Help ID drz 250 fork springs.

[KingDaddyX]

I’m trying to confirm that what I have are springs from a drz 250. I think the diameter will help if someone has some laying around from a swap.
I had a drz250 at the same time as a dr650 7 or so years ago and I swapped the front ends. (I wish I had put them in the bike I ended up keeping around )
Now I’m faced with the dilemma of probably having the springs I need for my weight to go with these gold valves but I’m not sure if they are the springs from the drz or some progressive aftermarket springs that were In the dr650 forks when I got them(stock ones came in a bag). They are the correct length and look the same as the drz250 springs I saw in a rebuild video on YouTube. I’m having a hard time just finding a photo of the stock drz springs, or the spring diameter.
The aftermarket progressive springs(likely cogent) for the DR are longer than the stock ones in it so there’s a chance I have those instead(probably like .47 or something).
It’s probably a ridiculous shot in the dark but drz forks are a common swap so I figured the chance may be greater than zero. Thanks for reading!

[KDXGarage]

I moved this to "Other Bikes".

Try to look in the correct year DR-Z service manual to see stock spring length.

[KingDaddyX]

I moved this to "Other Bikes".

Try to look in the correct year DR-Z service manual to see stock spring length.

The spring length is correct, 502 mm. I don’t have a length on the aftermarket springs.The aftermarket for the dr are longer than stock, I just don’t know how long they are supposed to be. And they are both progressive.
These are probably correct and I’m just second guessing it be because I don’t have confirmation.

[KDXGarage]

I know the DR650SE had 43 mm tubes for a few years. What are that year DRZ250

[KingDaddyX]

I know the DR650SE had 43 mm tubes for a few years. What are that year DRZ250

I think it was an 05. It’s been a while. I put the drz forks on the dr a long time ago and mixed and matched so many parts I can’t remember which of 2 of the 3 sets of springs I had in play that these could be.
Photo is from April 2017 so it’s been a little longer than I thought. Too much 43mm for me to remember.

[Chuck78]

That's going to be a tough one because Race Tech does not support the DR-Z250 last I checked, otherwise I would just say look up the springs for the bike on the race check website or the Canon racecraft catalog, but that's more of an entry level trail bike, and therefore not supported as heavily. Surprisingly, there is more support for the CRF 230 probably by sheer production numbers and sales numbers however, as the DRZ250 in my eyes is a much higher caliber bike, but still not on par with a KDX or or KLX300. The last generation XR250 is probably the closest thing to the DR-Z.
The Honda XR400R & the very last generation 97-99 Suzuki DR350 both had nearly identical Showa 43mm right side up gold tube silver axle lug cartridge forks.
The DR-Z 250 in similar years had forks that looked virtually identical to those externally, but they had an odd valving setup internally. Those may have the same fork springs as the XR400 and '97-'99 DR350, but due to the very different valving configuration in the DRZ250 forks, perhaps not.
It's worth checking out the specifications of which fork springs those forks use, as I doubt the DRZ250 would be listed more recently since the last I checked. Compare that to the measurements you have.

I do know that people take stock xr400 fork springs and put them in the 95-06 KDX forks instead of buying aftermarket springs. .39kg/mm the first year or two, then .40kg/mm the rest of the years of XR 400. All the DR350 (off-road ) & DR350SE (dual sport) forks used the .39kg/mm versions despite that being quite a heavy bike... The added weight made it handled pretty terribly on anything serious off-road, and don't even think about jumping it. The stock KDX fork springs are very weak for the weight of the bike, but at least that bike can hit some jumps even with the stock springs for a 155 lb rider like myself.

[KingDaddyX]

That's going to be a tough one because Race Tech does not support the DR-Z250 last I checked, otherwise I would just say look up the springs for the bike on the race check website or the Canon racecraft catalog, but that's more of an entry level trail bike, and therefore not supported as heavily. Surprisingly, there is more support for the CRF 230 probably by sheer production numbers and sales numbers however, as the DRZ250 in my eyes is a much higher caliber bike, but still not on par with a KDX or or KLX300. The last generation XR250 is probably the closest thing to the DR-Z.
The Honda XR400R & the very last generation 97-99 Suzuki DR350 both had nearly identical Showa 43mm right side up gold tube silver axle lug cartridge forks.
The DR-Z 250 in similar years had forks that looked virtually identical to those externally, but they had an odd valving setup internally. Those may have the same fork springs as the XR400 and '97-'99 DR350, but due to the very different valving configuration in the DRZ250 forks, perhaps not.
It's worth checking out the specifications of which fork springs those forks use, as I doubt the DRZ250 would be listed more recently since the last I checked. Compare that to the measurements you have.

I do know that people take stock xr400 fork springs and put them in the 95-06 KDX forks instead of buying aftermarket springs. .39kg/mm the first year or two, then .40kg/mm the rest of the years of XR 400. All the DR350 (off-road ) & DR350SE (dual sport) forks used the .39kg/mm versions despite that being quite a heavy bike... The added weight made it handled pretty terribly on anything serious off-road, and don't even think about jumping it. The stock KDX fork springs are very weak for the weight of the bike, but at least that bike can hit some jumps even with the stock springs for a 155 lb rider like myself.

I really liked the drz. The electrical system killed it for me. Even though it had a kicker, couldn’t run with a dead battery. I had several electrical issues as well. I couldn’t find any xr springs on eBay and no one sells .39s or .40 for reasonable any more so that’s why I’m hoping these will work. I broke my collar bone a while back when these forks oil locked on comp when I hit a culvert pipe. I would like to get them reasonably dialed in.

[KDXGarage]

Nice layout of fine machinery there!

In the pan, the 2 on the right are progressively wound. The one on the left is straight rate.

Chuck, the 1996 - 1997 XR400R fork springs were 0.38 and the 1998 - 2004 were 0.40.

[KingDaddyX]

This is from a dr650 work swap with drz250 on TT. It confirms my paranoia that the aftermarket dr springs look the same as the stock drz250 springs. Length and progressive winding. And I don’t know which I have.

[KDXGarage]

Look at the spring ends to see if there are any markings, like engraved lines. Some springs had those, not sure about Eibach or Suzuki.