Eddieb's DR build thread.

[Eddieb]

Thanks guys.

All sorted. I took the sprocket carrier into Wellington Motorcycles this morning and left it there for an hour or so. $34 and it was done proper.

[Eddieb]

The bikes now all back together, new sprocket carrier bearing and speedo cable installed.

[NordieBoy]

The bikes now all back together, new sprocket carrier bearing and speedo cable installed.

Got a couple of spare speedo cables here...

[Eddieb]

Now you tell me.

[Eddieb]

I wandered down to my friendly Suzuki dealer during lunch today to enquire of the availablility of rear shock shims.

I was told that while the shocks may be servicable Suzuki do not offer any of the internal parts to do so.

Does anyone know of a shim supplier that does DR 650 compatible shim sizes? I haven't even been able to find any info of what shims are installed as stock.

Nordie, i believe you've put heavier/thicker oil in your rear shock. How hard is it, how much use does it need to have before the heat makes it loose it's damping, and when it does is it actually any worse than stock?

[NordieBoy]

I wandered down to my friendly Suzuki dealer during lunch today to enquire of the availablility of rear shock shims.

I was told that while the shocks may be servicable Suzuki do not offer any of the internal parts to do so.

Does anyone know of a shim supplier that does DR 650 compatible shim sizes? I haven't even been able to find any info of what shims are installed as stock.

Nordie, i believe you've put heavier/thicker oil in your rear shock. How hard is it, how much use does it need to have before the heat makes it loose it's damping, and when it does is it actually any worse than stock?

I put 10W shock oil in about 30,000km ago. Damping turned right back. Good so far.

RaceTech do a gold valve kit but most suspension shops will re-valve as the shims are pretty standard.

There are some pics on AdvRider in the DR thread of a dismantled shim stack including the sizes and order of all the shims.

[Eddieb]

Seat Concepts or Procycle, if you were in the market for a new seat which would you get and why?
I've found lots of good reports for both, and a couple of average and one negative one for the Procycle seat, mainly around the shape.

Yes Nordie I know you redid your stocker for cheap but I don't have the gear and don't trust myself to do a decent job of it, and the local upholsterer quoted me $400 to do it.

Procycle


Seat Concepts

[NordieBoy]

I think either would be good but the seat concepts has the edge. Personally, none of them are tall enough. Which is why the diy route.

[clint640]

Yes Nordie I know you redid your stocker for cheap but I don't have the gear and don't trust myself to do a decent job of it, and the local upholsterer quoted me $400 to do it.

An electric breadknife & some F2 glue are only about $40. Scrounge up a few scraps of foam & start experimenting, a bit of trial & error will produce a better fitting seat than anything you can buy. Then get an upholsterer to put on some vinyl. Rosie only paid $80 to get her finished core recovered.

Cheers
Clint

[Rosie]

Yes Nordie I know you redid your stocker for cheap but I don't have the gear and don't trust myself to do a decent job of it, and the local upholsterer quoted me $400 to do it.

Want to hire an electric breadknife? I can do you a deal for a lot less than $400

Redoing seats isn't that bad, and it gives you the chance to refine the design over the course of a few rides. I got a cover made up for the WR's seat once I'd finished hacking it, and it turned out really well for <$100.

[Shewolf]

taking my DR bench to MacDonalds in Tga tomorrow - considered the DIY job but I'm shit at cutting bread with my electric knife

[Rosie]

taking my DR bench to MacDonalds in Tga tomorrow - considered the DIY job but I'm shit at cutting bread with my electric knife

With foam you can tidy up any dodgy cuts with a belt sander. With bread, not so much

[Eddieb]

taking my DR bench to MacDonalds in Tga tomorrow - considered the DIY job but I'm shit at cutting bread with my electric knife

Thats my issue too, I could never get the 2 sides the same, one side of the seat would be higher/lower/wider/slimmer/rounder/sharper/longer/shorter than the other.

I'd be happy to pay a reasonable cost for someone to do it for me. I want the same sort of shape as the Procycle/Seat Concepts seats and a cm or 2 of extra height would be nice.

My other issue is that I commute on the bike everyday so it's inconvenient to have it off the bike.

[Night Falcon]

at the end of the day whether you DIY or go pro for your seat mods... getting the seat right will be remembered long after the cost is forgotten! mine is pretty good now but still not 100% on long trips even with a sheep skin. Wide but not too wide, and soft while being firm is not easy to acheive. the stock seat pan can limit ya options as well.

[bart]

I've got a cheaper idea. Replace your computer chair with a plank of 4x2 (a saw horse would work brilliantly). After a few weeks, the stock DR seat would feel as plush as velvet cushions stuffed with baby duck feathers.