Just bought a wee DRZ400

[Aegis Bearing Mel]

One of those Ebay "I'll stick a cheeky offer in, you never know" type affairs, boom, now the owner of a 2000 DRZ400 SY.

Only slight issues was it was in London, so flight booked yesterday at half twelve, flew down at half two and met the dude at the airport, bike mine by half five.


After bungeeing the original exhaust system, my backpack, laptop and spare gubbins to the back off I popped up the road.

Was great fun zipping through London, which I seemed to spend a fair bit of time doing...
:o

Found the A1, bimbled along at a pleasant 70+ and all was good with the world.
Until just outside Derby when she decided that she was spitting her dummy out and anymore than a 1/3rd throttle was gonna result in no fuelling and some rather loud farting from the gutter masquerading as an exhaust.
:\

So, 47MPH and a bottle of Redex from Derby to Scotch Corner where I lost patience and kicked her, to my amazement she cleaned her throat and we had great fun on the A66.
Some of those bends don't have sneak up on you in the dark mind you.

M6 and she choked again, another 46MPH run from Penrith back home to the 'Weeg, so about 12 hours from finding the A1, one numb arse but still a grinning Mel.
Work on an hours sleep wasn't so much fun mind you, but hey.

So, any of you other fine buggers got such a toy lying around in the shed?
If so, anything to watch out for or must do mods?

Aegis

[Rikki]

I was looking at getting one of these before I bought a fazer. They've got an excellent reputation for reliability and seem to hold their value like nothing else. Some dealers were even advertising s/h ones for more than what Suzuki were selling them for brand new! (think they were going for £3800 before they were discontinued). Not sure what the problems you were having on the way home, could be something basic like a dirty air filter (especially if it's done a bit of off roading). Maintenance may not have been top priority for the previous owners.

Never had one myself but the gist I got from Thumpertalk & Supermotojunkie was that they're great little bikes but after a while they get a bit...well...boring. For the amount you would have to spend to increase the bhp to a more spirited 50+ you might as well save and put toward a 'proper' purpose-built enduro/SM like a KTM or Husky (the DRZ is essentially a 'road' bike). But the problem with these steroid thumpers is that the maintenence schedule is truly shocking! This is why I went for the 'sensible' option & bought the fazer.

It should be a fun bike to own for a while but I wouldn't spend too much on upgrades myself. When you sell it you might even make a couple of quid. Then go nuts and buy an SM510!

[yoss]

Hi.
  The "only" problem my son had with his 2003 400 was the Alternator flywheel bolts came loose
  and destroyed the windings.. Easy to check. just remove left hand crankcase cover and check the torque on the allen bolts.
  Yoss.

[GringoRojo]

admit it Andy, you just had height envy. you'll now find n your commute that your mirrors are at Transit van height, rather than car, so less of them, but more solid.

and stop grinding your teeth - the newer foccers don't know you have issues with KTM,  :lol

[caretaker]

a mate has just offered me a scruffy running xt600 for £350. sounds fair.

[locksmith]

There is a manual chain tensioner mod that is advisable.

I found the drz a bit too heavy for serious off road stuff, (though I'm not much better on a lighter bike except I fall off less :lol )

[cable tie]

Dr z    wow that's some return journey they are not the best bike for that because only 5 speed box unless the gearing is to suit rd riding. Is it the E model (plastic tank) or s (tin tank) the e is the full blown enduro model with different carb and various other bits and a little lighter the s is more rd bike and supermoto, depends what year but most are electric start only you can fit a kicker as well its simple to do as the bike is ready for one I did to a E model because there a fooker if the battery or starter don't do the job, Dr z 's are built like tanks but there heavy there a good bike if you want to do green laining on a budget as there not high maintenance  but in the tricky stuff the bike wears you down out quick, theres lots of free mods you can do, there is also a forum for the drz  with great info and free mod advice, there prone for spitting out the washer behind the front sprocket so 1st mod is buy the stainless kit for this off eBay prevents loss of oil. I did cam chain adjuster as well.

Enjoy you bike.

[fireblake]

My first bike was an XL250s in '81 but the big lads had the original DR400's. When they left our village they would pull vertical wheelies for a few hundred yards. So cool.

[manuel32]

10 out of 10 for the guts to ride it home man,,true biker spirit