We were freezing and needed to fix the tire so we opted not to camp and get a hotel room. Levering a cold tire at a cold camp sight was not sounding like a good time, plus we were way behind due to having to nurse the tire along to a more appealing destination to fix it. We had a new tube and installed it. Damn! Pinched the tube and had to pull it back off and patch it. I thought I pinched the original tube, but we found a spot that was missing rubber internally and made the tube very thin. It was inflated for a few days without a pressure loss and as soon as we started beating on it through the rocks, it couldn't handle it and the air pressure finally broke through. Here is the aftermath. We made it to Taos and enjoyed time on the street. The local Indians make you feel a lot more welcome when you show up on a bike. The next night at Camp Eagle Feather. Though I don't think those were eagle feathers. We found the feathers laying around where we decided to camp, so a name was born.
Found a TV in the desert so we decided to check out the SX races. Finished up the ride home with coffee and pie and rode home via Phantom Canyon. Here is the completed set up after the ride. I am very happy with the results! I didn't have any problems with the set up. The front brake sucks as I thought it would so I will be fitting a 320 brake kit most likely. It is a 320 mm rotor with bracket, bolt on, and readily available through several companies. I just have to pick one. This conversion was worth it to me, but I think the YZ conversion is much simpler and would suit most people much better. The Dakar I rode with had the YZ conversion and worked very well. His stock rear shock sucks, but his forks are good to go! Oh, and I do not recommend the D606 front tire....at all!
Another cafehusky member gave me a smoking deal on a GPR single exhaust system and I appreciate it.....a lot!! I never really planed on changing my exhaust until we recently rode with a buddy who's Strada was sporting the GPR duel exhaust set up. We were very envious of the sound that thing put out. I have to have that sound!! The set up is a little beat so it will match my bike perfectly! I repacked it just so I know exactly what I am installing. No, it did not need it. These things are built very well with steel mesh between the insert and the packing. I did have to drill out the rivets on both sides because the insert would not come out. If you guys ever repack yours, I recommend you do the same right away to save yourself some headaches. Everything goes smooth after both sides are drilled out. They are stainless rivets and I had to sharpen the bit a couple times. I picked up some 3/16" stainless rivets to put back in but opted to go back with aluminum so it is easier next time. I have to admit that I have never done this before and I did not have enough packing material to make it a tight pack like what was in it originally. I would say it is now moderately tight, but nothing like how it was. It was extremely dense and heavy. The reason I pulled it apart in the first place is I felt the pipe was too heavy and maybe there was some carbon build up inside or the packing was waterlogged. The bright side is that I thing it is 2 or 3 pounds lighter than it was. The down side is I have no idea what the negative effects will be if any. Any insight is most welcome.
Sorry RD, I've been on vacation and just got this. I went with a Touratech rear shock with a remote hydraulic preload adjuster. About $800 without remote and $1100 with. I'm extremely happy with it!
...yes that's a beauty. Ted Porter told me either the TT, Tractive, or TFX are all good choices. Nothin' money won't fix ... Hhaving the choice though, I'd probably TFX 141 for $959 because it's fully adjustable, rebound/rebound/hi-lo compression. TFX are made by the same company as the TT shock. I've got the TFX on my GS and happy with them.
I mounted it on the crash bar. Mounting to the luggage racks are another solution, but you would need a very long remote line. I had 20" to work with here and it would not have been enough to mount to a luggage rack, though I did not try from the other side. I would be very interested to see if Ted can come up with anything for the TR650. If he does deal with Tractive, then he will not have a problem because they already have the mounting specs for this bike. Tractive and TFX are two different companies. Tractive is a Dutch company and TFX is from Newfoundland. But they both did sprout off the same company, which is WP, when they sold to KTM. I also have TFX front and rear on my R1200GS. Both are fully adjustable with reservoirs and the rear has the attached hydraulic preload adjuster. They are very good and I appreciate all the adjustability, but I don't miss it on the Tractive suspension I put on the TR. They are engineered and valved very well. The one adjustment screw changes rebound and compression. It was simple to find the sweet spot with the bike loaded and unloaded. With all that being said, I would still like to see a TR with TFX fully adjustable suspension. You will have to have the remote reservoir and a remote hydraulic preload adjuster. It is going to be complicated and expensive. I was on the phone with Ian at TT for awhile working out all the issues with the remote reservoir (the angle of the line out of the adjuster, the length of the line, and the clocking of the adjuster on the shock itself, not to mention the diameter to make sure it all fit). If you need a shock to send Ted, I will donate mine so you don't have to go without your bike. With all the photos on the rear shock thread and the shock in hand, he should be able to work it all out. I think you will be looking at about $1400 or more for all that. I am sure the quote above is without the remote preload adjuster and remote reservoir. I don't see how you could run the 141 you were quoted above in stock form because access to the upper adjustment (high and low speed compression) would be extremely difficult and maybe impossible. Hyperpro figured this out because they had duibhceK's bike in their hands to work with. http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/rear-shock.83588/page-2#post-608976
I just opened the link to the TFX 141 you posted and saw that the 141 already has the remote reservoir and what is listed is for a GS 650 Sertao. Adding a hydraulic preload adjuster is simple from there and it looks like there is plenty of room for it. I really hope you can do this RD! Does anyone know if the Sertao shock will work on the TR650? RD, has Ted sold a shock for. a TR650 yet?
I haven't heard back from Ted, probably went to junk mail. Anyway this was Ted's first response I'm still trying to hold off from spending a load on suspension on this bike right now since I do have it advertised for sale. I have more cash in it than it's worth on the market. Right now a set of Strada wheels would be top of the list if I can find a set cheap. Any new shock would be an improvement though. At this point I'd probably just get the 141 sans the remote preload. The preload adjuster would be a nice convenience item, but I don't have crashbars so I'd have to figure how to mount the knob, maybe on the passenger peg mount? At any rate, priorities...
And if you don't see any wheels for sale you can still reach out to people selling other TR650 parts to see if they have wheels. Sometimes sellers won't list large things like wheels because they are a pain to ship. Many a good deal has been made outside the walls of Fleabay. Matt
Well, that's promising if Ted thinks the TT shock is the most durable. I remember when I opened the boxes to my TFX suspension for the GS and thinking they seemed a little light duty and maybe too light weight for the huge 1200, but after beating on them for a year and a half, they are holding up great. When I opened the box for the TT shock, I was thinking just the opposite. Its a serious piece of kit! With all this wheel talk, I have these that I have been selfishly holding on to just incase. If there is any interest, let me know. They are a serious build. Sun rims with heavy duty stainless steel spokes. Davey Durelle built them to the same specs he builds all his flat track racing wheels. They are in great shape and have Mitas E07's on them. 19" front and 17" rear. I would require another Terra rear wheel with a good hub so that I can have an Excel wheel built to match the front 21" Excel wheel I put on when I adapted the new front end. So I guess what I could do is send someone this set if they sent their rear wheel to Davey Durelle Racing and covered the cost of the new rear wheel build and a new rear tire and tube. Probably a $600 investment since I want to go with a D606...a much cheaper tire than the Mitas brand. I paid $1350 for this set with the tires.
Talked with Ted this week. He still doesn't have a direct replacement rear shock for the TR650 ( The rear seal is leaking) I put the TFX rear shock on my BMW F800GS, very impressed. Hoping to keep the cost down with the Terra. Njoytheride
