• Hi everyone,

    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

    When he passed, I worked with his kids to gather the necessary credentials to keep this site running. Since then (and for however long they worked with Coffee), Woodschick and Dirtdame have been maintaining the site and covering the costs. Without their hard work and financial support, CafeHusky would have been lost.

    Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working to migrate the site to a free cloud compute instance so that Woodschick and Dirtdame no longer have to fund it. At the same time, I’ve updated the site to a current version of XenForo (the discussion software it runs on). The previous version was outdated and no longer supported.

    Unfortunately, the new software version doesn’t support importing the old site’s styles, so for now, you’ll see the XenForo default style. This may change over time.

    Coffee didn’t document the work he did on the site, so I’ve been digging through the old setup to understand how everything was running. There may still be things I’ve missed. One known issue is that email functionality is not yet working on the new site, but I hope to resolve this over time.

    Thanks for your patience and support!

TR650 Crash bars

bars are on! it was such a cluster trying to fit these things on around my B&B skid plate (with the protective hose extension - literally like 1 mm of clearance), and in the dark no less. anyhow, lookin' forward to tryin' 'em out in the wild soon. for the record though, the bars clear the B&B skid plate even with the extension piece...
 
This is the 3rd or 4th time you have mentioned TCI in the last several minutes. Do you work for them? Friends of them?

No, but my bike is down there so they can use it for their R&D. Their stuff looks like great quality. I believe he is going to do rear racks and side mounts, skidplate, crashbars, and maybe a windshield and other protective parts.
 
No, but my bike is down there so they can use it for their R&D. Their stuff looks like great quality. I believe he is going to do rear racks and side mounts, skidplate, crashbars, and maybe a windshield and other protective parts.
I just saw another post you made stating that. Thanks, and it does make sense.

Just seemed quite strange that you posted good things about a company that you have no relationship with 4 times in an hour, whereas normally that would occur in a month.

But if they have your bike, I can tell you must be excited... since presumably you will be getting some of their products.
 
So who is going to kick their bike over to test them? :D

Well... I too was down by Mount Adams last weekend, like Harder. Nice pic by the way. Back to the topic. I ended up dumping Elsa my little Swedish/German/Italian hybrid sweety on a gravel road in Gifford Pincho forest. I was riding the hump in the middle of an old logging road where there were some deep washout ruts running down the tire tracks to either side. Just tooling along in 2nd. I got a tad off to one side and with the loose dry gravel that front tire decided to squirt right. As she went right, the throttle got a little goose. Yeah... Elsa didn't like that too much so she decided to send her rear to the left. I couple little sashays later Elsa was sliding down the road riding those crash bars on the center hump like a skateboarder on a park bench. When we came to stop, all there was left to do was to pick'er her up, dust her off, and say son of a bi... I heard those crash bars dig in. They graded the road a bit flatter. Did their job 100%. Can't hardly tell they got a taste 'o the dirt. Kept the radiator in tact. I am totally convinced that without the bars I would have ridden the radiator down the road, probably buggered it up good, and been walking out or riding bitch behind my buddy. No damage to Elsa, No damage to me. Money WELL spent!!! Did bend the shifter though. I see a folding tip shifter in my very near future.
 
Well... I too was down by Mount Adams last weekend, like Harder. Nice pic by the way. Back to the topic. I ended up dumping Elsa my little Swedish/German/Italian hybrid sweety on a gravel road in Gifford Pincho forest.

Glad you and the bike came away fine.

I'm heading out there tomorrow, a dry run of the southern end of of the WABDR. I've only got a day, so I'll likely not even make Packwood as I've got to ride back to Portland. I'm thinking Trout Lake, then loop back.

I see a folding tip shifter in my very near future.

Just mounted up the Touratech adjustable with the folding tip.

http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/...er-BMW-G650X-TR650-F650GS-Dakar-G650GS-Sertao

photo-L.jpg
 
Well... I too was down by Mount Adams last weekend, like Harder. Nice pic by the way. Back to the topic. I ended up dumping Elsa my little Swedish/German/Italian hybrid sweety on a gravel road in Gifford Pincho forest. I was riding the hump in the middle of an old logging road where there were some deep washout ruts running down the tire tracks to either side. Just tooling along in 2nd. I got a tad off to one side and with the loose dry gravel that front tire decided to squirt right. As she went right, the throttle got a little goose. Yeah... Elsa didn't like that too much so she decided to send her rear to the left. I couple little sashays later Elsa was sliding down the road riding those crash bars on the center hump like a skateboarder on a park bench. When we came to stop, all there was left to do was to pick'er her up, dust her off, and say son of a bi... I heard those crash bars dig in. They graded the road a bit flatter. Did their job 100%. Can't hardly tell they got a taste 'o the dirt. Kept the radiator in tact. I am totally convinced that without the bars I would have ridden the radiator down the road, probably buggered it up good, and been walking out or riding bitch behind my buddy. No damage to Elsa, No damage to me. Money WELL spent!!! Did bend the shifter though. I see a folding tip shifter in my very near future.

Which bars did you end up with?
 
I just saw another post you made stating that. Thanks, and it does make sense.
Just seemed quite strange that you posted good things about a company that you have no relationship with 4 times in an hour, whereas normally that would occur in a month.
But if they have your bike, I can tell you must be excited... since presumably you will be getting some of their products.

I will be getting the top and side racks. Can't wait to see them.
 
Hello TR650 Fans,

This is Erik with AltRider. I am working on updating the photography on our website for the TR650 crash bars. If anyone on here ordered our TR650 crash bars in black and would be so kind to send me photos of their bike I would greatly appreciate it. We may even feature your bike on our website, Facebook, and possibly in an advertisement. Please email us the photos at attention "Erik" to info@altrider.com.

Thanks in advance!
 
I should have known better. I cancelled my Altrider crash bar order after getting tired of waiting and went with the SW Motech. Fit great...look nice...less expensive...I was a happy guy !! Picked up a Strada to keep the Terra company and since the Altrider bars were available and I hadn't seen any complaints, I got a set at Bills in Salem. There are a couple of problems with these things. Because the frame decreases in width the farther it goes up, as you tighten the bolts the bars 'climb'. They continue up until the bracket hits the exhaust header. Since there is nothing for the bar to hit on the other side that side will 'climb' higher. With this design, it would seem that the attaching brackets would have to be parallel with the frame. The pic is with the bars snug at the upper attachment. Obviously there is a gap. And obviously it is not parallel. When everything is tightened and the brackets are pulled tight to the frame the right side bar is higher than the left. I'll try fabricating a shim....try to figure out how to keep the bracket off the header....drink a few beers while doing it....get pissed off....place on order with Twisted Throttle....and sell these to one of you guys. Sounds like a plan to me.

100_1832.jpg .
 
I should have known better. I cancelled my Altrider crash bar order after getting tired of waiting and went with the SW Motech. Fit great...look nice...less expensive...I was a happy guy !! Picked up a Strada to keep the Terra company and since the Altrider bars were available and I hadn't seen any complaints, I got a set at Bills in Salem. There are a couple of problems with these things. Because the frame decreases in width the farther it goes up, as you tighten the bolts the bars 'climb'. They continue up until the bracket hits the exhaust header. Since there is nothing for the bar to hit on the other side that side will 'climb' higher. With this design, it would seem that the attaching brackets would have to be parallel with the frame. The pic is with the bars snug at the upper attachment. Obviously there is a gap. And obviously it is not parallel. When everything is tightened and the brackets are pulled tight to the frame the right side bar is higher than the left. I'll try fabricating a shim....try to figure out how to keep the bracket off the header....drink a few beers while doing it....get pissed off....place on order with Twisted Throttle....and sell these to one of you guys. Sounds like a plan to me.

View attachment 30268 .

My SW Motech bars shipped today. Based on what you said above I can't wait to get them installed. I've been very lucky so far with a few trips to the dirt but no major damage other than some bent parts. Hopefully the crash bars will keep it this way.
 
...Because the frame decreases in width the farther it goes up, as you tighten the bolts the bars 'climb'. They continue up until the bracket hits the exhaust header. Since there is nothing for the bar to hit on the other side that side will 'climb' higher...
I'm quite impressed with the ALTrider design. I'll take yet another look but my set works perfect.
 
Coffee, take a look and see if the bracket on the left side is making contact with the exhaust pipe. Back in post #307, Jon Wahl posted a pic and his is like mine. When I first installed the bars I wondered why the holes in the brackets were so much bigger than the supplied bolts. I tried using a larger bolt but then the nut or bolt head, depending on which way you install them, will hit the pipe instead of the bracket. I guess it may not matter since there shouldn't be any movement to cause wear but you don't usually see any contact between bike and exhaust until you get back to the muffler hanger.
 
Hello guys, somebody who install SW MOTECH Skidplate, has used some foam between engine and skid plate to get the original engine noise, again??
Could report what kind of foam o system has used to recover stock noising..!!
Thanks.. I tried moving diferent pieces of foam diferents places, but no working properly yet.
 
Hello guys, somebody who install SW MOTECH Skidplate, has used some foam between engine and skid plate to get the original engine noise, again??
Could report what kind of foam o system has used to recover stock noising..!!
Thanks.. I tried moving diferent pieces of foam diferents places, but no working properly yet.
Isn't there a skid plate thread you could post to?
 
Coffee, take a look and see if the bracket on the left side is making contact with the exhaust pipe. Back in post #307, Jon Wahl posted a pic and his is like mine. When I first installed the bars I wondered why the holes in the brackets were so much bigger than the supplied bolts. I tried using a larger bolt but then the nut or bolt head, depending on which way you install them, will hit the pipe instead of the bracket. I guess it may not matter since there shouldn't be any movement to cause wear but you don't usually see any contact between bike and exhaust until you get back to the muffler hanger.
  • When I first installed the crash bars there was at least an 1/8th" gap.
  • I tightened the bottom center bolt first, then the top center bolt, then I tightened up the side bolts.
  • I just went over and looked at the bike and the crash bar center pad was touching the exhaust.
  • I re-did the process while holding the crash bars in the center as low as possible and now have a gap, but it is now smaller than the 1/8th" gap I originally had. So they appear to be slowly creeping up until the crash bar pad touches the exhaust.
While ideally the crash bar pad would not touch the exhaust, as long as nothing is vibrating or wearing, does it really matter? Not sure. Seems to be far less of an issue than several other parts of the bike - like the clutch cable.
 
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