My Suzuki

Like I mentioned in my last post, I picked up a 2003 DRZ E model. So… my SM is a good street bike and my E is a good dirt bike, but I don’t really have a good 50/50 dual sport. I’ve been wanting a DR650 for awhile, but I keep reading about how people are adventure riding all over the world on a Royal Enfield Himalayan so I started thinking a DRZ would be big enough. It has better suspension and a lot more power than the Himalayan, so why not? So I started looking around on the interweb for “DRZ400 adventure bike build” and started finding some interesting stuff. You know, maybe a DRZ would suit my needs just as well as the DR650… then something popped up on FB Marketplace: a 2005 DR-Z400S with low miles. Couldn’t help myself, I had to go look at it. Well, long story short, it’s now in my storage unit. I’m starting to think I need an intervention…

It’s currently riding on Warp9 17″ rims, but it came with the stock 18/21″ wheels so those will be going back on with a set of Dunlop D605’s. The engine runs nice (stronger than my 2021 SM but not as strong as the 2003 E) so I’m just going to do the 3×3 airbox, re-jet the carb, and put an FMF exhaust on it. For adventure duty, it’s getting an IMS 3.1 gallon gas tank, rear rack, and a pannier system. For comfort/safety/crash protection I’m putting on a Seat Concepts seat, wind screen (not sure what yet), Denali M7 headlight, Unabiker radiator guards, and Cycra hand guards. Hope to finish it by mid September so I can spend a few weeks riding to verify reliability, then take a 200 mile road trip in October.

My KTM is running great and it’s nice and loud, just like I want it. Still not sure if I’ll be able to get it plated. Everyone I talk to says I can, but no one can explain exactly how, or even say if they know someone who’s actually got one plated. The big problem is… where do I mount the battery? There is a little bit of room under the seat, and there are even 3 little holes on the inner back fender that look the the place where you’d mount the battery holder. The only problem is… I can’t find a battery holder. Not even in KTM factory parts diagrams. So we’ll see. I did take it down and have DOT approved tires put on. Now I just have to figure out the rest of the pieces. I REALLY want plates on this thing…

I also picked up my Beta XTrainer last week. Supposedly it’s 10% smaller than a full sized dirt bike. Judging by how it looks next to my other bikes, I’d say that’s about right. But OH what a difference that 10% makes. It’s still comfortable (i.e. not too small for my 6′ frame) to sit on, but maneuvering it around in the garage is so much easier than the full size bikes. Seriously, it’s like pushing around a bicycle. I think I’m going to love this bike.

Oh, and since I don’t post enough Suzuki stuff… I picked up another DRZ. This one’s a 2003 E model. Looks like it’s been rode hard and put away wet a few too many times, but it does run good. It also has RMZ 450 forks and rear shocks. Another project bike… which brings me up to five in my stable. My max is seven and I want three more (DR-650, some kind of Harley, and a China bike) so I’m going to have to think about this. Sure is fun, I know, “first world problems”…

I couldn’t help it. I love vintage bikes. I don’t like fuel injection. I hate spending months looking for parts from obscure dealers half way around the world. So I innocently posted to a FB dirt bike group I’m in that I was looking for a project bike. Something old enough to be carbureted, new enough that I can still find parts, and in good enough condition that I wouldn’t have to rebuild the bottom end. I wasn’t really expecting a reply, just kind of dreaming and throwing out feelers. Well, I got 2 replies within minutes. One was a clapped out Honda 125 that imo probably needs a new bottom end. Plus it was a 125, so probably not enough power to haul around my fat butt. The other one though was a 2006 KTM 250 XC. I love 2 strokes and I love KTM. I couldn’t help myself – I had to go take a look. It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but just looking couldn’t hurt, right?

This one is in nice condition for its age. Good plastics, oversized gas tank, FMF exhaust, Barkbusters, and most important it starts on the first or second kick. Only question was… can I still get parts? Talked to the local KTM dealer. Yes, I can still get parts and he also said it would be an awesome trail bike. So… I did the deed. The seller was even nice enough to deliver it for me. Only thing I’m nervouse about is buying it with a bill of sale. Since it’s a dirt bike, there is no title. I did run the VIN and it’s not stolen, so we’ll see how it works out…

As far as a project bike, it really doesn’t need much. In fact the only thing it really needs is replacing the lower bearing on the rear shock. A quick search on YouTube confirmed that’s a task so easy that even I can handle it. Making it street legal will be a challenge but I’m gonna go for that too. Maybe. Even if a license plate doesn’t happen it will still make an awesome trail bike.

So now there are 3, 4 if you count the Beta that I’m (hopefully) getting later this month. Since I’d planned on 5, it means either the Harley or the DR650 will have to get cut from the list. That’s going to be a tough choice.

Happy July. Today is my first day of being unemployed. Now I should have a lot more time to spend on my bikes and other things. Since my last post, I’ve taken and passed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Rider Course and gotten the motorcycle endorsement added to my driver’s license. Yipee, no more riding dirty. I also ordered a Beta XTrainer (yep I’m spoiled) and I hope to get a DR650 by the end of the year. Then hopefully some time in the future a Harley Softail to round out my stable at 5 bikes.

As much as I love my DRZ, it’s not perfect from the factory. In fact, I already had some things in mind before I bought it. The stock tail light is butt-ugly and needs to go. Lots of other little things, some obvious and some not so obvious. The nice thing about simple bikes is they’re easy to modify and make your own. In no particular order, here are some of the things I want to change…

• Lighting: like I said, the factory tail light and turn signals are fugly so they’ll be the first to go. I also want to replace the headlight for brightness and maybe better looks.
• Protection: at least case protectors and a folding shift knob, maybe a skid plate.
• Fuel system: replace the factory gas tank and petcock, remove the charcoal canister.
• Performance: FMF Power Bomb pipe, Q4 muffler, 3×3 the airbox, and FCX 39 carb. Maybe a big bore kit (?) (Update: could not find a Q4 exhaust system, so I bought a Yoshi RS2 system with carbon fiber muffler)
• Misc: Foot pegs, rear rack, high output stator, hand guards, “loctite fix”, gearing, chain, front fender, graphics…

And of course, riding the piss out of it. That’s it for now, keep the shiny side up.

My Suzuki is a 2021 DR-Z400 SM that I bought brand new. It’s actually my third bike. The first was a 1983 Harley Sportster that I got used in the mid 80’s while I was in the Air Force. I had a lot of fun with it, but when I moved back home none of my friends rode so I sold it. My second bike is an SWM RS500R that I bought earlier this year. I still have it, but it’s a pure dirt bike and no fun on the street. Before I bought the SWM I’d been looking at the DR-Z400 S. Since the RS500 is too much for me now I decided to give it a second look. I’d seen the SM, but it wasn’t really my thing – I thought.

After looking at both, I decided on the SM. I already have a dirt bike, the SM has a better suspension than the S, and the shorter tires make it a lot easier to ride on the street – at least for me. So I brought it home…

What I love most about the DRZ is that it’s so simple – no ABS, no “traction control”… hell, it doesn’t even have EFI. It gets a bad rap for that – I see a lot of crap about how Suzuki needs to give it six gears, EFI, etc. That misses the whole point of this bike. If you want all that useless expensive crap go buy one of the 90%-plus bikes on the market that have all that junk. Leave the last of the simple bikes alone… well, at least until government over regulation forces Suzuki to downgrade the DRZ (and DR650). As for me, I’m loving my DRZ – it takes me back to a simpler and better time.