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Now, I plan on buying a DRZ SM and also doing some trail riding. Would it behoove of me to invest in some 400E forks to swap out when I plan on going off road. I also plan on investing in some secondary wheels with some dirt oriented tires.
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Jan 27, 2010 13:46
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You people need to stop buying 690s. I had just convinced myself that the DRZ would be fine for me for another year or 2 but drat if I don't want something more powerful.
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Jan 27, 2010 14:44
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:Now, I plan on buying a DRZ SM and also doing some trail riding. Would it behoove of me to invest in some 400E forks to swap out when I plan on going off road. I also plan on investing in some secondary wheels with some dirt oriented tires. No, spend that money on another SM front brake so you don't have to swap rotors.
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Jan 27, 2010 17:10
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cmorrow001 posted:You people need to stop buying 690s. I had just convinced myself that the DRZ would be fine for me for another year or 2 but drat if I don't want something more powerful. The DRZ is everything you could ever want out of a supermoto... ..As long as you don't ever ride a more focused SM. The DRZ will still always put a giggle on your face. Power and components, you notice right away when you ride a KTM or Husky. It's easy to go mad with power and turn the crazy up another couple of notches with the bigger SMs. Riding around back streets/industrial parks, looking for mud or something to jump off of? You wont be missing a terrible amount with a DRZ. Infact, I'd say if your not the type of person who has to power wheelie out of every situation and don't need highway ability, the DRZ is an absolutely fine choice for the money.
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Jan 27, 2010 18:15
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What are the maintenance costs/reliability for one of the KTM sumos vs., say, a DRZ? I've heard that DRZs run forever and have a cheaper buy-in than a KTM, which is more expensive and once it starts to fail, it fails big time. But I don't know anyone first-hand with either bike so I can't confirm that, which is why I'm asking here  Also, if I want to take a sumo on the highway, I need more power than a 400? Are they really geared that low?
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Jan 27, 2010 18:40
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Maintenance intervals aren't all that different. You'll want to keep up on oil changes and valve checks just like any thumper. The DRZ is a very bulletproof engine, the KTM engines are as long as they've been maintained. Oil/Filter changes and valve checks go a long way. One thing to keep in mind, is the DRZ is an old design, and the KTM's/Huskies that are out there in the SM world are much easier to get at with regards to valve checks. On my DRZ you have to take off the seat, which means taking off plastic, take off the shrouds, remove the tank, and then start digging into the head, where the cam has to be removed. On a Husky SMR 450, one clip for the seat, one bolt for the tank, your at the head, no removing cam to adjust valves. It's brilliant. The older you get into the KTM engines the less reliable they are. The latest generation, the 690 LC4, I haven't heard of any problems with the engines seizing or blowing up or leaking. They seem to be pretty bullet proof. Just keep in mind your asking a 1 cylinder engine to spend its life right on redline (often at a 45 degree angle from the ground), and treat it as such. Stay on top of maintenance and they should treat you just fine. More love and care needed if your racing. For the DRZ, power isnt really the limiting factor on the highway so much as it just runs out of gearing. 5th gear is too short for comfortable 75 MPH. It'll do it, it just sounds like it doesn't really like to. SM's are inherently bad on the freeway anyway, tall suspension geometry can mean headshake, no wind protection, murder seats and freeway speeds being at their limit as dirt bikes for how fast they want to go... you really have to sort of tough it out. One of the advantages of the 690's is this is much less noticeable on the freeway. They are stable at speed, and have plenty of power and gearing to cruise out to the fun stuff. The seat will still destroy you though. FlerpNerpin fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Jan 27, 2010 |
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Jan 27, 2010 18:54
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Thanks for the info! I'm asking mainly since if I got one of these (either one of these or a GS-500e), it'd 95% stay on regular city roads, but to get out to the fun stuff involves taking some county road/highways (80-100km/h speed limits). I'd also like to just get out and ride somewhere up north once in awhile, which doesn't sound like an SM thing.
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Jan 27, 2010 19:11
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Sharp_angus posted:Thanks for the info! The real question is how much you're willing to invest in it. I'm selling a 1200CC touring bike to buy a supermoto...and I'll probably ride it from SB to Seattle. It requires a different approach than just slabbing it somewhere, but who really rides a motorcycle to slab it places. The idea is to see and appreciate the stuff that you don't normally see... If you're a real badass like Spiff, you do 850 mile days on your sumo because...you hate yourself, I think.
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Jan 27, 2010 19:13
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Spiffness posted:DRZ vs. KTM gently caress you for making me want to spend more money on the KTM. I had my heart set on the DRZ mostly because of the price. In all seriousness, I'll be keeping my SV and buying the supermoto as a second bike. Realistically, I'd commute on the SV and play on the supermoto but I'm pretty sure want to take it to work as well. I have a 25ish mile commute and 23 of those miles are on the freeway. Sounds like a bigger KTM would be better than a DRZ.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:16
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jdonz posted:gently caress you for making me want to spend more money on the KTM. I had my heart set on the DRZ mostly because of the price. All I have to say is...same same same and I'm buying a KTM. KTM should loving give him money for advertising for them so well. I'll probably only have the KTM, though...as a do it all bike.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:30
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jdonz posted:gently caress you for making me want to spend more money on the KTM. I had my heart set on the DRZ mostly because of the price. I did pretty much the same thing. SV for commuting and long trips, DRZ for playing. Have rode the DRZ to work a few times and while it isn't too bad it really is a better play bike than a commuter.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:39
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I started the same way, SV as my everyday machine and that supported by my DRZ. I bought the 690 when I couldn't get a deal I liked on an 848, that made the DRZ largely redundant. The SV/DRZ combo is awesome (if not quite as awesome as the StreetFighter/690 SMC combo). DRZ is beautiful if you live in a twisty hill or within a short urban blast to some empty industrial park. DRZ taught me (and a few other people) how to wheelie. 690 makes me feel like a wheelie god. Keep in mind you have to be something of a tall gently caress to fit on a big KTM. They aren't kind to shorties. Z3n posted:KTM should loving give him money for advertising for them so well. No poo poo. Really thought I just want more people to ride with, a bigger SM community, and more people to realize the supermoto is way more fun than buying a gixxer 6billion and having 3 feet of chicken strips. Fake edit: DRZ's are the best bikes ever, buy mine!
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Jan 27, 2010 23:45
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How tall is tall? I'm 5'8", 5'9" with my boots on. I guess I should sit on one.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:46
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I'm 6'4" and I fit great on the 690, no stability issues. Zool is a few inches shorter than me and has to hop around a bit and hang off the sides at a stop. I'd say you'll just have to sit on one, but I think the needle gets closer into the feasible area of the chart once you hit 6'.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:49
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jdonz posted:How tall is tall? I'm 5'8", 5'9" with my boots on. I guess I should sit on one. They're tall but they sag quite a bit. I've 5'11 but I've got a 30 inch inseam and I can still get a foot down.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:49
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I'm 5'6" with a 28-29 inch inseam. It took me a while to get comfortable on taller bikes but now it is no problem. Roads with some slope near lights can be a bit of a bitch.
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Jan 28, 2010 00:18
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If you can get a toe you're good to go.
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Jan 28, 2010 00:23
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Just ride the balance point like it's a trials bike.
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Jan 28, 2010 00:24
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Not exactly related, but I'm 6'1", and I can bend my knees on the DRZ once I actually sit down. It squats quite a bit. I had the SV/DRZ combo until the SV was wrecked. I haven't commuted to work on the DRZ, but it's like 95% city, so I imagine it'll be more enjoyable than the SV was. I'm still trying to figure out what to replace the SV and my wants are all over the place.
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Jan 28, 2010 01:24
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Spiffness posted:Just ride the balance point like it's a trials bike. I am getting better at this, can usually hold it for 5-10 seconds now. Looking forward to sitting at a light with no feet  Endless Mike posted:Not exactly related, but I'm 6'1", and I can bend my knees on the DRZ once I actually sit down. It squats quite a bit. If my commute wasn't 25 miles of highway or interstate I would DD the DRZ. For anything in town I take the DRZ over the SV.
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Jan 28, 2010 02:06
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Spiffness posted:Fake edit: DRZ's are the best bikes ever, buy mine! How much you looking at? This isn't too serious an offer, as I'm broke as a joke right now, but depending on price I might try to sell the kikker for the DRZ.
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Jan 28, 2010 03:04
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To be honest, I absolutely love my DRZ. It's taught me a lot about working on bikes as well as showing me how much fun a "under powered" bike can be. I'm at the point now though, where I like the motard so much, I rarely ride my 07 Speed Triple. So I was thinking of selling both my bikes and buying a "real" motard. The only downside to this is I usually take a couple longer trips a year (~300 miles each way on the freeway) and I'm afraid that no motard is going to like that. To have every situation covered (touring, commuting, spirited riding, riding 2 up), I'd need like 4 bikes and that's not going to happen anytime soon so I just need to figure out what to do. Also, I should figure out how to wheelie on my DRZ before I sell it for something else.
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Jan 28, 2010 18:00
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You certainly can do long days on a big motard, you just have to be man enough to live with it. I've done lots of 200-300 mile days, and a few bigger, longer days on my 690. Is it comfy? No. You get used to it. The murder seat even doesnt bother me after a while. The real issue is lack of storage space. Aka, none at all. Literally, no space. Not even a helmet hook. Ultimately, my brief time having only a 690 SMC ended up with me wanting a street bike too, for those times where your heading off to a far away land. Admittedly though, 90% of the time, when I am far off and get to the good stuff, I wish I was on the 690. As good as the streetfighter is, there isn't a corner in Washington I'd not have more fun on a 690. The 690 CAN do it though. If you pack a backpack and have an iron rear end the rewards are huge. Plus when you end up at the end of a curvy no-name back road and it turns to gravel, the fun doesnt have to stop. That, is a great feeling.
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Jan 28, 2010 18:07
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Spiffness posted:You certainly can do long days on a big motard, you just have to be man enough to live with it. I've done lots of 200-300 mile days, and a few bigger, longer days on my 690. Is it comfy? No. You get used to it. The murder seat even doesnt bother me after a while. If you were looking to do some long days more often, though, would something like a KLR650 be able to do it easier/better than a sumo of similar displacement? Or are they pretty much even ground? (I know the KLR isn't technically a sumo, I had to ask since I'll be in the market for something soon). Sharp_angus fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Jan 28, 2010 |
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Jan 28, 2010 18:19
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I've never ridden a KLR, just sat on them, but it's pretty obvious they would be far more comfortable than a big supermoto. On the plus side, you have comfy seats, comfy suspension, maybe even a windshield, lots of options for storage, bigger capacity gas tank On the downside, you sacrifice a lot of performance for that comfort. Power, torque, brakes, suspension, goodies (690: Slipper clutch, braided lines, hydraulic clutch, brembo, fully adjustable WP suspension, etc) KLR has some off road cred, whereas most supermotos it's mind over matter when you get offroad.
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Jan 28, 2010 18:23
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For people complaining about the 690 seat, a solution? http://www.corbin.com/ktm/ktm690smcen8.shtml
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Jan 30, 2010 13:01
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You guys are terrible. I want a KTM now. Most likely a 625 SMC. Thoguh I should really be getting a DRZ so I wouldnt have to make payments on the extra few grand I need.
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Jan 30, 2010 19:01
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Zool, welcome to the 690 club! I plan on making a 750mi journey on my SMC this year, from the very south to near enough the very north of Britain. The three things I plan to sort out before that trip are; Fuel 12 Litre (3.2 Gallons US) is just not enough. Considering the Aqualine tank or an auxilliary mounted to the... Luggage Rack Touratech made a mild steel one for KTM's catalogue, but sell a stainless version for less on their website. Will be making my own panniers though, the touratech alu ones are ridiculously priced. Seat The Corbin one mentioned before looks comfy but spoils the lines slightly in my opinion. Renazco, will upgrade your existing seat in full suede for $400 (only 20bux more).
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Jan 30, 2010 21:19
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I've seen great results with the renzaco seats. FYI, I've done a 800 mile day on the 690. It wasn't terrible. I was sore, but 6 months later, I think I could do it again with less strain. Mines bone stock (except for track sliders and catch can)
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Jan 31, 2010 03:00
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Im trying to decide on a drz. This thread had me convinced I absolutely needed one a long time ago. Two choices exist right now. $2200 06 with dirt gear but street legal with 1200 miles on it. $3500 06 with sm gear but with 7000 miles already on the clock. Could I buy the cheaper bike and get the wheels/tires for a decent price and still come below the price of the already kitted out bike? The idea of lower miles excites me too. From what I under stand these 400cc motors are really giving it all when there going down the freeway at 70mph. 7000 miles of that might be a bit much for a bike like this.
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Feb 3, 2010 18:18
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yummycheese posted:Im trying to decide on a drz. This thread had me convinced I absolutely needed one a long time ago. Good! Welcome to the best club. yummycheese posted:Two choices exist right now. Either of these are most likely good choices at those prices. yummycheese posted:Could I buy the cheaper bike and get the wheels/tires for a decent price and still come below the price of the already kitted out bike? Yes, but what one do you want? Dual sport or SM? You can make one bike the other, but it'll take effort, some money and some patience/research and it wont be as good of a crossover vehicle as the dedicated SM or S models. So... are you wanting a supermoto or a dual sport? yummycheese posted:The idea of lower miles excites me too. From what I under stand these 400cc motors are really giving it all when there going down the freeway at 70mph. 7000 miles of that might be a bit much for a bike like this. There is absolutely no concern with 7k miles on a DRZ. If it was heavily modded and spent its whole life on a racetrack, maybe, but even then I wouldnt be too worried if it was maintained. These engines will outlast us all.
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Feb 3, 2010 18:21
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yummycheese posted:The idea of lower miles excites me too. From what I under stand these 400cc motors are really giving it all when there going down the freeway at 70mph. 7000 miles of that might be a bit much for a bike like this. My DRZ has 16k miles on it. The previous owner used it for commuting, 35 miles each way on the highway and interstate. Even if those 7000 miles were all interstate it should be fine as long as proper maintenance was done.
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Feb 3, 2010 18:52
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Thanks for the replys. Im not a dirt guy so its strictly street/track use for me. Ill check out the already motarted one and see if I like it. From my understanding the price on that one is reasonable and fair. Not a mega deal in any way but Im not getting ripped off either. I already have a 98gsxr 750 track bike and a sv650s. Trying to get a motard so I finally enjoy another style of bike. Also not partial to Suzuki in any way. It just turned out that way.
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Feb 3, 2010 19:23
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Picked up a 06 DRZ 400 SM last night for $3400. Holy hell am I excited to get this thing up and going. Bike only has 3100 miles on it. But its in rough shape from sitting for a year under a tarp. Going to need to get to town with the cleaning.  Click here for the full 2040x1329 image.  Click here for the full 2028x1521 image.  Click here for the full 2013x1735 image.  Click here for the full 2028x1521 image. Any tips on tires? the ones on the bike are the originals from 2006. They are hard as stone and probably were not all that great to begin with. I was going to go with power pilots, but Ive read that maybe those were designed for bigger heavier bikes . Also maybe there is a nice cheap alternative. The chain is also is horrible shape. Its the original and is rusted all to hell. Any idea if it can be saved? Maybe some steel wool to take the rust off and then oil it up really nice. I'd hate to trash it since its only has the 3 thousand miles on it. Im sure the o rings have kept the insides nice and oiled. Also in case you were wondering I peeled that dope naked lady sticker off the front already. There is still a bob marley sticker on the rear that I spotted and said yea.....
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Feb 6, 2010 19:23
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yummycheese posted:Any tips on tires? the ones on the bike are the originals from 2006. They are hard as stone and probably were not all that great to begin with. I was going to go with power pilots, but Ive read that maybe those were designed for bigger heavier bikes . Also maybe there is a nice cheap alternative. Get something SM oriented. As I understand it a bike like the DRZ wont have enough weight and grunt to deform something like a power pilot, which means you will have a hard time warming them up. There are plenty excellent SM suitable tyres around, and you can even mess with combinations of front/rear. Common choices for SM include: Dunlop Mutants Apparently a good general purpose tyre adapted specially for SM conversions. From what I have heard they last well and grip plenty. Better than some on loose surfaces but by no means great. Continental Contiforce SM Good grippy tyre, apparently softer than the Mutant, I found my 690 ate the rear too quickly for my liking but the DRZ would probably be kinder to them. Another well regarded SM tyre. Usually found for a decent price too. Not as good as the mutants on loose surfaces. Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa My 690 came with these, their grippiness is only surpassed by their costliness. They function in the wet but they don't clear water well enough for my liking. They absolutely suck on any surface not road-like. Avon Pro Extreme Rain (aka PXR) Super soft rain tyre that is not even road-legal on most sport bikes, they cost as much as the Pirellis. These are what I am wearing right now and I have to say they are very confidence inspiring. I can stop in the wet almost as well as I could with the Pirellis in the dry. I live on a small island that gets an awful lot of rain over the winter so I am wearing them front and rear a the moment but when it gets drier the rear is going to get torn to poo poo. I will be replacing it with the; Avon Distanzia Hard wearing, grippy and surprisingly capable off the tarmac, it's a fairly popular choice on both ends of the bike or combined with the PXR on the front (this seems to be an immensely popular combo here in Britain).
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Feb 6, 2010 20:54
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I personally run plain old Pirelli Diablos and like them for the price.
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Feb 7, 2010 00:51
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ReelBigLizard posted:Avon Distanzia Running Distanzia's front and rear on my DRZ and am really happy with them. Good enough grip to drag pegs on the road without too much trouble and somewhat capable off road.
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Feb 7, 2010 01:34
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yummycheese posted:Picked up a 06 DRZ 400 SM last night for $3400. Holy hell am I excited to get this thing up and going. Sweet! And it's even the proper color! Enjoy that bitch 
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Feb 7, 2010 01:37
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Thanks for the invloved post ReelBigLizard. I think Im set on purchasing a set of contiforce SM now.
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Feb 8, 2010 03:00
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In the ongoing trend of things rattling off the DRZ the positive battery terminal seems shot. Riding home yesterday about 2 miles from the house the display starts turning off and on repeatedly. Get home and pull the side panel, both terminals are tight but the positive is moving around a lot. Can't pull it out/off but by pushing on it I can turn the display off and on. Will pull the battery tonight and see if it is something that can be tightened or fixed otherwise it looks like the DRZ is getting a new battery. drat thumpers
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Feb 22, 2010 15:20
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