Should I buy it? (drz400)

[Cowtipper84]

Ok another topic (I am not spamming I promise).

I recently had a test ride on a suzuki drz400 in yellow, now I am seriously tempted to buy this bike but only as a day to day bike and use my v strom as a weekend / long distance bike. I will admit the drz is fun bit it is vibey and does not offer much in protection from the wind. I also found the seat was a little hard (insert that's what she said joke here) and very small, the bike is fantastic for filtering but does anyone know what the fuel economy is like? As I have to wear a suit to work I will either have to change at work (as there is no top box) and leave my helmet and boots at work.

Any advice guys?

 

[BonnyJonny13]

my drz would get around 100 miles before hitting reserve so fuel economy is not too bad for the tank size.
id say get one, i loved mine a lot a lot!

 

[Mikesmotorbike]

I've been very tempted since trying Neil's one they do seem like fun things.

 

[krayziesensei]

I love the DRZ. I use mine as a daily commuter when weather permits (during nasty weather, I ride the Ural). I get 60 mpg when I have it geared for commuting (16/44). When geared at 14/44, I get closer to mid-50's. I've put over 10,000 miles on the bike since April. The seat isn't bad for short rides (45 min), but longer rides will leave you butt-hurt.

The bike definitely has enough speed for anything you'd want to do on it. Even riding on the interstate with enough power left to pass other motorists. If you plan on riding at high-speeds on the interstate or highways for more than 15 minutes, I'd stay away from knobbies. They make the ride much less pleasant. You could mount some Avon Distanzia's and get a much smoother ride at speed and still have some off-road ridability.

The bike will definitely feel vibey compared to a Wee-strom, but compared to a ktm, it's buttery smooth. I honestly don't notice the vibes unless I'm riding for longer than 30 - 40 minutes or I have knobbies mounted.

As far as luggage goes, I just wear a backpack and carry whatever extra clothes I need in there. You could always mount a top case or saddle bags if you need more space.

I've owned 5 bikes and the drz is my favorite. I will sell my car before I get rid of that bike. They're also really fun to tinker on and farkle.

I hope this helps! :mrgreen:

 

[BonnyJonny13]

The bike definitely has enough speed for anything you'd want to do on it. Even riding on the interstate with enough power left to pass other motorists. If you plan on riding at high-speeds on the interstate or highways for more than 15 minutes, I'd stay away from knobbies. They make the ride much less pleasant. You could mount some Avon Distanzia's and get a much smoother ride at speed and still have some off-road ridability.

the offroad videos i have on my channel on the drz are with the avon distanzias. solid tyres!

 

[Neilisin]

Temptation to not reply to this thread was too not strong enough.

Hey Cowtipper, my story: I was all about the big adventure bikes, my opinion was that if I wanted to ride around the world I'd need something with about 1000cc, I tried a few and settled for a tiger:

After a few thousand miles in Scandinavia, I discovered it wasn't for me, way too heavy and too tall when on the gravel that's a nightmare!

I also found the fuel economy the same as a car: ~42mpg

As for the DRZ, as you may know, I own two, they're great, they handle well... fantastically. In fact, the DRZ has helped me overcome my need for speed, I happily ride at ~55mph on the motorway nowadays. The fuel economy is about 65mpg regardless of the mods you do to it.... in fact the after market exhaust makes it more economical and powerful.

Here's my fuelly link for the two bikes:

• Daisy (Africa Bike) Fuelly link
• Daisy-Su (Americas bike) Fuelly link

The bike definitely has enough speed for anything you'd want to do on it. Even riding on the interstate with enough power left to pass other motorists. If you plan on riding at high-speeds on the interstate or highways for more than 15 minutes, I'd stay away from knobbies. They make the ride much less pleasant. You could mount some Avon Distanzia's and get a much smoother ride at speed and still have some off-road ridability.

Don't get me wrong the bike does go fast, I rode 2-up with my girlfriend on Daisy-Su and we did 94mph.... before we ran out of road, I simply rather go slow, and save money

Lastly, the seat isn't so great, I made my own using a memory foam pillow on the newer bike, it's not great but it was cheaper than the Corbin I have on the older bike, you could always go and get yourself a Seat Concepts from here: http://www.wheelingcyclesupply.com/shop/3/22/373.shtml . I am contemplating replacing the memory foam demo for this.