I know I'll come to regret it, but the trusty DR650 will be up for sale once the snow clears in the spring. Circumstances are about to change, and in fact, both the DR and the WR250 will be up for sale this spring/summer. The reason: I'll be heading off to work in Europe for the next 4 years. While taking one or both bikes with me is a possibility, or even putting them into storage while I'm gone is another possibility, the reality is that I will need the cash to purchase a new European bike when I get there. I'll be in Berlin, where I don't expect to do much dual sport riding, so I'll most likely be shopping for a BMW F800R or similar for commuting and taking weekend road trips. I have no idea yet, but I plan to get some type of European 2-wheel machine that is more "street oriented" for some road trips.
In any event, the DR will be the first to go, as I plan to ride the WR for the spring and part of the summer. I won't be leaving for Berlin until August.
So, with 2 feet of snow on the ground, I decided I would get busy and begin stripping some of the upgrade parts from the DR. As tricked out as my DR is, none of the upgrade bits really do much for adding value when it comes to re-sale, and I've kept all of the original parts for just this reason. A few weeks ago when I put the bike into the shed for the winter, I removed the Wolfman side racks, and the Pat Walsh Designs rear luggage rack, and also the GSXR1000 Titaninium muffler & Two Brothers polished mid-pipe. I bolted the OEM muffler back onto the bike and tweaked the jetting a wee bit on the Mukuni TM40 pumper carb to lean things out accordingly. I no longer have the OEM carb, so the buyer of the DR will get the magic pumper carb.
Today, I removed the entire RMZ250 front end (2007 model, forks, wheel assembly, and triple clamps). In the process, I also pulled the Highway Dirt Bikes hand guards, bar risers and top clamp, the Tusk 1 1/8" oversize handlebars, and the bar end mirrors.
I finished off by bringing the front end components into the basement and will give everything a good cleaning because I intend to sell the RMZ front end as a bolt-on kit to a fellow DR rider who has expressed interest.
I'll bolt up the OEM front end and re-mount as many of the original parts as possible. The OEM forks and triples have been wrapped in a blanket for 2 years after I cleaned them up and changed the fork oil.
This is what the DR looked like in the last week or so of the riding season, late November 2012. This was a test ride after putting the original exhaust system back on, and re-jetting the carb to suit the OEM exhaust.
Here she is sitting in the winter hybernation shed.
Disassembly begins
Complete front end removed.