My DRZ can swim, but it doesn't float (Long)

[tomuch]

Long story made short...

Riding in the woods today (very muddy, foggy and rainy). Went down a trail that I have been on a few times... Came to the little shallow creek down a small embankment... Saw what I "thought" was the nice gravel bottom and a few small logs to hop over... Started in whoops... It wasn't shallow, those logs were not resting on the bottom (they were floating on the top) straight in up to my headlight 45 degree angle nose first, tried to hammer the throttle and lean back to pull up and out the other side... When suddenly I hit an immovable object (later discover it was a submerged stump) Which of course I then proceeded to do my "greatest American hero" impression (remember that show) over the handle bars, swan dive face first into the creek. Bike went completely under the water. Was probably under there 5-6 seconds before I jumped to my feet (glad I still had them attached) and pulled the bike up and to the other side. I immediately pulled the lower air box drain plug and proceed to watch, quite a bit of water come out.

Deep in the woods, very cold and now extremely wet, and in all likelihood cylinder full of water.

I proceeded to take the seat off and side cover and ring out the air filter. I put it in 5th gear and spun the wheel to hopefully hear just air an not water in the engine. Sounded ok. I said the hell with it and hit the starter. It sounded clear! It cranked and cranked but finally started. It blew some water out the yoshi pipe, but not much. It ran kind of crappy for about 1-2 miles then perked right up!

Running great!

Needless to say I was very cold the whole way back (about 15 miles).

 

[Dave'sDRZ]

Gotta love that button! Make sure you change that oil-a little water can cause you lots of problems later.

 

[JasonJ]

Great story, I have seen similar things happen especilay in the fall when the leaves are floting on standing water. We have a place here called the brick yard, old brick factory. Its all red and yellow clay along this winding creek in the woods, the clay gets dug out from all the riding and dose not fill back in, the water also dose not drain out of the holes. There are these bottomless pitts of dirt bike death that are deeper than they are longer or wide. I usally go wheelie style into any water I see to anticipate the 3 to 4 foot hole that might be under there, I was crossing over about a 4 foot long bit of water and did not get my wheel up enough and it went in about a 3 foot hole with a square face to it, I went over the handel bars and landed on dry ground, the back wheel of the bike was not even in the water but I could not see the front fender.