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.