New York is one of those cities where owning a car won’t do you much good. It’ll still get you to where you need to go, to be sure. But probably two hours late and with plenty of road rage fiascoes peppered along the ride.
If you really want to get around the city, nothing beats walking, or catching the subways. However, if you’re not in the mood to walk or are in a hurry, motorcycles are your best bet. Just like this custom Suzuki DR-Z400SM from Jane Motorcycles, which can handle the urban jungle that is New York.
Jane Motorcycles worked with Brooklyn Moto on this project, both sharing labor on fabrication, mechanical, and assembly work. You get 17-inch Excel supermoto rims and adjustable suspension out of the crate, but if you seek more robust revamps, you’ll be glad to know that suspension and brake upgrades are planned in the future. They hand-shaped a foam buck for the new tank, then built the final form out of aluminum on top of that.
The seat is new, custom-made by Jane Motorcycles, but placed further back compared to the stock Suzuki. It’s made of waxed cowhide upholstery, which was done in-house, and everything sits on top custom-built subframe.
Other changes include the airbox, replaced with a K&N filter, and the tail end of the exhaust, replaced with a custom-built, stainless steel muffler. Risers, handlebars, bar-end turn signals, brake fluid reservoirs, and even the rear lights come from Rizoma, and Jane Motorcycles swapped out the MX-style front fender for a more sleek aluminum part.
No details yet on pricing or whether this custom Suzuki DR-Z400SM is up for sale or merely a side project. It looks badass, nevertheless.
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