Howdy! If you liked this... hop on board for a fun dirt trail ride on this bike kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i7yJf7yG2MC-ZWg.html

Congrats on the dizzer. I just sold mine.. bike is just too heavy for me.. im too old to be messing around with a 300+lb bike.. I welcome the new fe350s into my life ;)

Greetings from a Swede🙂 I bought a used DRZ400S 6 yrs ago, and by now I quite litteray knows this bike inside out. The only real weak point (I learned this the hard way) of this bike is the flanged slide bushing that sits on the countershaft closest to the bearing inside the left engine case half. The counter shaft is "free floating" in the axial direction,or whatever you can call it, so if you exchange the front chain sprocket, you best be sure to torque the sprocket nut to the correct spec (110 Nm) while keeping a foot on the rear brake. If you do it too loose, the bushing will be hammered by the stroke impulses of the engine, and if you torque it too hard, you will mosh it. Both will result in the bushing seizing on the shaft, reeking havoc on the transmission..but torquing it down too little, is more sneaky.. It gradually gets worse until your about to take of from a busy red light. That happened to me😂. I know that some DRZ owners even put red loctite on the sprocket spline, just to eliminate any slop between the shaft and sprocket, that could potentially help the nut unwind itself..I don't how, since there is a lock washer there as well, so I don't go that far.

Dude. This video is 10/10. Not to get all sappy but this was like hanging out with the dad I never had 😂 I just learned so much about buying a used bike in 30 minutes. Thanks for all the effort on this!!

It was really fun to watch the whole process and the final result. I would love more videos about the DRZ!

Great video Jason. have fun and drive carefully, And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Great video! I love that you’re encouraging people to use their hands and learn how to work on stuff!

I'm actually looking to get one of these. Appreciate the video.

Great informative video. Thanks! My search for one of these has begun :)

EXCELLENT VIDEO! Well done.

Awesome video. This is my first bike, rebuilding it step by step and learning along the way. So far I rebuilt the carburetor and rear shock, and replaced tires and tail light. Currently having a bit of trouble getting the air out of the brakes after doing the master cylinders and caliper rebuild kits.. but anyway, great video.

I haven’t even watched it yet, but the title of this video speaks to my very core.

Just getting back into motorcycles and looking at drz 400‘s, this is such a good video. Entertaining, informative…the vibe is just right

the drz is a great addition to the channel. came here for the jeep stuff love the tahoe stuff and I just got a crf dirtbike (haven't had one since high school) I've been wrenching on. This channel rocks.

As a complete newbie looking for first bike, specifically a drz400, this was super informative, well made and entertaining - cheers

I enjoy all your videos, but the ones with Pinto making and entrance, are the greatest!

Awesome! I been a fan and subscriber of you channel for a long time and a Gladiator owner. I'm super stoked to see you got this Drz400s, I have the same 06 Drz400s that I bought new in 05. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it. I live in the same area, maybe ill see you up in the hills. I didn't read through the comments but one thing to watch out for that is common with the drz carb is that when you leave the petcock on and the bike is not running the fuel will flow into the motor. Luckly yours is flowing out the tube. 👍

Wow! THIS video had EVERYTHING in it!❤ It had the pathos of discovering all a machine’s faults. The worst part was your finding out that you couldn’t even trust the vendors to properly identify and sell you the correct parts. Disheartening… However, it had that wonderful canine aspect, LOL! So very heartening to see Pinto moving around and happy to play with you! Finally…the triumph (I wanted to capitalize that word…but,um…) of successfully mending what NEEDED mending right away. Even the little ride at the end was epic. I haven’t ridden a motorcycle since 1989…far too long. I miss what it was all about. Mahalo for an outstanding video; my day is made! Aloha!

I loved everything about this video thank bud from Gympie Australia.

Cool video, I’d definitely watch more DRZ content!

Thanks for this video. On the strength of this video and several others I bought one and even made my own video! All the best from the UK.

I have a 2006 SM that I had a very similar journey as you. No regrets.

good video. i have a 2009 drz 400 e i bought new. they are an excellent bike cheap to fix if anything goes. wrong. thanks for the video. its great

Hey man, looks like you’re in Red Hawk! Great video. I intend to treat myself to a used DRZ soon and this was really helpful.

This was great….I love that you are venturing into other off road sports. Is there a Death Valley adventure on the horizon with the DRZ? Can’t wait to find out. As always rad video dude 👊🏻👊🏻

Great taste in projects, I’m a fan of the Jeep and dirt bike combo

Enjoyed this video. My mind works the same way on new projects. I understand 👍

Cool video. I saw the levers and ordered a pair for both my bikes 👍

Dang this makes me miss my dual sport. I sold it a few years ago but it was so nice to cruise around on the weekends.

Love this vid and you seam to be pretty dang good at this stuff. Wished you were close by lol

Great 👍 video,always more.

Great video mate, also what a great old dog.

Jason, Glad to see ya having fun on 2 wheels. Now ya have to do the obligatory Q&A vlog on the 400 :)

Really an A1 production here my man.

First time moto vlogging? Beats me man!! Pretty great video man enjoyed it 🎉👍🏽👍🏽

Great job ! 💪

Great buy and troubleshooting! Miss riding my DRZ. Got a rod knock back in 2010 (Got on it too hard before it warmed up) and it's just sat. Used to daily it 100 miles from Granada Hills to Point Mugu and back. Splitting the case seems a little daunting.

Bummer that the hardware kit didn't include the body hardware. Guessing thats a different kit? Thanks for taking us along on your refresh of the bike. And hey, the hand guards match the Suzuki 'S' red :)

I had drz400s bump the rear sprocket up a couple of teeth, springs(if needed) and tires make a huge difference on how the bike. handles off road. I now have the SM and took it to a local suspension guy gold valves and springs added with in the first month off the showroom floor. Most of my aftermarket parts are performance, protection, or comfort minded.

There are at least three different DRZ models that were sold in the us; the E model, the SM model, and the S model-which you appear to have. The parts misses are potentially that you have parts for the wrong sub model. For example the E model has a different carb than the S or SM models. So totally different rebuild kits. And the rear rotor could be for a SM, which likely has a different hub and totally different diameter. Beware of this when shopping for parts. Also there were model year differences with the US market bikes as well. For example the forks are different from '00-01 vs later bikes. And then the -SM model has completely different forks as well (USD forks vs traditional). And then on top of all of that there is a Kawasaki KLX400R/SR which is literally a DRZ400E or S with green and white plastics. Kawasaki and Suzuki shared models for a few years in the early 2000's. I had an '03 KLX400SR for a few years and loved it to death. One of the ones I wish I'd held onto. Grats on picking up a clean, unmolested one. Nice job cleaning it up. Would love to see deets on how you got it THAT clean. Hope the bike treats you well.

Great film! I love the DRZ400S, amazing bike. What did you do to the exhaust? The transformation part of the film looks like you changed the pipe to the manifold... please keep posting future DRZ films!

Two things: Generally the hard start issue is a result of worn valves, especially on that vintage bike. While swapping out the valve shims will 'temporarily' resolve the issue, the head needs to come off, and the valves need to be changed. I just did this to mine and will be making a video soon. Second: The fuel issue where it drains out of the carburetor is most likely due to the float needle not seating properly. I swapped out the one that was working with a replacement from a knock off Chinese carb and when I woke up in the morning, there was fuel not only all over the parking stall, but had drained into the crank-case. This was a major problem so MAKE SURE the float needle is OEM when replaced. Love this. I bought a 2007 about three years ago and have replaced pretty much every critical component, but the S.S. brake lines are a definite 'next-on-the-list' item.

Years back I used to wrench on my buddies motorcycles a lot, my garage has the perfect size and a friend was a trainee at a Honda bike dealership, we had lots of parts, fun and "friends" who needed work done 😂

As someone who is loooking at a DRZ as a possible supplement to my large heavier adventure bike this was great and really helpful ! One question, how did you get the metal of the engine, brake calipers, frame and exhaust looking so clean ?

gonna through allll this same shit for my drz. cheers man

nice jeep mate. job well done on the bike

Love the colour Like a lemon green 😂 The cash pit

Nice vid, new to the DRZ and came for the content… but stayed for Pinto the Shop Dog (and the comments from long time owners).

I have a 2017 DRZ-SM. I added an MRD pipe, FCR-MX carb, 3x3, case savers, radiator guards, hand guards, cam chain tensioner, and a tail tidy. It's a fun bike for bombing around close to home.

Thanks for all!! I really appreciated ❤❤❤

Funny! I made the same Amazon buys and a few more fails. Good thing they have free returns.😊

Jason, you are channeling me again. I not only have a 2013 jkur stick shift on 37"s, I also have an 03 drz400e ( kawasaki version) that I bought new and am now rebuilding into a dual sport. If this pattern holds a Tremec 4050 is in the works for your jeep.

Love it👍👌

This is great new content!!! Now how are you going to haul that thing?

Also, during a brief Suzuki-Kawasaki partnership, this same DRZ400 was sold with Kawasaki green colors as the KLX400. But it's a DRZ400, frame and engine built by Suzuki not Kawasaki. If browsing the classifieds, you might find the KLX400 as less expensive than the DRZ400 when actually it's the same bike. The DRZ400 platform is famous for being fun with more riding and less maintenance.

Great vid, I'm on the look out for one of these and got to say you cleaned that up really well, I've had quite a few bikes and happy working on them, just wondered if you would say the drz feels more powerful than an xr250 as I had one a while back? love your dog too!

I thought about buying a good used DRZ400s in my area but everyone wants $5000-6500 and you'd have to pay taxes when registering it for the street , and you'd still need to go over everything , PLUS maybe some new tires chains sprockets and this and that ..... a Brand new DRZ400s off the dealer floor on a Suzuki early season promo was $7200 plus tax and dealer fees, and it came with first service for free and a 5 year warranty . You'd only save $2,000-3000 buying a used machine.

I never thought I wanted a DRZ until I seen a really good condition KLX400SR {big Kawi fan here} for sale. Went and test rode it, could tell it lacked maintenance for awhile BUT ran perfect, suspension, wheels/frame all in good shape. Got it home...rear brake rez dry. Radiators really low. Bar clamps bent from a big crash. Exhaust gaskets on Yoshi all gone. Dude was firm on price, but price was somewhat low and I wanted a project and I need to learn some stuff anyway. KZfaq Mechanic School here I come

Did you forget about the spark plug? Great job on this video!

If you plan on taking her off-road much, i'd recommend putting some case-savers on there. I noticed there's an aftermarket shift lever, which might eliminate the risk of case punctures, but it's another quick, cheapy 'piece of mind' investment.

Welcome to the club. Jeep guy and dirtbike nut, 30 plus years.. you will find a whole new level of explore with that new addition. They compliment each other nicely..great find dead reliable, highly desirable bike.

nice bike, Dualsport is the way to go

I’m in the same boat 😂I bought a blow up drz 400e for 900$. I have since rebuilt the engine, upgraded to all new plastics, new tires, street legal light kit and much more… phew it adds up fast

Thank you for posting this. I’ve been looking at a good used DRZ 400 but they’re all quite expensive for what they are. May I ask how much it is that you paid for it even though you bought it from a relative

Important note; there were 25K miles on this bike when this video was made. The DRZ is nothing compared to your Jeep as far as money pits go. Jeep = Just Empty Every Pocket. The $500 you spent on the bike would barely get you a new ashtray in the Jeep. J/K sorta. Been there done that. Lotta fun though. Your Jeep looks like a true beast though. Wow!

Buy a 2nd bolt kit, I use the all over on my jkur, then I just use a motion pro T handle wrench for my jeep.

500 is a steal

Amazon is a warzone for bike parts. Rocky Mountain ATV is the go to.

Break fluid color is a good indicator of maintenance kept for an old bike…. I walked away when I saw that they never greased the bike and the brake fluid was nasty… he did an oil change (maybe once) butthere was also a problem with the exhaust but the excuse I got it this way was really not an excuse… that means: “not only have you never done maintenance, you also don’t care about your bike”… I did buy a horrible bike just to strip it apart and build it up new but it wasn’t that

Great bikes!!guys not have higher octane fuel like 95/96 at your service stations? We dont put anything less than 91 Octane in our vehicles here in New-Zealand. Do you

Fun video! What happened to the new seat cover?

Ditch the automatic cam chain tensioner for a manual one. They are notorious for stretching the cam chain. Stay away from ethanol fuel if you can......motorcycle carbs and o-rings don't to well with ethanol. If the bike is going to sit for awhile, turn the fuel off and run the carb dry in order to keep the fuel out of the carb as best you can while in longer term storage.

If you can get away with it swap on a 39 fcr carb from a dirt version. What bolt kit? Mine had all the stuff plus extras for other bikes. The petcock I got sucked though, I finally got a petcock rebuild kit.

Suzuki ben using that same front rotor since 1989 when the first RMX 250 was produced.!

WOW, That bike cleaned up like brand new! What did you use to get it looking so good, any special products?

Pinto was very involved today! Lol

The only thing wrong with a DRZ is it’s missing a 6th gear. I have a 2002 DRZ that I’ve had since 2006. It’s still awesome. Mine is in pieces right now getting a refresh.

*My first move was to get a 51 tooth rear sprocket and a 14 Tooth Engine sprocket!!! Now I can do easy wheelies and ride over big rocks slowly!!! The DRZ400 comes HWY GEARED unfortunately.*

Which Rotors did you end up using on the bike? the one in your Amazon link says it’s for the rear, did you put that on the front? Which one on the rear? I like your money-pit video, I actually relate completely with your Amazon splurging, I get out of control when it comes to my hobbies. You’ve inspired me to replace the break rotors and pads, I’m so easily influenced by any reasonable explanation (reason) that justifies purchasing something new for my DRZ

More bike content !

Where do you like to buy your motorcycle parts from? Sometimes businesses that sell on Amazon, send parts that don’t fit. Prices are competitive but it tends to be a roll of the dice on the fitment.

Im looking in to getting a drz 400 super moto

Definitely get a uni air filter, there the best

Of course Amazon isn't the best place to buy bike parts. Motorcycle Warehouse, Bike Bandit or Cycle Great are more reliable. Those bolt kits are just metric bolts. They're worthless. OEM bolts are expensive. I once paid $30 for a single faring bolt for a Honda RC30 because it was slightly different than the standard run of the mill faring fastener. Don't forget to install a manual cam chain adjuster if it doesn't already have one. The DRZ SM I bought had most every upgrade there is. Although I did add a few goodies to suit my addiction. Cheers ✌️

Ok I want one.

I have the drz400sm and the front disc rotor fits the rear disc rotor , same bolts and its all factory . maybe the s version is different from sm and e versions. also. most of the klx400 are the same parts .

I know eBay has new app for eBay motors and just add ur ride to it and shows everything for ur ride I have had good luck with for stuff for my atvs

your dog is funny beautiful dog

Always go oem on carb rebuild kits

Legend!

I work as a mechanic on cars. I moved in with my bandmates who both have bikes (1999 Kawasaki klr250, 2018 honda crf 450). Working on them is so simple and rewarding comparatively speaking, cheaper parts is also an added benefit. Im new to riding myself but Im looking into the suzuki drz400. Was just wondering if that was a unwise move given the displacement. If anyone has input let me know, Im all ears.

I'm rebuilding a 2000 XR250R and I can say that ebay is definitely the place to buy. The parts are all a little bit cheaper but I've ordered from Amazon and ebay and i have yet to receive a wrong part from ebay

I just bought a 2006 model here in Australia With 3000km on it I love it I noticed that the drz 400 in America have temperature light on dash board Mine does not have one can anyone tell me how you know if you bike is getting hot

First lesson Hump your bike Noted Did you say "Open says me" ? 😂 I never knew you're a bike master as well. What's your bikes history? One of the best videos ever. Thank you

Did you manage to figure out what the electrical problem was about? I feel like I'd hate troubleshooting that one...

Ok... Dirt bike videos qualify for redeeming yourself for selling Large Marge! Enjoyed it :)

I have a project car but want a bike because it's stupid simple to work on could probably pull the engine in 15 minutes if I was in the mood.

What a great video! $500 isn’t much for a 17 year old bike. Seems like maintenance money. Did you happen to check if it was jetted when you opened up the carb? It may or may not be considering the 3x3’ish mod and exhaust. Might be worth checking. I love my 2003 DRZ tractor.

What modern dual sport is that then?

Always use both front and rear brakes at the same time. Trust me