For a 27-year period, the humble Suzuki DR650SE went completely unchanged and yet remained a top seller in many markets around the world, only now falling victim to emissions and compulsory ABS laws. In New Zealand, the dual sport from Japan topped the sales charts in its final year of sales, how many other bikes could still be winning over so many customers all those years on? The success of the DR platform is both in its simplicity and the fact it can be many things to many people. For Nick Mercer of 485 Designs it serves as the perfect foundation on which to create a sensational street scrambler, and the Colorado custom king has done it again, with another absolute screamer.
Even in their wildest dreams, I doubt that Suzuki executives would have ever thought that the budget bike they put to market in 1990 would still be bringing in caseloads of cash three decades on. In countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada, it has consistently been a top ten performer that whole time and given the diversity of each country’s landscape – it makes perfect sense. A bike that’s less than 150kg with an almost unbreakable engine and supporting parts to let you go anywhere – it’s as close to a universal motorcycle as you’re ever likely to find.
For Nick, the simplicity of the design allows him to let his imagination run wild, but he’s also careful not to overcomplicate things just for the sake of it. What he does do however is sharpen the bike’s ability for some serious sealed road chaos, while also turning a plastic piece into something that is a visual marvel, especially for those who value meticulous metal work. The subframe is a perfect example of that, you can revel in his skill, with the raw finish letting you drool over each weld.
The frenched in LED taillight helps to keep the look really clean and the whole thing is longer than you might normally expect. “This bike allows a passenger to ride on the back, while keeping a sleek look with lower mounted passenger pegs.” The two-tier shape is brilliantly upholstered in black, with a neat gold stitch. This colour combination runs throughout the bike and can also be seen on the inspired choice for a fuel tank, one taken from a Kawasaki KZ, to give the appearance some muscular lines.
At the front of the bike, the big headlight acts almost like a spotlight on a Baja track, while the slim design of LED technology lets it be hard mounted against the forks for a clean finish. Sitting just below, the half fender hanging from the bottom triple tree then creates the first of the Hypermotard like touches. A set of Pro Taper bars are used to control this urban assault vehicle and the gold finish is then picked up in the pinstriping on the tank, and a host of small parts like the rear brakes fluid reservoir.
To get the DR handling nicely on the street and with the off-road side of things no longer important, the first step is to ditch the spongy forks and their leading axle setup. In their place, Nick like so many others has opted to use a full Suzuki GSXR front end, the ultimate in proven packages. In addition to the vastly superior dampers, and lowered ride height, you also get a huge leap in braking power thanks to the Tokico calipers and their massive twin disc counterparts.
The engine of the Suzuki is one of its real highlights, and with the punchy single pumping out 54nm of torque, there is really no need to go crazy with modifications. But one thing Nick does better than almost anyone out there are his exhausts, which can be seen on everything from custom bikes to twin turbo supercars. So, it’s no surprise that he’s done a brilliant job with this stainless system, that runs neatly along the lower frame line, before spitting out of a short muffler.
Putting the power to the ground is a sticky set of street tires that wrap around lightweight spoked wheels from Warp 9. A digital speedo, bar end indicators and a quality set of controls are all teamed up and the bike is ready to take flight. “The combination of GSXR forks, paired with 17″ Supermoto wheels is quite the experience.
The bike is small, nimble, and has plenty of power for carving mountain curves. It honestly reminds me of riding a BMX bike while I was younger,” Nick smiles. And that’s exactly what this bike is all about, fun in appearance and even more fun at full throttle.
[ 485 Designs – Instagram ]