Tales from the Emporium

[NordieBoy]

I've got a 150x17 TKC80 if you want to give it a try?
Should match your rim width nicely.

[Padmei]

What pressures were you running?

About 21 - 22 as per bike specs. Does the pressurs make any difference to wear as if it will save them for a bit I'd put them at higher pressures for road then drop them for gravel.

Did you like the TKCs as I've been eyeing them or 606s for my next tyre trial

[warewolf]

Does the pressurs make any difference to wear as if it will save them for a bit I'd put them at higher pressures for road then drop them for gravel.

Yep, very much so. Less pressure means more carcass flex means more heat means faster wear. .

Unfortunately, off-road you want carcass flex to aid traction through conforming to the surface, increasing the contact area, and flexing to clear the tread.

So it's a bit of a juggling act. Changing tyre pressures from road to off-road is common. Also, increase the pressure to suit the load.

[Crisis management]

You trying MT21's Fran? I found them not as good as TKC's on the road, slid a bit earlier and similar off road but they have a stiffer sidewall which makes them less adjustable with pressure. The TKC's are very sensitve to pressure and, as Colin says, will wear very quickly if underinflated on the seal. I ran 25 front & 30 rear on the DR650 on the seal, 20 & 24 off road without rim locks.

[NordieBoy]

Next Maungatapu ride I'll be trying 18f/20r psi on the MT21's.
My next rear will I think be a Mitas E-09 and then back to ones I've tried before (E-07/SR244) to see if they still ride like I remembered.

I'm using 28f/30r on the road at the moment and with the Shinko SR244's and E-07's I was using 34f/36r on road and 18f/20r off.

I don't ride hard enough on the road to get any sliding...

[NordieBoy]

Well 18f/20r is much better mannered. Far less deflection off rocks but still breaks loose quite easily going up or down (or flat for that matter).

It's the first rear tyre I've run that has broken loose engine braking into a downhill corner.

It'll take some getting used to but I think it'll stay on 'till it's dead and then a couple of thousand more as per usual.

Should have about 1/3 tread left for the Dusty so should be sweet.

[NordieBoy]

Well as it's raining I'm not going over to the drags so I'll get a chance to pull the shock and re-do it with 10W...
Should be fun

[NordieBoy]

Right...

Let's get started...


Out with the airbox and carb boot...


Make sure the shock has enough dust on it...


Check the current nitrogen psi - 60 - Hmmmmm...


Annoying little punch marks...


Slowly fill it up working the shock to get the air out and then into the vice and top it up...


Slowly do up the compression valve...


Pressurised the bladder to 140psi and next week will get it gassed up with nitrogen.

And put the shock back in after cleaning/greasing the lower linkages...


Carb boot and airbox back on...


3 1/2 hours later it's all finished. Looks much better...


Wonder how it'll go though?

[NordieBoy]

Well it seems to track nicely and goes well over the bumps seated and standing.
I need to find some washboards to really test it out though.

Did a bit of foggy poseing...


Seems like there's a lot of bikes up the Maitai with black clad riders.

[talbertnz]

Nice one Nordie!
I did mine as well a few weeks ago, my bike is still apart so havent tested it yet.

was your shock still full of oil?
My 96er only had about quater of a cup of verry dirty grey drainwater looking stuff left in it. how was yours??

[NordieBoy]

Fairly similar.
I flushed it out with some 10W first and then filled it up.

[NordieBoy]

Well now the shock is done(ish) I can say that with 22f/24r and 10W oil it rides the bumps better than 18f/20r and 5W oil. Bearing in mind I'm using a 7.6kg/mm rear spring.

18f/20r should be very nice in the gravel/hills now

You don't get bumped around as much in seated washboard sections but you can hear/feel the engine revs playing up/dropping but what I liked was that if you were leaned over a bit and gassing through the washboards it tracked nice and smoothly with little variance in revs.

Next suspension mod (eventually) is emulators in the front.

[NordieBoy]

MT21's front and rear.
28f/30r psi and it rides over rocks like a rubber ball, bouncing everywhere...
Up Ben Nevis yesterday and the back was jumping around on anything larger than gravel (which it went fine on at those pressures). Down to 18f/20r and it is soooo much better it isn't funny.

Got the shock gased up with 150psi of nitrogen today for $28. Would have been cheaper but it's a bugger to do on the DR with the shock in-situ and the valve sooo close to the mid-pipe clamp.

I'm also going to get another emulsion tube for the carb and see how much wear is on the original. I'm consistantly running leaner settings than expected and it's still feeling a bit rich.

[warewolf]

I'm also going to get another emulsion tube for the carb and see how much wear is on the original. I'm consistantly running leaner settings than expected and it's still feeling a bit rich.

I'd be interested in that. I've got 9 of them in the shed, from the Triumph's BST36 carbs. Reckon I'm (over)due to replace the one in the 640A's BST40, because the exhaust has a hint of smoke. The Triumph went from blowing black smoke, to utterly clear, just from replacing the emulsion tubes.

While it is apart, check the piston guide for wear. If worn, it will wear the new needle jet in short order.

[talbertnz]

....emulsion tube..... ????????