[FAQ] All you need to know abt Suzuki DRZ400SM

SparkerS1 · May 1, 2010

INFORMATION/

MAINTENANCE OF

SUZUKI DR-Z400SM

MO Measured Horsepower: 34.65 Hp @ 7,750Rpm

MO Measured Torque: 25.91 LbFt @ 6,000Rpm

Engine 4-stroke, DOHC

Bore x Stroke 3.54 x 2.46 in. (90 x 62.6 mm)

Compression Ratio 11.3:1

Fuel System Mikuni BSR36, single

Cooling Liquid

Ignition Electronic, CDI

Lubrication Dry sump

DIMENSIONS

Length 87.6 in. (2,225 mm)

Width 33.7 in. (855 mm)

Height 47.2 in. (1,200 mm)

Weight 321 lbs. (146 kg)

Ground Clearance 10.2 in. (260 mm)

Wheelbase 57.5 in. (1,460 mm)

Fuel Capacity 10 litres including reserve

Seat Height 35 in. (890 mm)

Transmission 5-speed constant mesh

Final Drive RK520KZO, 110 links

Suspension Front: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped

Rear: Link type, coil spring, oil damped

Brakes Front & Rear: Disc

Tires Front: 120/70 R17 M/C 58H tube type

Rear: 140/70 R17 M/C 66H tube type

Bike Servicing/Maintenance

Basic servicing like service carburetor every 6 months and yearly servicing can keep the bike in good running condition.

Engine Oil: Semi-syn change every 2000km

Fully-syn change every 4000km

(Can + up to 1000km for fully/semi syn)

Oil Filter: Change every 2-3 EO change

Air Filter: Service once a year or every 20,000km

Coolant: Flush at least once a year

Brake Hose: Bleed every 14-18 months

Fork Oil: Change every 2 years or 20000km

Change spark plug when faulty, spark plug can last at least 10000km.

Change chain and sprocket at least once a year, can last more than a year if u clean and lube your chain periodically.

Other basic maintenance can be done periodically.

Please do not quote me or argue about my servicing intervals.

You might have different servicing intervals due to different riding conditions, different riding techiques or track racing.

This is a just a guide for newbies.

Edited September 24, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · May 31, 2010

Over here, we will be discussing about the first few things you would need to do for your DRZ when you first gotten it out of the shop.

We'll just concentrate on 5 main items:

1. Manual Cam Chain Tensioner (MCCT)

2. Pulsed Air Injection Reaction (PAIR) Removal

3. Case Savers/Shields

4. Axle Sliders

5. Regreasing

1. MCCT

Manual Cam Chain Tensioner where u can manually adjust the cam chain instead of the OEM ACCT (Automatic cam chain tensioner)

Factory automatic adjusters can back out when the throttle is suddenly closed at higher rpms.

This allows the cams to momentarily go out of time and can result in bent valves and/or serious engine damage!

Hydraulic tensioners have a tendency to put too much tension on the chain guide under high rpm/high oil pressure conditions, resulting in premature cam chain wear.

Installation of a Manual Cam Chain Tensioner will allow you to maintain the proper, constant cam chain tension necessary for reliable hi-performance riding and it will not backout.

2. PAIR System

PAIR = Pulse Air-Injection

This part basically feeds clean air into the exhaust outlet to help eliminate unburnt fuel from emissions.

This makes the engine runs warmer.

If u have a aftermarket exhaust fixed, best to remove the PAIR system, or else will cause popping and unsteady deceleration, removing it won't give more power, may give a little better response and will give better smoothness.

Beside PAIR removal, proper jettings are essential for better performance and reducing deceleration popping.

The PAIR system looks like the attached photo, the black box that all the hoses are routed to is the PAIR.. Remove it and add a blank plate to the inlet port at the exhaust..

Both MCCT and PAIR removal can be found/done at our advertiser, Unique Motosports.

3. Case Savers/Shields

Extra protection for Ignition and clutch covers.

The stock magnesium DRZ engine cases are both thin and brittle.

As a result, they are very vulnerable to damage (cracks & impact punctures) from the bike's shift/brake lever and rocks when the bike falls.

Various brands like:

CFC
ThumperTalk
Carbon Performance
I'm using brand of case savers and skid plate..

4. Axle Sliders

Protects front fork and rear swing-arm.

Stock axle sliders will drop out as it's not secured with a centre axle unlike Motovation sliders.

In addition, SME Axle Block Sliders can be used with it too.

Not only it adds a little bling, it'll serves its added function together with Motovation Axle Sliders.

5. Regreasing

Stock DRZ does not comes with grease at the following areas:

Steering Stem
Front Axle
Rear Axle
Swingarm
Rear Shock linkages

Grease is needed in these areas as they are moving when the bike is in operation. Without grease, wear and tear might be faster.

new 2010 and above DRZ owners might wanna check if the above mentioned areas are already greased. Suzuki might do some improvements.

Edited May 8, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · May 31, 2010

Now, we'll look into the other things you should take note/buy/do to your DRZ.

1. Stainless Steel Brake Hose

Enhance braking feel.

Rubber hoses or mild steel fittings are cheap but we all know how rubber hose bulges under pressure, allows brake fluid to absorb water vapour from the atmosphere and that mild steel fittings rust.

2. BRAKING Disc

More friction coefficient, Better resistance to the heat, More initial braking power, More feeling on the lever, Better handling, Less weight, Thicker than stock disc.

3. UNABIKER Radiator Guard

Provide awesome side impact protection and help prevent radiator fold-back during a crash.

Unabikers Rad Guards can be purchased here.

4. ThumperTalk Skid Plate

Extra protection specially if for off-road purposes.

5. 3X3 Air Box Mod

De-restrict the air flow and better performance with an aftermarket Air Filter. Remember to re-jet the stock carburetor to match the A/F ratio.

6. Handguards

Prevent clutch and brake levers from breakage/bent during a drop or crash.

More Handguards info below.

7. Exhaust Slider

APA Muffler Slider is made from a specially formulated thick, tough, plastic material that resists wear and helps protect your muffler in the event of a crash, much like a frame slider does.

The slider clamps on securely and the material has built in lubrication molecules that let them slide and not grip the pavement like a soft piece of rubber would.

Road Racers are enjoying the benefits of Muffler Slider protection when they fall off. It can not easily slide off.

Remove the kickstand safety switch. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

If the kickstand is down the bike will not start.

On jumps and bumps the kickstand will bounce around momentarily killing your engine. Thus I remove kickstand sensor.

Remove the clutch safety switch. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

If the clutch isn't pulled in, it will not start.

This just one more electronic switch to break from nowhere, so I remove this safety device.

Edited September 24, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · May 31, 2010

In this post, we will be discussing about exhaust systems available for DRZ.

Due to the strict legal issues of Singapore, we have a pool of Street Legal Exhaust Systems for us to choose and to use it daily on the road without the fear of Uncle Sam. But there's another group of users that occasionally ride on tracks and/or simply love the feeling of riding in fear..

So here, we will be splitting this discussion into 2 different categories:

Street Legal Exhuast Systems
Race Exhaust Systems

Street Legal Exhaust Systems

The listed are the various types of exhaust systems available in Singapore and they are street legal for usage on the roads.

Slip on option:

Scorpion
Delta
Remus
WRP
Leo Vince
GPR

Also in Full System:

Scorpion
Delta
Leo Vince
GPR

Only in Full System:

Yoshimura
FMF

Race Exhaust Systems (Not for road use)

The listed are the various types of race exhaust systems available for DRZ that boosts performance way beyond what Street Legal Systems can do..

Yoshimura
FMF
Arrow
Akrapovic
MRD
Two Brothers Racing
Pro Circuit

Scroll down for FAQ for exhaust

Edited September 24, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · May 31, 2010

Let's discuss about Air Filters.

They are basically 2 types of Air Filters for DRZ, Foam and Paper. These 2 different types of filters can be reused and offers higher flow of air into the carb without impairing the filtration..

Types of Paper/Cotton Filters:

K&N
BMC
DNA
Simota

Types of Foam Filters:

PiperCross
Maxima
Ready Racing
Twin Air
Moose Racing

Aftermarket Air Filters are to be compliment with 3X3 mod and aftermarket exhaust.

Foam filters are normally for off-road use.

Paper/cotton filters are for normal road use.

Personally I've only used before K&N and BMC filters.

BMC filter had much better air flow than K&N.

K&N does work well for its price.

Edited June 6, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · May 31, 2010

This post is to discuss about all issues regarding Chains and Spockets.

Chain facts:

Chain No. - 520

Pitch - 5/8"

Roller Diameter - 0.400"

Roller Width - 1/4"

Sprocket thickness - 0.227"

Our bike can fit O-ring, X-ring and even Z-ring chains.

I'm not going into details on the chains here, do your own research as there's many articles on the differences btw the type of chains.

The numbers of links needed depends on your spocket sizes.

Here are some of the common brands of chains available:

DID
EK
Regina
Renthal
RK
GPR

Besides the common sliver and gold chains, you can add some colours to your bike!!

Below is an example of red coloured chain by EK.

Spockets

Stock drive ratio is 41/15 = 2.73

This number is derived by taking the rear spocket teeth size divided by front spocket teeth size.

The bigger the ratio, the faster your pickup will be, compromising the top speed.

The smaller the ratio, you will be achieving higher top speed sacrificing pickup.

Some of the common brands of Spockets:

AFAM
Driven Racing
ISA
JT
Renthal
Supersporx
VORTEX

Is yours a cush drive?

There are actually 2 different types of spocket fitting for DRZ as there are 2 different rear hub mountings.

The photos of the differences can be found here.

The PI cush drive spocket used to be hard to find, but now they are readily available in various brands and sizes.

What's the material of the spocket? Is it important?

Spockets are made using different materials.

Steel - Strong and durable but weighs much heavier.

Aluminium - Weighs much lighter compared to steel, but is less durable.

A lighter spocket will reduce unsprung weight, thus improving acceleration.

Wiki definition of Unsprung Weight

However, it will be at the expenses of durability.

Aluminium being a soft metal, will be worn out faster compared to Steel made spockets.

If you are using your bike for transportation, do consider the life span of the spockets.

With improved technology, alloys are used to make spockets.

These alloys actually have reduced weight yet yields durability.

AFAM, ISA and VORTEX make such spockets.

Supersprox uses steel for spocket teeth and aluminium for the mounting centre.

Making it durable and light weight too.

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · June 6, 2010

Let's discuss about Tyres here..

Stock tyres are Dunlop D208

Front: 120/70 R17 M/C 58H tube type

Rear: 140/70 R17 M/C 66H tube type

Below are the 2 true supermoto tyres, but they are not readily available in SG.

They are of soft compound and wears off quite fast.

Avon Distanzia

Maxxis Goldspeed

The most common tyre on a DRZ in SG is Michelin Pilot Power

The rest are:

Bridgestone Battlax BT090

Dunlop D253

Michelin Power One

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/powerone.jpg

Metzeler M3

What are the sizes that can fit on my DRZ?

There are 3 sizes you can choose from 140, 150 and 160.

Most common sizes used is 150 but they are hard to come by.

I used a 160 tyre, the tyre rubs my chain. My friend uses the same tyre but did not have chain rub. Why?

Chain rubs are common on 160 tyres, but some instances where 160 does not rub chain.

Chain rub will not affect the working condition of the tyre itself, but it will decrease the life span of your chain.

Many factors contribute to chain rub which includes, wheel bearings, spokes positions, wheel spacers, etc.

What do you recommend to use?

For transport use, Michelin Pilot Power offers the best and value for money.

They worked fine on wet weather and perform good on dry tarmac.

They worked well on track surfaces too..

If you are using the bike for transport and track, go for the Michelin Power One.

Being dual compound, they lasts long for transport.

Yet having a softer compound on the sides, offers great grip during track days..

What's the recommended pressure?

For road use, I used 30PSI front and back. If you have a pillion, increase the rear tyre pressure by 2PSI.

Can my DRZ run tubeless?

Yes, you can. There's many conversion kits out in the market offering at abt $300 to convert your tube rims to run tubeless.

However, there are more secure and beautiful options such as Alpina rims and Marchesini rims.

Alpina being tubeless spokes rims using special nipples at the spokes where Marchesini is aluminium forged sports rims.

More details on Rims found here.

Conclusion

Tyres are the only thing that seperates your bike and the tarmac.

A good set of tyres will save your life.

Do frequent checks on the tyre pressure.

Running too high will have risks of tyre exploding due to air expanding, less traction.

Running to low will cause severe wear and tear, sluggish acceleration, overheating of tyres.

Everyone had their preferred brand and model of tyre.

This is just a guide for newbies. There are still many other tyres other than those listed here in size 150 for DRZ SM use.

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · June 6, 2010

What are Fork Bleeders?

What a bleeder valve does: Bleeder Valves allow quick and accurate removal of built up, unwanted air inside your fork legs. By optimizing the pressure you let your forks work the way they were intended.

When and how to use it?

You can bleed your forks once every few days when you have it installed. As suggested, you should extend your fork without loading it when you bleed them. if you bleed them when they are compressed, you might and will be seeing fork oil coming out instead of air.

What are benefits of using Fork Bleeders?

Fork Bleeders are for you to bleed the air easily without going thru the hassle of screw the bleed screw out. Forks will get noticeably harder when you dun bleed for a long time. over time pressure builds up in the forks causing premature leaks at the weakest area which is your dust and fork seals. that explains why some DRZers needa change their seals as early as a few months after buying brand new..

Will water get into the forks thru the Fork Bleeders?

When install properly, water and air should not be going into the forks from the bleed valves as there are o-ring and it's a one-way valve.

Conclusion

Fork Bleeders are seen as a good to have item. Not a necessary but it adds convenience and a little bling to your dull looking forks.. With the price most fork bleeders are selling at, why wait??

A picture of the fork bleeder

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · July 22, 2010

Loctite Fix

Loctite Fix is crucial for a peaceful-minded ride.

What is Loctite?

Wiki defination

Why do loctite fix?

It's adding loctite to crucial bolts and nuts to prevent backing out due to vibrations causing premature engine failure. Read further to see details.

Where are the areas to loctite?

There's a few areas that needed loctite:

Stator(aka Magnetic coil) bolts
Starter Clutch Bolts
Countershaft nut

So exactly where to loctite?

The pictures below will show the area respectively:

Stator(aka Magnetic coil) bolts

Starter Clutch Bolts

Countershaft nut

How much to apply? How to go about it?

For stator and starter clutch bolts:

Take out the bolts and do one at a time.

Clean bolt, and apply 2 drops of loctite before screwing it back.

Leave bike for 8hours to cure.

For CS nut:

Apply 4 drops of loctite to the thread highlighted in red box.

Remember: too much of loctite is not good. Especially at the CS nut as the excess loctite will seap into the seals and damage it when it cured..

So after I've done this loctite fix, my engine's safe?

I could only say safer.

The stator and starter clutch bolts should be ok.

It's reported that the CS shaft will still fail even after loctite is done.

Conclusion

It's just a recommendation to do loctite fix.

You still can ride even without doing it.

Many had rode it without any problems even without the fix.

But it's a simple job that will prevent you from heaps of repairs in the event that the bolts backed out.

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · July 22, 2010

How often you changed it?? And does it matter which oil you choose??

Many had debated on the issues on how long can the engine oil actually last and also which are the best oils?

But the issue would be how often you actually changed it?

Even the best oils under extended usage and/or abuse will not be performing at its optimum conditions.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deep Fried Stator*

Stator Failure due to improper oil types and extended oil change intervals

The stator on a DRZ motor resides inside the left sided cover along with the flywheel and various other bits.

This cover is open to motor oil, and that oil is used to cool the stator.

That design defiantly can help extend the stators life in normal conditions, but has some draw backs as well.

If oil temperatures become extremely high for whatever reason, extreme use of the motor, wrong type, quantity and weight oil or any other reason, they stator is no longer being cooled. This can cause or accelerate the stator windings insulation breakdown, and ultimately failure of the stator.

The other drawback of the stator being bathed in motor oil is, when poor quality, improper type motor oil is used the oil can bake on the stator windings.

This problem is aggravated with extended oil change intervals.

Here's a photo of a burned up coil.

So what's the changing intervals?

Kindly read the first post.

Conclusion

Frequently EO changes not only can extend your stator life, EO does lubricate the clutch plates, gears in the engine too..

I personally change my EO every month or so.. Mileage is roughly between 1k to 2k KMs..

Checked my clutch plates after 1 year of replacement, they still looked new without any burn marks..

*Article extracted from Thumpertalk

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · July 22, 2010

What is the loudest exhaust for DRZ?

Loud doesn't equals to good or better performance.

But to a certain extend it does, as most race exhaust are loud.

Some examples of good and loud race exhaust are MRD SSW, Yoshimura TRC, 2Bros Racing M7, etc..

So what is the loudest Street Legal Exhaust then?

Street legal exhaust cannot be loud.

But based on experience, Yoshimura Tri-cone and Cyclone full system is the loudest street legal system. Old version Delta exhaust is also quite loud.

Why do you say so?

Both Yoshimura Tri-cone and Cyclone full system are straight thru, meaning there's no baffle within the endcan to reduce the noise. However there's a tapering of the silencer core within the endcan to reduce the noise.

Old version Delta had a straight thru core with a relatively "open" baffle.

The newer version of Delta however, comes with a very restrictive baffle.

How about the rest of the street legal exhaust system?

Take note of the words "Street Legal" here.

There's many other brands of street legal exhaust in SG, but most of them comes with a restrictive baffle that reduces the noise and air flow drastically in order to meet LTA's requirements.

Many of you passed your initial inspection when you send your newly installed exhaust to inspection centre.

But right after that, you removed the baffle and claims that your exhaust is street legal.

Bare in mind, in the eyes of the law, you are modifying or tampering with the exhaust system

and you may face a Court fine of up to $1,000 or 3 months' imprisonment upon conviction in Court.

What would be the street legal exhaust for DRZ then?

Get the Yoshimura if you want loud and legal.

Else you can try the other brands but do not tamper with the baffle.

In addition to why Yoshimura is the best is because the header of the full system is made from Titanium.

When weight of the exhaust is greatly reduce, you would have a better power:weight ratio.

If I want the best race system, what would it be?

Yoshimura TRC was claimed as the holy grail for DRZ until MRD SSW came out.

MRD SSW had the same big header as Yoshi TRC and reaps the same performance based on dyno runs.

MRD comes cheaper as it's made of stainless steel, whereas TRC is a full titanium exhaust.

Both exhaust are extremely loud and they came with an optional baffle that was proven the reduce noise and yet promising the same performance if not a slight drop in the dyno charts.

Why these 2 particular exhaust systems?

The key to it is the enlarged header compared to other race systems.

On MRD and TRC, their headers are much bigger than the others.

Street Legal Yoshimua (same as other race headers)

Yoshi enlarged header

MRD Header

So how can I legalise my street legal exhaust?

Refer to here for details.

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · July 29, 2010

In this post, we'll be talking about most of the handguards available in the market and the various types of mountings.

Brands of Handguards available:

Acerbis
Barkbuster
Cemoto
Cycra
Moose Racing
Polisport
Pro Taper
Sunline
UFO
WRP
Zeta

Listed above are the common handguards. There are more, but I would not elaborate here.

The 2 most common brands in SG is Acerbis and Zeta.

I'm using Cycra ones, reason being the guards and bumpers are replaceable unlike Acerbis where you need to buy the whole set.

Zeta guards are replaceable but they dun have bumpers.

What are handguards?

They are either plastics guards or metal brackets attached to your handlebar to protect you from branches/twig (off-road) and abrasion upon impact on tarmac/dirt. They DO NOT protect your hands 100% even you are wearing gloves, but the trusted brands do give a certain degree of protection to your hands and bars/controls in event of fall.

What are bumpers?

Bumpers are plastics that are attached to the metal brackets of the handguards at the side. They are sacrificial items.

In the event of fall, they act like sliders absorbing the impact and grinding instead of the bracket itself. They are replaceable for a much lower price compared to the bracket.

What are the various types of mounting available?

Handshields Type

- They are normally without the metal brackets as support, they can either be mounted from the handlebar(1st pic, Zeta) or at the end of the bar(2nd pic, Acerbis)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/impacthandguards.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/5112.jpg

Full Plastics Type

- They do not use any metal brackets but are mounted at 2 points (end of bar and on bar).

These handguards normally uses very hard plastics that will not be easily bended or deformed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/408008mini.jpg

Cemoto and WRP have this type of handguard.

U-clamps Mounts

- They are popularly used. They are firm as they have 2 points anchoring.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/0000-Cycra-Pro-Bend-Center-Reach-Clamp-Racer-Pack.jpg

But they have a probability of of shifting outta place upon impact.

Triple Clamp Mounts

- They are much stronger than U-clamps but will experience more vibrations as it's mounted right at the triple clamps.

Unlikely to shift upon impact.

A picture of how a triple clamp mount looks like.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/24WR250RProBendSideMount.jpg

Acerbis and Cycra have this mountings.

Top Bar Mounts

- They are probably the most complex mounts for handguards. Not sure abt how well they work thou.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/HG_set00.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/biting_point/Forum/fastway-aluminum-plastic-handguards-kits-fit-handguard-and-damper_11.jpg

What should I look out for when buying handguards?

Handguards comes in various bends and mountings.

Most handguards should fit your DRZ without much problems if you are using stock brake pump.

But you may need to use a bushing to "push out" the bracket to fit the aftermarket brakepumps.

Edited September 24, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · July 29, 2010

In this post, we talk about brakelines, brake pads and brake calipers available for DRZ.

What is Brake Fade?

Brake fade occurs when you keep using the brakes, the drums or the discs or brake pads stay too hot and get no chance to cool. The next time you try to brake, the brake components are already so hot, they cannot absorb much more heat.

Is bleeding of brake fluid important?

When you disregard the "Health" of your brake fluid, it can lead to disaster. Brake fluid is hygroscopic - means it attracts and soaks up water. This is why it comes in sealed containers when u buy it. Dot 4 boils at 230 degrees celsius, while water boils at 100 degrees celisus. When the temp of the brakes components get over the boiling point of water, the water boils out of the brake fluid and cause steam - compressible gas. Next time u press your brakes, rather than braking, all the pressure is taken up in compressing the steam.

What can improve braking efficiency?

There are many ways to improve braking efficiency:

Brake Master Cylinder
Brake Line
Brake Caliper
Brake Pads
Brake Rotor
Size of Brake Rotor

What is a Brake Master Cylinder and how does it works?

Read all about it here.

Source: http://www.oppracing.com

If you want the feeling of gradual pressure with gradual braking, 14mm MCs are the best.

But if you need those slight tap to brake kinda feel, go for the 16mm MCs.

19mm are overkill, they can lock the wheel with the slightest touch.

So far, many of the DRZ riders are using R1/GSX OEM 16mm MCs.

Some using the 13mm or 14mm for better modulation.

Is stainless steel Brake Lines necessary?

IMO, YES!!

It's one of the cheapest and good way to improve your braking feel.

OEM rubber lines bulge under pressure, stainless lines dun.

By using stainless steel lines improves braking feel by not allowing any expansion at the lines.

This should be one of the first things you should change for any bike.

More about Brake Lines will be discussed in the next post.

Is changing of caliper needed?

This is one of the extreme mods if you are seriously into braking power.

Stock caliper is a 2 pistons caliper.

Aftermarket calipers are 4 or 6 pistons, with more pistons engaging the brakepads for more contact and braking power.

But these calipers normally need re-locators.

This is how a Brembo 4 pot radial mount caliper with relocator.

What Brake Pads are good?

Brake pad materials range from asbestos to organic or semi-metallic formulations.

Different brake pads will have different braking feel on your bike.

More details of Brake Pads here.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Common brands of Brake Pads will be listed in the next post.

Does aftermarket Brake Rotors affect braking?

Yes, most of them do.

As most of the aftermarket have wavy pattern, this pattern allows more efficency in cooling.

With better cooling, it reduces brake fade.

List of common brands of Brake Rotors will be posted in the next post.

What is 310mm and 320mm Rotors?

OEM front rotor is 310mm.

Most aftermarket rotors are available in 320mm, but there are still 310mm aftermarket rotors for DRZ.

A bigger rotor reduces the braking effort.

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · July 30, 2010

The common brands of Brake Lines available locally:

GALFER
HEL
SWAGE
VENHILL

Most of the stainless steel Brake Lines works good.

They come with stainless steel banjo nuts.

____________________________________

The common brands of Brake Pads available locally:

Braking
Brembo
EBC
Ferodo
Goldfren
WP

There are many brands available, the ones listed are more of the common ones.

These different brands have different braking effect and bite feel.

The more sought for brands are Braking and EBC pads.

____________________________________

The following list is the common brands of Brake Rotors for DRZ:

Braking
Brembo
EBC
Galfer
Motomaster

The more common one is Braking.

Braking rotors comes in both 310mm and 320mm.

There are 2 types of Braking rotors:

STX

SK

SK rotor is the newer version that actually is directional.

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · August 15, 2010

Stock DRZ uses Mikuni BSR36 carburetor.

This carb is able to achieve good Fuel Consumption (FC) as good as >30km/L with proper jettings.

When to do jettings?

Normally when you changed your exhaust system, you would need to change the jettings to compliment it.

Jettings are normally done together with air filter change and 3X3 mod.

Is changing jettings necessary?

No, it's not.

But it would be better to do so as your exhaust is better flowing now,

it'll be good to upsize the fuel jet for richer Air/Fuel (AF) ratio.

Why do I have popping sounds when I down gears during deceleration?

That's because your Pilot jet is too small, your bike is running lean.

Pilot jet is in charge of the petrol flow at the early stages of throttle.

It also kicks in when you closes your throttle.

Stock Pilot Jet is too small for all the unused petrol to flow back to the carb.

Unused petrol will burn and combuse causing the popping sounds.

So after jetting, my bike will have better power and good FC?

Jetting the carb does not guarantee better power, it's about making the bike running at the correct AF ratio.

Sometimes jetting can improve FC, sometimes not.

What is FCR?

FCR stands for Flat-slide Carburetor Racing.

It's one of the most sought for modification for DRZ.

With this, you will unleash the beast within.

What is the difference between BSR36 and FCR39?

BSR36 is stock carburetor for DRZ SM.

It's 36mm in bore size.

FCR39 is a aftermarket carburetor commonly used on DRZ.

It's 39mm in bore size.

I didn't know much about the technical aspects of both carbs and how it works but there's a few threads on other forums if you search.

What's the advantages of using FCR?

It's one of the most bang for buck mod.

The first day I got it on my bike, i basically lifted up my front wheel for the first 3 gears.

Not used to the power after the installation.

It's response and power delivery is much much better compared to the stock BSR36 carb.

FCR actually increases the HP of the bike, thou not sure by how much as I only "butt-dynoed" it.

Results are spontaneous, the feel of the surge of power is obvious after installation.

There's so many different types of FCR on the market. Which one should I get?

To have a plug and play (P&P) set of FCR, not "plug and pray".

I recommend you get the FCR from Thumpertalk.com.

They had specially put up a package of FCR with the necessary hardwares to ensure P&P.

You can find many shops selling FCRs locally.

But most of them do not comes with the correct bell mouth adapter for the airbox, thus causing a lot of tuning issues.

Also some of them are actually olders models which you will have difficulties jetting them and fitting them in properly.

Nevertheless, they still can deliver the power and surge like any other FCRs.

Edited September 24, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · August 18, 2010

DRZ SM's rims are 17 inch front and rear, unlike normal off-road setups where front 21 inch and rear 18 inch are used.

Stock rims are spokes rims, they need to be inflated with a tube inside the tyre.

Tube rims are great for off-road uses but not for on the road use as they will deflate totally once it's being nailed.

Another disadvantage of running on tubes is on track, where the tyre temperature will melt the tube, leaving in the paddock with a deflated tyre..

Some shops offer to do modifications to your stock rims to become tubeless for a fee ranging at abt $300.

With the modification, your stock rims can run without tube.

There are also other alternatives to convert to tubeless.

Alpina rims are tubeless rims that used special nipples on the spokes to ensure that the air stays locked in.

**

They are available in many colours.

All spokes, nipples and rims can be customised.

Marchesini made DRZ specific rims.

They are true sports rims that not only run tubeless but add extra "bling" to any bike.

**

Is there any maintenance needed for spokes rims?

Yes, periodic checks on the spokes are needed to ensure that the spokes are tighten.

How often do I need to change my tube?

Normally it's changed during the tyre change.

Due to DRZ SM using road tyres, the mileage is greatly increased compared to off-road tyres.

Tubes are recommended to be change when there are signs of rusting at the air inlet nipple, dry looking tubes or any cracks on the surfaces.

What is truing of spokes rims?

Truing is a process where the hub of the rims is adjusted to sit right in the middle of the rim.

Improper adjustments and not truing the spokes will cause the wheel to spin unevenly.

Labour charges for truing ranges abt $30 per wheel.

Can I use back my stock rotors/spockets when I changed to Alpina or Marchesini rims?

Definately, as Marchesinis made DRZ specific rims.

As for Alpinas, you are using back your stock rotors, so it'll not be an issue.

**Images are not DRZ specific rims**

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · August 21, 2010

Here, we will discuss about the cooling system of DRZ.

Introduction

If anyone tells you DRZ got overheat problem, tell them go fly kite.

DRZ is actually very efficient in cooling with its very big radiators.

I had a Vapor meter on my DRZ that's why I can read temperatures.

On a cool night cruising on expressways, it'll read abt 65Â°C.

On a sunny day cruising on expressways, it'll read abt 75Â°C.

During traffic stops, it'll rises up till abt 90Â°C but will immediately drop when you start moving.

Only circumstances where it reads more than 100Â°C is during traffic jams, just tell me which bike dun overheat during jams??

Does the brand of the coolant matters?

It does in a certain extend.

Do not use ethylene glycol (green coolant) as its anti-freeze properties are not being utilised here in the hot weather of SG and will actually decreases the cooling function.

Engine Ice, Maxima Cool-Aide and Water Wetter are highly recommended for local use. These coolants doesnt contain glycol that interupts heat exchange for our climate. These coolants also have anti-corrosion properties that will protect your radiators and engine.

How come my fan never on?

As said, DRZ has a very efficient cooling system.

Fan will only be on from 101Â°C onwards. And it'll only shut off when it cools the water temp to below 90Â°C.*

Will changing coolant hoses affect my bike's cooling?

Yes, but it's minimal.

The silicon aftermarket hoses allows better cooling, it adds colour to your dull black hoses.

It's a simple and eye catching modification you can do for your bike if you got moolahs to spare..

Catch it at our advertiser's thread..

*based on personal experience

Edited September 24, 2010 by biting_point

biting_point · October 12, 2010

Why my bike will die off when idling?

How the clutch cable will affect my ride?

First you need to understand that the pilot jet (idle jet) is in play when the throttle in fully closed. How rich or how lean a mixture is dependent on the number of turns out the fuel mixture screw (the slotted screw at the bottom of the carb) is set at. The more its backed out.. the richer the mixture.

Next is your idle adjustment screw... that affects the minimal throttle position... back that screw out and the throttle slide closes and if closed completely the engine quits. This screw affects the idle rpm... not the idle mixture setting.

When you say that the engine quits when you clutch in.. which also means that your throttle is fully closed also... can be due to that the idle screw is backed out too much... too low idle speed to sustain the rpms. Is your bike idling too low? Your pilot aka air jet may be too big or too small to give the correct fuel/air mixture to sustain the combustion and idling. Your fuel mixture screw may be incorrectly set.

Poor fuel mixture can also cause bogging or stalling.. fuel mixture is affected by throttle position, jetting size, needle position and taper.... this is all symptoms that can appear when at 1/4 to wide open throttle position.

If your clutch cable is too loose... you will have difficulty shifting gears or locating neutral at stop. Then engine might even stall and the bike jumps forward when you put in first gear. And if you clutch in and free gear.. the bike will not free gear but you will feel the engine braking as the transmission is not disengaged from the final drive.

If your clutch cable is too tight aka not enough play... you will suffer clutch slippage... ie rpm climb but bike don't move fast enough.. its like riding the bike with clutch partially pulled in. Gear shifting from first to idle is too easy and goes into gear 2 instead.

And no... clutch cables do not cause engine stalling with clutch in unless its just prior to a complete stop.

biting_point · March 29, 2011

Here we discuss about issues regarding handlebars and how should you choose a handlebar that's suitable for you.

Introduction

There's many handlebars sold in the market and besides their thickness, they have many properties to consider before you find yourself a right one..

It's hard to find one exact handlebar that suits you perfectly unless of course you are a sponsored competitive rider.

Alternatively, you can try your friend's aftermarket handlebar to get a feel of how different it is from yours.

What are the properties of a handlebar?

1. Size of Bar - the thickness of the handlebar (namely 7/8", 1 1/8", 1 3/8")

2. Height - the bend of of the handlebar (namely high, mid, low)

3. Sweep - the angle of the bend from the clamp section

4. Pullback - the distance of the grip and clamp section

5. Tip - the angle of the grip with accordance to the vertical plane

6. End length - the length of usable section for your controls

Size of Bar

The standard size for most motorcycles using handlebars is 7/8" measure accordance to the diameter.

Below shows a example of a 7/8" bar

As you can see, the bar has uniform thickness throughout.

Older scramblers and road bikes uses this thickness.

Notice there's a cross brace stabilizer bar over it to strengthen it, this stabilizer is there for prevention of flexing of the bar when rider takes a landing after a jump.

The below photo shows a 1 1/8" bar

Notice that the wall of the clamp area is thicker?

The diameter of the clamp area is 1 1/8" thick..

Then the bar tapers out back to 7/8" towards the end.

These thicker bars are found on most new Supermotos and Scramblers.

Due to the thickness and added strength, there's no need of the cross brace stabilizer.

The below shows a exclusive 1 3/8" bar

This bar is exclusive only to Easton.

Apparently 1 3/8" bars are quite common in the bicycle world.

Needless to say, the thickness of the bar had added strength to it.

Height of Bar

The height of bar is commonly describe as the bend..

The above photo shows how each bend differs from each other.

Blue - Low Bend

Red - Mid Bend

Black - High Bend

**The photo is just for illustration, it does not necessary dictates that high bends are that high**

Stock DRZ Renthal Bars are Mid Bend..

The different bends will actually depicts how your riding posture will be.

Using low bend will give you a more aggressive downward posture as the angle of your elbow will be >90degrees if you are sitting neutrally.

Using mid bend will means you have a more neutral posture with your elbow at 90degrees.

Using high bend - elbow angle

Normally cross terrain/enduro riders uses high bends as they are stand up to ride when crossing undulating terrains.

But the height and bends of the handlebars are more of a preference than a functional criteria.. Some like it high, some mid, some low..

I personally use low bend because the posture will be neutral for me, if I'm using mid bend, my elbow will be

The Other Properties

The other properties Sweep, Pullback, Tip and End length are normally compromised as most bars are sold in their bends.

But one of the considerations is actually the sweep of the bar.

Some like "char kway tiao" style, the bars closer to them, some like to air their armpits thus choosing a bar with less sweep..

It still comes down to individual preference.

What brand of handlebar is good?

Common brands of handlebar:

Easton
Pro Taper
Renthal
Sunline
Tag
Zeta

Most of the above mentioned brands have research and test their products.

Normally they wouldnt bend or in rare cases break, but it all depends on how you fall and also the type of handguards you used..

IMO, stick to more well known brands, do some research on unknown brands..

you surely do not want your bar to break while doing a jump or coming down from a wheelie..

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, it quite hard to buy and try all handlebars of different brands and sweeps.. Best to try your friends' aftermarket ones..

Else go for the same bend as your previous one..

I personally using Pro Taper bars.. After so many crashes on track and it's still intact and straight..

You can ship Pro Tapers from Thumpertalk at a good price with shipping, try shipping in 2 bars to save shipping..

Price will be still cheaper than buying from local shops bringing in Pro Tapers at cut throat price..

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · April 13, 2011

The radiator on a liquid cooled engine is actually a pressure tight system which uses the spring loaded radiator cap as a pressure relief valve. The common spring load rating is 1.1 bar which is about 15 PSI. One bar is one atmosphere.. which is 14.7 PSI.

Allowing the radiator to build up pressure raises the boiling point of the liquid..this ensures that there is always liquid in contact with the engine parts for efficient heat transfer.

The coolant is moved around the system by the engine driven water pump located on the right side of the crankcase... hot coolant from the engine block is pumped to the right hand radiator first, after going thru the right radiator the slightly cooled fluid goes to the left hand radiator for second stage cooling before it flows out from the lower hose, under the exhaust header and back to the water pump. Ever notice why the fan is on the left side?

When the engine is in operation, the coolant picks up the heat and the whole radiator system gets hot.. causing the coolant to expand...and due to the confined space... the pressure starts to build up.

When the radiator pressure exceeds the rating of the radiator cap.. the pressurised coolant is relieved through the cap seal and flows to the coolant overflow reservoir. There are 2 tubes attached to the coolant overflow reservoir... one at the bottom which comes from just below the radiator cap and the other on top that is open to atmosphere... actually an overflow tube.

It is necessary to keep the level of coolant in the overflow reservoir at the mid level. The coolant that is relieved by the radiator cap to the reservoir is extremely hot... and when mixed with the residual in the reservoir is cooled down.

This causes the coolant to rise to the HOT level. When the engine is not operating and cooled... the coolant in the radiator cools down and will contract, this will draw back the 'relieved' coolant in the overflow reservoir to the radiator via the same tube that carried it there in the first place. The level in the overflow reservoir will drop to the COLD level.

Failure to keep the coolant overflow reservoir filled up to the midway level.. will result in the cracking of the plastic container.. since it is receiving only very hot coolant or worst still only hot steam if the radiator is not completely full.

The Suzuki engineers designed a large overflow tank on the DRZ for a reason. They did not design it to be left empty or else they would just vent the radiator to atmosphere or even a small medicine bottle.. why bother to put some big plastic container on the bike.
I have seen some bikes on the road with this kind of self modified coolant overflow or relief set up... my question is.. do you know what you are up against?

The coolant in the radiator will not last forever.. it will burn off.. that is normal. All that needs to be done is to top it up as required.. and done only when the engine is cold.

An indicator of a improperly filled coolant level in the radiator (resulting in lesser cooling efficiency) is when the coolant overflow tank shows no fluid even when the engine is hot. In this case... failure to correct the problem may lead to engine overheat resulting in warp cylinder heads and expensive overhaul work.

In view of our tropical climate and high temperatures... it is advisable to flush the cooling system out and replace with fresh coolant every year.

Heat is energy that is produced by the engine and it is also the enemy of the engine.

Know your enemy well and how to deal with it. But then again.. its your bike and your money..do as you deem correct for your motorcycle.

Take away points:

1. Empty coolant reservoir is NOT ok..

2. Coolant reservoir should be half filled when engine's cool..

biting_point · May 8, 2011

Many had asked what are the ways of upgrading your brakes..

There's already a FAQ that explains the brake components and upgrades..

All about Brakes (Part 1)

All About Brakes (Part 2)

Here, I talk about the step by step of upgrading your braking system..

Step 1: Upgrading your Brake Pads

By upgrading to a better set of brake pads, the bite from the better brake pads will improve the braking efficiency.

Step 2: Upgrading your Brake Lines

Stock brake lines are rubber hoses.

Upon hard squeeze of the brake, the stock brake line bulges and causing an inconsistent pressure on the brake pads, thus losing brake efficiency.

By changing to a steel braided line, the hose not longer bulges.

Thus brake efficiency is improved due to the constant pressure applied on the brake lever.

Step 3: Changing to a aftermarket rotor

Stock disc are know to wrap and wear unevenly.

A well-known brand aftermarket rotor (i.e. Braking, Brembo) are made with better materials, and the design of the rotor is known to dissipate heat faster than the OEM one.

Step 4: Upgrade to 320mm rotor

Stock diameter of rotor is 310mm.

By upgrading to 320mm, you need less effort to brake.

But using this upgrade needs a relocator for your OEM caliper.

The relocator after install on the bike will look like the attached.

Step 5: Upgrade your caliper to a Radial Mount

A stock caliper only had 2 working pistons to "push" the brake pads.

By upgrading to a 4-pot Brembo Cast 4pots Radial Mount Caliper, you have more pistons to "push" the brake pads to contact the rotor for better brake efficiency.

Radial Mount Calipers gives better pad wear characteristics due to minimized caliper flex.

Note: Radial mount calipers only works with 320mm rotor, therefore a upgrade of rotor is needed too.

Step 6: Better calipers

If you still thirst more more braking power, you will need to upgrade your calipers.

1. Brembo Monoblock

2. Brembo Billet

3. Brembo Billet with Titanium pistons

Exactly the same as the one above just that the pistons are made from titanium.

But all these better calipers will only fit with Marchesini rims.

I'm currently on 16mm Brembo Master Cylinder, STAR brake hose, 320mm Braking rotor, Brembo Monoblock Radial Mount Caliper with relocator.

The brake modulation is great and superb.

For me, I skipped "Step 3" because there is no economical value to just upgrade to 320mm rotor and use stock caliper; knowing that I'll be upgrading to a Radial Mount Caliper later.

Conclusion

Many people always think about power upgrades and neglected braking.

Braking upgrades are important, for example a 150HP bike on drum brakes is just a 1-way ticket to hell.

Before you do your power upgrades next time, think of what aids you to stop too!

If you are on a budget, the best bang for bucks mod is upgrading the brakelines..

You can visit Unique Motorsports for good deals on STAR Performance brakehoses..

Edited May 9, 2011 by biting_point

biting_point · July 16, 2011

FCR FAQ coming up soon..

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[FAQ] All you need to know abt Suzuki DRZ400SM

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