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Just go out and start messing around. Start leaning the bike over more in an empty parking lot or something to get a feel for how much grip the bike has (it's a ton). Practice letting the bike lay flat while you hang a leg out to make some tight turns. I'd also say mess around and do some wheelies to get a feel for how to get the front wheel in the air / get used to the power. Really it's just about figuring out what the bike is gonna do when you make some input. I don't think it'd be bad to go on a group ride. You definitely won't be the only guy that is new I bet and even if you are no one is going to care. You can learn a lot by being around someone more experienced. There're really no rules or anything to being dumb on a bike. Just go have fun on it.
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May 13, 2013 07:09
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Start small, take it off some curbs, some driveway-to-curb embankments, maybe some shallow stairs. You gotta crawl before you can walk before you can run.
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May 13, 2013 14:24
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Also, don't forget to wheelie off. If you just go shooting off a loading dock you're gonna go nose-down immediately and rack your nuts. Get to the edge of whatever and then crack the throttle. Practice that on a curb for sure before you move up. My favorite thing in town to do is go to this steep railroad crossing where the road slopes down on either side of the tracks. One side is like a little launch ramp over them. Super fun to play around when the area is deserted. I like dropping off loading docks less so because it's pretty harsh to just drop straight down from a couple feet up.
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May 13, 2013 15:04
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JP Money posted:You can just take a look down in there but if you don't know what they looked like initially it may just confuse you. Taking the caliper off requires removal of only 2 12mm bolts (maybe they're 14 I don't remember) and the caliper will slide right out giving you a good look at the pads. Do that. No idea what I'm looking at honestly in terms of wear. I'm assuming those slots are the wear indicators? I guess I'm good? Why would it squeak like an old schoolbus then?  
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May 13, 2013 16:21
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Those slots are the wear indicators. To be fair, I have never heard DRZ brakes squeal ever, so I'm pretty sure something weird is going on there. Have the backing plates fallen off or otherwise poo poo the bed on the pads? There should be some spring steel back there (I think, didnt pay super close attention when I changed mine last). Also check the buttons on the rotor and make sure the rotor doesnt have excess play button-wise. I've also seen rotors wear weird and cause squeaking. My old roomates R6 had the squeakiest brakes on earth and it came down to a rotor replacement to fix them. E: also, have you ever gotten any sort of anything on your rotor/pads? Chemicals, including brake cleaner can make them squeak.
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May 13, 2013 16:36
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No play, the brakes perform great. I'll admit I'm being a little dramatic with the squeal, its not insane but its also not quiet either. I dont hear it with earplugs in buit its still annoying. In terms of chemicals, some car wash solution may have briefly (less than 10 seconds) splashed onto them while I scrubbed down the car & bike but nothing for a long period of time. Maybe that's it?
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May 13, 2013 16:44
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Does the squeaking change if the brakes are hot? Have you taken the bike out and braked hard from like 70mph a couple times? Usually that heats things up enough to boil off most stuff. If all else fails, you can use that brake squeal compound that goes between the pistons and pads, but thats a bandaid, not a solution.
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May 13, 2013 16:46
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BotchedLobotomy posted:No play, the brakes perform great. I'll admit I'm being a little dramatic with the squeal, its not insane but its also not quiet either. I dont hear it with earplugs in buit its still annoying. Some brakes just squeak. If it bothers you that much, try new pads - they aren't really expensive. When I noticed my rear brake squeaking, I checked it for pad material and made sure it works... in my case they're fine and work, so I consider it to be one of the (many) noises the bike makes.
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May 13, 2013 17:25
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DRZ's make a bunch of noise no matter what. I find it helps to wear earbuds so I don't get lured in to thinking that something is going to blow up even though it's just the sound a big single. Those pads look like they have a chip taken out of the top left quadrant. That's a good enough excuse to buy some EBC's and drop some cash 
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May 13, 2013 17:31
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Alright, maybe I will. I guess I'll just concede with the fact that I didnt gently caress something up and roll with it. 
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May 13, 2013 17:42
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Is it okay to ride with nothing in the end of the bar? I took the hand guards off and the piece on the end fell out.
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May 14, 2013 00:59
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You'll probably feel more vibes through that bar, but yeah it won't kill you or anything.
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May 14, 2013 01:01
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The rear brakes squealed really bad on my DRZ when I first got it, but I'm pretty sure the pads were just contaminated with chain lube because they didn't work worth poo poo either.
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May 14, 2013 01:26
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MetaJew posted:Something really lovely happened to me today, and I'd like some input to see if there's anything to be worried about. Didn't the gay bell hanging off your skidplate alert you? Maybe it only works on harlies. Is the foil to keep the aliens from reading your A/F ratio? (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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May 14, 2013 01:29
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Shortly after the bike died I heard a splash and then saw that the coolant line that runs from the water pump down to the engine block had somehow popped off, and all of my coolant was dumped onto the ground. 
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ChewedFood posted:Is it okay to ride with nothing in the end of the bar? I took the hand guards off and the piece on the end fell out. clutchpuck posted:You'll probably feel more vibes through that bar, but yeah it won't kill you or anything.
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May 14, 2013 01:33
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Cross-posting this from the "tell me what to buy" thread, hope you don't mind. I was originally looking for sumos of these two bikes but a clean one's hard to find and I think I'll be doing just as much offroad as street with it as I live in an area where you can find a bunch of straight up wooded rural areas smushed in between small towns and cities. Anyway, I have narrowed my search for a dual sport to these two candidates.  http://www.cyclemax.net/2008SuzukiDR-Z400SK-inventory.htm?id=370866&used=1&vin=JS1SK43A482100756#img2 or  I'm planning to use it for guerrilla offroad jaunts in SE PA, practicing wheelies and stoppies, and light commuting, in that order. Thoughts? Preferences one over the other? They're both very clean. Someday I'd like to play around with supermotoing whichever I get. Which would be easier to convert?
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May 14, 2013 01:44
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:Cross-posting this from the "tell me what to buy" thread, hope you don't mind. I was originally looking for sumos of these two bikes but a clean one's hard to find and I think I'll be doing just as much offroad as street with it as I live in an area where you can find a bunch of straight up wooded rural areas smushed in between small towns and cities. #2 unless commuting on 81 83 or 30. Where in se pa are you?
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May 14, 2013 01:51
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Hard to pass up that WR with only 600-some miles on it. How far do you plan to mod the bikes? You'll have to do some mods to the WR to get to stock DRZ power. The DRZ can get quite a bit stronger than it is stock, and can make more power than the WR can. If that stuff doesnt matter, get the WR.
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May 14, 2013 01:57
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Since we have the DR-Z mastery crew in here I have to ask: I've been out of bikes for the better part of 2 years now as I'm living in a town notorious for never fixing roads (we still have massive gaping potholes in the middle of loving May as the city is still sitting on their asses and not putting a penny into repair). Riding a sport-tourer was painful and just generally not fun, so I sold my VFR and didn't think about motorcycles for a while. Now that we're back into summer, of course my stupid rear end wants another bike. I found this in the local CL: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/3721335253.html Is $4,500 USD about right for a 6 year old bike that costs $7k brand new? Granted it has really, really low miles (<2500) but it "feels" a bit high. Is this about what one should expect for used supermotos?
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May 14, 2013 02:14
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Skumby posted:Didn't the gay bell hanging off your skidplate alert you? Maybe it only works on harlies. Thanks for the poo poo post. That pic is from the craigslist ad when I bought it.
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May 14, 2013 02:17
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Ripoff posted:Since we have the DR-Z mastery crew in here I have to ask: I've been out of bikes for the better part of 2 years now as I'm living in a town notorious for never fixing roads (we still have massive gaping potholes in the middle of loving May as the city is still sitting on their asses and not putting a penny into repair). Riding a sport-tourer was painful and just generally not fun, so I sold my VFR and didn't think about motorcycles for a while. Now that we're back into summer, of course my stupid rear end wants another bike. I paid $4k for an 06 with 4000 miles and all stock everything. Low miles, plus one of the best pipes you can get is not a terrible deal for 4500, in my opinion. Sumos in general hold their value really well, if that were a drz-s it would be a $3000 bike all day long. Either way try to talk them down
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May 14, 2013 02:24
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MetaJew posted:Thanks for the poo poo post. That pic is from the craigslist ad when I bought it. MetaJew posted:On weekends, I pretend that I'm the blue Power Ranger Is this from the ad too douchebag?
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May 14, 2013 02:36
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Skumby posted:#2 unless commuting on 81 83 or 30. Where in se pa are you? I'm in West Chester but work in wonderful Coatesville. I usually blast down 20 because I'm late late late but Strasburg Rd. is a wonderful way to decompress on the way back. Jim Silly-Balls posted:Hard to pass up that WR with only 600-some miles on it. Is the power of the DRZ that much more than the WR? On the ADV forums and whatnot the arguments gets heated with everyone defending their own bike. I do like the DRZs tires and non-stock exhaust, but the WR obviously has the better suspension. Is it that hard or expensive to mod the suspension on the DRZ? I've heard it described as "floaty". I'd also do the 3x mod if it hasn't been done already. I really don't know what could be done to make the WR more powerful.
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May 14, 2013 02:37
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If you find an SM instead it'l have much better suspension. IMO it's worth it to find an SM first and then put dirt wheels on it. It's way more expensive to go the other way around as it'll cost you well over the price difference in order to get 17 inch wheels and USD forks / a better shock. Count on 800-900 for wheels and maybe 3-400 for a decent set of SM forks. More for a shock. I'd say get the DRZ. It's not worth wringing the neck of a bike in the woods if you don't have to do it. The DRZ is also cheaper to mod imo. Plenty of used poo poo to either add power or fix what you break.
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May 14, 2013 02:52
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:
If you get the DRZ I'll trade you yellow plastics for those sweet ones.
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May 14, 2013 02:58
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Skumby posted:Is this from the ad too douchebag? You are really harshing the vibe in here man...
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May 14, 2013 03:17
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Skumby posted:Is this from the ad too douchebag? Touche, I haven't taken it off. Still a poo poo post.
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May 14, 2013 03:20
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Sorry, my bad.
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May 14, 2013 03:28
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:I'm in West Chester but work in wonderful Coatesville. I usually blast down 20 because I'm late late late but Strasburg Rd. is a wonderful way to decompress on the way back. Right out of the box, i think theyre pretty close. Once you start modding the DRZ, the gap widens pretty quickly. If we're strictly comparing DRZ-S to WR, then the WR has the better suspension for sure. If you go to the DRZ-SM, they're probably pretty even, with a nod to the DRZ. People forget that the DRZ-SM was THE first street bike to have high and low speed damping in the rear. It was pretty advanced for 2005, and 2005 isnt that long ago in streetbike suspension terms.
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May 14, 2013 04:10
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Any FCR gurus in here? I posted this over on Thumpertalk:quote:Since I live in Wisconsin, and we're in that wonderful time of year where the weather can swing 50 degrees in a matter of one day, I've had the chance to see how my FCR performs at different temperatures, and it turns out it needs some adjustment. I think I've got it figured out, but I want to give my theory a sanity check. Beve Stuscemi fucked around with this message at 18:43 on May 14, 2013 |
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May 14, 2013 18:41
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Check in on the O-ring mod, check the jetting while you're in the carb.
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May 14, 2013 18:54
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O-ring mod looks good, I did see that when I installed it
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May 14, 2013 19:15
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Way to go dicks, I buy my DRZ today and already got a ticket for riding like a hoon.
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May 15, 2013 02:49
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:Way to go dicks, I buy my DRZ today and already got a ticket for riding like a hoon. I can afford to pay for a supermoto full cash, but if I get a ticket poo poo gets bad pretty quick. Solution: disband the police.
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May 15, 2013 03:48
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Ripoff posted:I can afford to pay for a supermoto full cash, but if I get a ticket poo poo gets bad pretty quick. Solution: disband the police. Right? To be fair, the cop was really nice about it. Though I got the feeling he suspected the bike was stolen. Whatever. Still the nicest cop I've dealt with in that capacity.
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May 15, 2013 04:16
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:Way to go dicks, I buy my DRZ today and already got a ticket for riding like a hoon. Supermoto.txt
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May 15, 2013 05:16
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Jim, have you tried adjusting the pilot screw adjustment any? I'd mess with that before I start ripping open an fcr. So eddie doesn't give you the jetting settings when he sends you the carb? Figured I'd throw it out there, but add me on the list of looking for a supermoto. I'm in the DFW area but definitely willing to travel.
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May 15, 2013 06:26
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Welp, I decided not to take the job in W-B, so I will be able to continue Sumo-ing! (Once I heal from my shoulder surgery). Happy happy joy joy indeed! On a side note I am not sure how I didn't get pulled over the other day when I was riding home from work through town. It was the first day with the exhaust uncorked and holy hell was I making a hoonriffic racket.
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May 16, 2013 01:17
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I'm looking at a new bike in the next few months as I am rapidly outgrowing my starter. I'm thinking it's definitely going to be a sumo  .I have a terrible obsession with 690 SMCs, and have been working six-day weeks in a fervent cash grab while I browse Craigslist. I know I should probably get a DRZ but I'm interested in the input of some larger guys - I'm 6'3", 210lbs. I mostly use my bike for my short commute and running around town on errands, but on weekends I like to try to head up to the mountains for some curves. These mountains have a fairly rapid elevation gain, and that's where my current bike (Sportster 883) is really beginning to lack - I'm scraping exhaust going downhill, but accelerating uphill sucks with my big rear end onboard. The reduced price and maintenance reqs on the DRZ appeal to me, but I'm looking for a significant boost in speed and I figured the 690 was my best bet. I'm in LA, so maintaining non-traffic highway speeds is a concern too. I realize comparing sumos to Sportsters is a bit silly, but I figured y'all would have some good input. Bonus: my workplace is starting a lengthy expansion project that involves new parking lots/roads/construction/opportunities for sumo silliness. I am looking forward to being the first person here to be fired for hooning.
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May 16, 2013 01:44
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The Royal Nonesuch posted:I'm looking at a new bike in the next few months as I am rapidly outgrowing my starter. I'm thinking it's definitely going to be a sumo My 2 cents is while the DRZ is great for bigger guys, the power is lacking (compared to my 675) and the weight is really high up on the bike. However, I just bought it yesterday and dropped it at low speed today and there were no tears. I just picked it right up, waited half an hour (something had flooded I guess) and it was as if it never happened. It's gonna be the bike I learn to hoon on without worrying about breaking it too much. The 690 is a sexy, sexy bike and might be my next one if I have as much fun on my DRZ as I think I'm gonna have.
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May 16, 2013 03:19
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