DR750 & DR800 owners thread

[the_sad_punk]

Just thought id share my finding after having fitted a 12.7mm bore master cylinder to my HE 4 pot caliper.
Previously had a 15.8mm bandit mc on which was not a good match to this caliper, no travel and no power.




Its off a new ninja 250.

Perfect for on road action, lovely and progressive building strongly with enough feel to stop on a sixpence! Acceptable on gravel as the initial bite isint too harsh at all but obviously not for anyone doing anything approaching serious offroading.
I even did a wee little rolling stoppie (in the wet!) thanks to anakee2 grip As good as id want in brakes on any bike and mucho recommended for the tarmac fellas out there.

[Ladder106]

Thanks for the conversion page.

Thanks to all for their responses. It gives me an idea of what's "normal"

I knew there would be a "range". My point was that with the carb rebuilds, I was looking for improved efficiency. Having it get worse told me something had changed. I know I altered it from stock. Hopefully dropping the needles a bit will help. I'll run a tank or two through it and see what happens

I'd like to see 19 to 20 km/litre but am not going to sacrifice engine safety or performance to get there. 400 to 420 km before hitting "reserve" works very nicely for my normal day rides and I'd like to get that back.

[Bambi]

Hello sad punk,
is that brake-lever width-adjustable?
Thanks-a-lot for sharing!
Kind regards, Bambi

[ausibatla]

I finally put the new decals I had made up on my helmet. Thought some of you might like to see them. Especially the Aussie Big decal. Might be of interest to the aussies.
Sorry they're so big.

Cheers.

[robmoto]

Originally Posted by Ladder106

Can you guys give me an idea of the fuel consumption of a well tuned SR41 (750) DR?

I put the carbs from the SR42 on my bike (the ones with the removable pilot jets). The bike runs great after replacing all the O-rings and slide guides but is using more fuel. I used to go 400 to 420 k before using "reserve"....Now it's down to 370 k.

Milage is 38 miles/gallon .... or .... about 16 kilometers per liter.

With the old standard SR41 carbs I was averaging 42 to 45 miles per gallon ... or ... 18 to 19 k/l.

In comparing the carb specs in the service manual, I noted the SR42 carbs have a richer needle jet (O-5 rather than O-4) but use the same needles.

To compensate I moved the needle clip up one notch (to lower the needle) today. Only rode around the neighborhood since I was running out of time. The bike ran fine without any hint of lean conditions. I'll give it a better ride tomorrow. Unmodded airbox, clean standard filter, standard exhaust.

I'd just like to know what figures are "normal" or common for the Big

Ray SR/42 in the manual say they run 117.5 mains , standard mains for SR/41 750 are 120 just thought I would remention this if you are going back to 750 needle jets.
Allso that methonol fuel which is coming here in july my state NSW gives poorer econimy, I use 98 0ctane and that will be available as allways , they are doing away with 91 octane unleaded.

[Ladder106]

Rob,

I left the mains alone thinking that if the 800 runs OK with slightly smaller mains and slightly richer needle jets, then the 750 would be OK with those numbers also.

Maybe I'm wrong.

Had the bike out for a 20 mile run yesterday and the fueling is just fine.

All I did was drop the needles one notch. I'll run a few tankfuls through the bike and recalc the mileage again. The needles do show a bit of "shiny" wear (no notches or anything) so they may be worn to a bit richer state than standard. The needles and needle jets are the two parts that I did NOT replace on my carb rebuild. Right now, I'm thinking I could even go a touch leaner on the needles......we'll see.

[Ladder106]

So I'm changing the oil on the 750 this afternoon.

Open the oil filter case, remove filter and out falls this.

It's silver and magnetic so steel something. It's thin and quite hard...cant bend it with fingers or tweezers...haven't tried pliers.

Photos taken with a 6mm alllen screw for reference.







Should I stop riding? My inclination is to keep going. I wish I could identify the bit but can not. A Bit of hard facing from a gear in the gearbox? A bit of bearing ball retainer (God I hope not).

No other debris found in the oil that was drained. Nothing in the oil drain pan. Nothing in the screen under the cover on the bottom of the engine.

Any and all advice gratefully accepted and considered.

Sorry to be to needy lately. The States is a lonely place for a Big.

[robmoto]

Ray, It is not from the gears our gear teeth are staight cut that bit of metal has a curve in it , can you see if it bends with say using 2 pair of pliers to make it bend or does it snap.
I t does not look like to me that it came from a roller bearing cage either soet of looks like a bit of locating dowle not sure try the bend test.

Now main jets the SR/42 ran I think smaller mains because it has more vacume at the carbies because of the bigger volume in the cylinder so sucking more fuel so they decreased the main jet size to componsate .
they both run the same airbox same aircleaner and BST 33 carbs .
Technically at full throttle at high revs using 117.5 mains it may loose some performance compared to the 120,s.
This would burn me up inside knowing that there is extra performance for so little work .

[kyle]

Originally Posted by robmoto

looks like a bit of locating dowle not sure try the bend test.

was my first thought

[Ladder106]

But the only time the locating dowels are exposed are when the engine cases/cylinder/head is apart. How can a piece come adrift if sealed into the case.

Wait....don't answer that 'cause I don't want to know. I'll be stopping to assess every little weird sound from no on anyway.

[MCmad]

Originally Posted by Ladder106

So I'm changing the oil on the 750 this afternoon.

Open the oil filter case, remove filter and out falls this.

It's silver and magnetic so steel something. It's thin and quite hard...cant bend it with fingers or tweezers...haven't tried pliers.

Photos taken with a 6mm alllen screw for reference.







Should I stop riding? My inclination is to keep going. I wish I could identify the bit but can not. A Bit of hard facing from a gear in the gearbox? A bit of bearing ball retainer (God I hope not).

No other debris found in the oil that was drained. Nothing in the oil drain pan. Nothing in the screen under the cover on the bottom of the engine.

Any and all advice gratefully accepted and considered.

Sorry to be to needy lately. The States is a lonely place for a Big.

I dont want to give advice on this but can only say I bought a original YZ400F a while ago and like a good boy gave it a oil change after first ride and lo and behold metal fillings in the oil (aluminium I think) was real annoyed but anyway decided to give it another run and change the oil again, same thing, in the end I gave up as decided it wasn't worth stripping so have run it now for about another 20 hrs and it still goes real well and makes no weird noises (other than the paranoid ones I think I hear) Not advising you but it might be part of a tab washer or something and you may struggle to find its source even when stripped ?

Regards jets My YZ290 had to be jetted down coming from a 250 as more suck more fuel and vis versa, and your altitude is another determining factor, more air at sea level needs more fuel and vis versa (sorry I know you all knew that but just in-case) I would imagine Suzuki would jet bike for worst case scenario so it would not overheat so in theory a smaller main jet should be ok though ?
Some Carb and jetting links http://www.dansmc.com/carbs2.htm http://www.motorcyclecarbs.com/carbs101.pdf

Fuel economy, things like time of year (air temp and moisture content) plus grades of fuel can make a big difference so when comparing it has to be apples for apples

We await Bluesmans appraisal


Memory lane again (those were the days)

[the_sad_punk]

Ladder, may i again draw your attention to the picture of doom that awaited me in my sump



It was from a starter gear, was replaced and the junk was never fished out. It had done thousands of miles with that in it.
I nearly had a coronary and brought her to a very respected mech for a total engine strip down and rebuild. After handing over the sheckles the mech laughed and told me that it would have been better if i had never seen it as once shes shifting well, and running well these lumps are pretty damn robust Said he knew as much when he compression checked it before stripping too.

My humble advice is flush it for peace of mind, change the oil and filter and see about installing one of those dr650 magnetic sump nuts or that magnetic filter ring (or something along that line from procycle) to catch anything that it encounters.

[bluesman]

I'd second what said above.
Debris usually causing problem IF it block oil ways. In DR it is almost impossible with that oil screen design.
You remember what I fished from mine when I took it apart first time? That infamous washer that sits on parasite gear - one side had it, other side - nope. And I was sure it is how it should be. Until I removed oil screen to find that 25 mm diameter washer just sitting there.
FYI- I bought bike and done about 1000 km before I opened it :)

And it does look like locating dove indeed.

[mait]

If it is soft and thin then it may as well be a tab from lock washer which has snapped off. You know these soft metal lock washers with bendable tabs.

[ausibatla]

For Ladder106

HER DIARY:

Tonight I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice resaurant for dinner. I had been shopping all day with friends and I thought he was upset because I was a bit late but he made no comment on it. Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed but didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong, he said "Nothing". I asked him if it was my fault he was upset, he said he wasn't upset, it was nothing to do with me and not to worry about it. On the way home I told him that I loved him. He just smiled and kept on driving. I don't know why he didn't tell me he loved me too. By the time we got home I felt I had lost him completely. It was as if he didn't want me anymore. He just sat there quietly, watching TV. He seemed so distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later he came to bed as well. I knew he was distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep and I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm positive he has another woman. My life is a disaster.

HIS DIARY:

Bloody motorbike wont start. Can't work out why.

Cheers.