Drz400 Thread

[DougZ73]

Originally Posted by Helikoptermann

Which subframe does the SM have, actually?
The "e" one, or the strong "S" one?

The S and SM have the same one...The E and the kicker have the Shorty one.

Its not a matter of strength..its that one stops a foot or so before the other one does. Before that, they are basically the same.

[Helikoptermann]

Originally Posted by DougZ73

The S and SM have the same one...The E and the kicker have the Shorty one.

Its not a matter of strength..its that one stops a foot or so before the other one does. Before that, they are basically the same.

Good to know...
Thanks for the fast reply

[TroyJ650]

Originally Posted by DougZ73

The S and SM have the same one...The E and the kicker have the Shorty one.

Its not a matter of strength..its that one stops a foot or so before the other one does. Before that, they are basically the same.

There is actually 3 subframes - S & SM have the same, the E does not have the fender support and street stuff mounts, and the Kicker is like the E without the battery mount. I made the mistake of buying a cheap K subframe to find this out.

[DougZ73]

Originally Posted by TroyJ650

There is actually 3 subframes - S & SM have the same, the E does not have the fender support and street stuff mounts, and the Kicker is like the E without the battery mount. I made the mistake of buying a cheap K subframe to find this out.

yeah, I know about the battery box mount. Its only two lugs added on. That is why I italicized "basically" in my post, but when quoted, it all gets italicized.

[jackpiner57]

Originally Posted by RJP

I also used tire beads with good luck for fine tuning the balance.

They say they work to 60-70 mph as i remember...but i never get up that fast w/DR-Z.

Of course slime doesnt go well with them.

Dynabeads have been tested to over 150 mph with good results.

Originally Posted by WERA976

Have you converted to tubeless tires/wheels? How do the beads work with tubed tires?

Originally Posted by dsm_rally

I was thinking the same thing.

The beads work well in tube type tires also. The beads go into the tube easier if done before putting the tube into the tire.

[Westy123]

I have 2 DRZ400's that I use for Adventure riding, after 50,000km I find the bike great the only failing is the close ratio gearbox. If I have the right sprockets for fast track or road use first gear is to high for the tight trails.

Has any one tried to use the Quad engine from Suzuki LT Z400 which is basicly the same engine (I think the engine mounting points are different) but with wider gear ratios, or tried to change either first (which would mean a shaft change) or fifth gear to give a wider range? Do's anyone know if there is a Company that manufactures a pair of gears to replace the firth gears to get the ratio higher or any gears from other Suzukis would give the same result?

Thanks and Regards Westy
New Zealand

[Drizzt]

Originally Posted by Westy123

I have 2 DRZ400's that I use for Adventure riding, after 50,000km I find the bike great the only failing is the close ratio gearbox. If I have the right sprockets for fast track or road use first gear is to high for the tight trails.

Has any one tried to use the Quad engine from Suzuki LT Z400 which is basicly the same engine (I think the engine mounting points are different) but with wider gear ratios, or tried to change either first (which would mean a shaft change) or fifth gear to give a wider range? Do's anyone know if there is a Company that manufactures a pair of gears to replace the firth gears to get the ratio higher or any gears from other Suzukis would give the same result?

Thanks and Regards Westy
New Zealand

I read over on Thumpertalk about a guy that changed fifth gear to something that gave him drastically higher gearing, I think he used the gear from third, but I'm not really sure. Search around and you'll find it. Then you can have super low sprockets for singletrack, and still have a tall fifth gear for interstate.

No company makes gear sets for drz's, just too expensive and too small of a crowd to be worth it. Personally, I like the gearing on the drz, but then again I'm in the desert, so I'm not hopping logs or going up muddy singletrack hills.

[Westy123]

THanks for that I will take a look on Thumper. Rob

[Yokomo]

Originally Posted by Westy123

I have 2 DRZ400's that I use for Adventure riding, after 50,000km I find the bike great the only failing is the close ratio gearbox. If I have the right sprockets for fast track or road use first gear is to high for the tight trails.

Has any one tried to use the Quad engine from Suzuki LT Z400 which is basicly the same engine (I think the engine mounting points are different) but with wider gear ratios, or tried to change either first (which would mean a shaft change) or fifth gear to give a wider range? Do's anyone know if there is a Company that manufactures a pair of gears to replace the firth gears to get the ratio higher or any gears from other Suzukis would give the same result?

Thanks and Regards Westy
New Zealand

Change out 1 of the DRZ's for a DR650. So nice riding down the road!

[Cali Native]

broke my key in the steering lock dealer doesn't have one but they could order it for get this $15.95! I might sound like a cheap bastard but come on it's just a shitty little key blank. I tried the local lock shop and no dice. Anyway might anyone know w.here t.o f.ind one? Thanks and cheers!

[DR650SEDDY]

Originally Posted by Cali Native

Anyway might anyone know w.here t.o f.ind one? Thanks and cheers!

E-bay...

[Chilipepper]

Try another locksmith. My local small shop (before it burned down) had plenty that fit the lock. Nothing special about it.

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadu]

Originally Posted by jackpiner57

The beads work well in tube type tires also. The beads go into the tube easier if done before putting the tube into the tire.

So you... what, remove the check valve out of the tube stem, fill the tube with beads, then replace the Schraeder valve and install as usual? How many -or- how much bead do you put in, about an ounce or so? I'm intrigued about this...

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadu]

My bulleted list of observations/questions about my new DR-Z. It should be noted that I have a grand total of 185 all-street miles of experience with this actual bike so far.

1. Someone screwed up at the factory when they built this one- they forgot to install the 6th gear.

2. Why does everyone use the 60CSX unit for their GPS needs? It would appear to me that there are better options?

3. I plan to delete the kick stand and clutch switches this or next weekend, but from past performance and experiences, is there any need to disassemble and grease the swingarm and headstock bearings? I've read they are sometimes assembled pretty dry, but if that's not true I'd rather not get into a project that intense.

4. Bad seat. Bad. Ouch.

5. Would installing an hour meter be useful? Are there any maintenance intervals that are more dependent on time than miles? I would think it would be very useful.

6. This bike is sprung too soft (I weigh about 260 w/out gear). I need to take the shock & forks to someone to re-spring, re-valve and pour in heavier weight oil. Or is that something that could be done by a reasonably competent DIY'er?

7. Who's got a source for the open-cell'd foam to put between the as-yet uninstalled skid plate and the bottom of the engine case? Or do folks not do that anymore?

8. Would after-market case guards eventually conflict with installation of the Suzuki kick-start kit, or are they a pretty good fit?

9. Is the Suzuki kick start kit the unit to buy, or is there a better solution from the aftermarket? Is installation a DIY job, or does it require some super-human knowledge and tool collection?

10. Does anyone have- or have a source for- a digital copy of the service (not owner's) manual for the '09 model? Could you forward it to me?

11. Does anyone make a white after-market 4.0+ gallon tank to match the stock white body work? Not that translucent white, opaque white like the fenders & number plate.

12. Do frame covers do anything functional, or are they there just to protect the finish of the frame near where your boots would scuff it?

13. Is the Vapor dash the way to go for gauges? I sure would like a tach on this bike. And some water & oil temp gauges would be nice, too. I believe the Vapor has this functionality.

14. If I were to buy a second set of rims (which I very badly want to do), would it be easier/cheaper/quicker to just buy a set of rims already made, or build my own from components? Has anyone built rims for their DR-Z yet, and how do you now like them?

OK - that's all for now.

[garrett]

Originally Posted by WERA976

My bulleted list of observations/questions about my new DR-Z. It should be noted that I have a grand total of 185 all-street miles of experience with this actual bike so far.

1. Someone screwed up at the factory when they built this one- they forgot to install the 6th gear.

2. Why does everyone use the 60CSX unit for their GPS needs? It would appear to me that there are better options?

3. I plan to delete the kick stand and clutch switches this or next weekend, but from past performance and experiences, is there any need to disassemble and grease the swingarm and headstock bearings? I've read they are sometimes assembled pretty dry, but if that's not true I'd rather not get into a project that intense.

4. Bad seat. Bad. Ouch.

5. Would installing an hour meter be useful? Are there any maintenance intervals that are more dependent on time than miles? I would think it would be very useful.

6. This bike is sprung too soft (I weigh about 260 w/out gear). I need to take the shock & forks to someone to re-spring, re-valve and pour in heavier weight oil. Or is that something that could be done by a reasonably competent DIY'er?

7. Who's got a source for the open-cell'd foam to put between the as-yet uninstalled skid plate and the bottom of the engine case? Or do folks not do that anymore?

8. Would after-market case guards eventually conflict with installation of the Suzuki kick-start kit, or are they a pretty good fit?

9. Is the Suzuki kick start kit the unit to buy, or is there a better solution from the aftermarket? Is installation a DIY job, or does it require some super-human knowledge and tool collection?

10. Does anyone have- or have a source for- a digital copy of the service (not owner's) manual for the '09 model? Could you forward it to me?

11. Does anyone make a white after-market 4.0+ gallon tank to match the stock white body work? Not that translucent white, opaque white like the fenders & number plate.

12. Do frame covers do anything functional, or are they there just to protect the finish of the frame near where your boots would scuff it?

13. Is the Vapor dash the way to go for gauges? I sure would like a tach on this bike. And some water & oil temp gauges would be nice, too. I believe the Vapor has this functionality.

14. If I were to buy a second set of rims (which I very badly want to do), would it be easier/cheaper/quicker to just buy a set of rims already made, or build my own from components? Has anyone built rims for their DR-Z yet, and how do you now like them?

OK - that's all for now.

Howdy

Last summer I re-valved and re-sprung both forks and re-sprung the shock. The bike is MUCH better and you WILL notice a big difference if you spring and valve to your weight.

I am reasonably decent with a sert of tools, I've put a BB kit, cams, FCR carb, new exhaust system, and a ton of other maintenance. The re-valving was a little tedious but doable if you're willing to tackle the forks. I've had to change 2 sets of fork seals so I've been into the forks a few times now so it's not too weird for me. Buy yourself a Clymer manual and go. For suspension I highly recommend Race Techs Suspension Bible if you plan to do it yourself, If not, send the shock and forks to a good suspension shop and you'll be happy with the results.

I would re-grease the suspension bearings and steering head at some point especially if the bike has seen some water. I do water crossings whenever I can so I do it at least once a year.
Yup the seat sucks. I'm planning on the Seatconcepts.com replacement here fairly soon to get something better suited for my ass. I've heard great things about the seat from them. I will say I have been in email contact with them and they are excellent at getting back to you quickly and their prices are reasonable IMO.

The normal DRZ400 is not great at highway speeds but it's OK. If you plan on dirt diring a lot, I would lower the gear a bit for your weight. 14/47 is a very dirtworthy gearing, but you notice it revving a lot at highway speeds. I've got 14/45 on mine and like it. Once I replace the set I'll probable keep it that way as I like the setup for my weight and riding I do. The DRZ is going to be sluggish at highway speeds for you. IMO, I would not use higher gearing for highway use unless you'll be doing the big bore kit and cams etc.

IMO, money best spent is upgrading your suspension. You'll get the best bang for your buck as the bike is undersprung for you.

Good luck and enjoy the bike. It's an excellent "do-all" bike, and very reliable. I've enjoyed mine emmensely and ride it moderately hard.

Garrett