SUZUKI DRZ400 REVIEW, MODS & COMMON PROBLEMS Cross Training Enduro

From http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com It's the beast of burden, the yellow peril, and the doctor. The DRZ400, or DR Zee as some incorrectly call it, has been around for almost two decades with barely a change. It floats like a hippopotamus and stings like bee and I should know, I've had all three models... the soft dual sport, the supermoto version, and the more dirt oriented yellow E model. DRZ400S, DRZ400E and DRZ400SM. Quite a few guys spend a fortune on DRZ400 aftermarket gears to improve this. The Suzuki DRZ400 reminds me very much of the DR650. A great basic bike, which could be so much more with tweaks from the factory that would cost next to nothing. For example, change those gear ratios. Put heavier oil and springs in the suspension. The regulator or rectifier needs to be upgraded to avoid the stator overheating. The fasteners for the stator, starter gear and primary gear can loosen over time. Get in there with the loctite. Like quite a few Japanese bikes, there isn't a lot of grease on the swingarm and steering bearings with the Suzuki DRZ400. The DRZ400E model is uncomfortably loud for a stock bike, yet the exhaust design is quite restrictive. Unfortunately most aftermarket exhausts are even louder for relatively little gain. And finally the five speed gearbox doesn't have a very good spread of ratios. Change the seat to a softer foam. If you find a really old DRZ, they reckon the pre-2002 models needed a manual cam chain tensioner. Remove the safety relay for the sidestand, it's sure to leave you stranded in the worst place at the worst time. Gearing the DRZ down? I have often made fun of this tendency for the Japanese to focus on changes in colour and their graphics each year, instead of actual improvements to the DRZ400 bikes themselves. There's a lot of interest in the Honda CRF450L and it would be great to see Suzuki do a sports model of the DRZ to match this. Imagine it with the RMZ suspension, a six speed gearbox, and say an extra seven horsepower but retain the reliability and long service intervals? Still as you can see from this vid if you put a decent rider on a completely stock Suzuki DRZ400 it will still punt along pretty well. Will we see any changes? I doubt it. When the DRZ400 is selling so well I'm sure the Suzuki accountants will be saying don't change anything except the colour next year lol. While I crap on, let's follow one of our guys around on his beast of burden. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Australia it's one of the biggest selling models. Go bigger on the rear instead of smaller on the front sprocket. Otherwise the chain can chew into your swingarm. The seat is far too hard for models that will typically see a lot of road or adventure riding. Like almost every Japanese dirt bike, there's a cable clutch because they haven't discovered hydraulic clutches yet. Once you get offroad the Suzuki DRZ400 suspension of course, is terrible once you start to ride a bit aggressively. There's something about old style DRZ400 bikes that almost never get updated which appeals to Aussies as they always sell well. The DRZ is cheap, reliable, long service intervals, parts are relatively cheap, and there's a huge array of aftermarket goodies too. The DRZ400E model has a higher compression ratio, cam profiles and better carburettor setup. The softer DRZ400S and DRZ400SM models can be improved with the 3x3 mods. Just cut a three inch by three inch hole in the top of the airbox, rejet the carb and prepare for arm wrenching power... well you might be waiting for a while. In fact the previous DRZ400 owner of my supermoto model had spent a few thousand dollars wringing everything he could out of the engine - big bore kit, valves, racing carb, Yoshi system - it was a bit peppier than a stock E model but nothing to write home about. It is reliable. In fact so reliable that KTM riders usually insist a DRZ400 is included on their trips. But if you google around about DRZ known issues here is what you'll find. Stators tend to burn out at around 20000km.

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