My dual sport "build"

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:16 am

So it was requested that I put up a "build thread" for my bike.

I'm not going to be doing any major mods, but figured it would be nice to chronicle it in one spot.

So I started with a bone stock 2004 Suzuki DRZ400S that I bought with ~300 miles back in February to take out to KOH.

Since then I have done very little other than look at it holding down my garage floor.

A while back Stinson started talking about a ride across WV and that set the wheels in motion.

The first step was to get a license and tag. After 2 failed attempts at passing the learner's permit test at the MVA, I signed up for the MSF Basic Rider course. I took that last weekend and passed with flying colors. For anyone interested in learning to ride, I must say that the class was well worth it. I learned a ton in a very short period of time.

I also went to a tag and title place and got a tag the same day.

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:22 am

The next order of business was outfitting the bike with some goodies to make the trip doable and safe for both the bike and rider.

I started with a set of Zeta handguards. They weren't cheap, but the come highly recommended, and can be retrofitted with LED turn signals in the plastics which I think is pretty slick.

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:23 am

Last night I started working on a rack for the rear fender and installed an extended shift lever(stock one is known to puncture clutch cover in a fall). We went riding right after I got it installed, so I forgot to take an installed pic, but I'll get one tonight.

Post by **Stinson** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 12:39 pm

Holy Fing mud flap! You need to cut that down. Also you can find yourself a good thick piece of plastic and zip tie it the area where the shifter would punch through the ignition cover. Just a round piece the size of a half dollar would work, and help prevent that kind of damage.

Where is the rest of the stuff??

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 1:03 pm

Stinson wrote:Holy Fing mud flap! You need to cut that down. Also you can find yourself a good thick piece of plastic and zip tie it the area where the shifter would punch through the ignition cover. Just a round piece the size of a half dollar would work, and help prevent that kind of damage.

Where is the rest of the stuff??

Patience!! Case savers are here, so won't need the plastic/zip tie deal. I will post more updates tonight. The bike is sitting at Tims and I still have a pile of parts to put on. It was just more fun to go ride last night than keep wrenching

As for the fender, not sure what I'm doing to do with it yet, but the whole black part may get removed in favor of an edge tail light. Have to see what other mods pop up on the "must have" list before I get there.

Bars/risers are definitely on the list.

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:28 am

So last night was very productive.

The reason I dropped the bike off with Tim was so he could fab me up a little bracket to hold the ignition and a 12V outlet. I think it turned out really slick.

For reference the ignition is located next to the instrument panel from the factory.

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:31 am

He knocked that out while I was at work. Then when I got there, I got to work on the case savers. These are pretty low tech, but they are well known to be a life saver if you lay your bike down in the woods far from help/service.

They're basically just pieces of aluminum cut to the proper shape and then glued on. Just lather them up with RTV, press on, add a little tape to help keep them located, and you're done.

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:34 am

Finally I installed my new tires, tubes, and rim locks. I was a bit intimidated by this task because I got Ultra Heavy Duty Tubes that are 4mm thick

and I had never installed a rim lock before.

All told the process took me about an hour and a half to two hours for both tires, including removal/reinstallation on the bike. The tubes were a bitch and a half to get located properly, and getting the valve stems in was a nightmare, but it all worked out ok.

Having the right tools(2 tire irons) made it a relatively simple task.

Post by **ridemx** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:02 am

Looking great!

While it is too late now, for the future, a ton of baby powder works wonders in preventing the tube from getting pinched and helping it get lined up correctly. Also, letting the tires sit in direct sunlight for a few hours really softens them up and makes them more manageable.

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:08 am

Prepping for my ride this weekend and realized I needed a rack for my bags. Went over to Liquid Iron and fabbed this up.

Post by **Stinson** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:59 am

never seen a DRZ with an exo. Looks like a great place to put your foot while you are doing some 12:00 wheelies

Post by **Arya Ebrahimi** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 9:18 am

Stinson wrote:never seen a DRZ with an exo. Looks like a great place to put your foot while you are doing some 12:00 wheelies

LOL

Post by **Stinson** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 9:30 am

Just in case you all were wondering why Ary needs a sleeping bag on the back of his bike, I figured I would fill yall in on the "plan".

Four of us will leave Middleburg VA on dirt bikes. Two DRZ's, one KLX300R and one XR650R (mine) and ride two Bluefield WV by way of mostly dirt roads, FS roads, and trails. We will camp out along the way where ever we end up. We have from Friday AM till Sunday to reach Bluefield and then ride into Blacksburg where we will catch a truck ride back north.

In great preparation Ary has learned how to ride and has ~ about 50 miles experience on his new DRZ. I am pretty sure he will get some good experience this weekend because it looks like out trip is about 550 miles

Here is a pic of my ride for this trip, equipped with a 5 gal tank and a nice soft seat.