what have you done to your bike today??

[garyboy]

I've not really looked at my crf since I threw it in the mud to drag it out ... gasp, whew.

Been out on it a its OK except for the front rebound on the forks.

I had only guessed the fork oil level when I put my extra racetech spring in and the 2 springs have probably overpowered the naff oem oil cartridge. It's taken me a week to suss this out. It may even be true.

So .. being a half-hearted kind of a guy .. I dribbled some more fork fluid into the 2mm gap a could get at the top valve top. Dear o dear .. wot a lazy git I is. Lol.

Got some in, surprisingly, but not tried it yet. I'll see if I blow the seal, or, if there's no difference. Might even improve.

That's as technically precise as I can muster atm

I adjusted the throttle gap at the grip, and also the clutch lever. Both holding out atm . Expect I'll need a new clutch plates in the near future, as I feather it a lot, and it's still got the thin slipper ring in there.

I still haven't sorted the sidestand, the L one is a bit long, taking measurements, but I may try some welding?

[garyboy]

Fitted new ebc brake pads to the rear brake.

Started working on the front brake .... by mistake.. Doh
But it's got a free maintenance lol



test ok .... nice to have a rear brake again lol.

the added fork oil to the frot seemed to improve things off road ... but can feel the bumps more now on the road ... fine by me.
I don't think i can get the suspension any better now, without spending some Big money.

[minkyhead]

the wisdom on the interweb says a R1 shock is the answer to all prayers on the kwack 650 ..so 100 quid later it landed ... i got it bored out at the topend whic h would be the bottom end ..blagged a shock with a damaged preload off ebay and fitted the needle bearings and the spring

feeling really quite clever blagging a three way adjustable shock for bugger all or 150 quid ..which is bugger all i gueass

i went out on to britains most bouncy and fucked up moss and the results were ......crap
options get it reserviced and alter the stacks circa 200 quid or more ..scrap it and order a yss for 300

lets see how the bog standard yss does ..been ace on the crfs but its alot easoer to be plush with 10inch of travel


looks fast ....... offers on apostacard

[Magnusson]

Maybe you just need to adjust it a little bit. Maybe a new spring to better fit your mass. Or a damper from another year.

As for the wisdom found on the interwebs. Basically half the advice on the interwebs is made by people whose intellect is below average for people on the interwebs. That is before we account for the placebo effect. Of course half the advice on the interwebs is made by people whose intellect is above average for people on the interwebs. Now I've just managed to confuse myself.

[garyboy]

Being a low level intetwebs expert, I can tell straight away, from the pic, that that spring is not robust enough for that small amount of available travel.

Spring material is too thin and too widely spaced,.. and the shock body looks completely pathetic. Not deserving of a large lad with world-wide aspirations and abilities

[scutty]

I have been thinking about adding a steering damper to my CRF500L for a while as the CRF450X front end has always been very easily deflected. I sourced a very identical Scotts copy from AliExpress:

IMG-20230818-WA0003.jpeg (96.14 KiB) Viewed 21783 times

Along with a head-tube mount for the damper pin.

IMG-20230818-WA0005.jpeg (82.57 KiB) Viewed 21783 times

As always with my very customized bike, nothing fits first time, everything needs a bit of 'persuading' and this was no different. I needed to trim the headstock mount back so it cleared the bigger fuel tank, the headstock over-weld need a little filing and I had to add slightly bigger bar risers so the damper would fit under the bars.
It turned out pretty good and the front end is much more stable now:

[ErikGustav2]

I have been mounting a set of Aluminium Panniers and a top box.
To make the bike more useful as a travel bike.

First step was to remove the rack that was used to hold Shad cases with the 3P system.
And replace it with a rack for the Benelli aluminium panniers. And to add a mounting plate for the top case

The kit sold by Benelli in Italy via distributor Motonews in Portimao

kit-valigie-trk-251.jpg (27.45 KiB) Viewed 21634 times

The rack: (Sorry for cutting part of it in the picture)

02 Benelli TRK 251 Fäste Alu väskor.jpg (146.54 KiB) Viewed 21634 times

The mounting plate:

11 Benelli TRK 251 Fäste Alu toppbox.jpg (122.23 KiB) Viewed 21634 times

[ErikGustav2]

Next step was to add the panniers and the top case.

They are easy to mount and to remove. Using snap system with locks

The bike with the kit:

21 Benelli TRK 251 Aluväskor.jpg (136.27 KiB) Viewed 21633 times

From behind:

23 Benelli TRK 251 Aluväskor.jpg (115.02 KiB) Viewed 21633 times

The panniers are opening on the top. Things will not fall out as from panniers that open to the side.
But... the width of the top case cant be more than the space between the panniers, for the panniers to open.
The kit matches fine:

24 Benelli TRK 251 Aluväskor.jpg (94.67 KiB) Viewed 21633 times

[ErikGustav2]

I can add one large dry bag. Across the bike. On the pillion part of the seat.
Or two smaller bags. One on top of each pannier.
I will try the second option first.

I added one bag to test and show the plan:

31 Benelli TRK 251 Lomo bag.jpg (118.44 KiB) Viewed 21631 times

32 Benelli TRK 251 Lomo bag.jpg (114.49 KiB) Viewed 21631 times

Next step will be the equipment for navigation.....

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Rearsets on the Aprilia RSV...to move the brake m/c and reservoir away from the engine block.

RearsetsJPG.JPG (86.38 KiB) Viewed 21566 times