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Biker test: Camille
April
2003, 7 a.m. It’s winter vacation and they’re going
take place in the depths of Queyras, 50 miles from Briançon.
My girlfriend is leaving by train, me it will be in Suzuki DR800, a model
from 1990 with an engine from 1994.
In front of me are 750 national terminals, motorway and small
departmental viroleuses at will. Frantically
I open the door to the parking lot where the beast is gently resting
every evening. The spectacle before my eyes plunges me
immediately a good decade back. She
does not seem quite out of place in this environment
of concrete with its inimitable mouth of a desert eater.
Even BM was inspired by it to make the F 650 GS.
Discovery
His
large indicators, its supertanker tank (28 liters capacity),
its discolored plastics, its Soviet steel rack
and his 800cm gromono³ air-cooled ….. everything breathes the
old-fashioned trail. What strikes the most
it is his saddle height. Compared to roadsters at
next to which it is parked, there’s a bit of a shift
!
It’s time to get on the monster because the clock is ticking and the
pilot is impatient. The maneuver does not go too badly thanks
at my meter ninety-three on the other hand below a
certain size it will be necessary to provide the stepladder and heels
for red light stops.
Contact
First.
The big cylinder kicks in and on the other side
the pot emits a big POUM POUM, archetype of the gromono sound.
After realizing that progressiveness is not his
strong we control a little more easily the controlling clutch
a soft and precise gearbox … pure Suzuki.
After the adventures inherent in
every trip using the ring road I find myself quickly
on the A6 towards Fontainebleau to get out of
the Parisian agglomeration. It must be admitted that this
is not the favorite terrain of the DR800. That said
we can support a small 140 meter without too much trouble and without getting caught
too much air in the helmet. The mini bubble protects relatively
sufficiently and the large tank deflects the air at the level
knees. The driving position, typically trail, is really comfortable,
the legs very little bent, the right bust: a treat.
Km
70: exit towards Fontainebleau and direction the N7. The weather is nice, the air
gently begins to warm up but it is not
again the heat wave that will rage a few months later. This is
left for 450 national terminals to Lyon. The
the DR is revealed. Cruising speed is established
naturally at 100km / h or 4000rpm is exactly there
where is the maximum torque. At this rhythm of big pulsations
emanating from the engine, you can feel each stroke of the piston
in toe clips, saddle, grips or mirrors.
There is a life underneath !
We are approaching Lyon and 400 terminals from my starting point
we will have to start thinking about refueling. It will be
a great opportunity to rest my rear end which really
a lot of trouble getting used to the Spartan board-style comfort
drink. It is clear that Japanese engineers have
tried the DR only in the Sahara, where we
never sit down! A real old-fashioned trail that we
told you! This is the reason why I go down alone, the
duo can only be considered serenely on journeys of 2 hours
maxi.
Come on, we mustn’t fall asleep, I have a few more points left before
to reach Grenoble and Formula 1 where it is planned
that I spend the night.
the
next day, 8 a.m. The mountain in the cool, the sky is blue,
nobody on the road and the virolos are profiled. The road becomes more
steep, the temperature drops and everything turns
meaning. The vegetation is less present, the carburettors
begin to have difficulty supplying the engine with
oxygen and it’s still running! My face is distorted
: a banana crosses my face, it’s ecstasy. The DR rolls
without weakening, the engine tows but you have to impose yourself a little
handlebars to swing it from turn to turn. The
two hundred kilos, the center of gravity perched high and the
21-inch front wheel are felt. For their part,
Metzeler Tourance that I rode a week before the
departure give confidence and encourage you to lean as long as you
can, the grip and comfort are up to par. We forget his
little comfort although at the Lautaret pass (2058 m.) my painful fingers
make me take a break to warm them up
on the muffler and change gloves: the model
winter is more suitable for sub-zero temperatures.
After the pass it is the descent to Briançon then
direction Guillestre. This long descent highlights a
fairly good braking on asphalt or at least sufficient for use.
In TT it must be more than sufficient. A few more roundabouts
late it’s the Guil gorges then at La Maison du Roi in
right direction Ceillac via the D60 its 18 hairpin bends and
its 600 m. drop in 5km. The most beautiful part of the
trip, which is why the DR is made (chaotic tracks bet on
part): narrow departmental, quality bitumen
random, bends galore…
On site the program is simple: ski in the morning and tour of the region
in the afternoon, as a duo of course. There the
DR admits its limits: it is still easy to handle, but the engine
is a little struggling with its 54 hp. To its relief the altitude
average is 1500 m. it goes up a lot and often. This is
the opportunity to drive at a tourist pace.
The DR800 in everyday life
Consumption in town: 7.5L / 100
Minimum consumption: 5.5L / 100 (at stabilized speed –
4000 rpm)
Maximum consumption: 12L / 100 (at maximum speed or 165Km / h meter)
Autonomy (1990 model – 28L tank): 230 km to
500 km including reserve
Small overhaul: every 6000 km (oil change, balance chain,
filters – very accessible to beginners in mechanics)
Major overhaul: every 12,000 km (valve clearance, spark plugs,
oil change, filters, balance chain – around 400 €
in concession)
Tires: 12,000 km on average
Conclusion
After
a year of use where I fell
under the spell of this gromono (the biggest on the market) he will have me
had to go through these 750 terminals in two days (and the same thing at
back but all at once) to definitely fall in love with
this mill.
In love with its pulsations, its torque, its range of use
restraint. Also in love with its wooden saddle, its aesthetics
completely outdated, of its reduced equipment
and its minimalist dashboard. Yet a year later she will be
sold with 74,000 km on the clock to another passionate
the DR800 for a technical repair which it was starting
to need.
| Strong points | Weak points |
|---|---|
|
|
Photo credit: Camille Mesny, and photo "Col du Lautaret"
: http://www.sztucki.de
An essay by Camille.
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