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The DR/DRZ Thread

I guess I am confused as to why you would spend a significant amount to change out a E model subframe for a S model frame. The only real difference is the fender support. I use a PMB rack on an E and a lightweight taillight/license plate mount and have not had a problem with the subframe other than the seat mount tabs. But, the seat mount tabs are the same on both. I jus don get it.
 
Most all of the racks out there, especially side racks require the mounts that are on the S. Also having the subframe come further back allows for carrying bags on the back. I'd rather not spend a significant amount though. My original intention to do this swap came from reading about others doing it and finding the subframes for cheap. I'm not finding that to be the case though.
 
E model subframes are cheap. Use a rack for E's and replace the sub's when necessary. I'm on my third, $50 or less on ebay. Can't complain, if you could see what the bike's been through you would agree. Either the seat tabs or the side cover tabs will break when used hard.
 
YUP! Was it yours originally?

Short story on the 2006.... John bought The bike brand new.
.... rode it approximately 800 miles. Change the oil way too many times. Then sold it to Sean. The bike then was finally rejeted.... JD kit with 27.5 pilot.... that's why I start so easy and run so good. In the middle of this past winter. Sean then sold it to Greg. Greg wrote it and then decided he needed something different.
 
E model subframes are cheap. Use a rack for E's and replace the sub's when necessary. I'm on my third, $50 or less on ebay. Can't complain, if you could see what the bike's been through you would agree. Either the seat tabs or the side cover tabs will break when used hard.

I've got an E model, and yea, those subframes are cheap. Looking to carry a Giant Loop Great Basin and thought I might need more support on the back.

Any suggestions on E racks?
 
I've got an E model, and yea, those subframes are cheap. Looking to carry a Giant Loop Great Basin and thought I might need more support on the back.



Any suggestions on E racks?



Nomadic I think is the one on my e and I’ve used the heck out of it. Big heavy tool bag, giant loop bag, cases of beer, no problem. I’m with the above poster- e sub frames are cheap if you break them. You could probably cheaply build one up also but I haven’t had a need to yet. I think you can find the rack on eBay.
http://nomadic-racks.com/store#!/Suzuki-DRZ400-E-DRZ400-K-2000-2016/p/4123575/category=976079


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Most all of the racks out there, especially side racks require the mounts that are on the S. Also having the subframe come further back allows for carrying bags on the back. I'd rather not spend a significant amount though. My original intention to do this swap came from reading about others doing it and finding the subframes for cheap. I'm not finding that to be the case though.

Lol I may have been one of those posters i have swapped the s subframe on to my e and convinced my buddy to do the same. Not only does it help with carrying a load but it’s so much nicer being able to grab a solid tail when picking up or moving the bike. I scooped an extra s/sm subframe a while back with a parts bike it’s had the helmet lock tab ground off but I’d let it go for a 100$ if your ever around the Austin area.
 
Lol I may have been one of those posters i have swapped the s subframe on to my e and convinced my buddy to do the same. Not only does it help with carrying a load but it’s so much nicer being able to grab a solid tail when picking up or moving the bike. I scooped an extra s/sm subframe a while back with a parts bike it’s had the helmet lock tab ground off but I’d let it go for a 100$ if your ever around the Austin area.
That's an awesome offer. I do however try to avoid the Dallas to Austin drive as much as humanly possible, though I did it twice in the springtime.

That nomadic rack also looks nice, lotsa options. I'd have to wait till next paycheck at the earliest having bought the GL bag and some new boots this week.
 
So, in my DR-Z world today, I got my new complete Seat Concepts Standard seat and put it on my SM.

Really well made, it is what they are calling second generation.

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So, I then put my old Seat Concepts Standard seat, that I installed on the pan, on the DR-ZS. Seems pretty good, I will have to ride both to see which I like best. Hoping for a tie.

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And, for the record, I didn't ding the seat cover, but I know who did.....
 
Is your DRZ S or SM with steel tank and vacuum petcock leaking?
Looking for a non vacuum petcock option that will fit well?
The Yamaha Raptor OEM petcock is an inexpensive reliable swap... Except it does not fit :-D....With the steel tank that is...

It became popular with the DRZ cult ....when we found it was a direct fit to our DRZ...with OEM or aftermarket plastic tanks ..My personal DRZ last had a steel tank in 2003.....and all that came in to my work place were having the steel tank swapped for an aftermarket larger plastic tank...I just never noticed the fitment issue with steel tanks until it was pointed out to me but other forum members.

Then about a year ago, I had a guy wanting to keep his steel tank on his SM build........and I had 4 brand new Raptor petcocks sitting on the shelf ..

The OEM vacuum operated petcock found on the DRZ400S and SM is a part that will fail.. Not the parts fault, just that rubber and today's gas don't do well together. (that's actually not really true, its just the type of rubber being used is not holding up)

Sometimes the OEM vacuum petcock fails on the gas side, other times the vacuum diaphragm side.

The Yamaha Raptor non vacuum OEM petcock was found to fit well so it was a common go to swap.....
5b2c11f0e3017_fitsplastictank.jpg.a212f8951280d5f7260bd5f1063ef102.jpg



The problem was, those ,making that recommendation had a DRZ400E plastic tank, or one of the many aftermarket plastic tanks and we did not know the part did not fit well with the OEM steel S/Sm tank and either the stock BSR36 carb or the commonly swapped in FCR. The issue is the fuel line path..
With the steel tank and BSR or FCR, you have a close fit, large misalignment, and interference with the FCR choke

5b2c1117ede84_badfitment.jpg.c4261788c955e36ccc32bceb9ac258d0.jpg



Though same have figured out a way to make it work....
I call this one "The long way home"
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About a year ago, I had several new OEM Raptor fuel petcocks on the shelf and a DRZ customer with a built SM but using a stock tank..I needed to make it work...

Over the years I have seen more then a few pressed in steel barb fittings come out of a aluminum petcock ...so i figured, way not remove that steel one on the raptor part and put a barb on the other side.

I tried it, and it works, so have a few of them on bikes for years now..both FCR and BSR bikes.
Parts required:

  1. Raptor petcock Yamaha FUEL COCK ASSY 1 (5LP-24500-01-00)
  2. 1/8" NPT hex socket plug (you can use brass, steel, aluminum, and it can be hex socket, or an external drive type..I prefer the socket hex so it will be recessed , but anything will work. If i were to use an external square drive plug, after installing it, id cut off the plug flush to the petcock body for more finger clearance on that side and a cleaner look)
  3. 90deg 1/8" NPT x 5/16" barb (again there are lost of options, you can use fancy Aeroquip, Earls, , Jegs branded aluminum fittings here or brass stuff from the local hardware store.. BUT, most of those I have found have been 1/4" barb, which is slightly underside to stock..in action, they have worked just fine though. You could also use a 90deg 1/8" NPT male x 1/8" NPT female fitting and then a 1/8"NPT x 5/16" barb if the barb/NPT fitting is not available.)
  4. Teflon tape or other fuel resistant sealer
  5. LTR Q drill bit (21/64 is the closest fractional bit to the LTR Q, it is slightly undersized, but I have found most are not using an ultra precision mil to drill the hole, so some wiggle in the drill bit happens in your drill press or hand drill , that makes the hole slightly oversized...and it works out just fine.)
  6. 1/8" - 27 TPI NPT tap (not super common at big box hardware stores, so you may have to order it)
New Raptor petcock stripped down read to go, the steel tube that was in the right side comes out easily with a pair of pliers, crush and twist/pull .

stripped.jpg.5c0012051c1f1a659b53f0ced5019462.jpg



A way..... I have used a drill press, mil, and hand drill.... all work.
When I use a drill press or the mil, I put a piece of drill rod (you can use a twist drill 5/16") inserted in the hole left from removing the tube... ..insert the drill as far as it will go into the petcock, then chuck up the drill.... now adjust your vice or other hold down to hold the part... Your drill press is now centered and aligned to drill straight through the port at the same axis as the old hole....

Once the part is set up..
Drill a hole all the way though..
5b2c081697ab9_drilledltrQ.jpg.503eb72129112bbf760ef55ae1a54a06.jpg



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Go slow and sneak up on the thread depth...test fit the plug / fitting after every few turns of the tap... there are lots of variables in thread size I have found in off the shelf NPT products.. if you cut too deep, the plug or fitting may go in to far and block the transfer port...not deep enough and the fitting/ plug will not go in far enough to be stable and be retained. As you can see below, the threads are of different depth on this one..I had to cut a bit deeper to get the 90deg fitting in 4 full turns. The particular hex plug I used this time must have been at the smaller range of allowable diameter for the thread size as it went in flush with much less thread cutting..Test fit, often........
Once your done cutting threads on both sides, blow out the holes, flush with some break clean to remove cutting fluid and swarf...
5b2c08188f21c_threaddepth.jpg.59ccba09576aaa2ffedd750bc87fc7f9.jpg

Plug installed on the right (forward facing) side of the petcock where the steel tube used to be..it is flush with outside, and not interfering at all with the fuel transfer port


plug.jpg.1d5d283625def388c69a7ef429c235fd.jpg

5b2c081711558_plugdepth.jpg.a0f016d36c8e356b1b32e25104eddc5b.jpg





Screw in the 90deg fitting and reassemble the petcock. I cleaned up all the exsposed teflon tape for a cleaner look


done.jpg.2fa53e1890f9cabcba56eef48607eef9.jpg

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In no way is this anything more than A WAY to MOD the Raptor petcock to work with the DRZ Steel tank....
 
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I must be imagining things....I could swear it had Dremel marks, must have been a small elfen Marine did that...hee hee.
 
speaking of seats, the one on the DR650 i just picked up with 11k on the ticker still feels like setting on a piece of 6x6 post... dont these things ever "break in" ?
 
I think they need actual padding to break in, not sure what is inside the stock seats from Suzuki.
 
Well dang it! I just changed out the MCCT on the DRZSM and I am moving the blue one to the DRZS. All good until I try to get the plug out of the magneto cover. The big one covering the end of the crank. I tried a straight up normal 90° Allen wrench, couldn't budge it. I tried a 3/8 breaker bar with a 10 mm allen wrench socket. Then I tried a 2 foot cheater on that. Well I could compress the front suspension pretty well, but not a bit of movement. Then, since I do have a spare case, plug and gasket. I tried Mr. Impact Wrench. She won't budge. I am out of ideas. However with the kickstarter I can bump around in the proper direction for TDC. Assuming the other plug will come out.

Any ideas? Or am I going to have to swap covers? I need some help here fellas.
 
Well dang it! I just changed out the MCCT on the DRZSM and I am moving the blue one to the DRZS. All good until I try to get the plug out of the magneto cover. The big one covering the end of the crank. I tried a straight up normal 90° Allen wrench, couldn't budge it. I tried a 3/8 breaker bar with a 10 mm allen wrench socket. Then I tried a 2 foot cheater on that. Well I could compress the front suspension pretty well, but not a bit of movement. Then, since I do have a spare case, plug and gasket. I tried Mr. Impact Wrench. She won't budge. I am out of ideas. However with the kickstarter I can bump around in the proper direction for TDC. Assuming the other plug will come out.

Any ideas? Or am I going to have to swap covers? I need some help here fellas.



Unfortunately super common

Best way to get them out without damage is an impact gun with the proper fitting bit

If the hex socket is already damaged and you’re going to be replacing the plug anyway drive yourself an 8 inch hole about 3 mm deep at the outer edge of the plug then use an 8th inch punch and a hammer to loosen the plug

That’s the new survey of doing it with least risk to making a mistake
I don’t normally do it that way though I just use a sharp chisel
but it has a little more rriskas if you slip your Marr the case
 
However with the kickstarter I can bump around in the proper direction for TDC. Assuming the other plug will come out..



Does not need to be at TDC just need the cams off the ramp remove the spark plug put it in fourth gear or use the kick starter rotate the engine until the base circle of the cam is on the bucket

That aside the steel plug in the timing window should come out without an issue I’ve never had one of those damage on removal
Same thing as a bad spark plug out so it’s easy to turn over time in line in the window cams pointed at 10 and to swap out your MCCT double check timing but it up go ride
 
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Erik,

I used an impact with a 10 mm allen socket. The wrench wouldn't turn. I have one more socket to try (I remembered I have a set of 1/2 in drive impact allen sockets. But I may end up with the drill and/or chisel. I have never seen one so stuck. I really don't need to get it off, it is just convenient to rotate the engine with the wrench. Of course, I do have the kickstarter.
 
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