Looking for ideas and pics to improve my '03 TA off the road

[boomer84]

Finally a suspension thread.
The suspension is the weak link on these pigs.
I added a 45mm 1 1/4 inch diam pvc spacer to my forks sping preload, it helped prevent the dreaded thunk over the 1 foot bumps common where I ride so it's easier to go faster in the rough stuff. This added about 25mm to the front end sag. I also flipped the dogbone on the rear shock link for about 50mm rise but the shock still sucks because there is dam little rebound control, I guess I need a better shock. Not many options out there. I also run 140/80 metzler sahara rear for about a 1/2 inch larger tire diameter. The handling on the dirt is good, the road is a bit more twitchy.

With all the extra height I need a kickstand extension....

Nice paint job Wheeliebin - how'd you do it?

Saludos

Does it matter if I use stainless steel plumbing pipe for the spacer? I just found a peice that is near as dammit the exact same size as the spring but I also found some PVC that is close enough too. Just wondering if their would be any difference between the two?

Going to try with the SS tomorrow anyway with an initial space of 40mm and will lower it a bit from there I think.


Also, the rear pre-load, if I lower the amount of pre-load then it lowers the height of the bike correct? Will it effect anything else that I should be concerned about?

Cheers,
Ol

PS. Raising the rear and then taking a few days ride before raising the front may well result in unusual fuel readings and an empty tank. oops... Safe riding all!

[btbloke]

there are a lot of things that can be done to an alp, this is a thread from adv rider, well worth reading the hundreds of posts

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39170

[Mudwiz]

How did this turn out?

And photos.............

[Transalicante]

Talk about casualty...

I just arrived from a friend's garage. He chopped the catalysator in a second hand exhaust header I bought on Ebay.

After this thread I did that:
http://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/ride-re...ober-09-a.html

The only mods on the bike were AT RD07 engine guard, shorter back indicators to avoid breakages, Touratech guards, Acerbis handlebar, KN filter, underseat socket to charge the camera batteries, and some other minor improvements.

After thatI just did some maintenance on the bike, like wheel bearings and others.

Now I have an articulated gear lever from an AT RD07 and a MIVV carbon exhaust 2 kgs lighter than the original one.

For my next travel to Morocco I want to install my freshly cat chopped exhaust header (3,250 kgs lighter), elongate a back second hand shock I found on Ebay to gain around 30 mm on the back, improve the front suspension and gain 30 mm on the front too, install home made handlebar risers, tapered headrace bearings and an articulated brake lever.

I'll try to put some pictures soon, any suggestion welcome.

Regards.

[Delboy 777]

Im so envious of you. Fantastic pics and scenery.

[Transalicante]

How did this turn out?

I have to apologize but have so little time to post here.

I'll try to put more information about the mods on my bike next days, meanwhile you can have a look at that.

Don't expect big mods like Marzocchi forks or Ohlins shocks, I'm more axed in little and cheap mods which can do a big improvement in the TA handling off the road.

[Transalicante]

Hi,

I'll try to remember all the mods on my bike, because I made a lot of small improvements over the pasts two years.

-Acerbis ATV handlebar (very similar to the OEM but stronger) with homemade risers.
-AT RD7 sump guard
-Touratech side guards
-Smaller rear indicators to keep them protected against breakages
-Plus 1 tooth rear sprocket (shorter gearing)
-130/80-17 rear tyre (shorter gearing again, but still good for long travels on motorways. Also more offroad tyres choice)
-AT RD7 foldable gear lever
-AT RD4 foldable rear brake lever
-Catalysator chopped off and MIVV carbon exhaust (- 6 kgs)

Bike 40 mm higher:
-Fork: Wirth springs wich are harder and 10 mm longer than OEM. That raise the bike 25 mm and the tubes are downed 15 mm in the yokes (= 40 mm)
-Rear suspension: To flip the linkages raises too much the bike and makes it difficult to drive in complicated situations off the road. With the help of a friend we made the stock shock 12 mm longer, that raised the back 30 mm, and added preload to the spring, that raised again the bike 10 mm (= 40 mm)

I have also a homemade support for the Etrex GPS (made with a shoe cleaner package 1,35 €), and a cigarette plug under the seat to charge batteries for the camera or the GPS.


Two days ago, I went offroading with some friends and tried the bike in the mud for the first time (my area is very dry).
After that, I can say that the next mods will be KTM modified footpegs and modify the front mudguard to avoid the front wheel getting stuck (had a stupid fall because of that).

Regards.

[tramp]

cheers for that,

how did you dodify the rear shock by eleongating it ,

here`s mine in the morphing stage.

[Fruit Loop]

I'm not looking to raise my own bike's suspension, but all this talk of the 'problem' of raising/extending the front forks made me wonder whether 700 Transalp forks (presumably the same diameter as the 650) are perhaps longer as the 700 wheel is smaller than the 600 & 650 and might make an easy swap. Does anyone know, and would this work?

[romeo one]

Mod your footpegs like this