Finally got the bike back ($1800 later) with engine rebuilt (new piston, rings, valves and a clean out and service

had the bike out on the weekend and it runs really well. Dealer has now recommended that i do not use the safari tank that they sold me for $600 and that i should fit a fan to radiator.

So following this recommendation my additional costs for the 1200km that the bike has done are:

Transport bike to perth $300
engine rebuild $1800
Transport bike back home $300
Safari Tank $600
Fan $200

So thats an extra $2.66 per km so far over what i should have paid.

I have also bought a vapour dash assambly for the temperature gauge feature which i will install over the next few days.

Unfortunatly now i need to start the run in process all over again.

Sorry about your loss Random Dude.

Did I understand correctly that the dealer said NOT to fit the safari tank and still fit a thermo fan?

Thermo fan's are a great addition, but with one of these fitted you should have no issues running a safari tank again.

The vapor will give you additional piece of mind by being able to monitor the temp, the one feature I wish my aftermarket job had.

From other's I have spoken too, most DRZ's are reluctant to overheat even without a fan fitted.

I guess the main thing to keep in mind, is most bikes give off warning signs that they are overheating - such as the obvious sounds of dripping on a hot pipe to steam and acting like they are lean (popping and backfiring).

Some advise I would like to give others is to make sure you have substantial coolant in the overflow tank (at least half full when cold). This is your failsafe should your bike boil as when the fluid expands this will fill the remainder of the catch tank and once this is full it will come out the breather and you will notice it then.

I have also seen some DRZ speedos with the temp light, though not the Australian E models that I have seen. Got me buggered why the stock speedo has no temp indication.

My 2 cents

good to see you are back on the road dude.....

Ironic that the dealer recommended another mod, and it was a mod that voided your warranty in the first place...
This has been a worrying discussion given the bullet proof reputation that the DRZ has.

If the dealer sold you the tank, and he seriously believes that the damage was caused from the tank ??? .. Why didnt he tell you when you bought the tank??? . Or was making a sale more important to him ??..Either way the dealer is an ass . In any case , just because a guy has a few bucks in his pocket and buys a dealership, doesnt make him any wiser than the next guy ... He just has his name on the door , A door you probably will never want to enter again ?.. Just my opinion , but i think the dealer is wrong about the tank and is full of it .... With the the thousands and thousands of safari tanks world wide , why isnt it a talking point, why dont we see this discussed on any of the many many web sites , and magazines ??..Simpily because the dealer seen an easy way out , and is full of it ... cheers

Good wrote:


Hey Good

Just interested in your comments about the overflow bottle. Is this how your bike came? Mine never has anything in it - interesting.

The coolant bottle is located where the frame meets the lower attachment point of the sub-frame (sort of half wraps around the rear spring). I have seen a few DRZ's that have nothing in there but (like the catch tank in your car) should be around half full or better when the bike is cold.

Like I said, they are difficult to fill. Best trying to fill them when the bike is warm. Take the radiator cap off and keep filling til the tank is around 3/4 full (I like to leave a little room in there).

As I understand it - there should always be some fluid in this tank (more when hot). When the bike heats up the fluid expands and fills the tank. As it cools down it creates a vacuum and sucks the fluid up.

The only other way I can see of filling is by removing the coolant catch tank hose from the top of the rad and filling it with a large syringe.

interesting coment GOOD
the dealer i got my bike off told me its only ther incase you drop the bike ,, other wise there shouldnt be anything in it,, hhhmmmmm
might do a bit more research on that ,,,

drztroy wrote:


Your dealer is retarded :) You can turn the bike upside down and nothing will come out of the radiator.

The DRZ (like nearly every other bike / car made) has a pressurized cooling system. When it gets hot it pressurizes up to the relieving pressure of the cap. Usually 1.1bar (about 10kPa above atmospheric pressure). Once it goes above that pressure it pushes past the cap into the overflow tank. Then once it cools down it will try to go into negative pressure (slight vacuum). When this happens another flap valve in the radiator cap opens and lets the radiator suck the water back up, from the overflow bottle. If you don't have any fluid in the overflow, then it might be sucking air back into the radiator every time it cools down.

On a car, the cooling system is very large and there is a lot of expansion of the water. This means you will always see the overflow level rise as the car comes up to operating temperature, and go back down when it cools.

The DRZ has a tiny cooling system. It's level doesn't change much at all between cold and normal running. Expansion of the hoses and stuff almost compensate for the expansion of the water during normal running. So you don't need much in the overflow to ensure it won't suck up air when cold. But you will also have to get it very hot for it to boil and overflow an empty overflow bottle.

Hmmm these comments about the over-flow tank are interesting. I asked my Suzuki dealer about the overflow being empty but the radiator being full. He said that's the way it should be but i don't like that idea...I put some more in so atleast i can monitor the level in the overflow without popping the cap off every ride. Guess i'm old fashioned and like to have a clear visual as to what the coolant is doing! ;)

But you will also have to get it very hot for it to boil and overflow an empty overflow bottle.[/quote]

I second this motion. The reason I run a fairly full overflow tank is so I get audible and visual indications if the bike does overheat. Routing your catch (overflow) tank breather hose onto something hot will also help you hear when your DRZ needs a breather.