That's what we used to say in our mountain bike group. If a weekend ride got rained out, we'd say someone must have bought a new bike.do you no how to kill a drought , buy a new bike .... seems every new bike I buy it rains for 10 days after. had 2 inches today.
Third gear is a workhorse and is prone to wear or breakage and 5th (top) from lots of highway drone miles, i thinkExterior look great for the miles/age. Is the gearbox a normal problem area? I would have thought other engine internals before that.
Great info all up cheers BDThe DR's gearbox fails are random and likely the result of an under designed gearbox. Nova reckons the gears are too small for a 650 single and as such any QC issues are critical. The shafts are too close together and the cases too narrow. Sometimes its a 3rd failure, sometimes its something else. The circlip/snapring fails seem to be limited to a few years only, maybe 2018/19. The tooth pitting is usually from oil film breakdown, you have to use good quality oil in the DR, one that holds its viscosity at high temperatures.
The Nova story as it evolved is here FWIW; https://drriders.com/new-wide-ratio-gearbox-t18311.html
I warned you about those new riding pants!My DR tried to eat my leg last night. I was headed down the hill to my drive and my leg snapped in on the frame and just kept pulling. I clutched the bike and rolled my ankle out to try and hold the pressure pulling on my leg. I got stopped and some how my pants leg was stuck in the counter shaft sprocket. it went in behind the chain cover. I could not get off the bike and I could not roll it backwards being I was on a steep hill faced down. I let it roll on to the bottom and paddled the bike backwards with my right leg. I my pants came out looking like a mean dog got them. One thing is for sure the chain was clean as a whistle! don't think I will clean it like that any more! haha.