Big Changes, Big Rides... just Big.

Okay, so as predicted by various readers and friends, I did the unthinkable and moved up to a larger bike. This, unashamedly, was predicated by the purchase by my younger brother of an insanely rad KTM 400 EXC. If any of you have younger siblings, you know that you CANNOT be upstaged by them, especially if we're all meeting up for a ride in the desert. I do love the TW200 and will keep it around as my town cruiser/grocery getter/back-up bike but, let's face it, when you're 210lbs you kind of look like the big clown on the little bike. And, really, I didn't want to hear the heckle fest that would undoubtedly rain down on me when we got together. 

So, I scored a great deal on a 2006, Suzuki DRZ 400s with only 1300 miles on it (the story of this purchase will be told in a future post- it's a good one!). Best part? I only paid $2600 for it- the thing is practically new! No, it's not hot. It was just purchased by a guy who barely used it. Standard story: Guy bought it to ride with friends, did a couple rides, friends don't ride as much, so he just let it sit around... until Mom demanded he get it the hell out of the house. YES, a motivated buyer, me with a cash offer well below his asking price (and no shame when it comes to wheeling and dealing), a Mom demanding the bike be gone... perfect! Here's a couple shots of the new ride: 

My new bike! 2006 DRZ 400s

At first, I was worried about how big the bike was- it looked giant next to my little TW200. It only took one ride for me to fall in love with it. I putted it around the neighborhood and got used to the extra power of the bike and then took her right out to Ocotillo Wells to see how riding this beast would feel. Guess what? The bike is unreal. Specifically, I like the extra suspension travel and the solid, down the line feel of the bike. Right off the bat, I was able to cruise the deep sand washes at more than twice the speed I was going on the TW200. 

The bike is heavier which I think helps its stability in the sand. The power enabled me to putt up hills that I had to gun it on with the TW and for some reason, it just inspires confidence. I really like the bike. There were a couple issues I had to deal with to get her up to speed (I'll discuss later) the biggest issue being the removal of the Kouba lowering link the previous owner had installed. Check back for more of that story and some pics from a couple great rides on the new bike.