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Suzuki DR650 Seat Page
The DR 650 is a dualsport and meant to be ridden off road. It has a narrow seat that doesn't get in the way when negotiating rough terrain, and isn't as cushy and more road friendly bikes. Because of this, many opt to upgrade their seats. And for some reason, it seems to be more of an issue with the post 96 DR650s than the pre 96s. Perhaps owners of late model bikes are just more high maintenance but it may have more to due with the fact that newer DR650s have narrower and firmer to save weight.
Stock Seat for pre 96 DR650
For me, the decision to upgrade was easy. After the vinyl cover was damaged to the point that the foam cushion in the seat sponging up rain water and soak my pants when I sat on it, it was time to reupholstered it with black vinyl. Now it's waterproof and black.
Custom Replacement
There are a couple of companies that specialize in custom bike seats and make them for DRs. These can be made with various materials, color, textures, etc. Some special mods include widening the seat to work and look more like a cruiser road bike. Just remember that a seat cushion is much like a bed mattress cushion (another over hyped and fraudulent business). A cushion may feel soft and cushy at first but after a couple of hours on it, you may what something a bit firmer.
Of note, if you replace the fuel tank on your bike with and aftermarket one, this may limit/change your seat choices. This is the case with Corbin seats and '96+ DR650s with an IMS fuel tank.
For post 1996 DR650s, Suzuki offers a gel seat replacement (P/N 99950-62181) which is a bit softer and about an inch narrower, which is a plus for short riders and a leg cramper for taller riders.
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Seat Cover
This is certainly more affordable than a complete seat replacement and may be all you need to dial in your seat. The Suzuki gel seat cover is popular (most likely because of talented dealership sales folks) and seems to be the ticket for many riders.
Real sheep's is very popular and is surprisingly comfortable for long rides. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. On the down side, it may not be the best cover for riding in the rain.
Another surprise are wooden bead seat covers. These ventilate to some degree and massage your buttocks.
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Reupholstering
It shouldn't be too hard to find someone that can do this for you for cheap. As long as you aren't trying to redesign the shape and adding multi density foam, adding a new layer of vinyl should be pretty easy. You can just stretch on a new cover in the color of your choice and staple it to the seat frame. If you don't have a staple gun, you can get creative with some vinyl cement and cement a new cover over the remnants of the old vinyl.
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