10 years with the drz400

[shaker962]

well my 2008 drz400 is ten now, almost a teenager. Unlike a teenager this one has never let me down. I did not go into too much detail on the bike in the video. It was just a quick video. 

 

[Dmouse]

 After being a Honda guy for many years, I bought my hardly used E 10years ago, and have no plans to get rid of it, best bike I've ever had for sure. Did you ever do the lock tight fixes on yours? I never have, and it's still a very tight motorcycle, I've got less than 10K on mine though

[shaker962]

nope no lock-tight fixes . I am too busy driving it I don't want to take it apart and then not be able to get it back going. getting parts here is a royal pain in the butt. simple stuff takes weeks. 

[Dmouse]

13 minutes ago, shaker962 said:

nope no lock-tight fixes . I am too busy driving it I don't want to take it apart and then not be able to get it back going. getting parts here is a royal pain in the butt. simple stuff takes weeks. 

 The lock tight fixes don't really require any parts (maybe a gasket and new CS washer), I'm just not into taking something apart that isn't broken (a little lazy). If I have to take the cover off the motor some day for something else, I'll lock tight the stator bolts. I put a new chain on my bike a couple of years ago and spaced the locktight fix on the front sprocket, I check it often though, and it seems fine. I also checked my valve specs I think last year, and all was good ?

[Beta300REcat]

4 hours ago, Dmouse said:

. If I have to take the cover off the motor some day for something else, I'll lock tight the stator bolts.

On my 2005 they were plenty snug, so I didn't mess with them. ?

[Dmouse]

55 minutes ago, Bermudacat said:

On my 2005 they were plenty snug, so I didn't mess with them. ?

 I was kind of expecting to be called an idiot... Thankyou!

[Atolduso]

5 hours ago, shaker962 said:

nope no lock-tight fixes . I am too busy driving it I don't want to take it apart and then not be able to get it back going. getting parts here is a royal pain in the butt. simple stuff takes weeks. 

Lol you must be pretty remote or something. Ontario isn't exactly Tanzania!

Edited June 17, 2018 by Atolduso

[Beta300REcat]

47 minutes ago, Dmouse said:

 I was kind of expecting to be called an idiot... Thankyou!

I put an allen wrench on mine and they were really firm. I figured the were lok-tite from the factory and why break 'em loose?

[ohiodrz400sm]

Suzuki forgot the Loctite on mine. I used 242 (Blue medium strength) torqued to 7 ft-lbs back in 08 when I did the Trail Tech Flywheel. 10 years later I didn't have any back out but they broke free a little too easy when I replaced the sprag. I again used 242 but upped the torque to 114 in-lbs (9.5 ft-lbs).

[38super]

You're an idiot.  Kidding aside, a good once over before a big ride can save some grief.  Having spares stashed in the airbox can help a friend get going again.

[BillDirt1]

Just had mine apart, stator bolts were fine. Starter clutch bolts not so much. 3 were tight, 2 were barely bottomed, 1 finger loose and sticking out a couple threads. This would have destroyed my stator soon if not looked at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bucket list]

13 hours ago, shaker962 said:

nope no lock-tight fixes . I am too busy driving it I don't want to take it apart and then not be able to get it back going. getting parts here is a royal pain in the butt. simple stuff takes weeks. 

Shaker, what ever your doing, the way your riding it, maintaining it, your doing good !!! And some guys have gotten even more kms out of these without doing any work on them, but the next 20 or so thousand kms you are playing with a ticking time bomb. If your not comfortable doing the work your self, at least have a good mechanic do a cyl. leak-down test on the engine and have him recommened if any internal work needs to be done soon. I would be changing the piston and rings just because of the kms/hours factor. They are stressed much more then your average car.

And the stator is the other thing that can let you down on these bikes. I'd be putting in a good quality new one. If you do these things and loctite flywheel/starter clutch bolts and continue maintaining it well, you'll probably get another 50,000 kms of trouble free enjoyment out of it.

[Dmouse]

6 hours ago, 38super said:

You're an idiot

There it is!

[Beta300REcat]

13 hours ago, Diverdown said:

Just had mine apart, stator bolts were fine. Starter clutch bolts not so much. 3 were tight, 2 were barely bottomed, 1 finger loose and sticking out a couple threads. This would have destroyed my stator soon if not looked at.

Mine were good when I changed the flywheel. I cleaned all threads with brake cleaner and applied loc tite.

Counter sprocket was the only 'fix' on my bike, except the MCCT.

[superdutyscaler]

I have a 03 E model, bone stock except a FMF powerbomb header and yosh rs3 slip on, coast enriched delete and jetting to Eddie's specs on here. Never locktited anything except the front sprocket...oil changes ever 5/7 hours and valves checked once a year. Old girl fires up first hit of the button everytime and still rips your arms off! Actually got two buddies to buy S models and do the E model upgrades to them 

[cowpie]

5 hours ago, superdutyscaler said:

I have a 03 E model, bone stock except a FMF powerbomb header and yosh rs3 slip on, coast enriched delete and jetting to Eddie's specs on here. Never locktited anything except the front sprocket...oil changes ever 5/7 hours and valves checked once a year. Old girl fires up first hit of the button everytime and still rips your arms off! Actually got two buddies to buy S models and do the E model upgrades to them 

i can one-up ya man .. i keep waiting for mine to fail, ive still never had an engine cover off or even looked at the spark plug, the only thing loctited on the bike is the plate bolts because some aswipe stole my tag off of it at work one time lol  .. i bought the bike new in oct of '99 and its got almost 16thou on it now ..

[Dmouse]

1 hour ago, cowpie said:

i can one-up ya man .. i keep waiting for mine to fail, ive still never had an engine cover off or even looked at the spark plug, the only thing loctited on the bike is the plate bolts because some aswipe stole my tag off of it at work one time lol  .. i bought the bike new in oct of '99 and its got almost 16thou on it now ..

That'll be tough to beat, you must be doing something right

[cowpie]

57 minutes ago, Dmouse said:

That'll be tough to beat, you must be doing something right

im just old and dont have the urge to flog things anymore .. wont work for everyone lol ..

[shaker962]

My advice would be "don't hit the rev limiter" 

[thorny toad]

Now that was a great vid, thanx  shaker. Is that an Ontario Plate, Just purchased my first drz400s about a month ago. Year 2004.