I am proudly a motorcycle rider again! With the parts GS still in the process of getting titled, I have been dying to ride. So I pulled the trigger and scooped a 2006 drz400sm with just under 1500. I have clicked past the 1500 mark and am enjoying every mile! This and the GS are the only motorcycle's I've had the pleasure to ride. I really like having both, but after riding the drz more and more with the new owner of old GS- I'm DYING to get back on my gsF!!
Once the ground dries up a bit more i'll be looking to dip off in the woods soon :thumb:
Well enough rambling, here's a couple quick photos:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_2658.jpg)
getting artsy..
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_2662.jpg)
This bike will always hold a special place for me. My buddy's was the first bike I learned on.
I've always liked those bikes. How does it ride compared to the GS?
Nice!! Now you just need a set of knobbies so you can come play ;)
-Jessie
Brought her to work today, warm up time is nice. started full choke, put helmet on, glasses, and gloves. cut choke to half and tied my shoes. closed choke up completely and she idled perfect!
The handling is.. different. I am a complete noob still in the moto world. Only have ridden the gs and now the drz. It is insanely agile, and seems to pick up quit a bit faster than the gs. For power it does seem to have more acceleration, but suffers with only a 5 speed. I drove it on the back roads from roanoke to radford, it did well, but was definitely buzzing when i would cruise 65-70. Which is perfect with me, as i'm heading towards the dirt instead of the interstates. Suspension feels nice, not too dirt bike like. I can feel more travel in it compared to the gs, but not drastic by all means. I do however feel more comfortable on the gs, stability wise. Not sure if its the lighter weight, or change in riding position on the drz, but i feel much more planted on the gs. Not saying the drz isn't stable! I feel completely in control and confident. Its just feels much quicker to turn/change line in a heart beat. Comfort - gs wins for sure. I have no complaints on the drz's riding position, but that seat... WHEW! haha. Haven't had a chance to dip into the drz's brakes, but i'll dabble with that tonight.
Only have gotten a couple rides in with the new owner of my 04 gsF. So we've been slowly working our way up riding more twists. Haven't had a chance to get out on my regular spots and test it out. Brought her to work today so i will get a chance today to push a bit more.
Knobbers are coming soon, keep an eye out for a set of drz400s wheels for me!!
I'm just stoked to be back on the road :woohoo:
Dirtbikes carry their center of gravity a good bit higher, it just takes a little getting used to. The seats always suck on dirtbikes but if you are actually off roading you are standing on the pegs most of the time. I'll let you know if i come across a decent deal on offroad wheels. Don't know how far it is for you but there is a trip to Rock Run Adventure Park in Pennsylvania planned for April 15th. Let me know if you want to go and I will get you a ticket. $10 for admission and includes lunch on that day. Pull any clutch wheelies yet??
-Jessie
Sounds good on wheels, preciate it for sure! don't think i'll make it to the rock run park.. its just over 6 hours away. I will try to take a couple days off and make a long weekend trek up that way, but it will probably be later in the summer.
I found another z rider locally and he has mentioned they run sumo races on the kart track at VIR. I'm thinking this will happen at least once this season!
No haha no clutch wheelies yet, i have been reading/watching brushing up on my knowledge. The new owner of my GS dropped her in the gravel a few days back, so its got me wanting to keep this thing on 2 wheels for at least a week! haha i am getting the itch though
Wheelies are for showing off on the street but it is a necessary way to navigate some terrain off road. Let me know when you are heading up this way. I'm also planning to do some offroading at the Hatfield/McCoy trail system in West Virginia later this year. I'd also like to hit Pocahontas County, WV on street bikes :thumb:
-Jessie
So you're advocating adding knobbies to a bike who's existence is based on taking a dirt bike and taking the Knobbies off and adding street tires!?!?!?! It boggles the mind! :flipoff:
Quote from: steezin_and_wheezin on March 01, 2012, 07:39:53 AM
Once the ground dries up a bit more i'll be looking to dip off in the woods soon :thumb:
Love it! Wish you were up close to Pittsburgh, I need to find some new people to ride with this spring. The only guy I knew with a sumo just sold it.
You'll definitely want to wait for it to dry up before you take it offroad. I tried taking mine to one of the local dirtbike spots two weeks ago, it had rained a few days earlier and it was a nightmare haha. I had fun, but I spent 100% of the time with my bike tire spinning away as I just barely crawled along, and had to stop a few times to push myself out of mud I got stuck in. Street tires do not work in the mud at all. I got lucky and got the offroad wheels/tires when I bought the bike, but I was too lazy to put them on that day haha. It's hard to tell in the picture but my tires were just covered in mud.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/6945667571_dcac96a33f_z.jpg)
It'll take a little time to get used to it but you'll definitely appreciate it more and more as you get comfortable on it. I noticed instantly that all of those smooth fast and twisty roads just didn't satisfy me anymore, and I spent all of my time looking for the most torn up, gravel covered, pot hole filled, tight twisty roads I could. You have the most fun on roads you never thought you'd enjoy on a motorcycle. The seat definitely leaves a bit to be desired, I usually wear some padded bicycle shorts if I know I'm gonna be out for a while.
I borrowed my friends DRZ for a weekend before I bought my bike. The power was comparable to the GS. I've seen plenty of guys doing wheelies all over youtube on DRZs, but I didn't have much luck getting the front wheel off the ground, and I'm perfectly fine at doing them on other bikes. I don't really like to abuse clutches though so I probably wasn't trying hard enough. The brakes are amazing though. I couldn't keep the back wheel on the ground the whole weekend :icon_mrgreen: My YZ still has the smaller offroad front rotor, so I don't have that problem yet, but when I get $200 to throw at the front brake, I'll make sure to get that sorted.
So.... you put your gloves on BEFORE you tie your shoes?? Interesting
Hey TT,
The invite to Rock Run on April 15th goes out to you to. You have to buy a ticket in advance though. Details are on the bottom of Pete's website: http://www.petescycle.com
-Jessie
Thanks! I'll look into it. When you guys were talking about it I assumed it would've been way closer to the other side of the state by Baltimore, but google maps says it's only 2 hours away. That wouldn't be bad for a day trip. I have like 4 miles of offroad experience, could probably benefit from a little practice before I set myself free on 50 miles of trails haha.
Got to get a good ride in yesterday, and man i'm stoked on this moto! overall impression = love it, but she definitely needs some fine tuning.
I get some surging on steady throttle, need to figure out what jets i'm running and go from there. For shits and giggles I submitted a best offer on a barely used full rs-3 yoshi exhaust on ebay, but don't plan on getting a new exhaust anytime soon though.
When I got on my regular twisties, i could feel the front end fighting me a bit. I changed riding position from nuts on the tanks to scooched back a fair bit. She definitely likes my weight more on the front wheel. The surge in throttle doesn't help when trying to hold a fine line and feel what the bikes doing. Still i could feel the front wheel act up when coming out of a tight turn and getting heavier in the throttle. I found a few threads on people's clicker setting for front/rear suspension. I will be getting into tuning as best i can, if i'm still not happy i know a local that is a suspension genius.
Pachman - i was hunting for a dual sport, but the super moto was close with unbelievably low miles. Have been talking to Baltimore about the bikes and he knows i'm trying to get deep out in the woods. it may be built for the road, but she's begging for some knobs and mud :icon_twisted:
TT - definitely wish you were closer! i have found another drzSM close to me, and he's ready to ride when he gets back in town! i'm glad i read yer post about fighting the mud on street tires. i would have been out there stuck in the slick stuff if i didn't for sure. haha i dying to get in the dirt!! know excatly what you mean by wanting more gnarly roads for this thing :thumb: will have to see if i still have my old padded road bike shorts, thanks for the tip!!
Still wanting to get a week under me before taking a wheel of the ground haha
Starting to fix some of the things the PO butchered. Ordered a brand new black steel tank for $150 shipped on ebay, a new clutch lever, and clymer's repair manual.
Still deciding on which pegs and mirrors to get. Also hunting for a black right tail plastics/frame cover to replace the one that was blown off the bike :2guns:
edit:
Quote from: tt_four on March 01, 2012, 10:57:44 PM
So.... you put your gloves on BEFORE you tie your shoes?? Interesting
still don't have a good pair of moto boots, i usually wear my ipath grasshoppers. i tied them so no strings hang out and they have a nice ankle strap to clamp down. i had another pair of shoes on that day and had to jump back off the bike and tie them up tight haha my usual process is jacket, helmet, strap helmet!, gloves, and glasses.
Quote from: tt_four on March 02, 2012, 06:34:41 AM
Thanks! I'll look into it. When you guys were talking about it I assumed it would've been way closer to the other side of the state by Baltimore, but google maps says it's only 2 hours away. That wouldn't be bad for a day trip. I have like 4 miles of offroad experience, could probably benefit from a little practice before I set myself free on 50 miles of trails haha.
There are plenty of easy trails and even the hard ones aren't that bad (though there is one hill I bite it on every time!). They are rated for difficulty by green, blue and black signs like ski trails :thumb:
-Jessie
Quote from: steezin_and_wheezin on March 02, 2012, 09:43:00 AM
love it, but she definitely needs some fine tuning.
Still deciding on which pegs and mirrors to get. Also hunting for a black right tail plastics/frame cover to replace the one that was blown off the bike :2guns:
edit:
Quote from: tt_four on March 01, 2012, 10:57:44 PM
So.... you put your gloves on BEFORE you tie your shoes?? Interesting
still don't have a good pair of moto boots, i usually wear my ipath grasshoppers. i tied them so no strings hang out and they have a nice ankle strap to clamp down.
You'll be amazed how much info there is online about the DRZ. There's a ton of stuff people do to smooth them out and get a little bit more power. You can definitely sort that out. Carb tuning is something I've never been that great at, but my YZ manual has a whole chapter in the back on just the carb and how to get it running right, so it's something I plan to get better at. My bike runs fine but even with the stock jets and exhaust it pops pretty bad on deceleration, I'd like to get rid of that.
I'm all over my bike when I ride it. My last bike I would just plant my butt in one spot and steer it everywhere but this bike I'm sitting almost on the gas tank, at the back of the seat, leaning with a knee out, turning with my foot out. It's definitely a different feel from normal street bikes where all you do is move a little side to side.
My favorite setup for the mirrors is to get some cheap bar end mirrors from ebay, and you put them on the bars on the inside of the grips/controls. Because of your seating position you can fit them there and see behind you perfectly, not something you could do on a streetbike. I'd try to find a picture but I'm at work, I'll see if I can find one later. That way you don't have to worry about them breaking when you crash either, they stay out of the way.
The shoes comment wasn't so much about the style of shoes you're wearing or what you do with the laces, but me trying to picture someone tying their shoes with riding gloves on. Sounds way more difficult than just pulling the gloves off to tie them.
Definitely! I have been reading on thumpertalk, advrider, and the occasional supermotojunkie
Glad to hear i'm not riding funky cause i'm all over the seat!
I will check out those mirrors, they look great! I caught them out of the corner of my eye in the photo you posted in here. Needless to say i drooled before continuing scrolling
Just threw the type of shoe in there because i normally don't need to lace, just 1 strap to tighten. No riding gloves yet, more like a pair of mechanic gloves.
Riding gloves, pants, and shoes are my next purchase for both bikes. A supermoto/dual sport helmet in next for the drz. Looking at the joe rocket hybrid helmet, price seems good, and its made by hjc which fits my melon well.
aah, yeah I forgot you could see my mirror in that picture.
(http://socalsupermoto.smugmug.com/Other/Random/bookshelf-and-mirrors-004/770295566_Dhxov-L.jpg)
I only have one mirror on at the moment because I've got too much crap on my left bar. Once I buy a new camshaft with the auto-decompression I'll get rid of that lever and have room for the second mirror.
I just picked up a pair of riding pants over winter. Cyclegear had them on their clearance rack for $30. Glad I found them, Ive always wanted a pair. I usually still ride in jeans, and would really like a pair of those jeans with the knee and hip pads sewn in. The pair I have I'm sure would be way too hot to wear in summer. I wore them when it was 35 degrees and I felt perfectly fine, and that was with the liner removed, can't imagine riding in a temperature cold enough to need the liner.
Those dual sport helmets look awesome. I need to get one. I have a street helmet and a dirtbike helmet, but I'd love to get the dual sport helmet to split the middle.
good deal on this one, wish it wasn't camo... http://www.motostrano.com/AFX-FX-37-DS-Camo-Dual-Sport-Helmet-p/01102187.htm
Got a call from a buddy today who was going riding with a few friends. I was out so didn't think I'd be able to make it. Eventually I got home, but the mx wheels on my bike, loaded it up and headed up there. Got in about an hour or so before it started to get dark but I had a great time. It was pretty wet and my bike is absolutely covered in mud, but you'll definitely need to find some mx wheels for your DRZ.
Quote from: PachmanP on March 01, 2012, 06:38:15 PM
So you're advocating adding knobbies to a bike who's existence is based on taking a dirt bike and taking the Knobbies off and adding street tires!?!?!?! It boggles the mind! :flipoff:
TRUE. but these tires appear to be all but worthless in offorad/mud/ anything other than hardpack
Haha, I just noticed the bike didn't come with a left grip. What in the world was he doing that he lost a grip within the first 1500 miles?? My only guess is he cut the old one off with a razor and didn't know how to get the new one on and just said 'screw it'. That tail light has got to go too! I'm pretty sure Suzuki was just laughing at the people who bought the bike when they decided to put that thing on it.
Definitely getting some mx wheels! i've been watching all kind of trail vids and its eating away at my soul. My goal is to get a set of wheels and tires for ~$300. seems plausible, but most people parting bikes out are asking ~$500
Yeah the PO didn't have much interest in keeping this baby in good shape. He dropped the bike, replaced stock bent bars with a set of new Pro Taper bars and clamps. The mirrors don't work well on the new bars, no left grip, and ignition switch is barely hanging on. I have a new set of grips that the PO was nice enough to give me. They just the ends cut off to fit with the handguards.
Have been talking with the other local drz owner, and he's interested in swapping seats! he's got a black/yellow sumo with a black stock seat. Also will get fitting an Edge tail light kit on her. Going to get her back to stock form before heading down the aftermarket path
I bet you could find some cheap wheels if you keep an eye out. I bought a whole parts bike for $500, motor was leaking coolant into the oil. Straight up dirtbikes are cheaper because there are rarely titles, but between all of the drzs and other bike suzuki makes, I bet there's something else with wheels that'll fit.
The one thing I did think was poor planning, is that Suzuki spaced out the caliper on the fork to be used with a larger brake rotor, instead of putting on an adapter. Even if you get mx wheels you're still gonna be running a huge front rotor. You'll just have to be soft on the brake. I need to learn to stop using my front brake as much anyway, rode riding habit that doesn't really translate to dirt as well.
That's great about the seat. I really want an all black seat for my bike. I can but a cover for about $30, but it might be worth it just to wait and see if I find a good deal on an all black seat on ebay. Trouble is mx seats are usually beat up pretty bad.
DAMN! all the wheels i was eying on fleabay were snatched up yesterday, quick! Going to hold off for the summer rush eases to get some. I will be keeping an eye out for a drz parts bike though!
I hear you on the front rotor. Not only added pressure, but a huge surface area to thrash up :cry:
Going to meet the guy tonight on the seat. I got my tax return yesterday and got a few things. Terrible timing to get the new toy and big check around the same time. Killing me looking at all the new bits i could buy haha
Got the Joe Rocket Hybrid helmet I was talking about earlier. Also got a complete headlight(white shroud, fork mounts, and hardware) off a thumpertalk member, good people over there, he threw in a free set of stock pegs and gas cap. I could have bought a replacement frame cover for the same price as a nearly complete set of fairings so jumped on it! Paint is iffy, but i plan on dabbling this summer
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/09DRZ40028090.jpg)(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2011GAbikes004.jpg)
They will go on with my new black tank, and a black left side frame cover to fill the gap. I'll mix match the black/green pieces and white headlight fairing until painting.
A little progress, new tank and plastics:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_2670.jpg)
She's two toned!!! I'll get better photo's on lunch. The right side looks better since all its plastics are green. Looks good imo, thinking of painting the 1 black piece to match. The green headlight shroud is going to look bad ass, but am going to keep the black sumo fender.
1 complete set will get some paint this summer
Edit: forgot to mention i traded a local sumo rider my yellow seat for a black low profile gripper! i can get some more foot on the ground major plus haha
looks great, you're lucky there's another bike to swap parts with. I'm so tired of every yamaha yz from 1998 through about 2006 being blue an white. I'd like to change the color of my bike, buy there aren't that many options. I think eventually I'm just gonna buy aftermarket black number plates and rear fender. Wouldn't mind the whole bike being black, but I think it looks bad with the blue frame, plus new gas tanks are expensive even though everything else is pretty reasonable, plus I'd have to buy a hole new headlight. At least there are sticker kits! I need a black seat too.
low profile would be convenient, but i don't like the look. I love the way those step seats look, but I'm all over my seat and I think it might annoy me. If you thought your bike was tall before just wait until you get the 21/18 inch wheels with knobbies on your bike, haha I can barely even get a toe on the ground when it's in offroad mode.
Black low pro seat is great! I wasn't sure about the low dish when looking at the bike as a whole, but i think it fits pretty well. I agree the stepped seats looks the best.
Still will be putting my lowering links on though. i need more foot down before i go off in the dirt. didn't think about the raise with off road wheel/tires haha should be fun.
Scouring the webs for a drz parts bike, unfortunately they are fun and far between..
A quick shot of the right side:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_2711.jpg)
Looks great, hope you're enjoying it. I'd definitely be more comfortable with a lower seat and a lowered suspension, but I'm stubborn and don't want to lower the center of gravity and make my bike less prone to wheelie haha. It's definitely tall, but that's worse on the road than it is in the dirt. The tall bike in the dirt doesn't really bug me since you're already bouncing around and climbing over stuff. I guess it helps that I don't really care if this bike falls over, I just pick it up and keep going.
I got out for a 6 hour ride yesterday and had a great time. I found some new trashy roads, spent some time in the dirt, pretty sure I was getting both wheels off the ground on some small jumps, learned how to ride up stairs. I know I got up 7 steps in one spot, I think the next set had 8 or 9 but I didn't count. Need a little practice but that'll be a fun ability to have haha. You're gonna love the DRZ once you get some time to really find out how much it's capable of. I still need to find some local guys to ride with though. Ooh, I also found some old grassed over trails pretty close to my parents house. They'll be getting visit every time I stop by my parents. We used to ride our bmx bikes there when I was younger, although not very well haha. there used to be a ton of trails back there, a lot of it got cleared out when they put a road through the middle of it, but I was riding down the road, looked to the left and saw some faint trails going up the hill and thought...... "wait a minute!" and climbed up. I'd like to get another sportbike eventually, but I feel like when I do it's just gonna kill me every time I pass a random dirt trail off the side of the road and there's nothing I'm gonna be able to do but look at it and move on. To be honest I picture myself on an R1 with a home made metal skid plate and some dirtbike bars that I'm gonna be crashing offroad haha.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6831569930_c602674935_z.jpg)
Quote from: PachmanP on March 01, 2012, 06:38:15 PM
So you're advocating adding knobbies to a bike who's existence is based on taking a dirt bike and taking the Knobbies off and adding street tires!?!?!?! It boggles the mind! :flipoff:
almost need to if you want to go deeper into the trails. UNLESS ground is dry. those street tires are useless in mud.
sounds like a good ride TT!!
Ordered; thumper case savers, oil change necessities, some missing bolts, a jet kit to do 3x3 mod and hopefully cue my leanness. Will pickup locktite and do all the preventative maintenance weekend after next.
Still working on getting the off road setup, have found a couple decently priced, but not willing to ship.. The snowboard seasons is ending this weekend for us, and the drive to get off road is growing rapidly
Yama's right, street tires are a joke in mud. I assumed they'd do poor, but your back tire just spins as you crawl 1mph and your front tire keeps trying to slide out sideways haha. They work fine offroad otherwise. Definitely keep looking for some offroad wheels, but don't be afraid to go off pavement in the mean time. Find some construction sites/housing developments, random spots of grass, whatever you can to get off pavement. The more you learn to judge what the bike can do, the better you'll get at finding places to take it.
The only thing that still scares me is the worry of picking a random trail in the woods, heading downhill on a slick surface, then realizing the only way out is uphill on a slick surface in each direction. In the wrong situation you could get stuck down there forever, and someday somebody will find your dead body spooning your bike in a little muddy valley haha. Seriously though, you can get through a lot of gross stuff if you hop off the bike and stand next to it and walk it out with the gas, just invest in some good water resistant/proof boots, because you'll come home plenty muddy when you 'though' you were going out for a nice road ride.
Still no luck on finding decently priced off road wheels/tires. Those suckers get snatched up fast!
I did adjust my compression and rebound on both front and rear suspension. Don't know if its kind of a placebo effect, "I adjusted it, so now it must be better!!" But just a few clicks different and i really feel like its a BIG step in the right direction. Feels like it wanders less, and is really quick to stick on a line.
Ready for some more long summer weekends of 2 wheeled fun!
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
Just did my daily Craigslist search. Found a 06 drz with a bad engine, and get this, its in MY town!! Hell he's right down the street haha. I'm waiting for a reply on the e-mail and will be going to pick it up asap if its still here :thumb:
awesome stuff! hopefully that works out and you can get the wheels on your bike! I've been getting more comfortable on the street wheels in dirt, and there's obviously limits as to what you can accomplish on street tires, i'm more and more satisfied with what I can do with my bike in sumo form. I was out for a few hours on saturday and found a fun dirt/gravel road to play on for a while, and even made it most of the way up a pretty good sized gravel hill before stalling and trying to figure out how I was ever going to get back down haha. Obviously I would've blown up it on dirt tires, but what fun is that?
I ordered all the parts I needed hopefully for a while. New front fender, my new headlight came today, new tail light, regulator to hopefully fix the battery problems I've been having. I blew a fork seal over the weekend too. I need to pull the dust seal and make sure there isn't just some dirt in there causing a leak, but a good bit of oil was running out so I think chances are it's shot. I ordered some replacements. Hopefully I can get it inspected and get the lights running within the next 2 weeks or so and stop being completely paranoid every time I take it out that I'm gonna get pulled over haha.
I've very curious to see how I do once I get another street bike. I highly doubt I'm gonna be able to keep myself on pavement haha.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6873139404_e875f4eaa5_z.jpg)
Quote from: tt_four on March 14, 2012, 08:42:40 PM
Yama's right, street tires are a joke in mud. I assumed they'd do poor, but your back tire just spins as you crawl 1mph and your front tire keeps trying to slide out sideways haha. They work fine offroad otherwise. Definitely keep looking for some offroad wheels, but don't be afraid to go off pavement in the mean time. Find some construction sites/housing developments, random spots of grass, whatever you can to get off pavement. The more you learn to judge what the bike can do, the better you'll get at finding places to take it.
The only thing that still scares me is the worry of picking a random trail in the woods, heading downhill on a slick surface, then realizing the only way out is uphill on a slick surface in each direction. In the wrong situation you could get stuck down there forever, and someday somebody will find your dead body spooning your bike in a little muddy valley haha. Seriously though, you can get through a lot of gross stuff if you hop off the bike and stand next to it and walk it out with the gas, just invest in some good water resistant/proof boots, because you'll come home plenty muddy when you 'though' you were going out for a nice road ride.
i used to go to a church which ( pardon the puns) was hell to get to. on my gs. 3.5 miles to the top of a mtn, on a paved road. then 2.5 miles further along a gravel rd with mudholes lol. to an almost 200yo church running on a generator. but the gs DIDNT like that rd. i never dumped it. but she got dirty often
p.s. you dont need straight up knobbies aka dirtbike tires. but some agressive tires might work. more agressive than street tires, but less than offroad tires
such as these by continental?
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41yP0S9HqKL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) around 115 each
(http://i519.photobucket.com/albums/u360/gstwin/trip.jpg)
the red line is pavement. blue line is gravel. i live in a fun riding area. im 45 minutes drive/ride from the dragon. and at this location 10 minutes from what is known as the " devils triangle. " which comes out near brushy mtn penitentiary
Quote from: tt_four on March 14, 2012, 08:42:40 PM
Yama's right, street tires are a joke in mud. I assumed they'd do poor, but your back tire just spins as you crawl 1mph and your front tire keeps trying to slide out sideways haha. They work fine offroad otherwise. Definitely keep looking for some offroad wheels, but don't be afraid to go off pavement in the mean time. Find some construction sites/housing developments, random spots of grass, whatever you can to get off pavement. The more you learn to judge what the bike can do, the better you'll get at finding places to take it.
The only thing that still scares me is the worry of picking a random trail in the woods, heading downhill on a slick surface, then realizing the only way out is uphill on a slick surface in each direction. In the wrong situation you could get stuck down there forever, and someday somebody will find your dead body spooning your bike in a little muddy valley haha. Seriously though, you can get through a lot of gross stuff if you hop off the bike and stand next to it and walk it out with the gas, just invest in some good water resistant/proof boots, because you'll come home plenty muddy when you 'though' you were going out for a nice road ride.
i had this happen with the gs. ONLY way i got out was this. i got off teh bike and pushed it. BUT also left bike running and clutchwalked it out.
Quote from: yamahonkawazuki on March 27, 2012, 01:16:10 AM
i had this happen with the gs. ONLY way i got out was this. i got off teh bike and pushed it. BUT also left bike running and clutchwalked it out.
Haha I've become quite familiar with this game.
Those continental tires look cool. They'd look mean on some 17"s. I got the offroad wheels with mine so if I wanna do real offroad I just stick those on, but I have less and less desire for the real offroad tires as I get more comfortable on the street wheels.
no reply back on the drz parts bike yet (http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/smilin/sadbanana.gif)
Hey Steezin, remember how I said I love riding my street bikes around Pocahontas County, West Virginia?? Check out what they've got coming now! :D http://www.trailsheaven.com/trailsystems/detail/pocahontas,11.aspx
-Jessie
After learning more about the suspension setup(been watching tons of dave moss videos). I also adjusted suspension again, it feels better, but still not to 100%. I'll leave it here until after i scrub the new tires in.
Was:
Front: Compression- 12 Rebound- 16
Rear: Hi- 1 1/4 Low- 9 Rebound- 13
Set it to:
Front: Compression- 10 out Rebound- 15
Rear: Hi- 1 Low- 8 Rebound- 12
Also ordered a set of Pilot Powers to replace my balding stock d208's:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_2896.jpg)
It's a 2006 with only ~1900 miles, you all think i should get new tubes as well???
@ baltimore - HELL YEAH! i did a quick skim over the page, i've always wondered if the atv/utv trail places allowed moto's/dual sports(i wouldnt see why not though)
This is the first.. I usually get my hopes all up for a bike and it gets sold out from under me. This time i've given up hopes, and it worked out for the best!
The guy with the bad engine 06 drz hit me up this morning. Went and bought the bike tonight! Going to pull the moto picker back out and get her tomorrow.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2012-04-02_19-21-50_899.jpg)
Unfortunately the tires are shot, and i just bought the pilot powers for the sumo wheels. I'll have to sit on these for a bit until the play cash bounces back.
This + the title for my 06 gsF is starting to get really close. I'm super stoked to say the least!! :woohoo:
Got her home, and took some photos of its current state. There is some pretty bad scouring on the exhaust cam journal. There's also some fragments on the top of the piston head. Even if I replace the entire top end. I'm sure the whole engine will need flushed/cleaned before rebuild. I'm completely unfamiliar with rebuilding engines, so i'll be doing quite a bit of research. Starting... NOW!
Here's some photos
Cylinder walls look OK
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/06%20drz400s/IMG_3041.jpg)
but there's definitely some chewed up bit in there
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/06%20drz400s/IMG_3043.jpg)
Head:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/06%20drz400s/IMG_3056.jpg)
Damaged Cam Journal:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/06%20drz400s/IMG_3053.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/06%20drz400s/IMG_3048.jpg)
Valves:
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/06%20drz400s/IMG_3068.jpg)
I'm confused now. What bikes do you have that are not just parts bikes?
HAHA no worries bomb, i'm a bit of confused as well! I should have started another thread for the drzS, but i feel strange starting more and more threads/builds of non GS' on here.
I have 3 current bikes and 2 more gs' boxed up. My drzSM is on the road now. My 2006 gs500F is in the shop waiting for her title before anymore work goes into her. My 2 basket cases, the 89 and 96, are being parted out, and my newest drzS will hopefully be rebuilt and resold.
Once said and done, I'll be keeping the drzSM and the 06 gsF.
I initially bought the 2 basket case GS' with the hopes of rebuilding one. Unfortunately they were both put on the chopping block due to the amount of money needed to finish 1 complete bike. Then I stumbled onto the drzS with a bad top end. My idea was to buy it and part out after taking the wheels. The plan has changed, and I'll be attempting to rebuild it.
Sweet. It all makes sense now.
Good luck with that rebuild. It looks like you might need a new head with the shape of those cam journals.
Pilot Powers on;
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_3130.jpg)
after ~75 miles scrub in, chicken strips getting smaller! this is the first fresh set of tar that i've ever broke in. loving them so far!!
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_3132.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_3136.jpg)
Of course 1 day after the new tar's installed i happened to get my first chance at some off road haha. was helping an old friend mow her lawn and took some time to explore around her farm. Its ~ a mile long gravel driveway to her place, then farm land in every direction. tires failed pretty hard(go figure, some operator error in there too for sure) They did well in gravel, but I manage to spin out and low side on a pretty good steep covered in damp tall grass. After dusting myself off and realizing the tires limit i had an awesome time probably around an hour of exploring old trails we use to ride. will be sure to bring the gopro next time. it's been years since i've been out there and there are tons more trails to be had :thumb:
sorry for cell photos, gotta find a nice bag/pack for the DSLR when i'm on the sumo
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2012-04-08_15-13-27_978.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2012-04-08_15-13-09_920.jpg)
<--jealous
looking great man! That lack of a left grip is still making me sad haha. cycle gear sells some super cheap grips
Edit: wrote tire instead of grip, don't know what's wrong with me haha
Productive 3 day weekend!!
Changed my acerbis headlight for a stocker and green shroud. i'm stoked on how it looks. much better light output too, now I'm tossing around the idea of a procycle HID kit
Swapped stock mirrors for bar end mirrors mounted to the bars inside the grips.
Relocated ignition.
Dropped it after dismounting due to lower suspension and regular sized kickstand..
Installed lower kickstand!!
Manage to do the 3x3 mod and rejet without any hiccups. Runs amazing, all lean surging gone, and pulls great!
Went to install the progip grips I got with the bike, only to find out he got grips that are a bit big for the bar..
Sharpied in one hand guard to see how i'd like it. Debating on painting them both black when I paint my fork guards
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2012-04-14_23-39-21_694.jpg)
Not much updates, just a little photo whoring..
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_3214.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/IMG_3218.jpg)
looking great! you getting into anything new on it yet?
Thanks TT. Yeah, been dabbling it a bit of everything. Mostly street right now as i'm loving the pilot powers!
I found a fun twisty road a couple towns over, kept exploring and ended up on a nice gravel road. took it until i got to a couple houses where the appearances said, "turn around now!" haha didn't hear any banjo's, but i did see some teeth missing as i was whipping around
I've been working on getting all my gopro mounts setup for the moto. Took a quick test vid yesterday around my house. I'll finish editing and upload it tonight!
http://youtu.be/UpH9h8ASNck
just testing the mount, i think i'll have to pick up a chest mount as i've seen some pretty cool shots with it
Good video :thumb:
My dad bought one of those camera's for work, he's outdoors a lot surveying in random places. He said I could borrow it, I wasn't too concerned with it, but now I think it would be fun to make a video or two, especially if I can put it on my computer and edit out the boring stuff.... basically any amount of traffic hogging space between the wheelies and staircases haha.
I put an ignition on my bike tonight! You finally need a key to start it. That'll be nice when I ride to the store and don't have to worry about someone being smart enough to realize all you have to do is flip the switch to the power and kick it over. I took it out for a little bit tonight, and I love this bike more every time I ride it.
Question, does your chain make a racket when you're in low rpms?? Mine has since I got it, I don't remember my friends drz doing it, but I've loosened and tightened my chain and it still does it. I know the chain needs to be loose because of how much travel is in the suspension, but still. From what I see online you're gonna have some of that with dirtbikes/single cylinder bikes, but it'd be great if I could get rid of that noise someday.
I'm trying to track down a few other people so they can show me the ropes, as I definitely don't use this bike to it's potential. I see a few guys from Pittsburgh on supermoto junkie, but the weather hasn't been cooperating lately. I think tomorrow is supposed to be about 40 degrees, which is a shame.
Had to take another picture too.... just got some black number plates, I've got a new front fender and an led tail light on the way(motostrano has the worst shipping by far, been waiting over a month now.....). Ooh, I finally put a drain plug and an air filter on the camshaft breather hose too. Now I can park my bike after riding without a little bit of oil dripping out, making my bike look sad. Every time I got home and pulled the bike inside I used to have to put a rag under it haha.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/6974205514_497a4a3a30_c.jpg)
Laid down the SuMo at ~20mph yesterday. Coming in a bit too hot off a 65mph 4 lane to bassically a U turn onto a side road. Got over because i thought there was a turning lane.. negative haha. There was some wavy/heavy bumps in the shoulder, couldn't get the brake on hard enough. took a shot at the turn, hit some gravel and lowsided. threw my left(my dominate arm's)shoulder out, but got it back in. f%$king sore today!
Looks like shooting, mowing, and wrenching just took a back seat to chilling, icing, and being lazy :embarassed:
I'll edit the video later..
Edit: no major bike damage, scrapped and bent the hand guard. Forks seemed straight. looked them over then brought it on home w/o any other problems. Got a sore shoulder, a small raspberry on my right arm and knee from the inside of my jacket/pants. All in all I'll live
Glad you are ok. Another day, another lesson learned.
Hopefully that heals up quick! One of the best part about a sumo is the fact that you can lay it down at 50mph, pick it back up and go on your way. Have you made any axle sliders?? Between the hand guards and axle sliders there's not a whole lot that can happen to these bikes.
Preciate it guys. still a bit sore, but i'll survive. definitely lesson learned!
i have a set of axle sliders i got from a local rider. probably a good time to slap them on haha
After further assessment, i've bent the hand guard that touched down, and maybe a slight bend on the bar. Nothing major, but I'm going to loosen it all up get the bars and front end realigned then torqued.
hand guards are easy to bend, but that's what they're there for. I've bent them crashing in dirt, I don't assume they'll do much better on pavement. On the plus side they're easy to bend back. Just pull it off, clamp it in a vice and bend it back.
I got in about 5 hours of riding today, very good day.
Spent some time in the basement tonight cleaning up my back end......
Before:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/6974205514_497a4a3a30_z.jpg)
After a black fender, led tail light, new tinted turn signals, home made plate bracket:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7231924374_447e5a7c97_z.jpg)
It was late when I finished so I haven't been able to take it outside to see if you can even see the tail light during the day, haha. If not I'll have to look into something a little brighter but I'm hoping for the best.
Per usual, I'm late to the par-tay, but.... LIKE!!!!! :cheers:
Pulling out a dead thread!! Me and two friends with sportbikes went out for a ride on Sunday and he pieced together some of the shots from his gopro. Thought it was fun to watch. The first half is mostly just us riding around and goofing off, but the second half shows you some of the stuff you can get into on a supermoto, in case you've never really been sure why people seem to like dirtbikes with street tires so much haha
http://youtu.be/7YWrw98ZgO8
Oooh, and side note, switch the quality to 720HD so it looks better.
Wheelies on public roads. Riding on the wrong side of the road. Endangering yourselves as well as the general public?
Fuckall safety gear. None of that impressed me at all?
Maybe I'm just getting old?
Sent from my shitter
Figured I'll close this thread out as well. The SuMo has been a fun ride for the summer. I helped the new owner load it in his truck saturday and sent her on her way. She's going to a good home in eastern VA. I'll miss the shaZam! out of her, but wanted a bit more breathing room in the shop and on my bank accounts. Here's the last cell photos i snatched before meeting her new owner at 7am(:2guns:) on saturday;
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2013-01-12_07-15-21_248.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2013-01-12_07-15-31_191.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/steezin_and_wheezin/2013-01-12_07-36-23_412.jpg)
I would have loved to kept it in my stable, but wanted another payment/insurance/registration/maintenance off my head. I'll have my eye out for another drz project bike though!
I hope you got a great price. Super Motos are selling at higher than book value around here.
We both, seller/buyer, got a good deal. It went for a little below NADA average value, but it went for more than i owed so i'm happy. Now being motorcycle-less(just peds left now) I'll definitely be spending some more time on the gs project
(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mf6wmb2pWD1rukh8y.gif)
^ +1 haha. You always find the perfect gif for my E-motions