I turn 37 next week so i decided to buy my first motorcycle and was dead set on a dual sport. After watching too many youtube videos, reading and researching different dual sports i narrowed it down to two motorcycles either The DRZ400 or the KLR650. I truly know both motorcycles are just phenomenal machines, but i eventually decided the DRZ was the right machine for me. I pick up my DRZ tomorrow after work and i'm hoping to get out this weekend, have fun and just drop it a whole lot of times lol.
11 year DRZ rider here. Not much on my bike is still stock and I use it pretty much only off road. Best mod Ive ever done is the suspension. I had mine shimmed internally to get it to the perfect height and revalved for handling. The stock fork springs were adequate for my size and riding style so revalving and shimming was good enough. For the rear, I needed a better spring. Here is my tip; The rear shock on the DRZ is the same as a CRF450r. the only difference is the spring. You can either spend $400+ on a Racetech spring or you can pick up a used CRF450r spring for next to nothing and you'll get the same results. The beauty is that those CRF springs are usually sitting on the floor of every suspension shop in the country just waiting to be thrown in the trash. I got mine for free. Second best mod is changing the seat. The stock seat is almost as comfortable as sitting on a rotted 2x4 and the Suzuki gel seat is not much better than a cardboard pizza box. There are several companies out there that make great seats for this bike. I went with the Seat Concepts seat and absolutely love it. Great video! See you on the trail. Oh ya.....did I mention 3x3 mods and jetting? LOL, just kidding!
I rode a drz for the first time today. My usual bike is a ktm 500exc and I was very shocked at how comparable they are even though they are very different bikes. I really liked how smooth it was and the torque is amazing
Great Job! Nice presentation. Succinct and well thought out. I’m getting another SM tomorrow (I think it’s my ninth or tenth) and was just checking out videos beforehand since it’s been about 10 years since my last. After 30+ years in the motorcycle industry I’ve found motorcycle related videos on RU-vid come in a few flavors....yours is one of the good kind, thanks
I’m seriously thinking of adding a DRZ to the family. My FJR1300 is an awesome long distance / let’s play roadie but always feel the calling of the bush within!.. I do like the idea of a relatively easy change to motard. So many have echoed your very sentiments... Nice review and post from you as always brother, stay upright mate!.
I bought my DRZ in April of this year. Love it so much! I bought mine used and already almost "fully modded out" 3x3 mod, exhaust, jetting, lowering link, skid plate, gearing, on and on... Sort of takes some of the fun of not being able to mod it myself. But I also got a sweet already set up bike I've been able to have so much fun on! I cannot imagine getting a better bike for the price I paid! I ask myself what kind of bike I will get in the future when I have more cash to throw into a bike and the only thing I think is "I want a bike just like this one". Might end up just buying a newer one if I ever have issues with this bike.
another great video. just to give you an update... after 2 years of watching youtube videoes and researching dual sports... I finally purchased my first dual sport! I found a used 2011 drz400. it had pro taper bars on it and some dunlop dirt tires on it. it came with all the original parts and a cover. it only has 2400 original miles on it too! i think i did o.k. on the price. picked it up for $3200. didnt get it until the end of season though. i live in MN. so only have put about a hundred miles on it, but all 100 were a blast!! i love it. i just wanted to thank you for all your videos, you were definately a force in my decision on he suzuki drz 400. Take care. have fun riding!
I was thinking of buying one but now you convince me, i probably will. Just tinking of getting back to my beginning, i miss that. Will see! Thnks for the advices.
i have a blue 2004 drz400s 6 miles and listed it for sale the other day, jumped on to look at vids for fun and you're right the drz is awesome i may reconsider and ride it this year... havent riden it in 2yrs
Great video. love mine bought new 2017 Sm turned into S model minus the break set up. I've ridden at the most an Hr to the trials then 6 hrs of riding off road then back home. She has 10k miles on her and the first 8k I had the Sm 17s, I've never had a break down and when our group has one its a ktm or a beta lol. This bike is super reliable and has taken a beating. LOVE THIS FREAKING BIKE!!
I've had my 2007 DRZ400E for 6+ years. It's a dream! Love it. Used it for lotsa enduro type rides. Lately I put 70/30 dual sport tyres on as well as a top-box...now I commute with it. Really would like to have two...or more...of these machines!
I almost bought a pretty blue DRZ in 06’ but ended up getting a 450 Kodiak quad. It was great but in retrospect, I should have gone with the Suzuki. No better backroad and fishin hole machine, I need one.
I bought my 2006 DRZ used and it had been set up for Mexican and Baja dual sporting. Full Tusk Panniers, back rack for Roto Pods, Rekluse Clutch, heavy bash plate, custom bars, Cycra handguards, Keihin flatslide carb, seat concepts seat, 4 gallon tank, and probably a dozen other things that I haven't discovered. I have been grateful for the lower weight at times as compared to the larger bikes such as the KLR650 and especially compared to the big Beemers. Because of the Rekluse clutch, I added a kick starter to the bike which isn't a bad idea given the tiny battery the bike comes with. I like it because it is relatively simple. Oil in frame?- Not a new idea Triumph had that in the 60's . I prefer dipsticks to sight glasses. The bikes that I have with sight glasses are a PITA to access them to see especially on bikes without center stands I have done some long rides. 70 on the highway is a breeze and I have pushed it to the mid 80's The limitation is more the knobbies than the bike. I could always add a tooth to the front sprocket if i were to do some major highway riding. One thing that puts off some riders is the height, but I have a friend who is 5'5" with a DRZ and he can outride anybody else I know.
That's what I did, bought a 2nd in SM trim, they are such sweethearts, wife keeps asking me when I'm going to put dirt tires on the SM, I will probably go with something other than the oem tires they come with not in any hurry, good vid.
Got my 2019 drz400 about 3 months ago and right after i broke the motor in at roughly 700 miles i did the 3x3 mod re jet the carb aswell as a fmf powerbomb head and fmf powercore 4 and it seriously woke the bike up! Made a huge difference for the better in my opinion
I had started riding back in 2012, spent a good while looking at used bikes mainly klr650's. My wife showed me a listing for a 2001 drz400s $3200 one of best decisions I have never made. Had most of the common mods everyone recommends already done. 2 of the best things I done to the bike (when I owned it) was to re-spring the bike for my wieght and I went up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket. I would have no problem recommending this bike to any first time riders.
Got the DRZ400E and love it!! Super snappy power with such a connected and nimble design. Just like he said in the video, the bike feels like it’s part of you and it’s super quick. I’m crazy about the bike and with the street conversion on mine, it’s so much fun around the neighborhood. If you’re shopping, I don’t know a better bang for your buck in this class.
I recently got back into dirtbikes after not riding for close to 12 years. My old 1992 KX 125 was good for its time in my hard riding days, now I just wanna cruise. I'm thinkin' about selling it and swapping to a dual sport. If I ride bikes again, I want something I can ride more than a couple 2 or 3 times a year on dirt tracks. I'd like something I can cruise backroads on and go deep into gravel trails. I feel like this bike is the perfect choice and I absolutely *LOVE* the oldschool aesthetic versus modern dual sports or supermotos
I did the 3x3 mod or at least opened the air box and did a jd jet kit. Since I’ve made this my mini adventure bike mine has been modded for that. I’ve got three other bikes I play with this one. Mods: tires, gearing, jetting, pipe, headlight led, seat,racks , small windshield fmf pipe . He’s right great little back. Very fast.
Great video. I ended up with a Husqvarna fe350. Moreso because of availability (or, rather, the lack thereof) in my area. Don't regret it, but I also think the DRZ gives a lot of value for the buck.
I've done everything from intake to re jetting then "Dave's mod" (drill bigger holes cut spring and bigger jets) sprockets. Tried 3 different tires (stock,shinko 700 and tkc80 right now) Protaper bars. Had risers...grips. everything but headers and internals. XR650L.... my buddy in his drz400 has a hard time keeping up on freeway and I only have 5 gears too.... sear height is almost as tall as XR650L. Drz400 is a solid bike tho!
Love my '22! Last 'dirt bike' was a '03 RM250 w/big bore kit. This is more ... manageable in the woods haha More comfy than my CBR and corners like a PanAm. Wild bike for sure.
I did all the mods you can think of with my drz and the best by far was the jd jetting. It made the biggest noticable difference to it's acceleration even more so that an aftermarket exhaust.
Im gunna be 48 and love riding in the woods and back roads and my mentor suggested the drz to me 3 days ago and he said it's everything I want because it's capable of getting out of the way and it's a wheelie machine. I might buy 1 tomorrow.
I really love the DRZ. One of my favorite bikes was the XL 3:50 in the mid to late 80s. For skinny little dudes a 250 OK then it will get you on the highway and get you up and down the hills but add a passenger or just a big guy and it’s always hurting for power. I drove an XL 600 for a while and absolutely loved it but it is kind of busy and it’s a lot of power to manage, I found my front wheel up in the air a lot of times when I hadn’t planned on it. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love it but something in between it’s just a lot more practical for just zipping around and hitting a dirt road or a field and a 250 is great for that but sometimes you want to take it on the highway or up some hills or put someone on the back and it’s just not enough. 400 is great for that and it’s simple very low maintenance very reliable. My only real complaint on the DRC 400 is I’d like a nice cushy seat as well. That’s one thing Honda always did On the XL series. Nice big cushy comfortable seats that you could sit on all day long come up comfortable for long rides and cozy enough to help out on the bumpy trails we don’t feel like standing up the whole time. That’s really my only gripe about the DRC, there are a couple things I’d like them to update like maybe add a six speed with a little tighter gear ratio, But I’ve got to go out and buy one bike, this would probably be it for me.
I loved my 2006 DRZ400SM but the only downside to it was the low mpg, after about 60 miles I would have to swap to reserve. The bike had a 3x3, MRD SSW exhaust and 40mm flatslide carb. Amazing power but no fuel economy. The 3.6 gallon Clarke tank that I put on it took care of that mileage issue but then I couldn't pull the choke out. Still one of the best bikes ever.
I haven’t ridden in 27 years. I just purchased a very clean Deresy 400. I am very green at writing and have been trying to get back my finesse. This bike is very easy-going and fun to ride. My problem is I am a short guy I have had it lowered. I think I need my seat lowered and I have adjustments of my body weight towards the front of the bike constantly. The low and torque is amazing. It’s easy to get out of touch situations and I love it.
Love my 2017 Drz 400 SM, added continental knobbie, susuki brand rear rack, seat concepts seat, taller bars, radiator and under guard, 3×3 mod, carb reset, case savers, tusk panniers, and every Amazon cover add on =)
I had my 2011 for a couple years before I did the 3x3, jets and pipe. It was working to hard getting to my favorite spots at over 4000 feet. It also solved a really nasty quirk, not mentioned. They come so lean that if you crack the throttle at freeway speeds nothing will happen for a moment, like it stalled. Then it will catch and pull so hard it will make you thank god your were holding on tight.
@@DorkintheRoad I have heard of people updating there carb to a carb performance one. Ever thought of that? I am thinking of it when I get mine soon but wanna ask someone who has a drz 400s
Great info and perspective. I am picking up my 2023 DRZ400s within a week and I am pumped! Are there any 'must-have' accessories that I should be looking to get immediately? I did see an earlier comment about case savers so I'll look into those right aways. Thanks in advance!
Right. My experience...I’ve never had such a low power motorcycle, be it sport, adventure, or mx, but the DRZ400E I have is quite capable. I hated not having 6th, so I installed the ACT wide ratio gears and changed the gearing ratio to 15/42. I could get away with that ratio because I increased stroke/bore to 472cc, and it had the FCR39 stock. Not expensive to do as I did the build myself. Now it has 51rwhp (dyno data), and it’s basically similar performance to a KTM 500exc, but it has 6000 km oil change and 20,000 km valve adjustment. I ride it very hard, often 80 mph for 4 hours on the asphalt to get to the mountains (5100 rpm) , then I go up 6000-7000 ft altitude on single tracks with no problems, carb works fine, and the bike is very capable offroad. I bought mine for US$1100 with 1800km on it, the Australian enduro version, from a dairy farmer who’d had it for 14 years and putted round the farm. It’s a very good lightweight adventure bike that I do 600 miles a day on. Sure, it’s more effort than my KTM 1190R covering those miles, but it’s great fun and I love the zero tech - it’s all mechanical like my old triumphs and Nortons. Buy cheap, and do sensible mods.
Had a DRZ400 with most of the common mods. Durable and competent DS bike but hated the vagueness in steering. Moved the sag around a bit and could never get the front wheel to stay where I put it. OK on 2 track and gravel roads once I got comfortable with it squirming around a bit, but terrible in tighter single track. Traded the DRZ off for a KTM 500EXC and while handling and power are impressive on the Katoom, there are definitely things I really miss about the DRZ. DRZ is a great entry level bike but those with a bit more off road experience my find the handling lacking for more technical stuff. At least I did. Another great vid Dorkster even though you're a couple bikes down the road from the DRZ!!
You, amongst a butt load of other research, convinced me to go DRZ400 above all others. Maybe I’ll post a video of the plethora on changes I’ve done already! 👍 DRZ is still King🤴
The 3x3 and jetting mod is popular because it’s mimicking the off road model which has a larger intake port (3x3) and said jets. I rode mine before and after and I’m impressed with the change of these two mods and a slip on. Pretty crazy actually and I’m a big proponent of leaving things stock (for the most part).
Love my Drz, it's my third one, it was the first bike I bought and now the most recent. The first DRZ I rode it stock, the second came fully modded ( Yoshi, 3x3 , and re-jetted. When I bought the 2020 I immediately thought I need to do all the mods, but as I've ridden and compared mentally to my last DRZ, I have realized that my new 2020 has all the power and like you said torque that I really need. So, all I have done is bars, grips, Zeta hand guards, skid plate, case covers, tires and Seat concepts seat, it's perfect for me!
@@theguitarhero898 No, it really wasnt that much difference, in fact, my new DRZ goes uphill with better power than my modded one did. I do have to say that I bought the modded one used with 12,000 miles already on it.
I put a deposit down on a '21 that I wont get until May, but I already ordered my JD jetting kit haha. Gotta get it right especially up here around 9000ft. Sounds like our riding experiences may be similar with the 250s and I'm sure I'll love the DR-Zed as my next bike.
Had my 02 DRZ-E for over 10 years now. Never had any issues except a leaky water pump seal. Put on a newer 39mm FCR carb about 3 years ago and she rips.
I have a 2018 drc 400 supermoto which I put dirt nobbies on. Awesome bike a little rough off road but can still do it all. I had the S model which is smother to ride off road. I still like them both.
I miss my Yam’ TT 350 from the 80s and 90s 114kg for 30HP, nimble, agile, good suspensions, modern engine for the times, air cooling, low consumption.. good torque, good sound, raging in high RPM, no complex electrics but still full road-legal 2 seaters with good looks
Hey Dork, thanks for the vids. The DRZ is awesome. I've owned mine for about 5 years now. It does everything. Also thanks for the versus 650 vids. Just bought one and did the seat mod. It makes a huge difference. Ride on Brother...
Bought mine in 2000. Been in the Sahara, lots of mountain gravel roads. 3 times Enduromania. With spike tires in the winter is real fun. She is nearly stock. Just changed the rear suspension to Oehlins and an IMO from Touratech. Maintenance, nearly nothing. Change oil, filter and spark plug. There was no need for adjusting valves or carb in this 20 years. Low end torque was better on the DR 350 but the DRZ is much more agile. Had a DR 600 and a DR350 but the DRZ os the best of them.
Great video. I agree with all points. It does have a ton of torque. I finally bought the 2022 DRZ. Where are the best DRZ communities online? And can you recommend a good windshield for it?
Very true observations, Dork... The one non-mod mod that I think would be great for you to talk about is setting your static and race sag on your suspension, especially if you are a bigger guy. After tuning my suspension, I'm easily 20% faster on the trails. Every bump and slap gets absorbed leading to greater confidence and more precise handling. Why not do a video on it for everyone? It's pretty straight forward. Happy to talk you through it.
Dork in the Road Just a marker, tape measure and someone to help hold the bike. You will need to turn the nut on the spring. A hammer and long screwdriver should do it. Check this out. Les is a suspension legend. www.lt-racing.com/html/tech_tips.html
I was doing 700 kilometres a week on mine on the road, riding it round the farm and trail riding at the weekend. I had a14 tooth a 15 tooth (standard ) and I made a 16 tooth front sprocket. I had so much fun over 12 years with this bike and hardly had to do anything except repair damage from falling off. Big thank you DRZ
Great video, Dork! (I feel rude by saying that even though it is your name haha) You have some of the most high quality and sincere content on dual sporting and DRZ's I have seen to date. I've been on the lookout for one for the past year and am waiting for the right deal and moment to come along, but your videos are very informative and have taught me a lot. I've never ridden offroad and only ride street, but I'm looking forward to the experience! Unfortunately New Jersey doesn't have the best offroad locations but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Have a good one!
Thank you very much, I'm going to see a 2000 model tomorrow that's been stored for 10yrs with only 7500miles on the clock for £1500 it looks clean in the pics fingers crossed it's as clean in the flesh. The chap has only ridden it once then put it away its starts on the choke but cuts out without it. I'm guessing a carb rebuild kit fresh fuel and service and she'll be good to go🤞
