FAQ About the DRZ400 S,SM & E Models

Well i keep getting lots of question via PM, email MSN etc via other sitesand i thought this would be useful here too.

Question: What is it I've heard about the motor side cases being thin and fragile on the DRZ?

Answer: The side case covers on the DRZ are made from thin magnesium and prone to damage in a fall. You can easily protect them with an add on cover. One such cover is made for Thumper Talk, available from the Thumper Talk store It is applied with silicone adhesive, but any of the automotive silicone gasket makers will work just fine. The permitex Ultra series, in black is a favored choice.

Question: I heard something about the shifter needing a modification?

Answer: From the factory, the back side of the shifter has a sharp edge to the casting. If left as is, it can and will puncture the side case in a fall. The shifter should be removed and have those sharp edges rounded over to prevent this.

Question: I am having trouble getting a good shift from 1st to 2nd, 3nd to 3rd, and back, Is there something easy I can do to fix this??

Answer: A simple fix that often works is to remove the shifter, and move it one spline up or down to suite your riding position. Another issue newer rides have is being too timid when shifting.. It’s not a kick, but not a gentle lift either. You need to shift with some authority. The DRZ transmission shares its lube with the motor, so what you feed it, feeds the trans. Most rides can feel a difference in better shifting when using a quality synthetic oil.. With out getting in a what oil is better discussion.. Simply try it for shifting feel.. If you think it shifts better, then use it for that reason it self, if no other.

Additionally there are longer shifters if your feet and extra long, as in the size 13 range. White Brothers sells one, and it can be found in the TT store

Question: When in gear,, my bike will only start with the clutch in.. What’s up with that?

Answer: This would be the clutch interlock switch.. Many, chose to disable this,, so the bike may be started at any time.. Additionally, this switch has been know to fail is mild falls, involving the left hand controls.. leaving the rider unable to start the bike at all. If you do this mod,, the rider must remember the bike will start in gear.. and caution should be used at all times.

Question: This is my first water cooled bike,, should I be concerned with damage to the radiators?

Answer: Yes, most all riders would agree, the rads of a water cooled bike should be protected. There are several aftermarket rad guards for the DRZ, some fit only the E model, some only the S model. Unabiker Racing makes a guard for both. And is highly recommended by most, if not all in this forum that use them.

Question: I have a DRZ E model bought in CA... Is it different then other states E models?

Answer: Yes,, in 2004 the CA E models received some parts from the S motor, and some CA E model specific parts.. We believe this is for emission reasons,, and only applicable to CA delivered bikes. Cams, base gasket and carb are the items different. That we know about at this time

Question: My CA DRZ has a black box back by the fender,, what is it? OR My CA bike seems to run out of gas but the tank is full.. this started happening after a fall... What is wrong?

Answer: CA S models have a fuel tank evaporation system installed. The idea is it captures fuel vapors for m the tank, and stores them in the charcoal canister. till they can be purged back into the intake. The problem is,, raw fuel gets in the canister, from over filling the tank, or in a fall.. once this happens and the charcoal gets saturated with fuel, it no longer allows the tank to vent.. and your bike stops running. Many, remove this system on their OFF ROAD only bikes.

Question: I have DRZ what carb do I have?

Answer: Up until 2003 all E models have the Keihin FCR 39mm flat slide carb, 2004 and later CA E models have the Mikuni BSR36 CV carb, just like the S, and all E models after 2006 have the BSR
ALL DRZ S & SM models have the Mikuni BSR36 CV carb

Question: What jets, and jetting kits do I need for my carb?

Answer: The BSR36 is best re-jetted with the Kit from James Dean or DynaJet. The Dj kit comes in two flavors, one for the S/E, one for the SM. Either can be made to work. Search the
jetting forum
The FCR39 works really well with the James Dean kit and uses the long hex for the main

Question: I want to add a kick starter to my DRZ S, but the parts guy said it will only fit the DRZ E.. Is that true?

Answer: The Kick Starter kit fits ALL model DRZ's. new and old, E, K or S. There will be some left over parts when installing on the S, as the included manual decompression assembly will not fit the S head.

Question: Why does my DRZ die or lose power when I am going over jumps or after lofting the front wheel over an obstacle

Answer: The DRZ has a kick stand kill switch Over rough terrain, jumps and such, the kick stand can come down slightly,, the kill switch activates, and the motor will die or hesitate. Both very bad things while trying to balance on two wheels. Most disable the switch, and never miss it. Just remember to put the kick stand up before riding off.

Question: So, I got a screaming deal on a Yoshimura exhaust pipe for an E model will an E exhaust system fit my S?

Answer: Yes,, The E pipe will fit the S, except for the mid pipe mount. If doing away with the rear pegs, most find then can use the lower peg mounting hole to fit the mid pipe mount to. Due to differences in bikes, trail damage, and pipes,, some have found these two point would not line up, and had to make a bracket for this to work. It is not recommended to run with out the mid pipe mount in place.

Question: What is this I hear about iSSueS with the Auto Cam chain tensioner?


Answer: The Auto Cam Chain Tensioner (ACCT) has had some failure iSSueS over the different model years.. The current version (2003 and later model years) has not seen as many failures. But still puts too much constant pressure on the chain, causing excessive wear. With the history, and continued iSSueS of previous and current designs.. Many replace the ACCT of all years with a Manual Cam Chain Tensioner (MCCT). There are two choices as of this writing... One is the MCCT from APE. It was the first one on the market and has been is used with good success. The APE design works, but has never been updated. The other choice, and the newer design is made and sold by our very own TT shop..... Thumper Talk MCCT This design not only looks better, it has additional sealing features the APR does not. The TT MCCT has taken the best designs features of MCCT's that came before it, combined them in to one great design.

Installing the MCCT is simple, instructions come with the part, and can be found by searching the DRZ forum,, or asking one of the hundreds of members who have installed one.

Question: How do I change my oil?

Answer: To drain the oil on a DRZ,, you have to remove two plugs,, One on the bottom of the motor, and 1 in the frame.. Located on the lower part of the front down tube. Just below the oil hose, which we will discuss in a minute.

Warm up your motor for a few minutes,, then remove both drain plugs. Next remove the oil filter cover. There are two o rings under that cover,, 1 that seals the cover it self,, and a smaller one,, behind the filter. This one seals the filter to the motor,, and is often lost with the oil, or oil filter. Without this o-ring,, you may have dirty oil bypassing your filter.

Another issue that has been blamed for case damage is the crush sealing washer on the case drain plug. It can after use form a wedge, which can easily damage or destroy the case. It’s not really an issue of cost, but availability. Chances are good your Suzuki or Kawasaki dealer will not stock them,, But for a mere £1.80 and 7-10 working day wait they can get it for you. Me? I’m a spares nut.. I stock spares for all likely repairs and maintenance on all 7 bikes in my garage. So my suggestion is, use one of the online parts suppliers, and order a dozen crush washers… put then in your tool box and always have a spare ready.. If you run out, you can reuse an old washer, with care and after inspection. Many have used then 10’s of times, some only a few times and cracked the case. Just too many variables to say for sure how many times they can be reused. Consider them a consumable part and replace.

Lastly,, we have the oil line screen.. Many do not even know it is there.
Oil line screen pic ( the screen is Part number 49065).
This screen should be cleaned as a first time oil change, any time after internal motor work has been done,, and once a season,, just to be sure.

Question: My counter shaft sprocket nut is loose (or I'm changing the sprocket) What should I do?

Answer: Keep the transmission in neutral, use the rear brake to hold the sprocket still. Flatten the lock washer, remove nut. Clean/ Degrease the splines and threads of the countershaft, place 4 drops of red locktite on the countershaft splines where the sprocket will sit. Put 1 drop on the threads. Install, torque the nut, fold the washer.. Let the locktite cure,, (over night is best) Go ride. It will not come loose now. To remove,,, you will need a small 2 jaw puller,, available from most any auto supply store or Sears,, under £7.00. Use that to remove the sprocket after the nut has been removed.

Question: I found "cracks" inside the oil filter cavity when I did my first oil change.. HELP>>>>>?


Answer: RELAX.... they are just casting marks... You will find them in the oil filter sump and just about any inside, non finished part of the case. They hurt nothing,,, and are just part of the casting process. Some stimes they will look like cracks, sometimes raised.

Question: Can I hook up Heated grips, a GPS or other electrical device to the DRZ power system??

Answer: Yes, but only to a point. The DRZ E, S and SM all have a 200 watt stator. The system can easily handle some additionally load. But 200 watts goes fast. Couple your additional accessories that max out or come close to stator wattage, then have some repeated start and stops, where the battery can not recover from that last start before you have to start it again. And you will quickly exceed the battery storage capacity.

Powering your GPS or other small device can easily be done by hooking up the leads (through a fuse) directly to the battery.

Question: Battery not charging, smell of melted insulation, left leg is on fire, all of these are signs of a faulty connection between the stator/ rectifier and battery system. The white two wife plug found behind the left frame cover is not the best. They have been an issue for all year DRZ’s. The plug can be snapped together incompletely, I can easily become corroded or otherwise damaged. When these things happen the plug terminals arc, or otherwise have a high resistance, which melts the plug, only further causing an issue, till you have no connectivity and no charge to the battery. .?

Answer: The fix has too paths. Replace the faulty plug and section of wire with something available from the aftermarket ( many use plugs by a company called Weatherpak. OEM quality, available from many auto parts houses)

A second solution is to modify the plug and that entire section of wiring harness, from rectifier to battery. This mod can also increase the voltage available in your system,,
The procedure was written up by a long time member of TT, Nobel, and the thread is Free Power (Electrical that is). I will add this soon.


Questions and Answer sourced from various sites and my own experience