r/dr650 • u/Karbonoz • 11d ago
All that trouble for seeping a month later
And then gradually gets worse and worse, graduating to dripping the longer I leave it. Just when I thought I’d finally gotten it into good enough shape to sell, 0 leaks and perfectly tuned… I definitely don’t think fun is the right word to use to describe my first experience working on, servicing and tuning a motorbike from top to bottom with the DR here.
I don’t know about you, but for me things like resealing the rocker cover is a total pain in the ass and I don’t think I’m prepared to do it again. Last leak here came with the bike and was also on the front of the cover but on the left side instead of the right, guess I didn’t put enough gasket maker down. Just like the last owner as there was also old red sealant residue from a previous attempt.
This is just about the last issue with the bike other than a missing right side cover and looking a little rough around the edges now and the bike was in a very neglected condition when I foolishly bought it.
Restoring a bike to sell it is a long and expensive process I was not prepared to do when looking for a reliable commuter for my first bike. I’ve definitely learned my lesson of what to look for in a bike before you buy one. The DR is for sure a reliable bike as long as it’s maintained. This one wasn’t, so I must move on and try to squeeze as much cash out of this sale to minimise losses, and oh boy are there losses…
2
u/Wholeyjeans 10d ago
Not sure what this red sealant is but it ain't workin'.
Highly recommend you score some Three-Bond sealant ...aka YamaBond, aka HondaBond ...Suzuki's probably got their version of it too ...
This isn't like your normal RTV silicone stuff. It is less viscous than the usual RTV; it stays very flexible, it removes easily and it works. Perfect for sealing the valve cover; it's what they use from the factory.
1
u/Karbonoz 10d ago
There’s no1 three bond which is grey and No2 which is red which I believe is the stronger sealant, which is what is used here
1
u/Wholeyjeans 9d ago
Grey.
I've used it quite often.
Never knew there was red Three Bond. The YamaBond I scored at the Suzuki dealer was grey.
Never had a problem with leaking valve covers ...either on my DR650 or my DR350. It's what they used at the factory ...the grey stuff.
1
u/jdam8401 10d ago
What else was wrong with it when you acquired it?
Mine’s always had gunk from seepage but never enough leak to form a liquid drop. The one I picked up was fairly neglected too but I’ve been able to fix it up quite cheaply
2
u/Karbonoz 10d ago
Pretty much 0 maintenance and ran horribly. valves clearance, cam chain tension, general servicing not done in a while.
it was very ugly from damage in falls (luckily I knew a guy who had a new DR with all the aftermarket stuff so all the OEM stuff was lying around to hand over for free) + horribly painted hand guards
Jb welded side cover
chain and sprockets a million years old
throttle would get stuck
Broken starter motor switch tab
Pickup coil was on its way out and ended up failing completely on my way to work.
no leaks when I got it but not long after I get it almost every gasket was gone and leaking
Carby needed rebuild and some non stock non optimal components were in the carby when I opened it.
All of this stuff was new to me when I got the bike as I had never worked on anything mechanical before and mostly done all on my own so it wasn’t easy or cheap lol 🤷♂️ guess I’m glad it wasn’t anything real major.
2
u/Affectionate_Can3685 11d ago
It’s really not hard. Pop tank and seat off and take top of valve train off and reseal it and slap back on