This is the 2003 DR200SE that I built as an endurance racer. I raced it at the 2020 24 Hours of Glen Helen in the Ironman class, and landed on the podium. This bike was modified in many aspects, but only lightly and on a shoestring budget. I have an in-depth article of the modifications here. I sold this bike, so there are no plans to make changes to the setup.

• 2019 SIDRA Great Pumpkin Classic
• 2020 24 Hours of Glen Helen - Ironman

Videos and other media:

• Dirt Bike Magazine, February 2021 Issue. This DR200 is on Page 23.
• Dirtbikemagazine.com online article of 2020 24 Hours of Glen Helen
• DR200 Shoestring Budget Endurance Racing Setup In-Depth Walkthrough
• DR200 - The Bike I Couldn't Even Review.
• DR200 IRONMAN - 24 Hours of Glen Helen Podium Finish (KTM Tears Full Episode)
• DR200 - 24 Hours of KTM Tears Preview
• SHRED - Sounds of Thrashing a DR200
• KTM Tears - DR200 Race Build Full Episode
• DR200 Racing Build - Preview
• Hot Little DR200 - SHRED
• Best DR200 Race Video Ever - KTM Tears - Suzuki vs KTM Settled ONCE AND FOR ALL!

 

Bike Setup

Links to products are affiliate links. Torture Test Magazine will earn a commission on sales resulting from these links.

Suspension, Steering, Controls, and Brakes

Front tire: Kenda K760 Trakmaster II Front Tire 80/100-21 - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: Trakmaster tires are actually really hard to beat for long endurance races. I've tried a few other tires that may have performed better at first, but straight up just did not hold up after hours of beating on them. A single set of Trakmasters will hold together for an entire 24 hour race if needed. I didn't have spare wheels for the DR200 so the trakmasters were an obvious choice.

Front tube: Tubliss 21" - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: I generally prefer Tubliss over tubes, simply because when it goes flat, it stays on the rim. This is great to have during a race.

Front wheel: OEM wheel assembly

Front brake rotor: OEM

Front brake pads: Neutron Brake Pad - Sintered Metal - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: I wanted to try these because they were incredibly cheap. They worked really well right up until race day at the 24 hour, when they got covered in fork oil.

Front brake line: OEM

Front fork springs: OEM modified to .49kg/mm - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: The original fork springs are weaker than something you'll find on a little kid's bike. They are completely unacceptable at the stock rate.

Fork oil: 15w Maxima Fork Oil - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: The original #10 oil from Suzuki doesn't provide adequate damping for the type of riding I was doing.

Handlebars: Pro Taper SE 7/8" Handlebar, CR High Bend - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: Previous owner put these on, and I had no reason to change them. The Pro Taper SE bar is a very stiff bar with almost no give at all. Might not be the best choice for some bikes, but on the DR200 the front end has excessive flex and the bar mounts are rubber mounted, so these bars might be the best way to go to gain some control and feedback on the DR200. They worked out well for me. They're also very, very durable bars.

Grips: ODI V2 Half Waffle MX Lock-On Grips - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: ODI Lock-On grips are just plain easy to install, and they never lose their adherence like glued-on grips do. 
• Note: Not sure if these would work with the original throttle. I only installed these after switching to a different throttle.

Throttle: Motion Pro Vortex Throttle - Available at Amazon

• Justification: This throttle is ideal for the little 26mm K-101 carburetor that I installed on the bike. It turns out to be a quick turn throttle with that carburetor.

Front Brake lever: Tusk Brake Lever - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: The Tusk Brake Lever is inexpensive and nothing fancy. Perfect for just buying a handful of them to bring to an endurance race because the chance of breaking levers is high during a long race.

Clutch perch: OEM

Clutch lever: Motion Pro Clutch Lever - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: It's nothing fancy, and reasonably priced. If I can't get Tusk levers, I usually just grab a couple of these.

Handguards: Tusk Aluminum Handguards - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: They came on the bike, and I had no reason to change them. I buy these things all the time. They're way more durable than ultra cheap ebay or amazon handguards, but they're pretty close in price to those options. Just a good value piece of protection for the levers.

Rear brake pads: EBC Brake Shoe - Organic - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: These were the only thing available at the time. They got the job done. I didn't have the same high wear rate with these that I did on the XR600. They only required one or two adjustments during the 24 hour race, which I'd say is completely fine.

Shift lever: OEM

Rear brake pedal: OEM

Footpegs: OEM, modified brackets - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: The stock footpeg positioning is horrendous. They need to move back, more towards the swingarm pivot.

Rear shock: OEM

Rear shock spring: OEM

Seat foam: OEM

Seat Cover: OEM

Rear wheel: OEM wheel assembly

Rear tire: Kenda K760 Trakmaster II Rear Tire 110/100-18 - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: Trakmaster tires are actually really hard to beat for long endurance races. I've tried a few other tires that may have performed better at first, but straight up just did not hold up after hours of beating on them. A single set of Trakmasters will hold together for an entire 24 hour race if needed. I didn't have spare wheels for the DR200 so the trakmasters were an obvious choice.

Rear tube: Tubliss 18" - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

 

Electronics

Headlight: OEM headlight housing

Headlight bulb: Hikari H4 EYE OF MEGATRON LED Drop-In Bulb - Discontinued

• Justification: An incandescent bulb wasn't going to cut it for racing a 24 hour race. The Hikari bulb had excellent brightness, but the mounting bracket for it broke from jostling part way through the race. I wouldn't use it again.

Tail light: None

Spark Plug: DPR8EIX-9 - Available at Amazon

• Justification: I generally just replace standard spark plugs with iridium. Maybe it's all in my head but iridium seems to run slightly more crisp.

Stator: OEM

Ignition controller: OEM

Regulator/Rectifier: OEM

Coil: OEM

Starter: DB Electrical 410-54052 - Available at Amazon

• Justification: The OEM starter broke. This thing was cheap. It worked out really well. Seemed stronger than the OEM one ever was.

Battery: Modified Tusk Lithium Battery - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: Lithium batteries are way lighter.

 

Fuel, Intake and Exhaust Systems

Fuel tank: OEM with Allstar Performance ALL36161 Fill Plug Kit - Available at Amazon

• Justification: I lost the key to the original cap. It also would have been really annoying having to use a key to open the fuel tank at every pit stop.

Petcock: HURI non-vacuum manual petcock - Available at Amazon

• Justification: The petcock that came with the bike was corroded and leaking. I just needed a cheap one that functioned.

Carburetor: OKO K-101 26mm - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: The 30mm CV carburetor that the bike comes with offers GARBAGE performance. I wasn't going to race with that crap for 24 hours.

Jetting: 110 main, 42 pilot, original k-101 needle in leanest position, 23mm float height

Air filter: Custom intake - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: The original airbox is heavy and a poor design. We needed high flow and quick filter changes.

Exhaust pipe: OEM

Muffler: OEM, modified - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: The original exhaust is incredibly heavy. It needed to be lightened.

 

Engine Components

Camshaft: OEM, WPC Treated

Piston: OEM, WPC Treated

Clutch: OEM

Clutch springs: EBC Clutch Spring Set, shimmed - See Walkthrough for details

• Justification: I needed to be sure that the clutch wouldn't be too weak to survive 24 hours straight of racing.

Oil filter: Neutron Oil Filter - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: These things are very inexpensive, which is great because you can just grab a ton of them and never need to buy any again.

 

Final Drive: 

Countershaft sprocket: JT Front Sprocket 13 Tooth - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: I needed to gear down the DR200 a little bit. I like to be able to avoid 1st gear after the start. Having to transition between first and second often during a race is just too risky.

Rear sprocket: JT Steel Rear Sprocket - 45 tooth - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: Just a replacement sprocket. Didn't think I needed a different size. In hindsight, 46 tooth would have been really nice paired with the 13 tooth front sprocket.

Drive chain: Primary Drive 520 ORM O-Ring Chain - Available at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

• Justification: These chains just seem to last forever. The break in period requires a few adjustments but I'm okay with that.