Honda Dakar bike forks ????

[atgreg]

This is a bit of a long shot,
anyone of the Dakarphiles, Jenna maybe, know what type / size forks were run on the

Africa Twin Marathon


and / or

The NXR750


here's hoping
Greg

[atgreg]

bump bump, no one ???. I thought it might be a question to far

[atgreg]

Just got an answer from a German "expert" on the Honda Dakar bikes,thought some of you might be interested'

Hi Greg,

nice to hear from you.

At the RD04 Marathon there is a regular AT fork with stronger springs and only one brakemounts on the left side,[/font]
I think it is an RD03 fork with a transalp or RD03 wheel with 276mm brake disk (from Transalp PD06), Transalp brake shoe and 15mm axle diameter.
At the RD03 Marathom there is a stock fork with stock wheel and brake disk, only stronger fork springs.

At the NXR are handmade forks from HRC, but also with 43mm diameter.

[chronyx]

So uprated standard forks?!

[Jenna]

sorry some reason only just found this ?

the 'Marathon' bike was actually fairly stock as that was what was a requirement of the class, without digging up the exact regs i think major mods were only allowed for safety equipment and tyres.... eg hecktanks, stand and exhaust. Certainly HRC would have beefed up as many stock components as possible as these would fall outside the 'blueprint' of the bikes homologation (which was after all a production bike). Think i found and posted up the exact build details before in @ threads (probably in an NXR thread!)as it varied over the 3 years the class was run.

I do have some pics of one of the last surviving GENUINE (and unused!!)bikes some where i will see if i can post them up as its a beautiful sight.

As for the NXR, well after many many long hours studying this bike to see if a modern version is viable to build i have to say no, roughly 80% of the bike is hand made just for the NXR build so its just way to dear to copy. The forks themselves were unique, they used a new wheel mounting system, new brake location, and i suspect a new stanchion tube....

there a few good pics on Ingo Lochart's website that show the bike close up.
http://www.rallye-tenere.net/index.html

[atgreg]

Of course the NXR forks are factory unobtanium trick but I was surprised they were the same diameter as the standards, even in the late 80's I'd have thought they would be bigger on the factory bike. Ive got lots of piccies of Honda Dakar bikes at

http://www.atgreg.smugmug.com/gallery/702640#30636726

eg 750 marathon

[janne.k]

How about rear shocks, have they used re-shimmed africa twin shock or something else. I think it has been longer.

[vor-werk]

no, they use a hand made rear shock from HRC, it is made out of billet and is better adjustable, spring is a bit stronger.

[janne.k]

no, they use a hand made rear shock from HRC, it is made out of billet and is better adjustable, spring is a bit stronger.

Looks like a old xr 600 shock.

[The Pheasant]

According to Revue Moto Technique No.72, which covers the 650AT, the Marathon used forks and rear shock from the CR motocrosser of the day. Doesn't say what size CR.

The booklet has a page on the AT's participation in the 11th Dakar in 1989. It was called Objectif Dakar. There were more than 150 applicants for 50 places on offer from Honda France. They were put through their paces at the Club Moto de la Gendarmerie Nationale at Fontainbleu, after which a selection was made.

Successful applicants paid an unspecified fee for their participation, which included an AT ready to race in the Marathon class. These bikes were built on a dedicated production line in Japan, and were the fabled HRC-prepped ATs.

Thanks to supplementary rear pannier tanks they carried 60 litres of fuel. The only other mods permitted - it sez 'ere - were to the suspension and to the bash-plate, which got a water container and tool box .

During the race the Objectif Dakar riders received assistance from a 21-strong team supplied by Honda France. 49 bikes started the event, the 50th rider was refused a Libyan visa. 18 reached Dakar, taking first and second places in the Marathon class. Patrice Toussaint, 1st AT home, also placed 16th on the overall Classement Moto. According to Moto Revue, most of the retirements were due to rider fatigue rather than machine failure.