The beast that bore me and the things she carried are all described below. See this update on the moto, mods, and gear for a review of what worked, what sucked, and what broke.
Meet Dyna Rae, my Suzuki DR650 – she can do it all. Near the beginning of her overland makeover:

Modifications complete and loaded for a trans-Africa expedition:

Just about any bike will get you there and back, given a flexible schedule and enough ingenuity. That said, it gives me some peace of mind knowing that I’ve taken up with a reliable, versatile and time tested machine such as Dyna Rae – simple enough mechanically that even I might be able to fix her when she needs some TLC. She is a 2007 model that had 6K miles on her when we met in 2010. Sporting a 644 cubic centimeter power plant, she weighs in at a svelte 325 pounds dry and unburdened. She’ll do single track trails, hours blasting on superslab, and everything in between. The carbureted, air cooled design hasn’t changed since 1996, which means that you won’t be winning any enduro races, but there are loads of aftermarket goodies to dress her up and a wealth of knowledge on the design out there in the motorcycling community. Of course, no one is perfect…
DR Modifications
I had no idea about motorcycles before Dyna and I met, so learning how to work on one has been a journey in itself. Usually involving breaking one thing while I’m trying to fix another thing. I’d be in far worse shape without the experiences of other riders and travelers – some of which are linked on the side bar at the right. My bike modifications are listed below along with tools, spares and a gear list. See the post Dyna Rae all Dressed Up for more details on preparations for circumnavigating Africa.
-
Body and Controls
Long range tank – Acerbis 5.3 gal
Handlebars – Renthal Jimmy Button bend
1” Bar risers
Hand guards – Cycra
New grips
Windshield – Screens for bikes
Engine case guard – Procycle
Quick response throttle tube – Procycle
Case and oil filter cover armor
Front fender – KTM style UFO
Bash plate – Procycle
Rear rack – Moto Billet
Saddle – Seat Concepts
License plate bracket – Procycle
Top box – Pelican 1450
Toolbox – MTE Engineering (via DRriders)
Tool tube – Ag supply on ebay
Panniers – Ortileb saddle bags
Surf Rack – modified from Carver Racks
Wider footpegs – bronation from ebay
Side racks for bags – ebay
Stainless hardware replacement
-
Suspension and Rubber
Fork springs – Eibach
Heavier (7.6 kg/mm) shock spring
Race tech gold valve
Heavy-duty (3mm) inner tubes
Mefo Explorer tires
Rear axel locknut- Procycle -
Electrical
USB outlet hardwired into switched power
HID headlight
DR 250 tail light
Battery -Yuasa high capacity
Home made mini jumper cables installed under seat
GPS – Iphone with RAM mount -
Engine and Drive
Magnetic sump plug – Procycle
Oil filter magnet – Procycle
Aluminum chain guide – Procycle
Case Saver – Procycle
Air filter – Twin Air
Filter skins x 12
Stainless steel oil filter – Dual Star
Extended fuel screw – Keintech
Plastic choke fitting replaced
Suzuki Hyabusa muffler – ebay
Two Brothers/Keintech midpipe
New chain ring and countershaft sprocket
DID 525 X-ring chain -
Ditched and Refreshed
CA emissions box removed
License plate holder assembly removed
Valves adjusted
Carburetor disassembled and cleaned, screws replaced
Upper chain roller removed
Cush drive rubbers replaced
Sprocket cover removed
Kickstand and clutch safety switches disabled
Dialectric grease applied to connectors
New spark plugs
Replaced cam chain tensioner gasket
Shock seal and oil replaced
Fuel line replaced
NSU screws replaced and loctited
Bike Stuff on Board
You can never carry everything that you might need, but it would be nice to have spares and tools along that will avoid a show stopper. This is the trouble with time to prepare – you think of too much crap to carry. Here is my list for the DR:
-
Spares
Clutch and throttle cables (zip tied in place)
Front sprocket – 14 tooth
Counter shaft seals
Front and rear wheel bearings
Cush drive bearing
Shock and fork seals
Front brake pads
Headlight and taillight bulbs
Inner tubes front and rear – standard thickness
Oil drain plug
Chain links, master links x 3
Spark plugs x 2
Fuses x 3
Fuel line
14 gauge wire +connectors
Spare bolts kit
-
Tool Kit
1/4” Socket driver – Motion Pro
Bit driver
Combo tire iron/axel wrench x 2
Allen keys – 2/3/4/5/6/8/10
Wrenches – 8/10/12/13/17
Sockets – 6/8/10/12/13/14/17
8”Socket extension
3/8”-1/4” Socket converter
Spark plug socket
Chain tool
7”Knipex locking pliers
4” vice grips
Tire pressure gauge
Mountain bike pump
Bike crutch for tire repairs
Feeler gauges
Valve tappet adjuster
Sawzall blades – metal and all purpose
Valve stem fishing tool
Letherman tool
Toothbrush
Small voltage tester
Telescoping magnet
Tow strap
-
Consumables
Zip ties
Duct and electrical tape
Blue loc-tite
Tube patch kit
JB weld
Blue RTV gasket maker
Bearing grease
Chain lube
Small WD-40
Gear
Gear obsessing is a great way to pretend you’re going to do something exciting while you’re not doing anything very exciting. I’ve tried to embrace the lesson I’ve learned backpacking in the wilderness that less is often best when weight and space are at a premium.
-
Riding
Helmet – On-off road AFX- FX39
Goggles – Smith Intake
Armored jacket with mesh panels- Rev’it Turbine
Armored pants with zip off panels – Joe Rocket
Gloves – Aerostitch Ropers
-
Camping
Tent – REI quarter dome
Sleep mat – Exped Airmat and pillow
Bag – Montbell down hugger 30 degree
Cooking – Trangia mini alcohol stove and pot, 1L water bottle
Water – Sawyer in-line filter, MSR dromedary bag
-
Surfing
Board – 5’11” quad fin by Ward Coffee, Santa Cruz
Water wear – Oneil 3/2 psycho freak suit, boardies, reef boots, neoprene top
Spares and repairs – 2 x leashes, 2 x fin set, ding repair stuff
-
Personal
Clothing – Keen Sandals, 3 t-shirts, 1 pair pants, 3 socks, 3 underwear, hat, rain jacket, light insulating jacket
Communications and data– Macbook Air 11”, 1TB External drive, 128gb USB drive
Camera – Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 tough camera, Lumix GF3 with 14 mm lens (28mm equivalent), mini tripod, modified go-pro mount, x-shot monopod
Med Kit compression bandage, adhesive bandages,sterile dressings, antiseptic cream, tweezers, ibuprofen, vicodin, antibioics, antimalarial medication
Other – stowable daypack, headlamp, pack towel, mosquito head net, toiletries, water treatment, nylon cord, mini caribiners, rechargeable batteries, chargers, outlet adapters
-
Documents
U.S. Passport
Bike registration
Bike title
California driver license
International driver license
Travel insurance
Carnet de passage en Duane (Africa)
Paper and digital copies of all
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