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dr350-digest          Monday, April 12 1999          Volume 01 : Number 016




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 08:53:00 -0600
From: "Kurt Simpson" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...

Big day yesterday for my learning curve on the DR. I did a major tune-up and some add-ons. Here
are some comments for the archives.

1) Oil change and filter. Fred sent me a lifetime surgical steel K & P filter and it fit
perfectly. He also sent me a magnetic drain plug to try from a KLR. The plug is the same
diameter but the threads are coarser (the DR's are finer)...we knew going in that this might
happen. When you change the oil you have to drop oil from 5 spots...the drain plug on the case
underneath...the oil filter cavity....the drain plug on the front downtube...the strainer
underneath the plug...and the oil line going from the strainer to the case. My strainer seemed
to be doing its job but perhaps had never been cleaned...lots of small metal bits (bike has
under 1,600 miles). It takes 2 qts to fill...I used Mobil 1 15-50w.

2) Valve adjustment. Pretty straightforward, cramped work space. I had to bend the tips of my
feeler gauges and use a needle nose vice grip on the adjuster screw ( a tiny square head). One
exhaust needed adjustment...it was too loose.

3) Pulled the plug out of the airbox, cleaned and re-oiled the stock filter. I'm going to wait
until Thumper markets their new airbox and K & N filter before putting an aftermarket filter
in.

Upgrades installed with notes:

1) Kouba links...went on in a snap, I used a floor jack under the left side rear of the
swingarm. Cleaned all the links when I had them out and pumped some fresh grease in afterward.
My SO loves them...is now able to touch the ground easily with 2.5" sag (who knows maybe she
was able to touch before)...

2) Acerbis tank...thanks to Gino for a couple of tips and to Tim Bernard on the fuel line
routing warning. Went on well with a good fit. You have to take two of the nuts off the top
engine mounts and turn these into rubber mounts for the tank. They are torqued pretty good so
you have to have a good stout torque wrench to work with these. The instructions are
straightforward...they have you remove the rubber piece at the front bottom edge of the seat.
Petcocks (2) are non-vacuum actuated they should include a plug...still searching for this?
Fred?

I bought plenty of nice blue premium fuel line after Gino warned us about the crappy line that
comes with the tank. I mounted two clear filters inline before the T...and routed the lines up
above the front of the carb and then one line directly down and just  behind the throttle
cables to the fuel intake on the carb.

3) Driveline's luggage rack and sideracks...I had Tim make me a deluxe rack based on my stock
rear subframe bar....The fit was tight but spot on...I now have 10.5 inches of luggage rack to
work with....the turn signals are moved inboard quite a bit so they will not get dinged so
easily.  The sideracks are, as expected, a work of art and bolt right up...as Gino said, these
should be a must for anyone with the S model.

I started to dive into that ridiculous mudflap but decided I'd wait until I had a good solution
worked out...what is the consensus on the best way to go here?

Kurt (BTW, we hit 96 subscribers this morning)

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:00:27 -0600
From: "Pokluda, Gino F" <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...

>>I started to dive into that ridiculous mudflap but decided I'd wait until
I had a good solution
worked out...what is the consensus on the best way to go here?<<

I'm thinking that I may just stay with what is on there since my DR will see
commuting, light touring as well as off-road service.  I'm wondering if the
continuous bouncing will weaken the rear fender and mudflap frame.  Anyone
know.  If thatis a problem, I may just replace the whole rear fender with
something from Acerbis with a smaller tail light.

Gino

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 07:59:54 -0700
From: Bryan Cowger <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...

>
> 2) Valve adjustment. Pretty straightforward, cramped work space. I had to bend the tips of my
> feeler gauges and use a needle nose vice grip on the adjuster screw ( a tiny square head). One
> exhaust needed adjustment...it was too loose.

Here's a tip I figured out this weekend for those who don't have the Special
Tool for the adjuster screw:  Take a short (~1") square-drive (Jorgenson?)
wood screw and drive it into the center of a small disk (~1") of wood, say
1/4" plywood.  The square-drive screw just happens to match the tip of the
valve adjuster screws perfectly....

Bryan
'96 DR441

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:59:07 -0600
From: "Kurt Simpson" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...

>>>I started to dive into that ridiculous mudflap but decided I'd wait until
>I had a good solution
>worked out...what is the consensus on the best way to go here?<<
>
>I'm thinking that I may just stay with what is on there since my DR will see
>commuting, light touring as well as off-road service.  I'm wondering if the
>continuous bouncing will weaken the rear fender and mudflap frame.  Anyone
>know.  If thatis a problem, I may just replace the whole rear fender with
>something from Acerbis with a smaller tail light.
>
>Gino


Looks like you could lose 2-3 inches by just cutting the flap even with the plate (just
guessing cause I don't have the plate yet)...I had it side by side with my KLR and it doesn't
really extend that much further down than the modified KLR license plate set-up...it just looks
funky as hell...

Kurt

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:23:00 -0400
From: "Sperduto, Nick" <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...

I took the mudflap part of my 1990 and still mounted a moose bag with a tool
pack in it. A spare tube and 4 co2 cartridges. Then on top of that, a number
plate bag with 3 shirt and a pair of moccasins. Then I rode it thru 6 days
of whoop dee doos. the fender had no problem. Unless the newer bikes have a
different setup. There is the mudflap frame and then another frame under the
fender. For the six day trip. I had the under the fender frame left in.
Before that, it was the moose bag and spare tube pack on the fender. The
fender held up fine.
 ----------
From: Pokluda, Gino F
To: dr350
Subject: RE: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...
Date: Monday, April 12, 1999 11:00AM

>>I started to dive into that ridiculous mudflap but decided I'd wait until
I had a good solution
worked out...what is the consensus on the best way to go here?<<

I'm thinking that I may just stay with what is on there since my DR will see
commuting, light touring as well as off-road service.  I'm wondering if the
continuous bouncing will weaken the rear fender and mudflap frame.  Anyone
know.  If thatis a problem, I may just replace the whole rear fender with
something from Acerbis with a smaller tail light.

Gino

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 11:35:13 -0600
From: "Tim Bernard" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...

Hey
I eliminated all the heavy bracketing under the rear fender for several
reasons. After a while my tailight self destructed. I bought a Suzuki
replacement & put in on before Moab last year. I got 50 miles out of it and
it vibrated to pieces. I pulled into Fre'd place & had him fix me up with
one he had in stock. It has lasted & price was better. Fred can fill you
inon the light he sold me.
Happy Trails
Tim
- -----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Simpson <[e-mail]>
To: dr350 <[e-mail]>
Date: Monday, April 12, 1999 7:50 AM
Subject: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...


>Big day yesterday for my learning curve on the DR. I did a major tune-up
and some add-ons. Here
>are some comments for the archives.
>
>1) Oil change and filter. Fred sent me a lifetime surgical steel K & P
filter and it fit
>perfectly. He also sent me a magnetic drain plug to try from a KLR. The
plug is the same
>diameter but the threads are coarser (the DR's are finer)...we knew going
in that this might
>happen. When you change the oil you have to drop oil from 5 spots...the
drain plug on the case
>underneath...the oil filter cavity....the drain plug on the front
downtube...the strainer
>underneath the plug...and the oil line going from the strainer to the case.
My strainer seemed
>to be doing its job but perhaps had never been cleaned...lots of small
metal bits (bike has
>under 1,600 miles). It takes 2 qts to fill...I used Mobil 1 15-50w.
>
>2) Valve adjustment. Pretty straightforward, cramped work space. I had to
bend the tips of my
>feeler gauges and use a needle nose vice grip on the adjuster screw ( a
tiny square head). One
>exhaust needed adjustment...it was too loose.
>
>3) Pulled the plug out of the airbox, cleaned and re-oiled the stock
filter. I'm going to wait
>until Thumper markets their new airbox and K & N filter before putting an
aftermarket filter
>in.
>
>Upgrades installed with notes:
>
>1) Kouba links...went on in a snap, I used a floor jack under the left side
rear of the
>swingarm. Cleaned all the links when I had them out and pumped some fresh
grease in afterward.
>My SO loves them...is now able to touch the ground easily with 2.5" sag
(who knows maybe she
>was able to touch before)...
>
>2) Acerbis tank...thanks to Gino for a couple of tips and to Tim Bernard on
the fuel line
>routing warning. Went on well with a good fit. You have to take two of the
nuts off the top
>engine mounts and turn these into rubber mounts for the tank. They are
torqued pretty good so
>you have to have a good stout torque wrench to work with these. The
instructions are
>straightforward...they have you remove the rubber piece at the front bottom
edge of the seat.
>Petcocks (2) are non-vacuum actuated they should include a plug...still
searching for this?
>Fred?
>
>I bought plenty of nice blue premium fuel line after Gino warned us about
the crappy line that
>comes with the tank. I mounted two clear filters inline before the T...and
routed the lines up
>above the front of the carb and then one line directly down and just
behind the throttle
>cables to the fuel intake on the carb.
>
>3) Driveline's luggage rack and sideracks...I had Tim make me a deluxe rack
based on my stock
>rear subframe bar....The fit was tight but spot on...I now have 10.5 inches
of luggage rack to
>work with....the turn signals are moved inboard quite a bit so they will
not get dinged so
>easily.  The sideracks are, as expected, a work of art and bolt right
up...as Gino said, these
>should be a must for anyone with the S model.
>
>I started to dive into that ridiculous mudflap but decided I'd wait until I
had a good solution
>worked out...what is the consensus on the best way to go here?
>
>Kurt (BTW, we hit 96 subscribers this morning)
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:05:39 -0600
From: "Kurt Simpson" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (dr350) Fw: BOUNCE [e-mail]:    Non-member submission from ["H. Glass" <[e-mail]>]

>From: "H. Glass" <[e-mail]>
>Reply-To: [e-mail]
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.51 [en] (Win95; I)
>X-Accept-Language: en,de-DE
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>To: Bryan Cowger <[e-mail]>
>CC: dr350 <[e-mail]>
>Subject: Re: (dr350) Maintenance Weekend...
>References: <010401be84f4$2ae219a0$890246a6@kurt> <[e-mail]>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>Bryan Cowger wrote:
>
>>
>> Here's a tip I figured out this weekend for those who don't have the Special
>> Tool for the adjuster screw:  Take a short (~1") square-drive (Jorgenson?)
>
>"Robertson" to be exact, now that the patent has run out, widely available
>outside of Canada (one of the handiest fasteners for the handyman--you can
>aim the driver in ANY direction, but you need special drivers or driverbits: the drivers
>are colour coded, yellow for the tiniest, over green, red to black for the largest).
>
>While we're on ingenious substitutes, I just found out that the OIL FILLER CAP
>from my old VW Diesel Beetle, with two minute venting holes drilled top and
>bottom, makes a very servicable alternative to the PITA factory lockable number.
>Well, as long as you live in a neigbourhood where people don't mess with your
>scooter AND you don't have the habit of riding Flying W style: the ridge on the
>cap might alter your libido a bit.
>
>cheers,
>hpg
>
>
>
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 16:59:59 -0400
From: "david olson" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Re: (dr350) Kouba links...

Does anyone on the list have any experience with aftermarket  rear shocks? I
have seen a write up on Progressives 420 series but I believe it lacks
rebound adjustment
and a remote canister.
Any other alternatives out there?
My 90 DRS has compression adj. but also lacks rebound adj. It seems to get
worse the longer I ride.
We rode 70 miles at Leota Mich.. Saturday. The friend I was with, who had
been trying to talk me into a new KTM or WR, rode my DRS for 10 miles and
said I needed a new shock not a new bike!

Second question, has anyone installed Thumpers Bar Risers? If so do the
controls still fit or are cables/ cobbling necessary? Anyone else sell a
higher bar than Renthals CR bend?
- -----Original Message-----
From: [e-mail] <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail] <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail] <[e-mail]>; [e-mail]
<[e-mail]>
Date: Thursday, April 08, 1999 1:10 PM
Subject: Fwd: Re: (dr350) Kouba links...


>
>>
>
>Many thanks to Kurt Simpson, who started the dr350 list and has put
>countless hrs
>into its inception. Thanks  Norm
>
>Suzuki DR Suspensions
>HTTP://www.geocities.com/motorcity/2299
>Phone [phone]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 16:40:11 -0600
From: Michael Terrian <[e-mail]>
Subject: (dr350) Looking for a part!

I want to replace the rear seat rail on my DR350S with the DR350 dirt
version. I'm under the impression that they're lighter, being aluminum, and
are missing the turn signal and tool kit tabs. Anyone got one they're
willing to part with?

Mike Terrian
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 17:03:40 -0700
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Re: (dr350) Kouba links...

David,

White Brothers had a White Power shock in stock for the DR last summer, and it
cost somewhere in the $500+ range.

If you plan on riding like you do now then it would be cheaper to have your
stock shock rebuilt. If you plan on riding as aggressive as one needs to on a
KTM or WR (to make them work as they ought to) or if you ride with those who do,
there is still some hope left in your DR, but you must be willing to put some $
it.

I have suspension from an RMX on mine, along with a 441 kit; although it still
will not take the whoops as well as a smoker, not having that 2-stroke hit, plus
the burden of more weight, it's surprisingly not far behind, and many times in
front; superior in wide-open, high-speed sections and tighter woods - it's
somewhere in between that requires some work.

John




"david olson" <[e-mail]> on 04/12/99 01:59:59 PM

Please respond to "david olson" <[e-mail]>

Does anyone on the list have any experience with aftermarket  rear shocks? I
have seen a write up on Progressives 420 series but I believe it lacks
rebound adjustment
and a remote canister.
Any other alternatives out there?
My 90 DRS has compression adj. but also lacks rebound adj. It seems to get
worse the longer I ride.
We rode 70 miles at Leota Mich.. Saturday. The friend I was with, who had
been trying to talk me into a new KTM or WR, rode my DRS for 10 miles and
said I needed a new shock not a new bike!

Second question, has anyone installed Thumpers Bar Risers? If so do the
controls still fit or are cables/ cobbling necessary? Anyone else sell a
higher bar than Renthals CR bend?

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 19:55:17 -0700
From: jessekientz <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (dr350) Kouba links...

[e-mail] wrote:
>
> David,
>
> White Brothers had a White Power shock in stock for the DR last summer, and it
> cost somewhere in the $500+ range.
>
> If you plan on riding like you do now then it would be cheaper to have your
> stock shock rebuilt. If you plan on riding as aggressive as one needs to on a
> KTM or WR (to make them work as they ought to) or if you ride with those who do,
> there is still some hope left in your DR, but you must be willing to put some $
> it.
>
> I have suspension from an RMX on mine, along with a 441 kit; although it still
> will not take the whoops as well as a smoker, not having that 2-stroke hit, plus
> the burden of more weight, it's surprisingly not far behind, and many times in
> front; superior in wide-open, high-speed sections and tighter woods - it's
> somewhere in between that requires some work.
>
> John
>
> "david olson" <[e-mail]> on 04/12/99 01:59:59 PM
>
> Please respond to "david olson" <[e-mail]>
>
> Does anyone on the list have any experience with aftermarket  rear shocks? I
> have seen a write up on Progressives 420 series but I believe it lacks
> rebound adjustment
> and a remote canister.
> Any other alternatives out there?
> My 90 DRS has compression adj. but also lacks rebound adj. It seems to get
> worse the longer I ride.
> We rode 70 miles at Leota Mich.. Saturday. The friend I was with, who had
> been trying to talk me into a new KTM or WR, rode my DRS for 10 miles and
> said I needed a new shock not a new bike!
>
> Second question, has anyone installed Thumpers Bar Risers? If so do the
> controls still fit or are cables/ cobbling necessary? Anyone else sell a
> higher bar than Renthals CR bend?
david i have a 90 dr dirt only model and have tried various things to my
suspension.
1.87 rm front forks cartrige type which require changing the front wheel
bearings, the axle is larger but you can get the bearings from a bearing
supply house with the same outside dimension to fit into the dr wheel
you may have to play with the spacers a little but i believe you will be
pleased with the results.
2.have your shock hard anodized type 111 spec. then send it to scotts
and have George revalve it and install a longer shaft to match up with
the extra inch you will pick up with the RM forks to keep the bikes
attitude right. the shock cost me approx.$200.00 at scotts. I could
probably help you out with the plating.
3.Now if you feel really adventurous you could call PPS and put an olins
shock and figure out how to tell you wife that you just spent 800.00
plus dollars.
any Questions i will be happy to help any way I can
[e-mail]_plus.net

------------------------------

End of dr350-digest V1 #16
**************************