I have only recently purchased my bike so I was wondering what maintenance stand would suit me best for general tinkering. I picked this up from Supercheap for $149 and I think it works well It made the chain adjustment and lube really straightforward. It was easy to spin the bike and move it around as needed. I also took off my frame guards and cleaned up under there. It was filthy as and well worth the effort. I had also taken off and cleaned up my bash plate when I did the oil change - again well worth it. I have put a zip tie on my side stand switch and that saves some hassle - the side stand pivot has been cleaned and lubed, too. I worked out what chain and sprockets the PO had installed. It turned out to be a 525 with 14F and 41R. I am thinking of going for a 42R and a 15F and 16F to cover the options. What do you think? Anyone else got a different fave workshop stand?
Actually, I've got the exact same one and find it great. I saw it on special for $99 a few months back but nonetheless is still worth the $150. I can actually move the bike around whilst its jacked up, up have never had an issue of it toppling off. Great for turning the bike around! Have fun.
That looks shit hot exile730, now all you need is a Safari tank, some Wolfman racks, Wolfman Saddle bags and you will be ready for the Canning Stock Route in July.... Cheers Richo. Swan View.
That does suck. Try mxsouth: http://www.mxsouth.com/progrip/pro-grip-handlebar-grips-foam-rally-grip.htm Sarah
I agree 100%. The adjustable rebound is worth the cost alone. Depending on your weight, you can still use the stock rear spring. Rick told me to stay with the stocker. He's not gonna try to sell you something you don't need.
I have been told the Race Tech unit has a larger diameter shaft than stock and therefore more bearing surface area. Other than that, I'm not sure how the Cogent differs from Race Tech.
The $498 includes a new spring. If you get the shaft assembly only from Racetech it's $399.99 minus %15 = $339.99 http://www.racetech.com/page/title/SMSA Shaft Assemblies http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20186876&postcount=1
Sweet looking ride and I love the low front fender. Wait a minute, an English wheel in the background..........Did someone say talent?
With about 7500 miles on the beast today I changed out the rear and front brake fluid. Here is about the first inch-worth's of fluid coming out of the front... Hope I put newer fluid in it in time to prevent the front from seizing up too soon.
I've taken flak for the fender & a lot of stuff I built for my DR, but I don't give a shit it's the way I like it
Could be. I went slightly less than Race Tech recommends and the guy that set up my suspension mentioned the stiffness of the springs, but he followed up by saying that he thought I was right to put in significantly stiffer springs. He said many of the people who bring him suspension work refuse to believe they should be running spring rates as high as they should, so they change the compression/rebound and run springs too soft for the weight they are running (either their body weight or how the pack the bike), or their style of riding. So, bottom line is I figured the springs are pretty cheap and I might as well use Race Tech's recommendations as a starting point. I'm not sure it's right or will be over time, but with the small amount of riding I've been able to do since yesterday, the bike feels very well balanced over rougher terrain. It definitely feels like the front and rear are working together as opposed to feeling front and rear separately (I used to feel the front and then the rear when going over terrain; whereas, it now feels like one fluid movement). I think the rebound is much much better.
Racetech changed their spring calculator a while back and it shows a lot stiffer fork springs than it used to. I just tried it a minute ago and it recommends .72 for the front and 7.9 for the rear for my 195 pounds. I have had .50 in the front and 8.1 on the back for a few years now.
Weird. 0.47 front and 7.6 rear gives me (85kg) the correct static and race sag settings going by Ned and James's book.
SkunkWizard - I like the low front fender and if I had a road going only or mild dirt road DR, I'd go with it. I've seen your metalwork firsthand - there's some in my garage - and it's first rate. Good to see you around here still.
I've always been lurking, I try to keep my post count low and my ride count high. Metalwork is my weakpoint, I do it for a change of pace & relaxation. Composites are my deal and it keeps me stupid busy during racing season. I have a new project for the DR in the works, I can't wait for some free time. It involves Stainless Steel and carbon fiber.
Well, I do know that you and I don't weigh the same. If you weighed only slightly more, or had your bike loaded you'd probably be using the same rear spring as me. I always thought both the front and rear of my stock bike was way under sprung and now it seems more balanced. I did go up a lot on the front if you think about it in terms of percentage (.40 stock springs to .70 aftermarket); although I have to wonder if the progressive front springs would be similar to a heavier spring as they cycle through the range (I don't know). So, maybe because I now have straight rate springs I go with a higher rate; whereas the stock spring feels like a higher spring rate as it cycles? I was going to measure my sag, but I froze my ass off putting on some new Barkbusters, so I'm taking a bourbon (Bulleit) break. You went up about 15% front and rear, and I went up much more in the front. I'm wondering if the progressive to straight rate means anything in the reasoning.