Suzuki DR650
Real ownership data from 632 UK DR650 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common DR650 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 15.1% |
| Brakes | major | 5.3% |
| Other | fail | 3.8% |
| Suspension | major | 2.7% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 2.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 1.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
DR650 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8 | 2,694 mi | 273 | 100% |
| 2015 | 7 | 26,139 mi | 356 | 93.88% |
| 2013 | 8 | 10,630 mi | 860 | 90% |
| 2009 | 5 | 12,094 mi | 778 | 85.29% |
| 2007 | 6 | 24,055 mi | 1,706 | 89.29% |
| 2006 | 8 | 14,188 mi | 1,270 | 89.13% |
| 2005 | 12 | 18,728 mi | 368 | 82.35% |
| 2004 | 13 | 28,628 mi | 1,633 | 78.13% |
| 2003 | 19 | 25,840 mi | 1,075 | 70.73% |
| 2002 | 25 | 24,558 mi | 1,080 | 80.68% |
| 2001 | 18 | 27,017 mi | 353 | 79.59% |
| 2000 | 22 | 17,278 mi | 746 | 77.04% |
| 1999 | 23 | 15,776 mi | 381 | 84.07% |
| 1998 | 31 | 24,101 mi | 724 | 77.9% |
| 1997 | 47 | 19,302 mi | 348 | 80.52% |
| 1996 | 125 | 19,957 mi | 556 | 82.3% |
| 1995 | 40 | 19,705 mi | 494 | 75.95% |
| 1994 | 53 | 21,752 mi | 543 | 76.33% |
| 1993 | 32 | 24,772 mi | 521 | 74.07% |
| 1992 | 41 | 27,402 mi | 288 | 78.6% |
DR650 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Suzuki DR650?
Across 632 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (15.1% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.3% of all recorded faults), other (3.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Suzuki DR650?
The median Suzuki DR650 in the UK has covered 21,785 miles, and typically rides about 524 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 13,171 and 32,025 miles.
Is the Suzuki DR650 reliable?
79.93% of Suzuki DR650 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.06 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 632 Suzuki DR650 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.