Tales from the Emporium

[far queue]

I was hoping for some understanding of the reason for the microswitch as there is little apparent reason I can see unless it controls max revs somehow????

I was told by the mechanic at the local Suzuki shop some time ago that the TPS altered the ignition mapping, but he didn't know what effect this had or what effect disconnecting it might have.

U.S. models don't have this switch, but other markets do - Canada and Sweden are 2 that I know of and of course Oz.

NordieBoy, have you noticed any changes yet with yours out of the way?

[NordieBoy]

I never went to full throttle with it on.
Or with it off come to that

Other than the dyno.

It could alter the mapping but as it's only a full throttle sensor all it could do would be retard the ignition.

I may try and accidentally d/l the DR650 manual when I drop off the carbide burr I used to do the header weld.

[Crisis management]

After a bit more reading, my understanding is that it retards the ignition in 2nd and 3rd gear....presumably to prevent over reving!
This obviously assumes a gear position sensor of some sort but I've found nothing about that yet.
Comments on ADV rider lead me to understand it is a common mod and nothing has blown up yet.
I'll try it out and let you know in the next couple of days.

[clint640]

After a bit more reading, my understanding is that it retards the ignition in 2nd and 3rd gear....presumably to prevent over reving!
This obviously assumes a gear position sensor of some sort but I've found nothing about that yet.
Comments on ADV rider lead me to understand it is a common mod and nothing has blown up yet.
I'll try it out and let you know in the next couple of days.

Maybe it's to give it a bit less bark (std DR650 bark? ) & comply with euro noise laws, on my KTM there was an electronic doofer that vented the top of the carb under the same circumstances to reduce noise. Needless to say that particular wheelie inhibiting gadget is now propping up a landfill somewhere.

Cheers
Clint

[NordieBoy]

After a bit more reading, my understanding is that it retards the ignition in 2nd and 3rd gear....presumably to prevent over reving!
This obviously assumes a gear position sensor of some sort but I've found nothing about that yet.
Comments on ADV rider lead me to understand it is a common mod and nothing has blown up yet.
I'll try it out and let you know in the next couple of days.

There is no gear position sensor.

[NordieBoy]

2 more mods today.

An LED brake light ($12) from Dick Smiths.

And...
Carb spring shortened from 111mm to 102mm (3.5 turns shorter).
Wow.
Any more pickup through the revs and it'll be illegal.

[NordieBoy]

It has arrived

[cooneyr]

It has arrived

Does it fit? Does it make any differance and in what way?

Cheers R

[NordieBoy]

The spring will probably be far too soft and the lower shock mount from the 650 needs drilling/tapping for the new shock shaft and some more drilling and tapping for the rebound adjuster and then I'll find out

Apparantly the action is far smoother with the adjustable compression and rebound but the stock DRZ spring is far softer than the 650 one.

[warewolf]

If the spring is too far out, then it follows that the damping will also likely be out. Unless the std damping is crap and the DR-Z400 is by sheer fluke much better suited.

It's obviously a better built shock. Is it worth talking to a suspension guru about the appropriate spring and a re-valve?

[Transalper]

While ya busy messing with the DR heres something to research... extra lighting..

HID bulbs do not use a filament like halogen bulb, rather, it creates light by zapping an arc between two electrodes. This arc excites xenon gases, igniting metallic salts. The product of this reaction is intense white light. HID has power consumption of approximately 3.5 amps constant draw compared to approximately 10 amps drawn from a standard halogen light bulb. HID bulb life is an average of 3000 hours compared to the halogen's 750 hour life, and is not effected by vibrations or rough road conditions.

Now i want to see daylight at night coming from your bike next time we meet. Then i want to copy it... maybe.

[NordieBoy]

If the spring is too far out, then it follows that the damping will also likely be out. Unless the std damping is crap and the DR-Z400 is by sheer fluke much better suited.

It's obviously a better built shock. Is it worth talking to a suspension guru about the appropriate spring and a re-valve?

The guys that have tried them love the far better damping.
If I go to the correct spring for my weight on the standard shock the spring goes from 6.5 kg/mm to 7.6 kg/mm and as there's no rebound damping adjustment it turns into a pogo stick.

[clint640]

2 more mods today.

An LED brake light ($12) from Dick Smiths.

.

So that's where ya get em from! I searched RS, Jaycar, TM, Repco etc a few weeks back for those, with no luck. Tail light filaments basically disintegrate in horror when brought within a foot of the rear of my KTM. Guess where I'm going after work today!

Cheers
Clint

[NordieBoy]

While ya busy messing with the DR heres something to research... extra lighting..Now i want to see daylight at night coming from your bike next time we meet. Then i want to copy it... maybe.

Damn you!

You made me spend the whole evening reading advrider about HID conversions.

To replace the stock bulb.
or
In addition to the stocker.

[warewolf]

So that's where ya get em from! I searched RS, Jaycar, TM, Repco etc a few weeks back for those, with no luck.

Hmm... motomail had 'em a couple of years ago. The Triumph Trophy blows them now and then, the DRZ-250 about every three months (might be an indication of how long and hard it was being revved). But the motomail ones were not very bright and didn't seem to light up the whole lens area, but rather just showed as a handful of LEDs, so I declined.

Tail light filaments basically disintegrate in horror when brought within a foot of the rear of my KTM.

The Adventure is still running the original tail light after two years, 22,000km. The OEM ones are probably heavy duty types, so try OEM or Hella HDs or something. No I don't know where you can get them locally, either.