It's my turn to ask a silly question.

[crazycal]

I stopped at a pawn shop to snoop around. When I walked in the door, the first thing I saw was a Suzuki 350. A DR I think. While looking it over, the owner walked over and said it was a nice bike with only 7k miles on it. It was in good shape. I didn't give it much thought because I had planned on a SV650. The price was $2000. I don't know anything about a bike like this since everything I have owned has been larger. Does anyone know anything about these bikes. Are they reliable? How are they on the freeway? I don't know what year since I wasn't interested in the bike when I was there. After I left, I thought it would be small enough to put in the bus.

So, I don't know the

1. Year
2. Exact model
3. Exact condition

I do know it is a

1. Suzuki 350 Enduro type bike
2. 7,000 miles
3. $2,000 price tag
4. Blue in color

[EastCoastCB]

The 350's were decent bikes but heavy and cumbersome.
Pretty outdated and not really anything exciting. My gradad had one.
It was faster than my XR250 but nowhere near as good a dirt bike. I have no idea what they would go for now, but they were cheap and unloved twenty years ago.
Edit- according to my fifteen second search upon Google it seems yours are like my local pawn shops, wanting nearly half the actual value- Kelley Blue Book

[crazycal]

I have been searching ads and none are anywhere as low as the KBB price. I was thinking more like $1500 or less. I don't know how low the price can actually go. Look how much a Trail 70 goes for.

Tell me more about the bike? Have you ridden one. Don't care much about dirt. Just street manners. If I can pick up a clean low mileage bike for under 2 grand, that would be awesome.

[ElizaHasAPlan]

I'm told the blue ones have a problem with slipping out of gear.

The pink ones are much better.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by crazycal

I have been searching ads and none are anywhere as low as the KBB price. I was thinking more like $1500 or less. I don't know how low the price can actually go. Look how much a Trail 70 goes for.

Tell me more about the bike? Have you ridden one. Don't care much about dirt. Just street manners. If I can pick up a clean low mileage bike for under 2 grand, that would be awesome.

They're decent bikes. The 350 engine in the DR's had decent enough power to get out on the highway.
Yeah I used to ride grandads bike quite a bit. It was cool because it would outrun my XR250 in a straight line. My stepdad raced motocross in the 1970's and is a really GOOD rider and could beat me on the 250. I've never been a big fan of Suzukis, but that's just me being partial to the other "big 3".
If its a clean bike, I'd print the KBB page out and take it to the seller.

[EastCoastCB]

From a moto-website

So it is with the Suzuki DR350. On the surface, this is a most unremarkable little motorcycle. It has a very simple, air-cooled, four-valve, single-cylinder engine and an equally basic steel frame. The suspension is well intentioned rather than effective. Individually, none of these elements point to an iconic motorcycle.

Yet, you can’t ride a DR and not come back smiling. The motor is turbine smooth and as willing as a spaniel gun dog. The chassis is unbreakable and that soggy suspension is so forgiving. Rarely in the history of motorcycling has the total of such a collection of low point items produced such a high final score.

Pretty much my feelings on the bike, I guess. Although I'd still probably buy an XR.

What I really want is a nice KE100-

Last of their kind! There's one for sale not too far from me for $600 but I'm tapped out from bus and scooters... My next purchase will be some steel and a generator.

I wish I'd gotten that DR350 when the estate was being liquidated. It went for $400 running.

[MrDaveG]

I had two, one a 1991 kick start only...don't get one of these

The second one a 1993, kick AND electric start...this is the way to go

[timbrass]

The DR350 was a reliable bike. I remember reading about a guy that wanted a bike to ride across Africa and after much deliberation he chose a DR350 for combination of reliability/performance/cost/ease of maintenance. I was thinking of getting one, about 10 years ago but ended up with a Honda CRM250AR (but in Europe 2 strokes have been phased out)

[claydbal]

the DR doesnt do anything right. chassis is soggy and flexes. brakes stop like a bus and the engine is antiquated. put it on the freeway for very long and it will fry. none of the single cylinder on/off road bikes will hold up for freeway use for very long, even after propper tuning, you will be trying to cruise at an rpm that is past the point the power curve is falling off a cliff.