DeoxIT® Fixes Classic Suzuki Motorcycle

The venerable DR line of dual sport motorcycles from Suzuki are world famous OR infamous for being hard to start, especially the older kick-start models (DR350S, DRZ400).

My 1991 Suzuki DR350S was easy to start when it was brand new but after only several months, having been ridden on muddy trails and through creeks, the bike became very hard to start, especially when cold.

Thankfully, I live on a hill so I can bump-start the motor. Finally, however, even that would not start the bike. I had to be towed back up the hill on my last attempt to start this beast! OK, time to get serious.

I noticed that even though the grounded spark plug and battery were new, the spark was very weak. I removed the seat and gas tank and disassembled the spark coil from the frame of the bike and realized that the coil circuit return path was through the frame and heavy bolts on the coil bracket. I used DeoxIT® on these bolts and on a single plug-on connector to the primary circuit of the coil, and reassembled everything.

I held my breath and tried to kick-start the cold bike. For the last 12 years, this always ended in failure and I would resort to bump starting down my hill.

Having used CAIG products for years in my audio equipment business, I knew the miracles it could perform on oxidized wires and connectors. I pulled out the choke and started to kick.

Once, twice, three, four ... Whoom! The 13-year old dirt bike immediately came to life and settled to a nice even idle!!! I was amazed and VERY happy! Yahoo!!

DeoxIT® fixed my nightmare “starting” problem. The bolts mounting the coil were likely always the problem from the beginning, so it was DeoxIT® to the rescue!!!

The next day, Thanksgiving Day 2003, I again started my DR350S, and this time with only 3 kicks! Amazing!! It was like a miracle had occurred. I hope other Suzuki owners will try this fix to a very stubborn problem. Maybe now the Suzuki "DR" will no longer mean "Don't Run". Try it for yourself.

D. Smith
Salem VA