Duh! Or in my case, working.:huh But I work at a kart track and they allow supermoto, so I got to ride on the track. I have worn out m21's, and all the other bikes were 450 motorcross bikes with track tires on them, so I was the slowest one out there but it was still a blast!
You guessed it! I got my DRZ finally sorted out (jetting & so forth) and took it for it's first serious dual-sporting today...rode with a gang of Ohio guys and logged 140 miles of trails & backroads, including some wicked mud & ruts, quad trails, hills, rocks, down logs, pretty much the gamut of eastern terrain was encountered today. I'm very impressed so far, even tho my bike is 90% stock, it performed admirably and handled all the terrain I put it through. Really had a great time on it. I still need to find a good tire, it's on its Deathwings and although I find them much better than their reputation, they're obviously awful in the slop...had to air them down to about 8 psi to get through the soupy stuff. I think I'll try the Shinko 244's on it, they were nice on my XRL for a cheap tire they did really well.
Sounds like the terrain here in HI only this dirt is red. Weird I know. As for the tire, I like my MT21s very very well. I buddy runs the DUNLOP 606s on his CRF250X and when he starts spinning I keep going. Thats at 20 psi for me and 11 for him also. Just my observation and some may disagree. I have no knowledge of the tire you mentioned. G/L Dave
Dave, There's red dirt in western OR but not as red as HI. On tires, everybody has different experiences. I've heard that 606's are the best from one guy, MT21's are best from another. My advice is just try as many different ones as your budget will allow. I got some used tires in trade for welding work: a Maxxis Desert IT rear, a Kenda 776 front, a TKC80 front and a set of 606's. I got these from three different guys. So far, the 606's are still waiting their turn, the Kenda and TKC80 are done and the Maxxis is still hanging on although it's almost done. The TKC worked better than I thought it would offroad and was great on pavement. The Kenda wore out too quick on slab but it was only 40% when I got it. It also wouldn't corner worth beans on pavement. The Maxxis was about 50% when it went on and has lasted probably 1000 miles of mostly pavement. The lugs are less than 1/4" tall but nice and square so it still does ok in dirt. Why would I take used tires in trade for welding work? Because I knew I would be commuting on the bike a lot this summer and didn't want to buy new tires. Over 4k and counting since May. I did buy a lightly used Maxxis IT front for $30 from another inmate and its doing well so far. These were little welding jobs too, like a couple cases of beer stuff but I don't drink so... used tires seemed like a fair deal and my friends got to clean out their garages a little.
I plan on trying the TKC next. The dirt here is like power and very loose so we will see how that goes.
Well, since buying my DRZ a month or so ago, I've been commuting on it and added TKCs, a 4mm alu bashplate, had the carbs cleaned, float set, and an inline filter fitted. It's running really well. At the weekend I'm going trail riding in the Peak District here in the UK, with the super tenere owners club. Forecast is snow . I'll post some pics and impressions on Sunday night - if I've thawed out :eek1
I'm a dirt guy too, and I'm not a supermoto guy in anyway but it was still fun. Alas, I'm a poor high schooler going to college so I can't get good tires or a second bike for supermoto. I'de much rather have dirt-ability and tour ability myself for now! Or at least in four months. I'm going to post pics of my perfect bike then
SNow sounds FUN!! Im living in Hawaii right now so the only snow Ill see is afghanastan next year. But have fun and be sure to post those pics. I want to come to England so bad but I just cant afford it right now. Maybe some day when I get more cash. I cant really afford 2 bikes right now either so Im like you in that aspect. I would rather ride dirt. More places to ride legally and safely IMO. Stick with it man you will get it. After my next deployment Im buying a KTM 300 XC for the dirt some Supermoto wheels and tires for DR-Z for commuting and pavement fun. Have fun and be safe. WHats your major?
Hi All! I've been lurking for a few months now but have just taken delivery of a 2008 DRZ400SM so thought it was about time I registered! Here's my new bike with 0 miles - Its got 400-odd road miles on the clock now so is nearly run-in and ready for its first service. After that, I'm going to remove all the unwanted crap and start modifying!!! Anyhow, thanks for looking and thanks to all for continued motivation and inspiration!! Mike
Thanks, I try to be safe (especially in the dirt riding alone!). I plan on majoring in mechanical engineering either in Northern Arizona University or the Universisty of Arizona, right now I'm leaning towards NAU, but it gets below freezing there, and it snows! I'm a desert guy, so I'm not sure what I think about the cold weather; but the area is awesome, an hour in any direction and it's completely different riding! Good luck with the other bike, should be fun for the dirt. The drz is great for the street, as long as you're not trying to be keep up with real supermoto bikes on a track
If you want to generate an impressive flurry of rapid agitated comments you could run over to the Gspot forum and post that pic with a snide comment of some sort...... Pretty funny.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the new bike. I can highly recommend the Kenda Trackmaster rear if you are doing mostly trails and dirt. If you commute or ride a lot of pavement, then the Kenda K270 rear is a great compromise, and last longer than the Trackmaster. I've ridden my DRZ all year with the K270 rear (pics below). The Shinko 244 looks like a knock-off of the K270. The K270 front really sucks, and I'm not a huge fan of the Trackmaster front either (although it's not horrible). I prefer a more aggressive front tire for traction while descending the steep hills around here, like the Pirelli MT-44 or the Scorpion Pro, or the Kenda 776 or 777. Some of my pics from recent Ohio DS rides:
Wow, sorry to hear about that. Sure would like to hear what you think broke. I took mine to Alaska last June. 5K miles round trip in two weeks with no problems. I found the DRZ to be an outstanding bike for all the back roads in BC! I had set it up with 15/47 gears and kept it under 70MPH. Plan on taking it to AK for the northern part next summer. The only think I ate was my chain. By the time I got home it was toast. Due mainly to not cleaning it and doing a whole lot a dirt! Adventure Girl..
adventure girl tell me about the screen on your drz 400 It looks good. I am buying the wife an 05 drz 400 this weekend and I am looking to trick it out mcgov
I run 15/47 as well. I think it's the best of all the compromise gearings. My KLX400 is the offroad model so it came 14/47. Switching the front sprocket was easier IMO. My new Muzzy exhaust system seems to spread out the gears even more.
Sorry, I'm not adventure girl, but I can tell you its a BMW F650 windscreen. Smart addition to both the DRZ400 and DR650. Just need to get a few bolts, nuts, and spacers from the local hardware store.
dont waste your money on a $150 gs screen just make your own. here is a write-up i did back in the day. http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=641495
