As a factory-built supermoto bike with a 40-hp single and a svelte 322 lbs. curb weight, Suzuki’s DR-Z400SM is one of the most fun and exhilarating models currently in production. However, the Zook’s dated-looking dual-sport-style bodywork simply fails to resonate with a great many riders the way the bike’s hooligan-grade performance does. Recognizing this, Brooklyn-based bespoke bike builder oneYedeer has opted to treat the supermoto-spec DR-Z to a retro-inspired redesign, resulting in what some would call the “best of both worlds” with an unmistakably old-school appearance that’s backed by contemporary components and modern performance capabilities.
Beginning as a 2018 DR-Z400SM, the Suzuki has been stripped down to a rolling chassis and then built back up using a tank plucked from a Yamaha SR500, a circular headlight off of a Ducati Scrambler, a Honda ST70 Dax front fender, new fork guards, and a custom, two-level hooped subframe with LED strip taillights sunken into both levels of the framework. The custom subframe is also capped off with a one-off leather and Alcantara saddle with bespoke “400” stitching decorating the seat. oneYedeer also turned to German moto electronics experts Motogadget to source the project’s grips, bar-end LED indicators, switchgear, Motoscope Mini display, and the company’s m.unit that now regulates the build’s electronics and which draws power from a lightweight Antigravity battery. The standard dual-radiator cooling system on the DR-Z was also jettisoned in favor of a single unit borrowed off of a Honda CBR500. Likewise, the build’s respiratory bits have been swapped out for a velocity stack and a SuperTrapp muffler mounted beneath the seat in traditional supermoto fashion. The final piece of the puzzle would be laying down the bike’s livery — a custom black design offset by gold accents and spoked wheels with matching gold rims.
Dubbed “Cash,” this 2018 Suzuki DR-Z400SM by oneYedeer is now complete, and is currently on display at JANE Motorcycles in New York. For more info on the build or to see more of the project — or any of the other stellar builds from oneYedeer — you can visit the shop’s website.
