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DRZ400SM "More Mods" Build Up

24K views 44 replies 9 participants last post by  TimberMoto 
#1 ·
'Tis the season for more Mods. Been over the road for 5 months (Gag!). Had a ton of stuff at my UPS Store box. Got the bike stripped down. Ton of mods and fabrication to be done. Also the bike has not been started in 5 months due to me being gone. I though the Moty battery would surely be dead but upon checking it, it had 13.5 volts!! Fired up just fine. This is the absolute best battery I have ever used.I will post pics and give updates as I get things done. Follow along.




 
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#2 ·
One of the advantages of LiFePO batteries is that the self discharge rate is extremely low - I've been told around 10%/year, vs around 10%/month for a typical lead acid. They also have significantly lower internal resistance, allowing a battery with a much lower capacity for low-rate discharge to act like a bigger battery for starting a bike. A LiFePO battery with a 14Ah EQ rating will only put out around 1/3 of that if it's a slow draw, but it'll start a bike just as well as a 14Ah lead acid. That means that they're very light (duh) but also more susceptible to parasitic drains, but if you don't have any, you can let the bike sit approximately forever and it should still crank hard.
 
#5 ·


Got the wheels laced, back from the shop. I'm sooooo glad I bought the RADMfg Hubs, spokes and nipples a few short months before they went out of business. Didn't see that coming. I made the mistake of taking the wheels to a small motorcycle shop to dismount the tire and the guy ended up using pry bars and tires spoons very carelessly which scraped up the inner part of the rim and a spot on the front of the rim. Lesson learned was stay away from hack mechanics. If you want something done right just buys the tools, watch a couple of YouTube videos and just do it yourself.
 
#7 ·
While Evans won't boil over, it will result in the bike running significantly warmer. With it, it's possible to cook your engine with no real warning signs.
 
#8 ·
You are correct about Evans allowing the engine to run significantly warmer but it is because of the fact that it will not boil over that makes it safer than regular coolant. When regular coolant boils over engine temps skyrocket because the coolant is actually being forced away from the coolant walls which does not allow the coolant to exchange heat. I have heard great things about Evans from several different sources. Plenty of racers using it too. This is the first time I will be using it so we will see.
 
#9 ·
When regular coolant boils over, you typically know. If you don't notice and keep riding, it's absolutely worse to ride without normal coolant than with very hot Evans.
 
#14 ·
Side gapped a new spark plug to go along with the Dynatek stick coil. The coil is for a Hayabusa and is within specs for the electrical primary resistance. The Denso coil adapter plug was purchased from a place down in Florida that specializes in Mustangs. I can't remember the name though. The coil was purchased from DennisKirk.com. This is an experiment so try at your own risk. Also, I closed the gap up after the picture was taken to .021 versus the stock .028 - .032



 
#16 ·
Tried the CRF rear master cylinder mod. Because I am using aftermarket Ebay larger than normal clutch cover, my brake pedal has to sit outward slightly for clearance. Because of this, I had to modify the master cylinder mounting a bit. I also cut the stock reservoir mounting tab and the brake lever brake light actuator since I will be using an inline brake light actuator. Although not pictured, once I put everything together and tested the rear brake lever, I did not like the new amount of brake pedal travel. I got online and researched this mod and others have commented on this characteristic that comes along with this mod due to the smaller bore. I will be ditching this idea and I have found a 1/2 bore rear master cylinder with a built in reservoir on Ebay for less than $10 bucks! Looks like it uses the same mounting screw spacing. I will post more on that once I research it more.


 
#20 ·
I already had the lightweight Yoshimura engine mounts on the bike but I decided to mod them. I used a Dremel on the front mounts and a drill bit and countersink on the upper mounts. The Dremel could only do so much so I took them to a mill shop and had them cleaned up a bit. I then sent them to the powdercoater with some other parts.



 
#21 ·
I had already performed the PVC Throttle mod but I wanted to increase the throttle throw even more for faster response so I used epoxy to glue two cut pieces of 1 inch PVC pipe on top of one another and then used a Dremel to sand down and shape the top piece so that I could fit the throttle cam inside of the throttle housing. I also used a Dremel cut wheel to put a small "valley" down the center to aid in keeping the throttle cable in place and not allowing it to slide in between the cam and the housing and getting jammed up.



 
#22 ·
It will be a while before I post anymore about the build. I had to leave town yet again for my over the road truck driving job and won't be back at home until December. Truck driving sucks just in case you were wondering. This is definitely my last year as a truck driver.
 
#23 ·
1/2 Bore Rear Master Cylinder w/Built in Reservoir

Here is a pic and a link to the 1/2 Bore Rear Master Cylinder w/Built in Reservoir that I have ordered off of Ebay. The spacing/mounting is within stock specs. It looks like all I have to do is cut the pushrod down to a suitable length. It also looks like the pushrod might be the same thread as the stock unit. If so, I would be able to reuse the Zeta brake clevis I had off of the stock DRZ master cylinder.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261583657296?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
#24 · (Edited)
I've been messing around with the Preview App on my Mac and have been editing some old photos so that I can get an idea as to how I want to re-shape the fenders. The left side is perfect in my opinion because it will allow me to upgrade to a 6 inch long UniPod filter which will have more access to fresh air intake. Disregard the star in the top photo. It's an editing mistake that I can undo. I'm also going to be taking most of the small powder coated and anodized red parts back to the shop to have them stripped. I'm no longer a fan of the red color on the bike so I will leave the parts in raw aluminum. I have already done so with the rear brake lever tip and it looks great in raw aluminum.

 
#26 · (Edited)
Yup, home about once a month, sounds about right for being a truck driver. But they promise you you'll be home every week. The later if you don't want to make any money.

Oops, forget the topic of the post. I think modifying the radiator shrouds not too smart. As they would appear good at one angle at another angle might look funky. If your trying to get the shrouds to blend with front fender.
 
#27 ·
Front Fender



I plan on quitting this truck driving thing the third week of December so I will be on the road until then without going home so that I can pay off all my bills and save up money. I modified the radiator shroud just to give it a different look, not to match the front fender. I like the look and will end up doing it along with a ton of other stuff.
 
#30 ·
Facebook Build Page

I have started up a build page and will continue posting updates there. It seems that there is much more interaction and engagement on Facebook so I will be posting on there from this point on. A lot has been done but it is still in progress and you can follow along there.
Here is the link to my Facebook build page: https://www.facebook.com/DRZ400Upgrades
Please be sure to like the page. Thanks!!
 
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