Gary.....we appreciate you posting and sharing this project - a lot of us are gearheads and we aren't limited to working on the Savage exclusively (I am just about to start my 250 Ninja project with a kit from Blue Collar Bobbers that I will be modifying a bit to suit my own needs).

I hope you can get the Cafe' bike back together by the time warm weather returns....so you have something to ride when you need to pick up more beer (a 6 pack can be hauled in a backpack).



 

My tracker , 3 years , almost done , estimated alcohol, 2357 beers & 6 gal of good tequila  

To me, the fuel tank is the defining feature of this bike. The tail section is unique and beautifully constructed, but my eyes are drawn to the tank and the aggressive front-to-rear stance of the bike.  So this “build” started (or more accurately me killing time on my iPad) with me trying to identify the fuel tank used on the subject bike.

In the many write-ups available on-line about this bike Leo doesn’t reveal the fuel tank exact origin but I knew from the research I did on the bike that it had been identified as being from a 1970’s vintage Suzuki off-road bike. The unique feature of this tank is the rising neck near the steering head.  On one website there was a suggestion that it was from a TM-400, so I started there. It wasn’t (and I should have known because my brother owned a TM-400). So I looked at the entire TM line from that period. No luck. Then I moved onto the early RM line, the TS line and the TC line. No luck. Maybe it was a trials bike? Nope, not a PE either. I came to the conclusion that the builder must have done some custom fabrication to the tank to make the neck happen. I don’t have that type of welding skill, so that kind of makes this build a non-starter for me.

Discouraged I forget about the bike for a few weeks. Then in December I stumbled across another photo of the bike in an article called “The Best Bike Builds of 2016”. There is was…what is that tank? I decided to research every bike Suzuki built in the 70’s, starting at 1970 and working my way up. After a few days I came across a bike line that I (and probably most American’s) all but forgot about, the DS line. I typed “1978 Suzuki DS” into Google and up came a photo of a 1978 DS185 with that tank! More research showed that that tank was used on the entire DS line (100/125/185/250) in 1978 and 1979. A look on ebay showed 3 examples available; one unusable tank for $99, one decent tank that needed light body work (also had light rust inside) for $150, and a NOS for $899. I reflected on these choices for a few days. From my café racer experience I knew that a little repair work actually equals a lot of time or money; and there was no way I was going to spend $900 on a tank. I decided that the $150 could be a good value and decided to look at it again. And it was gone.

Undeterred and now emotionally committed, I started to think “Suzuki reuses everything as much as possible…and they are a worldwide platform…where else was that tank used”? There’s no way they developed that tank for the little produced DS series. I started looking at exploded views on ronayers.com.  The 78-79 model years were the last years Suzuki used metal fuel tanks on their off-road bikes, and I learned that Suzuki made two versions of the TS line, a TSxxxT and a TSxxxC. I believe that the T models were made for the US and the C models were sold worldwide. I was very familiar with T style as I owned a number of these bikes in, and from, the ‘70’s. The difference between the models seems to be that the T had features more geared to dirt riding (like a high front fender) while the C was more street orientated (low front fender).  The C models use the same fuel tank used on the DS line. My search criteria just opened up to include the TS100C, TS125C, TS185C and TS250C. The TS/C’s and the DS’s all use a similar 2.11 (100/125/185) to 2.6 (250) gallon tank.

A search on ebay showed a number of tanks available, all in very rough condition with corrosion on the inside. I also decided to contact a few part locating services hoping to expand my reach. After a few days I was offered a DS185 tank in primer for $350. Unknown to me was the amount work done on the tank to get to this condition. If dents were simply filled rather than properly removed that could have a significant impact on the miniscule 2.11 gallon capacity. I decided to compare this tank to those available on ebay. On this day there was also a listing for a NOS tank from a TS-125C for $399. This tank was located in Finland and shipping was actually very reasonable. I clicked “Buy it Now” and declared myself committed to the DRZ build. The only thing I needed now was a donor bike and to make contact with Leo Yip to see if he’d be willing to share information or even build me one of his tail sections/seatpan. Thinking about it, that seems like something I should have done that first, right?



I really like the paint job on the Ellaspede bike - but this tank is original 1978 Suzuki. I may attempt to remove the graphics, but if they can't be removed without leaving a perfect tank, my build will include the theme of these graphics.

I have owned dozens of bikes over the years, and if I had to guess I’d say that 90% of them were purchased in the dead of winter. To me, it’s just the best time to shop and find bargains. So in early December I started to look for a DR-Z400 on Craig’s List. There are 3 models of the DR-Z400; the E that is an off-road only version (kick start only too), the S which is street legal (e-start only) and includes turn signals, DOT lighting, a brake light and mirrors, and the SM which is a supermoto version of the S that has an USD forks (same fork as the E & S, just USD), 17” wheels, big front brake and an upgraded pumper carburetor. I love the SM version but two things kept me from seeking this version; (1) the cost and (2) Leo used an S version and it just looks right. But if I’m being honest, it was mostly the cost. It’s hard to find an SM for less than $4,000 and most sell for closer to $5,000. Too rich for a build bike. I found a lot of S models in the $3,000-$4,000 range, but I thought those were also too expensive for a build bike. Ideally I was looking for a non-wrecked bike with spent/broken plastics. Something with low miles, rough where it didn’t matter but in good condition where it did. My ideal bike should cost below $2,500.

I was doing a little research on how to add a kick starter to an S model (because I’m a weirdo that loves to kick a bike to life) where I read “this kit fits all S and KLX models”.  And then I remembered that the Kawasaki KLX400 is just a DRZ with green plastic. A look on Craig’s showed that there was a 2003 KLX with 6,000 just 35 minutes from me. This bike fit my ideal bike criteria; low miles, worn plastic (and torn seat), low price - $1,800. I loaded it into my truck the next day. It's dirty and rough looking, but it runs perfectly.

This build is now very real.

Well, if you're gonna make it pretty, you've sure got a job ahead of you.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 01/12/17 at 08:57:56:

Well, if you're gonna make it pretty, you've sure got a job ahead of you.

Paint hides all sins

The parts that matter are in good shape. BTW, take a close look at the original bike - there's all sorts of scars on the engine case and frame.

When they do my autopsy they will declare me to be authentic.