[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 :shock: ) 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]

TA conversion

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

8)

 

[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? :twisted:

 

[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

 

[Pete Rock]

Maybe you want to go through these


http://www.xrv.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1076&highlight=modrover


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


http://www.maximumbikes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216

 

[harrisphil]

forks

Matty
if you are going to change the forks the easyest and best way is to purchase a compleate front end of a MX/enduro bike including yokes
the important dimensions are the diameter of the stearing head bearings to ensure that you can match up the headstock to the yokes
if you quote the dimensions to a bearing factor they will tel you if they are a standard size
spring rates and damping are easily sorted with a bit of trial and error.

you would then get the benifit of larger diameter front forks and a lot more rigid front end
A set of upsidedowners would look real trick.

If you want to swop the rims over,to keep the gold, then provided they have the same number of spokes its a lot easier job than you imagine

 

[matty707]

some good pics in them topics pete thanks for pointing them out, am getting alot of isperation from these sites ppl keep giving me so keep em coming.

harrisphil i read some where that xr front end fits right in there but dilbert already pointed out that the swingin arm will need changing or at least the shocker. if i see some second hand parts for sale i may try changing both front and rear suspension. but for the time being i am goin to referb the front forks with new springs and seals. i havnt done this b4 so i will be picking every 1's brains for tips.

right now for my pics let me know what u think:

the front end of the bike, this just dosnt look right to me but the mud guard is not on right and i think once the forks have been referbed it will look much better and a bit more clerance

this is the best side of the bike as u can see rad is hanging off and no panels

it been dropped on this side the rad is bent and twisted and leaks also side casing is broken and been repaired with chemical metal

the rear and my favosite pic looks fine to me no changes to be made here apart from a new back box, maybe something off a CRF500

I have the side panels for both sides but there r no way of fixing them to the bike. it seems they were held on by rubber lugs which r now missing. not sure how am goin to get these to stay on

more carnage on this side broken foot peg. but i seen some 1 put some nice motocross pegs on so am goin to do the same it will look very nice

bad pic but u can just about see the chemical metal i hope it holds till i find a new casing

this side is fairly good and i hope to salavge the down pipes

and finaly some really bad welding done here, for what i can see the exaust is in 3 sections the welding is on the middle section where ot conects the back box am hoping to get ride of these 2 sections and have a pipe made to meet a new bck box further up the frame. but i am yoting with having the back box vertical like the supereduro

anyway hope u like these pics and i will post more as i build the bike up this sunday sud be my first ride out on it but this really does depend on the rad being fixable

 

[Pete Rock]

I´m looking forward as to what it´ll look like when you´re done.

In that link I posted to AdvRider there´s a guy who installed the forks of a dirtbike in a Transalp like yours too.

 

[matty707]

thanks pete i will have a look. this bike will be a monster when am done, aside from all the cosmetic damage the engine runs like a dream. these bikes r really bomb proof. i will give u an idea of what am hoping to achive. am goin to make some alloy radiator guards like the superenduro which will look awsome. then the paint will be CR red with gold honda stickers and xrv on the trank, XRV600 on the side panels and a recover seat in blue. nice pair of gold renthals and grash bars, alloy belly pan and finaly polish them gold rims and there it will be my off road monster

 

[Mudwiz]

I had similar radiator issues, chemical metal then lots of red-weld, and its holding up perfectly.

I think it looks fab like it is, just neeeeds some engine bars to stop the Rads breaking again and some cut alloy/checkerplate side panels and you're off!

 

[matty707]

am glad u like it mud, i have had so much insperation for this project i never gave it a second thought to keep it the same. if i do keep it the same i will give it a fresh coat of paint, as for the bars, belly pan and side panels i need these desperatly. i think it will be easy to make the side panels out of alloy sheets thats not a prob. the bars and belly pan r far to expensive for my budget and i am no good at welding so i cant make them myself. i will just have to shop around for some cheap second hand bits and see what pops up

 

[harrisphil]

second hand bits

Matty what country or what part of this country are you in?
I have got a few bits left over from my days of off road riding if your in sheffield come and have a rummage
If you are doing a project like this a good tip is to visit a good old fashioned dirt bike shop where the owners and staff have a history of mental illness, ie they still ride twin shock dirt bikes.
the two best shops in sheffield are
RPM at dinnington and to a lesser extent these days Jeff halls at hillsborough
both are known to have stocks of unobtaniumspares both new and used for all sorts of weird stuff hidden in strange places. some of which may be addaptable for your project
I mean who else keeps ossa piston rings in stock?

keep up the good work and the posts.
ps bike would look trick with the rads mounted in front of the forks like a cagiva