Giving an old off-roader a modern makeover! Equipping the POLISPORT Full Re-Styling Exterior Kit on the DR-Z400SM

• DR-Z400S
• DR-Z400SM

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More than 20 years have passed since the release of the DR-Z400S/DR-Z400SM and those who own one are bound to be noticing scratches and fading on the exterior. The Full Re-Styling Kit for DR-Z400E from POLISPORT will transform that exterior into a stylish RM-Z look.

Since its announcement, the full set, which includes not only the exterior kit but also the headlight, has been the talk of the town among DR-Z riders! This time, a Webike staff member has sacrificed their own DR-Z400SM (MY'07) to verify if the kit can be installed on the S/SM models that are not listed as compatible on the manufacturer's website.

What is a "Re-Styling" kit?

Exterior parts for off-road motorcycles, which are made for being roughed up, are subject to severe wear and tear. For this reason, there are many aftermarket manufacturers that make parts for them, and POLISPORT is a brand that boasts a large share of the global market in this field. The reason for their popularity is their wide range of compatible makes and models, their high quality that has even been adopted as stock parts by bike manufacturers, and above all, their good cost efficiency, which is important for consumable parts!

The "Re-Styling Kit" is one of POLISPORT's most popular exterior kit series. The concept of these kits is that they allow the user to easily achieve a modern style akin to the latest models. Even if you are lucky enough that your bike still has stock exterior parts available for purchase, it is nice to be able to freshen it up and make it look like one of the latest machines! It is also possible to build a beautiful machine from an old used bike!

Newly released Full Re-Styling (Exterior + Headlight) Kit for DR-Z400E!

The newest addition to the Re-Styling Kit series is the Full Re-Styling Kit for the DR-Z400E. This kit includes a headlight and is a good bargain for a complete makeover kit. For those of you who have a headlight you don't want to change, they also offer a kit without headlight here: [Re-Styling] Full Exterior Kit for DR-Z400E.

Installing the exterior kit according to the instructions

First, an introduction to the base bike

It is a beautifully kept DR-Z400SM. The only already customized point to be concerned about is the exhaust system.

The unboxing!

Although the packaging size is comparable to a typical exterior kit, we recommend that you prepare a place to store it when it arrives.

First impression regarding installation!

It did not go on without a fight...
However, the amount of modification necessary was small compared to installing an exterior for a completely different model! It shouldn't be a problem for a bike shop or a person who is good at customization. Here, we will show you what it was like for an amateur to take on the task.

The vanguard of exterior parts installation: Front Fender

The front fender can be installed by attaching the bracket and following the instructions. Let's start with the easy part.

Using countersunk bolts, secure the conversion bracket with the two bolt holes at the front of the bike. Once the bracket is secured, attach the fender with four bolts. Use long bolts for the rear bolt holes to fasten the bracket and fender together, and short bolts for the front. The holes in the bracket are threaded for easy installation. So far so good!

The unsung hero: Shrouds

Current bikes often have pointy shrouds, and the DR-Z, which was super cool when it was first released, now looks old-fashioned. So let's restyle those shrouds into an RM-Z look. First, the right side.

Perfect! It can be installed with the stock bolts. Now on to the left side.

It didn't go on perfectly, but the only problem was that the bolt hole below the tank is slightly off. For those of you who are skilled, this is probably not hard to modify. Enlarge the upper side of the bolt hole and you're good to go!

Modification is the norm: Rear Fender

In the 90's, trail bikes were often designed with a drooping rear end, and many off-roaders would have prefered to use flip-up fenders, whether aftermarket or appropriated from other models. Suzuki, famous for their hard-core off-road bikes, upheld this trend with the DR-Z, which featured a flip-up rear fender, much to the excitement of riders like us. You might think there is no need to replace this fender, but we're going with the whole kit.

This also did not go on without modification. First, cut the unnecessary parts according to the instruction manual. The product has cut lines on it, so you can follow the lines and cut the left and right sides. Cut the dowels that remain on the inside of the fender as well.

Next, drill holes following the guide on the back side to secure it to the seat rail.

Now it's time to put it on.

There was some interference on the right side of the seat rail. But it is OK if you cut it as shown in the photo! Next, we move on to the tail light.

There is a gap between the inner fender and the rear fender...
But this area can be streamlined by using a fender eliminator kit or the like.

Side cover with quick fasteners for race use (left)

The lid to access the air cleaner is attached with quick fasteners. Although it is not so common these days, this is essential for ED races and rallies to save time and be able to change the air cleaner within the allotted time. This specification shows the dedication to racing of the time!

This one also put up a fight! However, if you are a fierce fighter who braved the rear fender, you'll be done in a blink of an eye.

The rib on the backside of the rear side cover interferes with the battery case, so cut that area. Unfortunately, the quick fasteners cannot be purchased by themselves as stock parts, so you will need to reuse them or purchase compatible ones separately. The bolt holes can be left as they are!

Side cover that gets a lot of looks (right)

The side cover on the silencer side is a part that you look at often without thinking about it. The shape of this part may be a concern to many people. This bike is equipped with a YOSHIMURA tri-cone exhaust.

It doesn't work...
It's a shame, because it looks like it could be attached without modification, but it comes right up against the silencer!

It will likely have interference even with the stock spec SM silencer. This is where the artistic types can shine, we've got to make a cut that will both look cool and avoid interference. Since this part is visible, file it down carefully.

The included heat-resistant sheet is applied to the back side. And here is a comparison of old and new. The bolt holes can be left as they are!

Lastly, the new face: Headlight Mask

The stock headlight mask is cool enough, but the included "HALO" headlight is a small headlight that creates a racer like look. Since the bulb is H4, a conversion harness is required.

The headlight is bolted to the brackets, and the brackets are secured to the front forks with rubber connectors. Two types of brackets are included in the kit. It may be advisable to use the long brackets for trail bikes with meters, etc., and the short ones for competition bikes. For this bike, the long brackets were used. Insert the protrusion of the rubber connector into the hole on the long bracket and rotate it 90 degrees to complete the docking.

Temporarily attach it to the front fork. The rubber connector is designed to be pulled quite a bit before hooking it, to prevent the headlight from falling off. There are two hooks to accommodate bikes with narrow fork diameters.

The headlight is attached to the brackets in four places with the included nuts and bolts. Since long holes are used, the range of adjustability is wide and installation is relatively easy. Since there was no interference with the meters, we can say that this time it went well.

Then comes the final challenge: wiring. The stock bulb is PH8 standard, so you will need to create a conversion harness so that an H4 bulb can be installed. Here is what we need.

Couplers are available at Webike!
H4 Bulb Coupler: Amon Part No. 30063
Three-pole Coupler: Amon Part No. 30042 (Same shape as stock)

Use a PH8 female coupler for the main harness on the body side and an H4 female coupler for the headlight side. A wiring diagram is included in the kit, so please refer to it for confirmation and use the photos as reference for the connection point!

Attach to the headlight. This time, the small lamp was not used. Connect the headlight to the main harness using the conversion harness we made.

The finished product!

Most of the modifications are not noticeable after everything has been put together, which gives a great sense of achievement. However, since the texture is inferior to that of the stock exterior, it would be more satisfying if decals or other decorations are added. The material itself is soft and easily scratched, so care must be taken when making modifications! I am an amateur customizer, so it took me a long time to do this, but I think experienced DR-Z customizers would rank it in the range of small modifications! To be honest, it took me quite a bit of time, but once it was done, I was very happy with the result!

Conclusion

(1) Since the product is not originally compatible with the DR-Z400SM, modification of the exterior parts is required.
(2) Modification of the exterior can be done with regular hand tools.
(3) Can be installed with the included parts and stock bolts.
(4) Reasonably priced and highly satisfying!