XL600VP OFF ROAD CONVERSION

[matty707]

hi every 1, am trying to turn my transalp into a pure off road monster. this bike will never see the road again so anything goes. but there are a few things that are bugging me. i bought the bike with high mud guard, small front light, gold rims and front and back knobbly tyres. i assumed that was standard fittings but after searching the net i found out the bike should of had full faring, low mud guard and slick tyres. i don't think these after market modifications are right the front wheel seems huge and the forks seem too small. since the wheels are gold and i love them so much i have decided to change the front forks for longer 1's. has any 1 here changed there front forks for longer 1's or do you know some where that supplies suitable off road forks for the XL600VP TRANSALP.

i would also like any more information about off road parts for the transalp. thinks like smaller fuel tank, smaller fairing, belly pan, rear shock, bars and sprockets.

hope i haven't put too much in my first post and thanks for reading

[Mudwiz]

Hi matty,

I can't be too much help with this, my TA is the 650VY, and I've kept it with on-road legality, but there are lots of little modifications which help it along!

Best of luck with it all, someone with knowledge will be along in a mo!!
Do post some piccys of how it goes!!

[Dilbert]

Matty
Doesn't sound like either the wheels or the forks have been changed, the front wheel is a huge, 21" rim, as standard, I think this is supposed to give more traction and aid climbing out of ruts, etc.

Putting longer forks on seems at first like a good way of getting more travel, but it will also drastically affect the rake and castor or the bike (as well as the seat hieght ) so only do this if you extend the rear suspension by an equal amount.

I suggest you give it a try off road as it is, before rushing into making any dramatic mods that could have negative effects, once you've tried it you'll know what actually needs sorting, you may find you have plenty of travel as it is?

[Steve T]

Matty,

Try this link to a site dedicated to the TA:-

www.transalp.org

Once you have created a log-on for yourself, look for the thread under Modifications called " Jeffs Transalp to Africa Twin conversion". This details a change of forks, swingarm etc, but not a smaller tank (he fits the AT tank).
This is a properly converted machine and the detail thats in the thread is excellent (even though its from an American cousin!!!).

Hope this helps.

regards,

SteveT

[matty707]

right first of all thanks to every 1 for your response i got some pics for u all but cant seem to get them uploaded here and there too big for image shack.

steve i signed up to that site and there is some good info in there thanks for that. jeffs bike is well nice and just the suspension i need

dillbert i have to agree that the front wheel is standard. after looking more closely its seems the mud guard is not attached properly and is making it look like there is not enough clearence. i could also referb the forks with new springs to help the situation. this would be cheaper than replacing with xr forks. if i had the funds i would install xr front and rear suspension

ultimately i would like the bike looking summat like this http://www.xs4all.nl/~hanzw/jpg/micpou.htm its just a case of finging the parts they got to be out there some where

ps. if any of u ppl have pics of off road ta,s like the 1 in the link i would love to see them thanks

[Pete Rock]

the front light thingy seems to be of a Yamaha something, a XT600E perhaps, the hand protectors are pretty generic.

The tank seems to me the same as a stock Transalp, isn´t it? The radiator covers also seem to be the stock ones except cut from the fairing.

As for front forks, why not those of a CR250 or a XR400/600?


Have you seen Modrover´s Superenduro yet?

[Lord Stig]

This French machine looks remarkably close to the original Transalp concept bike from 1986-ish. It's what I would want to change one too. Nice bike! But then, I'm not a fan of brittle plastic....

Stig

[matty707]

so if i wanna make my bike look like that am gunna need a standard fairing and cut the helll out of it. well i dot mind doin that but finding a cheap enough fairing is goin to be hard. i like the super enduro version, it looks like hes made his own faring panels out of alloy. which would be a much cheaper option for me. maybe madrover could post a template.

i have just tried to upload my pics again and got this error: Upload error: Upload failed: 'user id: 5 doesn't have permission: core.addDataItem for item id: 7011'.

does any 1 know how i can get my pics in here am diein to show u my bike

[Lord Stig]

The cutouts on the original fairing panels are too large to just cut them without doing something else. The alloy idea is potentially better because you could use a support rod between them so the rads stand a better chance of surviving a crash...

Stig

[matty707]

nice idea stig i think the alloy option is the best will have to have a play with some old road signs see if that meterial is suitable