You might mistake it for a certain scrambler-type bike from a certain Italian manufacturer
The Suzuki DR Z400SM, in essence, is a fun supermoto that is more than capable of carving up some twisty mountain roads but its design leaves much to be desired. However, with enough creative juices and a lot of talent, one can transform it into something much more aesthetically pleasing like this black and yellow example seen here.
Built by Mark from Brooklyn Moto, who later handed over the project to Sebastian ‘Seba’ Achaval who operates under the oneYedeer banner, the custom DR Z400SM has gone through a complete overhaul. The bike has lost its its long tail, plastic bodywork and motocross-style seat, and looks nothing like the original.
Also gone is the original fuel tank, which was replaced with one from the Yamaha SR500. Seba also built a new twin-tube subframe and fitted a shorter, Alcantara-wrapped seat on top of it. Despite its size, the new seat can accommodate a passenger on short trips, which is why the rear foot pegs remain. At the back, you’ll see a pair of flushed-in LED strips acting as rear lights.
Next, Seba moved on the front where he installed a Ducati Scrambler headlight and a Honda ST70 Dax minibike front fender that can be set in different positions thanks to adjustable height and angle brackets. The Argentine also increased the steering lock and replaced the filler assembly with one sourced from a Triumph Thruxton.
To ensure the bike complies with the clean design concept that the owner is going for, the original twin radiator setup was replaced with a big single radiator taken from a Honda CBR500. The fan and sensors are retained but they now get custom-made sockets and brackets.
Rizoma bars and clamps, and a Mini speedometer from Motogadget make up most of the cockpit now. Again, in his effort to achieve an uncluttered look, Seba hid the wires for the switches and bar end blinkers and rerouted the front brake line.
To let the engine remain untouched would be unforgiveable at this point. Accordingly, the liquid-cooled four-stroke mill was fitted with custom-made headers and a retuned Mikuno carburettor for easier breathing. Also thrown in is a Supertrapp muffler that gives off a better tone to complement the whole package.
