But that didn't work and so a 105mm thick round piston with 4 valves was installed. The Rider: Rahier was a great racing driver - but not really a good team leader. Look at how many of his team members left the team during the race. Dakar is always a team effort - Rahier did not use that and therefore missed opportunities - including the chance that another team member would win or achieve a better result than himself. The Dakar Bikes: I own ALL Suzuki Dakar bikes. I can assure you that the suspension has not been changed, only the tanks/bodywork have been updated. The engine displacement has been increased slightly, and additional oil coolers should solve the temperature problem of the SACS-cooled engine. The DESERT EXPRESS: SUZUKI itself only named one bike as DESERT EXPRESS That was the 1989 version of the DR 750, which had the lettering on the beak. We continue to use this great and very special SUZUKI "name" for our special SUZUKI rally and adventure bikes.
I stumbled upon you multiple times while trying to research this, thanks for sharing these details! A lot of stuff you can’t really know just from public information, I’ll make sure to pin this comment. Cheers!
Ridden my fair share of the different DR designs. I have nothing but good things to say about the Suzuki DR line of motorcycles. You did a fantastic job with this retrospective.
There are a few bikes which are considered “modern” classics (modern depending on one’s age lol)….yours is one such machine. My first bike is a VanVan125. Never going to part with it…even though I was, at one point looking at a DR for a future buy.
Rode a DR750 all over Europe for six weeks, never missed a beat, climbed to the top of the mountains in Andorra and rode in 45C heat in Spain, awesome machine.
It's worth noting the "Big-Bang" theory, which suggests that on sandy terrain, a single strong engine stroke is less prone to causing tire slippage compared to two weaker strokes. This is because the single stroke allows the tire time to regain traction-similar to the principle behind the effectiveness of ABS systems.
@@xani666 ABS is simply anti lock system. i don't understand what you're even trying to say. it has nothign to do with near max speeds. ABS can work even at 20km/h. you're either drunk or troll
A friend had a DR750, I tried many times to buy it, then it was stolen from his shed. Guess who got blamed. It was recovered stripped and I got an apology. Still bad blood though.
I just recently got my second DR800 BIG. The first was a 1996 in black/purple. I sold it early this year and I had so much regret. I ended up buying another one three weeks ago. This time a Hessler race tuned 800 1991 with the fabled 67hp just like the fabled Desert racer. And its all I hoped it to be!
Owning a modest V-Strom 250 SX, it is nice to see the story of it's great grandfather and how a lot of visual and mechanical cues it had still resounds to some of the modern adventure-styled tourers today.
I’ve had 3, yes 3 of them. Mate rode one from New Zealand to Europe. Apart from a tank of bad fuel munching the carb seals it never missed a beat. Not fast, not flash but fireproof and as reliable as a wheelbarrow.
I have a 1990 one that I've stripped and sand blasted/powder coated. Rust was an issue, but then it's +30 years old. It's a bit prehistoric to ride. One tiny front brake, a De-compressor to start it. Sadly, parts are getting increasingly difficult to find and carbs just don't like modern fuels. There's nothing like the big thud-thud-thud noise it makes though.
@ Hang onto it! A braided brake hose helps the front brake a bit. I believe there is a place in the Netherlands that does obsolete Suzuki parts but don’t know the name of it. I’d love another one but haven’t seen one for sale in ages.
@@priceyA320 I have braided hoses. It's still a very small disc and tiny 2 pot caliper. Also no ABS. The place in the Netherlands is CMS. They still have lots of missing stock.
I owned an 800S Big about 20 years ago, def. had some great adventures on it. (Wish I still had it), Once you wound the motor up the thing would fly. Thanks for the reminder.
Suzuki is my favorite motorcycle brand, there's a lot of emblematic models like K5, GSX R 750, Busas, Bandits, V-Stroms, SV650, TL-1000R/S, katanas, etc, the mechanics lasts and are awesome.
Hi, I had a doctor big 800 around 2012 for about 3yrs what a bike I'm only 5'7" in height but once on it no worries had a lot of torque, very comfy could ride it all day and a pretty simple bike, 29ltr tank BUT soft suspension and brakes were weak but a great ride in a way wish I still had it.
I would love a video about the Baja 1000, and especially the xr600r, xr650r and CRF 450x and how dominant they where. Xr650r in Australia would be interesting as well. "Australia is the only country in the world where KTM does not win every rally raid style event we enter. The GHR Hondas are the only bikes in the world to give us any competition" - Quote from KTM (Europe) Factory Team Manager, Safari 2004.
Those Dakar singles are going up with the classic races. I raced against one in Morocco for five days. I was on a 660 Tenere and the Dr Big was faster. The amount of torque that thing had was too much for its starter pinion and it broke with two days left of racing. He continued and push started the bike until finish. He stalled on sand a couple of times and stayed way behind.
The starter pinion does not fail due torque. By the way: The short stroke DR800 has not that much torque. The problem is shut off by key. They have to turned off by the decompressor lever or by the killswitch (in case of electric decompressor). Otherwise the krankshaft can turn 180 degree backwards.
Had one for 2 years,800 cc.Impressively soft for 800 single,good off road manners for the size,but,homestly,slower from a Transalp 600,wich is far better.Pros:Its unique styling,simplicity,reliability,looks,really fell for the last
I still have two today, such an amazing bike, just the fact that needs a décompresser due to how big the piston is says it all. It's not easy to handle for sure but it's got some magic that makes all the heads turn anywhere it goes.
Cycle World built a current 800DE for Baja racing. Did VERY well. I could see the 800DE being purpose built for Dakar. Currently the aftermarket has managed to produce 93 wheel horsepower in the 8S/8R configuration. V-Strom has the same engine and tuning, and airbox numbers so there's no reason it couldn't also make 93 wheel horsepower.
Ah, a 2 stroke! I can only imagine how much fun it was to ride. Yamaha made a TDR 50 & 80, and Kawasaki made a KSR 50 & 80 as well. Go Google these cool bikes!! cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Whenever someone tells me that they can't ride a particular bike or they need to lower their bike, because their legs are too short, I send them that photo of Gaston Rahier standing behind his BMW with the seat level with his armpit.
Along with the Yamaha XT600 Téneré, these Suzuki (DR750 and 800) were the mos beautiful machines in the Dakar back then. The V-Strom 800 should emulate the look of its older sister. Beauty has no age!
Thanks for history and people behind this bike. It is amazing machine, I remember myself being child reading a magazine about first foreign motorcycle tourists entering to USSR on BMW 650s Kawasaki street bikes and Suzuki Bigs, I was fascinated with the 800cc single cylinder Suzuki it was a real adventure bike of this era. I was in love with it.
Love watching your videos.. one thing I absolutely hate in this whole youtube motorcycle bubble are AI created videos. Even though your english is not perfect and you have an accent you are far more easy to understand than those hideous AI voices! Thank you for the content.
When I see Marlboro on the side of bikes and race cars I wanna cry. Can you imagine how the world has changed. It's more violent and toxic than ever, but God love them....cigarette ads are just too much. How many lives have been saved by pulling commercials and getting people on hard synthetic drugs instead.
Not a you tube post, another great production. Really enjoy your insight and views on each topic. So, when do we hear about where KTM have gone so wrong ??
Not for a bit ... the story is still ongoing and we only know so much, not enough to get a complete picture. I will for sure do a video once we know exactly how this pans out, I don’t want to put out speculative half baked videos.
Gaston was one of many great motocrossers of his era that rode Suzuki motocrossers DeCoster and Robert had much more to do with establishing Suzuki as a legendary motocross brand. Perhaps unfairly the 125 class did not get the recognition the 250 and 500 classes did.
I remember seeing Rahier on the BMW at the Baja 1000. He had to be very technical rider. I am not sure what would happen if he crashed. It would be difficult to get going again.
I own a DR800 dual sport but having a problem starting, not getting a signal to the solonoid but if i bridge it it swing s over the starter motor ,can anyone please tell me how to bypass the decomp unit /interlock and think theres a little black sensor as well.
strongly disagree if you remember rgv500 at 90s ,the attempt at supercross with jeremy,and the many wins at endurance races with gsxr's 🤗✌️,Kawasaki is in this position in my opinion..
Wait, so THIS is the bike responsible for the ughh..."beak" styling of all BMW GS's, and as an extension", 99% of all adv bikes? PS. Looked up KTM 690, that also has a 105 mm piston... 😊
A great video about SUZUKI & Dakar! As "DR. BIG" I am very happy about it!
But I will allow myself to correct you on a few points..
(and I do this as a real insider - have a look: th-cam.com/video/kdNpUHfZX4M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x8vN93cJzlKRw1x4)
btw. I haven't just collected the motorcycles - I've been racing them for years. Real races. 🙂
The engine:
Suzuki did not intend to win with a simple single cylinder.
The initial plan was to build an engine with oval pistons - with 8 valves like the Honda NR750). But that didn't work and so a 105mm thick round piston with 4 valves was installed.
The Rider:
Rahier was a great racing driver - but not really a good team leader. Look at how many of his team members left the team during the race. Dakar is always a team effort - Rahier did not use that and therefore missed opportunities - including the chance that another team member would win or achieve a better result than himself.
The Dakar Bikes:
I own ALL Suzuki Dakar bikes. I can assure you that the suspension has not been changed, only the tanks/bodywork have been updated. The engine displacement has been increased slightly, and additional oil coolers should solve the temperature problem of the SACS-cooled engine.
The DESERT EXPRESS:
SUZUKI itself only named one bike as DESERT EXPRESS
That was the 1989 version of the DR 750, which had the lettering on the beak.
We continue to use this great and very special SUZUKI "name" for our special SUZUKI rally and adventure bikes.
Holy cow! Is it really you? 😮WOW, you’re a Hero! Big Respect ✊
@@barrybrockp8358 Thank You 🙂
I stumbled upon you multiple times while trying to research this, thanks for sharing these details! A lot of stuff you can’t really know just from public information, I’ll make sure to pin this comment. Cheers!
@@KRANKiT if you want to make a insider story- you are welcome 😁
Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind for sure!
I own a '92 DR800, bought it in bits and pieces 6 years ago and rebuilt it. Building it myself made it become truly mine.
Ridden my fair share of the different DR designs. I have nothing but good things to say about the Suzuki DR line of motorcycles. You did a fantastic job with this retrospective.
I OWN A 1990 DR 800 . BOUGHT IT 3 YEARS AGO. 1 OWNER FROM NEW ONLY DONE 16K MILES. I LOVE IT. WILL NEVER SELL IT
There are a few bikes which are considered “modern” classics (modern depending on one’s age lol)….yours is one such machine. My first bike is a VanVan125. Never going to part with it…even though I was, at one point looking at a DR for a future buy.
Rode a DR750 all over Europe for six weeks, never missed a beat, climbed to the top of the mountains in Andorra and rode in 45C heat in Spain, awesome machine.
the whole DR lineup of Suzuki has always been filled with masterpieces. Love the quality of the video as always, glad i caught the upload early today.
It's worth noting the "Big-Bang" theory, which suggests that on sandy terrain, a single strong engine stroke is less prone to causing tire slippage compared to two weaker strokes. This is because the single stroke allows the tire time to regain traction-similar to the principle behind the effectiveness of ABS systems.
ABS doesn't reduce brake distance tho. It doesn't give more grip, it just allows to control the bike while braking at near- max speed
@@xani666 ABS is simply anti lock system. i don't understand what you're even trying to say. it has nothign to do with near max speeds. ABS can work even at 20km/h. you're either drunk or troll
It doesn't give more traction, it provides a better feel of the limit of the traction
A friend had a DR750, I tried many times to buy it, then it was stolen from his shed. Guess who got blamed. It was recovered stripped and I got an apology. Still bad blood though.
A friend?😅
Lol no you were not friends.
Your "friend" was kind of an A hole
Sucks that you had to strip it for parts 😂
-just kidding 😅
Thanks for the episode, I had a DR Big and thought it was the best-looking big off-roader ever. Still do.
I just recently got my second DR800 BIG. The first was a 1996 in black/purple. I sold it early this year and I had so much regret. I ended up buying another one three weeks ago. This time a Hessler race tuned 800 1991 with the fabled 67hp just like the fabled Desert racer. And its all I hoped it to be!
Owning a modest V-Strom 250 SX, it is nice to see the story of it's great grandfather and how a lot of visual and mechanical cues it had still resounds to some of the modern adventure-styled tourers today.
I’ve had 3, yes 3 of them. Mate rode one from New Zealand to Europe. Apart from a tank of bad fuel munching the carb seals it never missed a beat. Not fast, not flash but fireproof and as reliable as a wheelbarrow.
I have a 1990 one that I've stripped and sand blasted/powder coated. Rust was an issue, but then it's +30 years old. It's a bit prehistoric to ride. One tiny front brake, a De-compressor to start it. Sadly, parts are getting increasingly difficult to find and carbs just don't like modern fuels. There's nothing like the big thud-thud-thud noise it makes though.
@ Hang onto it! A braided brake hose helps the front brake a bit. I believe there is a place in the Netherlands that does obsolete Suzuki parts but don’t know the name of it. I’d love another one but haven’t seen one for sale in ages.
@@priceyA320 I have braided hoses. It's still a very small disc and tiny 2 pot caliper. Also no ABS. The place in the Netherlands is CMS. They still have lots of missing stock.
Superb video - thank you. (Yup, I'm a DR Big owner)
Super high quality documentary ❤️. Well done my friend ❤️
Very cool to learn where designs still used to this day have come from.
Piece of history here. And the signature DR beak lives on in the V-Strom!
I have a 82 DR 500 bought it new, a few mods and its a rocket, best bike I have.
I owned an 800S Big about 20 years ago, def. had some great adventures on it. (Wish I still had it), Once you wound the motor up the thing would fly. Thanks for the reminder.
great video very informative..................i have a 1995 DR 800 in great condition with 25,000 miles on clock.
Suzuki is my favorite motorcycle brand, there's a lot of emblematic models like K5, GSX R 750, Busas, Bandits, V-Stroms, SV650, TL-1000R/S, katanas, etc, the mechanics lasts and are awesome.
Thank you for bringing this!
I love the stories on the channel. Keep it up. And I don't even have a bike that can go off road
I owned a dr800s. It was a very special bike. It isn’t a bike for everyone but every ride I took on that bike excited me.
Hi, I had a doctor big 800 around 2012 for about 3yrs what a bike I'm only 5'7" in height but once on it no worries had a lot of torque, very comfy could ride it all day and a pretty simple bike, 29ltr tank BUT soft suspension and brakes were weak but a great ride in a way wish I still had it.
Another great documentary worth watching! Keep them coming please...
Great Video about the Big. I have such an original Marlboro and it is an insane kind of engineering 🤩
I would love a video about the Baja 1000, and especially the xr600r, xr650r and CRF 450x and how dominant they where.
Xr650r in Australia would be interesting as well.
"Australia is the only country in the world where KTM does not win every rally raid style event we enter. The GHR Hondas are the only bikes in the world to give us any competition"
- Quote from KTM (Europe) Factory Team Manager, Safari 2004.
Those Dakar singles are going up with the classic races. I raced against one in Morocco for five days. I was on a 660 Tenere and the Dr Big was faster. The amount of torque that thing had was too much for its starter pinion and it broke with two days left of racing. He continued and push started the bike until finish. He stalled on sand a couple of times and stayed way behind.
The starter pinion does not fail due torque. By the way: The short stroke DR800 has not that much torque. The problem is shut off by key. They have to turned off by the decompressor lever or by the killswitch (in case of electric decompressor). Otherwise the krankshaft can turn 180 degree backwards.
Had one for 2 years,800 cc.Impressively soft for 800 single,good off road manners for the size,but,homestly,slower from a Transalp 600,wich is far better.Pros:Its unique styling,simplicity,reliability,looks,really fell for the last
I still have two today, such an amazing bike, just the fact that needs a décompresser due to how big the piston is says it all. It's not easy to handle for sure but it's got some magic that makes all the heads turn anywhere it goes.
Your vids are brilliant mate. Thanks for making them.
Another excellent episode ❤❤
Cycle World built a current 800DE for Baja racing. Did VERY well. I could see the 800DE being purpose built for Dakar. Currently the aftermarket has managed to produce 93 wheel horsepower in the 8S/8R configuration. V-Strom has the same engine and tuning, and airbox numbers so there's no reason it couldn't also make 93 wheel horsepower.
The v strom is a twin
Best big single cylinder engine was suzuki dr650/800 had several, man that big 800 was wheelie monster!
A mention of the innovative air/ oil cooling system taken from the GSX-R's would help people understand how Suzuki made such a light machine.
my first geared bike was actually the dr big 50 ............. loved that thing!
Ah, a 2 stroke! I can only imagine how much fun it was to ride. Yamaha made a TDR 50 & 80, and Kawasaki made a KSR 50 & 80 as well. Go Google these cool bikes!!
cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Fascinating stuff, great content bro!
Great content, as always. I've always had a soft spot for the DR 800 ^^
Whenever someone tells me that they can't ride a particular bike or they need to lower their bike, because their legs are too short, I send them that photo of Gaston Rahier standing behind his BMW with the seat level with his armpit.
Yeah, that shuts down a lot of excuses ... if only us short guys had his skills though :))
@KRANKiT a 29 inch inseam and a 39 inch seat is a great teacher!
First time i saw it at a friends house brought I ordered one the next day.. now i have 7😅
You might have a problem ... just saying :))
Very interesting bit of moto history I knew nothing about. Thanks for posting this!
Amazing production again, and having been in the industry for many years, I can confirm that the research and conclusions are spot on.
Along with the Yamaha XT600 Téneré, these Suzuki (DR750 and 800) were the mos beautiful machines in the Dakar back then. The V-Strom 800 should emulate the look of its older sister. Beauty has no age!
Thanks another great blast from the past and how it impacted the market
When I first seen this bike in the Dakar I had to have one, I've owned it since 1990 and won't part with it.
The adventure bike beak is evident on my 2014 Honda CB500X.
.. Man, I can repeat it again, again, again.. and again. Thank You for being here. Miroslav
Just bought a DR 650 R Dakar can't wait to get all the parts in so I can get to riding it😫
Thanks for history and people behind this bike. It is amazing machine, I remember myself being child reading a magazine about first foreign motorcycle tourists entering to USSR on BMW 650s Kawasaki street bikes and Suzuki Bigs, I was fascinated with the 800cc single cylinder Suzuki it was a real adventure bike of this era. I was in love with it.
I've got the Big DR800 STILL to put together 😊Gaston 🙏
Love watching your videos.. one thing I absolutely hate in this whole youtube motorcycle bubble are AI created videos. Even though your english is not perfect and you have an accent you are far more easy to understand than those hideous AI voices! Thank you for the content.
DR750 1989; did build an upside-down fork on it. much better handling, but still weak brakes. fun, fun bike with a lot of kms in the tank!
As usually, great work dude!
3:53 SHORT KING 👑
When I see Marlboro on the side of bikes and race cars I wanna cry. Can you imagine how the world has changed. It's more violent and toxic than ever, but God love them....cigarette ads are just too much. How many lives have been saved by pulling commercials and getting people on hard synthetic drugs instead.
Average lifespan of a homeless person that gets started on Fentanyl here in Southern California is under 5 months.
You need to harden up if that makes you wanna cry.. Sugar is worse than nicotine.
@alienchaser636 what? That's a tough one for me to understand
@@alienchaser636..did you know Oxygen also kills everyone eventually ?!?
I recently found a McDonald's ashtray in some old box, and my kids wouldn't believe that we used to smoke after eating, right in the restaurant..
My Brother did an anti-clockwise loop around Zimbabwe following the border on a 750 DR-Big. Wishes he never sold it
Not a you tube post, another great production. Really enjoy your insight and views on each topic.
So, when do we hear about where KTM have gone so wrong ??
Not for a bit ... the story is still ongoing and we only know so much, not enough to get a complete picture. I will for sure do a video once we know exactly how this pans out, I don’t want to put out speculative half baked videos.
One of the bikes I fell in love with when I was a kid.
great vid! keep'em coming!
Love it!
Thanks 😊
Yup that was a real Beak!
163 cm? 🤔
Didn't know Playboy was a sponsor...
Hint: we need that video 👍
Fuck yeah. Im pumped to watch this video!
The only one left to look into is the BMW 3 cylinder k75 based rally bike .
Gaston was one of many great motocrossers of his era that rode Suzuki motocrossers DeCoster and Robert had much more to do with establishing Suzuki as a legendary motocross brand. Perhaps unfairly the 125 class did not get the recognition the 250 and 500 classes did.
Good one 👍
I owned a DR Big twin tank 800 followed later by another DR Big with the single big tank
can u make something about the aprilia rs 125-250 or about te aprilia pegaso ?
Great channel!
Love these videos 👍🍻🏁
And now the new V-Strom 800DE pays a little homage to the DR Big. 👍🏻
There is a 790 big bore kit for the DR650
790 is for the DR 650
THE BIG's big bore is 830
@alienchaser636 yea i commented too early the dakar bike had 67 hp vs 54hp and 50ft lb with the 790
I remember seeing Rahier on the BMW at the Baja 1000. He had to be very technical rider. I am not sure what would happen if he crashed. It would be difficult to get going again.
Great Motorcycle History I Didn't Know. Thank You. (Like #28 - Comment #4)
The DR 50 Big might have been for homologation and ISDE competition? ISDE and SIX Days used to be a big damn deal back then.
My colleague still has one. I'm convincing him for 6 years to sell me the bike...
I own a DR800 dual sport but having a problem starting, not getting a signal to the solonoid but if i bridge it it swing s over the starter motor ,can anyone please tell me how to bypass the decomp unit /interlock and think theres a little black sensor as well.
I think the designer for the Suzuki Katana was German. Not sure who got the design language first, but good to know the history on the Big.
Do about yamaha XT660R.
any XR from Honda rips baja...best offroad bike ever
I didn't know the beak thing came from this bike and Suzuki, I'll try not to hold it against them lol
Just found this channel.
LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
❤️🔥
"long hard hikes"... "secret tip coming right at ya" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
But seriously love your videos, just found your channel and it's fantastic 👍
strongly disagree if you remember rgv500 at 90s ,the attempt at supercross with jeremy,and the many wins at endurance races with gsxr's 🤗✌️,Kawasaki is in this position in my opinion..
Stop judging comments and unnecessary drama.
when japanese bikes were true bikes!!!
Mate crashed a dr750 in a desert race in Australia, it put him in a wheelchair.
Wait, so THIS is the bike responsible for the ughh..."beak" styling of all BMW GS's, and as an extension", 99% of all adv bikes?
PS. Looked up KTM 690, that also has a 105 mm piston... 😊
Suzuki had never really been serious about racing the past few decades, just look at their MotoGP pullout and their lack of off-road development.
Literally Endurance champions every other year...MotoGP World Champions 2020,and they'll be back with an 850cc era that's coming!
The design elements of Suzuki's current adventure bikes now makes a lot more sense. Still ugly, though.
Too bad Suzuki is basically giving death rattles from the off road bike department.
Should put a big tattoo on your noggin bud
Tattoos look stupid
Can’t ever beat BMW on the Dakar. All useless imitations