What to look for when buying?

st247 said:

Been offered a stolen recovered 03 drz400 for a good price. It's been repaired and is back on the road.

Having not owned one before are there any areas i should be paying attention to when i have a look at it? And what is the easiest way of distinguishing the E model from the S model, apart from the V5?

Cheers

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the beer hunter said:

Things to pay attention to?
Unless there's any service documentation it'll all be visual so, just the basics:
Wheel alignment & rim condition.
Bent frame.
Oil leaks.
Fuel leaks.
They're pretty much bulletproof but there's some stories of the oil seal failing behind the g/box spocket due to the spacer corroding & ripping the seal. Some owners fit a stainless spacer before this happens.

The E is easily distinguished from the S model by the plastic fuel tank, basic speedo, flatside carb & no rear subframe. Having no rear subframe also means no indicators or pillion footpegs. Unlike the S, the E swingarm will have no brackets welded on to fit an upper chain guard.

The V5 is no true indication either, the V5 for my E says it's an S so I insure it as such!

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