Tales from the Emporium

**Woodman** · 29th January 2011, 18:41

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

Do you want to have a look/play with the 41mm USD's to see if they'd be suitable?

yea I am keen for a looksee

**Padmei** · 29th January 2011, 21:39

Originally Posted by Woodman

Have been thinking over the last couple of days that it is time to start retiring the klr from the real rough stuff, or ride slower over it. The poor thing is not really up to it and it is quite nice on road trips etc, I actually really enjoyed the CHCH to Nelson ride on the seal the other day. So maybe on the lookout for something small too, or maybe something like an airhead (don't ask) and sell the klr. Sorry to hijack thread.

As you know I'm in the same boat. On the Dusty I really enjoyed just cruising on the tar seal or gravel roads on a big bike however riding with Nordie today I realised how much of a PITA they are when the going gets tough. They do get there (as I cruised up past a 2T stuck on Hurricane hill

) but do require a lot more input.

I had a ride on the TT & I think it would be quite easy to get used to the 'buzzynes' of the smaller engine. It felt tho like it had a gyroscopic effect always wanting to make it straighten up - I couldn't keep it leaned over like the big bikes. Nordie reckons it would be the tyres. I soon gpot used to it.

I feel like I've only just discovered lite bikes.

**NordieBoy** · 30th January 2011, 07:26

Past the 2 stroke which put you off line to the right, crossed the ruts, bounced off that big rock, wheelied over the last ditch and the guy standing with me goes "farking hell..." with incredulity and admiration in his voice

Battling through to the airstrip was fun. Knowing you're on the track but the vegetation is so dense that you can't see anything to indicate if it's still there in front of you. Gorse across the face, branches hitting the brake and clutch levers, those brown berries that squashed and made it look like you'd poo'd yourself...

Going down Scout Rd to the washout and back on Gonzo was fun. Better brakes and front suspension than the TT.

The TT crashes well and is light enough to pick up quickly before the camera has a chance to come out...

**NordieBoy** · 30th January 2011, 18:18

Time to bodge another seat...

I want it to be about 6-7cm higher in the middle (current foam is 7cm thick there), making it almost flat and a lot firmer.

Right. Let's get this torn down...

First layer...

Second layer...

Third layer - that's 15cm of foam there...

Trim it a little...

Take it for a ride...

It's got a static seat height of about 97cm now.

Need to re-shape the sides slightly but sitting and standing are pretty good. I can move forward and back standing or seated without the seat getting in the way.

Now it's going to have a big chunk cut from the middle and a block of that dense, light blue foam mounted on the pan and the cut out bits put back around it to give a 5cm layer of softer stuff on top and sides.

That'll give it some support both to firm it up and to stop it moving side to side as it's pretty tall

It'll also lighten it which it really needs as that foam isn't light at all.

**NordieBoy** · 31st January 2011, 16:26

Time to lighten it up...

Slice time...

4cm centre bit...

6cm centre bit...

Slice and dice the bit that was removed...

Ta Daaaaaaa!

Looks like it did at the start but much firmer (maybe a bit too much) and weighs about half.

**Padmei** · 31st January 2011, 16:52

Nice- & a purple seat cover to finish it off?

You know if you left it banana shaped you could have used it as a hammock at nite

BTW noone uses cm it just gets confusing in the real world

**NordieBoy** · 31st January 2011, 20:05

Not purple, but powder blue will do to start with...

The high-tech t-shirt cover will enable me to fine tune over the next few rides.

First up will probably be using a 40mm hole saw to soften up the first 30-40mm of reinforcing foam.

**Eddieb** · 1st February 2011, 06:37

Nordie

You acquired and fitted an FCR-MX carb to the 650 a little while back. Did it make as much difference for you as is suggested in MX-rob's threads elsewhere?

**NordieBoy** · 1st February 2011, 06:52

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Nordie

You acquired and fitted an FCR-MX carb to the 650 a little while back. Did it make as much difference for you as is suggested in MX-rob's threads elsewhere?

In one word - Yes.

In more words - Smoother, stronger bottom end with quicker response and better fuel economy.

A BST equipped DR seems sluggish and lumpy down low now.

Like riding a stock suspendered DR after fitting Intiminators to your one.

Another good thing is no one(ish) has blown 3rd gear whilst running a pumper carb.
1 guy did but it was a week after installing it so doesn't count.

No-one has ever blown up a fuel injected, 725 or 780 kitted DR either...

**Padmei** · 1st February 2011, 06:59

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Nordie

You acquired and fitted an FCR-MX carb to the 650 a little while back. Did it make as much difference for you as is suggested in MX-rob's threads elsewhere?

Fitting a couple to the 950? BTW I found your bike so much easier (nicer) to ride than the FI ones I've ridden. Speedo was a tad erratic tho

**cooneyr** · 1st February 2011, 11:31

Originally Posted by Padmei

Fitting a couple to the 950? BTW I found your bike so much easier (nicer) to ride than the FI ones I've ridden. Speedo was a tad erratic tho

FCR's on a 950 has been done. God knows why - its fun trying to keep the front down and rear wheel hooked up as it is.

From my limited experiance FI 990's are bloody terrible to ride in technical/slippery terrain. Just no feel to them. There are supposdily things you can do to them - but why not just get a 950? Appart from cost this was the most signficant reason I bought a 950. I know I'm trying to sell one so might seem a little bias but I firmly believe this.

**NordieBoy** · 1st February 2011, 12:32

Originally Posted by cooneyr

From my limited experiance FI 990's are bloody terrible to ride in technical/slippery terrain. Just no feel to them.

Yep. The fuelling at low revs is appalling. Which is where you're going to be in technical terrain.

**NordieBoy** · 1st February 2011, 12:33

Wow.
First check after fixing the carb and the mileage on the TT has gone from about 17km/L to 22km/L and the 22km/L included playing in the hills with Padmei and Gonzo...

**NordieBoy** · 1st February 2011, 15:32

The seat is a leeetle hard but more pushbike style rather than DR650 style.
The hard foam does compress after a while but I'm thinking that it's ready to wrap a layer of finishing foam around it and start looking for some blood red vinyl.