Thinking about a DRZ400SM

[Quasievil]

mmmm tyre is a tyre they slip[ on any bike, might be easy to control with the wide bars if ya quick n good.
Takes me back to Paeroa 09, rain on the track, first hairpin I binned it................in practice, no one told me that pink spray paint meant manhole cover on the racing line...............TWATS

[thealmightytaco]

Hmmmm, I just feel a bit safer going to that point on a motard, was always scared of going there on a sportsbike for some reason. Probably just what I'm used to, thrashed a few farm bikes, doing 50m powerdrifts on an RM80 in a freshly plowed kumara paddock a favourite, but never made it to the dangerzone on a sportsbike.

[meteor]

Ok, done a few hundred K now, the seat thing is ok, better than I expected, but I'm used to dirt bikes...an SV650 I took for a blat felt like an armchair.
The small tank thing... yeah, first tank to reserve I got 88km! but the last one I got 100 K out of 6 ltrs so probably around 160 to 180 to empty around town.
Not so bad. Lights and indicators all done and look good imho, jet kit, air box mod and exhaust next but have to wait... my son just killed his KX85 and I'm up for $900 to repair. Kid's!!!

[thealmightytaco]

Ok, done a few hundred K now, the seat thing is ok, better than I expected, but I'm used to dirt bikes...an SV650 I took for a blat felt like an armchair.
The small tank thing... yeah, first tank to reserve I got 88km! but the last one I got 100 K out of 6 ltrs so probably around 160 to 180 to empty around town.
Not so bad. Lights and indicators all done and look good imho, jet kit, air box mod and exhaust next but have to wait... my son just killed his KX85 and I'm up for $900 to repair. Kid's!!!

Yeah the seat isn't that bad, after an hour you do start to feel it, but I think you could get 2, maybe 3 hours before you're swearing it at.

And the tank thing! I just learnt yesterday, and tested it today, the odometer is in miles!!! They have the option to switch what the speedo reads in, kms or miles, but that doesn't change the odo, it always reads in miles. I thought I too was only getting 90~100kms to 7L, but we're actually getting 150~160kms to reserve, which is freakin' sweet for the amount of fun you can have on it.

So yeah, check out a ride on google maps, see what it reckons the kms are, then go do it on your DRZ, and google will seemingly have overestimated by a factor of roughly 1.6, perfect miles to kms ratio.

[thealmightytaco]

Just did a 2hr suburban adventure, seat was sweet as, you do start to feel it after an hour, but do a stand up every 20 mins or so to refresh and it's fine.

Did another mileage test at the start too, made a fixed trip from home to a cafe up the port hills, and yet again the odo was out by the exact miles to kms ratio. Shame they can't make the little comp work it all out.

[mattsdakar]

Yeah the seat isn't that bad, after an hour you do start to feel it, but I think you could get 2, maybe 3 hours before you're swearing it at.

And the tank thing! I just learnt yesterday, and tested it today, the odometer is in miles!!! They have the option to switch what the speedo reads in, kms or miles, but that doesn't change the odo, it always reads in miles. I thought I too was only getting 90~100kms to 7L, but we're actually getting 150~160kms to reserve, which is freakin' sweet for the amount of fun you can have on it.

So yeah, check out a ride on google maps, see what it reckons the kms are, then go do it on your DRZ, and google will seemingly have overestimated by a factor of roughly 1.6, perfect miles to kms ratio.

I'm getting up to 320km out of a tank, safari tank that is, $400 on trademe score so that issue is sorted, I've got plenty of padding on my arse so seat doesn't bother me!

[meteor]

Yes thealmightyytaco (you've gotta get a shorter name) you're absolutely right, I just did a measured 10K ride... 6.2 on the trip and odo. Speedo was set for kph too. So that makes my milage figures look better. Around 55 to 60 mpg and roughly 200 km out of the wee 10 ltr tank around town being nice and conservative as I'm still running it in. That'll do me about 2 weeks commuting per tank. $17 for 2 weeks riding = very big smile! I'll take a pic or two of the DRC kit... be up soon.

[meteor]

Here ya go





hope that works

[thealmightytaco]

Yes thealmightyytaco (you've gotta get a shorter name) you're absolutely right, I just did a measured 10K ride... 6.2 on the trip and odo. Speedo was set for kph too. So that makes my milage figures look better. Around 55 to 60 mpg and roughly 200 km out of the wee 10 ltr tank around town being nice and conservative as I'm still running it in. That'll do me about 2 weeks commuting per tank. $17 for 2 weeks riding = very big smile! I'll take a pic or two of the DRC kit... be up soon.

But that's my name! Just type taco, until another taco comes along anyway.

DRC looks nice, I'd be keen to get some more subtle mirrors too, I'm sure there's some panoramic button type mirrors you can get that sit directly on the bars inside the grips, buggered if I know where to get them though.

[meteor]

Well I finally got round to those mods. The DRC tail tidy and LED indicators, then the jet kit and finally the 3x3 and pipe. A FMF Q4 which is a tad quieter than the Powercore and just a bit louder than stock. Result... big smile, about 10-15% across the range [I think] feels like 2nd pulls like 1st used to if that makes sense. So very happy..... for now!

[NOID]

Well sorry to drag up and old thread boys. durring the long weekend i got talking to a mate who said that he knows a guy who was building a DRZ400E up into a street tard, had the wheels etc all there, then he said that he was thinking about selling it .I couldnt pass up the offer so i rang him.... iv always had a soft spot for the 400SM but could never afford one. this friend of a friend want 3.5k for it all reg wofd etc with the 17s, new rubber etc

my question is are they any good on the open road ? 100km + trip on non bendy roads ? as a suburban assult bike there ok iv heard, great commuter, track wepon their not, all though i may take it to roys hill every now and then to fill time in between bucket races. . . might even do the odd trail ride/adventure thing . . just swap over to the mx wheels.

but streight god boring roads what are they like ? like every other 250cc 4stroke sports bike . . . slow and gay ? let me know

Cheers NOID

[Quasievil]

Well sorry to drag up and old thread boys. durring the long weekend i got talking to a mate who said that he knows a guy who was building a DRZ400E up into a street tard, had the wheels etc all there, then he said that he was thinking about selling it .I couldnt pass up the offer so i rang him.... iv always had a soft spot for the 400SM but could never afford one. this friend of a friend want 3.5k for it all reg wofd etc with the 17s, new rubber etc

my question is are they any good on the open road ? 100km + trip on non bendy roads ? as a suburban assult bike there ok iv heard, great commuter, track wepon their not, all though i may take it to roys hill every now and then to fill time in between bucket races. . . might even do the odd trail ride/adventure thing . . just swap over to the mx wheels.

but streight god boring roads what are they like ? like every other 250cc 4stroke sports bike . . . slow and gay ? let me know

Cheers NOID

I wouldnt have thought so personally mate, but re gear it on those trips, easy !

[thealmightytaco]

I wouldnt have thought so personally mate, but re gear it on those trips, easy !

Yeah, might hit 150~160k but otherwise it's only magical at legal speeds.

[meteor]

...my question is are they any good on the open road ? ...but streight god boring roads what are they like ? like every other 250cc 4stroke sports bike . . . slow and gay ? let me know... NOID

The SM is not a long distance cruiser so you're going to get the wind as you would on any other dualsport albeit a 250 or a 650. With some mods the DRZ is fun even at 130 or more (so I've heard). Never had a 250 sports but a couple of 650 V twin nakeds I've ridden at 100+ still suffer from the same thing. End of the day a boring road is a boring road... Enjoy

[carver]

motards are over rated