My 1997 DR 350 SE(V)   motor photos

This is the '97 DR before I started swapping the parts to it from my '94 DR.	This is the parts swapping project in progress.
This is a photo taken 5/11/02.  I like to use "number plate backing" on my side panels. It is large vinyl adhesive decal material that motocross riders use on their bikes to place on the number plate before they attach their race numbers. It gives the bike a nicer appearance and makes it stand out from every other 97 DR out there.  It also serves to protect the number plates from scuffs and scratches when I go trail blazing through overgrown/abandoned forest roads.
Auxiliary wiring required for grip heater and other cockpit accessories.  I ran a 12AWG wire direct from battery to the wiring center behind the headlight shroud.  See red wire above and its fuse holder.  Fuse holder is near bottom of air box and above screw hole for side cover.  It is a blade style fuse holder. Exiting the fuse holder is a red wire that's spliced to a green wire that follows the factory wiring to the front of the bike.
Routing of the green 12 AWG wire.  It follows the factory wiring harness
Up front (behind the headlight shroud) I have the green wire connected to a 12v relay.  The relay is powered from an ignition switched wire, so the relay is energized only when the key is on. when the key is OFF, the relay is de-energized.  The relay method of wiring the accessories insures my battery won't drain while the bike is off if I leave the grip heaters on.  I have a lot of extra wires here - they are for the relay, GPS, 12 volt aux outlet and grip heaters. Near the top left, is a blue wire.  Just below the blue wire is a wire splice - the orange wire goes to a factory connector and is HOT when the key is ON.  The green wire feeds power to the relay to energize it, so the relay is energized only while the key is ON.  This prevents my grip heaters from draining the battery while the bike is OFF.  Another green wire feeds power to the relay from the battery - see photos above. I have the GPS and 12 volt aux outlet (cigarette lighter plug) wired to the "hot" side of the relay, so they are "hot" regardless of the position of the ignition switch. TIP:  I also disabled the clutch start interlock.  The wires that leave the clutch lever are encased in black tubing.  You'll see that they come out of the tubing as a yellow and yellow/green wire. I disconnected them from the wire harness and connected the two wires of the harness together, and connected the two that go to the clutch lever together. RAM GPS mount and GPS wire
Roll chart holder on left side, Garmin GPS III+ secured with RAM mount.  and handlebar mirrors
Trail clearing attachment strapped to back of bike.

List of modifications and enhancements (Same as the list from the '94 DR)  The components that I modified on the '94 (airbox, suspension, etc) got swapped to the '97 DR:

• Gearing: 15/47
• I jettisoned the rear "wheelie bar" fender extension in favor of a small Acerbis fender extension with incorporated license plate mount.
• IMS wide foot pegs - An absolute must have accessory.  These make a huge difference in comfort when riding the bike standing up - highly recommended for serious trail riders.
• K&N air cleaner
• Drilled six holes in the airbox - three on each side
• Clarke gas tank: 4+ gallon capacity
• Front tire = Pirelli MT21  People say this is the best dual sport (DOT Approved) tire for a bike that sees mostly dirt.  I agree
• Rear tire = Pirelli MT21 and MT16. From 1995-2002 I had been using an MT21.  I decided to try something new in September 2002 and bought an MT16. So far it has been working well in the terrain I ride here in the Pacific NW.  Note: The MT16 is not D.O.T. approved.
• Tire pressure = 14 front and rear.  I always carry a tire gauge when I ride.   After riding for an hour or so, the tires warm up causing an increase in pressure so I lower them back to 14 PSI.
• Cyco Active tube carrier for front fender
• Stainless steel rear rack, this rack is "bomb proof."  I have even used it to carry a chainsaw.  Photos of rack: photo 1  photo 2
• Bicycle style handlebar mirrors.
• Acerbis Rallye hand guards
• Acerbis frame guards and front fork/brake rotor guards.
• Pro Grip gel grips, safety wired to prevent them from rotating on the handlebars
• Alumalite CR high bend bars shortened 3/4 inch on each side.
• 5.8 kg Eibach rear spring
• Progressive front springs
• 12v power outlet on the dash to power my helmet mounted video camera
• Snowmobile style grip heaters - great for keeping hands warm on those early morning rides.

Home | Tips | Gear list | Links

Updated 02/26/06