Anyone Still Around

Getting very quiet in here ?.....anyone still got their XR's
I still have mine.....see

I'm still riding but got bored of editing the Go Pro film, I also lost my camera so no photos either.
Other than that the the Xr keeps on chugging. Loving the CRF forks.
The recent hot weather has once again made me think of fitting a fan for tight sticky slow speed lanes with no air.
I made one using a computer fan some time ago but will try to find a piece about fitting one off a KTM.
PS you bike still far too clean

I have a look most days, but like you say not much happening.
Ashamed to say I've not been on the XR for around 4 months. Definitely missing it.
The time and cash has been going into our dub camper. Family stuff first you know what I mean?
I'll get it taxed/ Mot'd when I get back from work in mid late June......can"t fookin wait

Hew, would be good to see actual facts about the fan...does the actual temp drop when its turned on....

I'm prepping mine for a trip to the French Alps in July. Monte Carlo and back via some off road mountain passes.
Photos to follow...

I expect a few more rides in the mountains soon - as soon as the snow  melts and goes away for the summer.
Had almost 30" at the house a couple of weeks ago and many of the mountain passes are still closed.

Couple pics from yesterday...



The roads are cleared now, so it won't be long for the trails to open up.

Im pretty new but I am here lurking away. Ill give a few updates though.

My $1200 plated XR turned into a $2900 project to get it where I wanted it. I pulled off the old cobbled together DSK and wired my own in order to do it right. Added a 200w stator, Trailtech HD reg/rec, and a small underseat battery which required re-arranging how the cdi sat under the seat. I ditched the rigged on LED headlight that came from a walmart and replaced it with a trailtech 8" racelight with a H4 conversion for hi/lo as well as Zeta blinker handguards. I have an as built electrical schematic if anyone wants it. Mechanically speaking, I had the forks and rear shock totally rebuilt and re valved for my weight, all new guts in the carb (float assembly, B53E needle, 68s pilot, 175 main and all gaskets/orings), replaced the decompressor cam becuase the original was sheared off (stage 2 cam came on it so this was a must), New side panels and new gastank were also needed. Luckily this bike came with quite a few goodies already on it (Cam, new wheels & tires, plus other aftermarket bits), and had the stator cover rewelded since there was a piece broken off.

All in all it was a fun build and even though I spent close to 3,000 over all, you cant touch a new anything for close to that so I see it as a worth while effort. Considering I came from a CRF250L this bike aught to be a huge upgrade in the fun department.

Over the winter I plan on doing a full engine rebuild whether it needs it or not and plan on replacing the front and rear fenders as well as a full deep clean of the frame.

anyhoo, heres a few pics from last week. She will be back on two wheels today and I will update the pics when I can.

I'm still lurking and last week I bought another piggy.



A well used 2000 model with seized chain adjusters, snapped oil filter housing bolts, frankenstein wiring and a woeful brushed on black paintjob.



I spent the weekend stripping it and it's off for beadblasting and powder coating.



I've failed to make contact with Paul at Xr650r.co.uk to buy the bits I need (is he still in business anyone know?) so I bought most of it from xrsonly.com.



I have a 6.3gal Acerbis tank and lots of farkles but the plan is to build a rally raid bike from this and convert the camo version to a supermoto



See you in the tech section over the next few weeks

preparing my XR for a big tour.  I changed front sprocket with a JT  15 teeths. very  nice 15 /48 ratio for dual sport.I will carry some  14 or 13 for Kaukasus mountains !  I builte last year some back rack  and will put pic if anyone is interested. Very light one , which  had resist to loads and abuse.

I still have my TTRE600 : comfort, electric starter, low seat , but.... Too addicted to the BRP... Even if I have to bring tons of oïl filters for the 13 000 non stop trip, ( loop around HU SK PL LT RU KZ GE AM TK BG etc... ) it's so much pleasure to ride, that we can even forget fuel autonomy, valve adjust, wood seat , Himalaya climbing on it, and kick...  KIck ??,well, no, it's the funniest part of the bike. I like the look of curiosity of people when they see you kicking the bike. old time fashion...

2 questions : my gearbox shaft has some play (longitudal, i mean moves from you to engine) of around 1 to 1.5 mm. Is it normal ??? ( no other axis play) just this play with the "normal" play of the sprocket in same axis ( oucchh i hope to be clear ! )

2nd one : link in the forum to expalin how to attach pics...

Thanks and long life to the red side of the world

ps : looking for a 2nd hand Clarke fuel tank ( the  around 16 l model)

Fab Babar wrote:.....

2nd one : link in the forum to expalin how to attach pics...

.....

Can't help ya with the shaft issue, but pics can be attached by using Photobucket or some other picture hosting site. Then just copy and paste the link to your post and pics will show up.

Thanks , i will use some server hosting I still should have somewhere

intro : "no, I won't apologize about my bad English, as  99.99 % of frenchies are used to, because I still have to learn Hungariannn ( ouchhhhh) , Russian and try to communicate with turkish and russian people too       "


Anyway, I'm working on the XR for my next big trip which should  pass through Est North Europe, Russia, kazaksthan ( west part, no time to explore more this time) Kaukasus mountains Russian side, Georgia mountains ( north east side) , Armenia to the South mountains, then go back through Turkey ( only small  gravel roads in the north middle  mountains) have some stop fun in Istanbul Kadikoy with friends, then back by the small customs of the north east part of turkey to avoid the  big stupid boring ones and enjoy as usual the little Bulgarian and Serbian roads

Last time I made a trip to Istanbul using the TTRE600 which had a nearly dead oïl pump and many dead bearings forced me to stop every 50 kms as vibrations went too high to drive. But got home anyway. Did a total engine rebuild and now it's in the garage because as a total idiot, i just cleaned the carbs and like lots of guys, I now have lean pbs and backfire... Considering that pullin/out the carbs on TTRE is about more than an hour of work and that i did it more than 14 times, changed everything , and still the same,  i'm fed up and give up !! OK,, sorry for disgression,  just that pushed me to run the BRP, even if I have a stock wood saddle ....  

As prep, and now short on budget :

Because of all of you ( I hate you !!!) I HAD to have a BRP. reading everywhere joy to ride it, I knew it HAD to be in garage !
Found an european second hand in Hungary. 2005 year, 22000 kms ( but maybe 60 000 ?) . all european kit : lights, horn, flash light, etc... so the AC for headlamp, the dc rectifier/regul + capa for 12 volts parts . the left radiator was little bumped, guy should  falled left, has some fear and sold it. ?..   In this country, bikes are crazy new after  20 years.. People don't ride except for  2 months a year, keep ut clean, in warm for winter. They really take care of bikes like a jewel because of the salary/ bike cost ratio !!!

I will keep the fuel tank. A 100 km autonomy is not a pb, mainly because u meet great people always prompt to help you find some juice.... I bring some cheap jerrycan as back up, as usual.  

I'm more concerned with water, when  start to make some fun out of road alone in Kazaksthan


Clean /changed fork oïl , with a 3.75 visco (  2.5 + 5 / 2)  pulled down , cleaned and greased the swing arm , etc..
Put as usual  10w 40 full synthetic oïl (  big mistake is to think that car oïl will make clutch slip. It's opposite as synth oils sticks on surface, so you can have some neutral pb to find, and 1st gear sticking, even with full clutch engaged . Not talking of energy conservative oils, of course)

Valves clearance and all electricity  connect rebuilt.  Put some led lights from Aldi or Lidl in front ( to be seen, cagers are the worst there)
Bike always starts first kick. Well...Now... It took me one month to start it first in the garage. I was acting like I used too : Angry and fast, and not smooth and deep.. Lesson learned !  
I have the hcr ending  exhasut part , with some holes done in the tube... Too loud i put some removable sheet of metal wrapped around it)

I use  the SHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiity black sticky "impossible to wash your hands" Calcium Graphite grease. One of the few that don't suck water  ( Lithium ones are the worst, but perfect clean for mecanics/bikers/show rooms esthetic) The only pb was the steering bearings : Even correctly torqued, the steering was so smooth that for one week, it was a little hot to ride on the road...

I try to travel light ( around  12kg max for a 35 days trip including camping gear ...) mainly to keep fun alive and not drive a truck, but too for fuel economy, motor, transmission and bearings health. Aways amazed to see adv people killing bearings  one after the other, but I'm not really surprised when i look at their luggages  
Put a  15 sprockets keeping the original 14 back. perfect for dual sport , and will bring a  14 or  13 for trail and mountains. Anyway, riding alone, no way to put the beast in a too technical trail....

I will have to bring around 8 oil filters ( Well they pack small at least !) for  around  13 000 kms. Plan to make around  1500 km in between oïl change, it will depends of ride conditions and oïl quality I can find.  Russian friends told me there are  a lot of counterfake famous oils in Tussia ...  I'm not really anxxious about oil. When you travel  10 hours a day every day, engine is happy  !   (Yes, my butt, i already told you = 10 hours !!! ok ?      :gahh:of course the IKEA sheep cover is gonna be used  !   )

I will post pics for my rack system ASAP. I was considering to put some HID for front light, but every kit I had on dual sport  didn't last very long. And the 20 000 voltages ballast will maybe give the taste of  4  strokes electric chair when crossing rivers ...
*SO K.I.S.S as usual*

I will put a sealed Yuasa NP 4-12 battery ( no need for starter high current, so the usual sealed used in alarms and USP are perfect) under the carb in free space , to smooth current for gps and  get 5v usb charger, have some light on road when engine is off) and it will help to make my two big horns SHOUT !!!  ( the only thing needed in prep, in fact !!)
*

some farckles : Bought on fleebay the "retractable " levers ( don't know the english name, I mean those which  can go opposite side, not to break)
I cut a red (of course) plastic sleeding luge to make an upper windscreen..  OK have to post pics, will be faster ...

fuel cons. for my BRP is : L/100

7.5  the "how stupid I am to be alone in this crazy trail"
6.5  riding like a mad pig in town , in summer
6     piggy fast trails
5.6  on a fast mixed highway, road, town loop  (highway no more than 110 km/h)
4.7  on small roads, riding peacefully around 80 /95 km/h

Even if the 15 teets sprockets put down only around 350 t/min,  I really feel the difference, riding small roads at  90.

Speed is not a target, except if you want in this kind of travel hit some galloping  horses crossing the road, (beautiful to see, by the way) bump in a truck park in a dead turn, cows sleeping in middle of main roads, etc...  don't ask me how I know that !

(ok, ok speed IS the Target for sand deserts )


will go on with pics if u are interested...

best for all piggies riders

Fab Babar wrote:
2 questions : my gearbox shaft has some play (longitudal, i mean moves from you to engine) of around 1 to 1.5 mm. Is it normal ??? ( no other axis play) just this play with the "normal" play of the sprocket in same axis ( oucchh i hope to be clear

That's normal well mines does exactly the same with same movement.

Thanks Mauser, I feel better now..
Always big trouble when your bike is stopped and the visa period is running, ending with illegal importation ( still the option to find a friendly big truck driver who can put it in the "boxes" Under his truck to the border, seems some guys are used too

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1WtrCu3nMcPTVlPNUxlSS02aUU/view?usp=sharing

well, Google drive seems not to link directly ; try something else....

Tools for travel part 1 :


and part 2 , all in a tube  fixed back on

here the pig with the cheap decathlon 40 liter bag
for all camping and cooking ( biggest is the sleeping bag for around 2°C and I HATE to be cold )  Red tool tube on the left side, back
I tried to make a rack lightest as possible and with good triangulation. It was easier with the pillon footpeg frame already there.


All my personnal things and expensive ones are in a waterproof back pack