BergDonk's DR650s and the Odd Tangent

Hey, thanks. You, Mezo, and Snowy got me thinking At least I have someone to blame when the wife looks at the bills

Steve

Top chain roller torn out. I repaired it, relocating it abit, and adding a strap to the frame crossmember from under the bolt head. So far, so good.

If you look closely, you can see a crack in the top middle of the chain guard. Its stuffed too. I replaced it with a Kawasaki GPX250 one, a bit taller.

The stock chain guide is fragile. A replacement from Procycle and I added a brace on the inside too. Bolted to the inside of the swingarm with nutserts.

The FMF header makes a difference.

Fastway pegs I like, and the mount is cut down and rearset.

The seat is stock with a Yamaha XT600 foam added in, and the sheepskin too. Better for my bum and dodgy old knees.

The Megacycle muffler
The racks are work in progress.

The main rack is an old Ventura that I've adapted.
The toolbag is a Kelly
The lower rack is from the wife's KLX250 and replaces the stock tailight. The replacement tailight and guard extension is Berg one I had lying about.

OK, so I seem to have the picture thing working now. Enjoy.
More to come, I might have the shock tomorrow.

Steve

very nice

it looks like you sail around the horn with that front end:huh

Jetting
The airbox snorkel is removed and top opened up.
After much experimenting, including initially making up my own needle from and old FCR needle I had lying about, I got a Dynojet kit from Procycle.

Much more experimenting, and this is where I'm at:
Main 145
Pilot 37.5
FS 0.875 turns
DJ needle 4th clip from bottom
drilled slide

Leaner than most, but now working well with no surging and good economy, and pretty clean roll on from a closed throttle. Still no FCR, but thats coming, my Berg benchmark is a problem

Steve

Great write up. What kind of clock is that next to the speedo?

Just a small battery one from the local auto parts, or electronics place that I had in the shed. Velcroed on to the black plastic dash I made up out of an old driving light cover I had lying about.

Steve

Great write up -thanks for taking the time and effort for us all.

Nice machining work. I know Snowy well and have ridden his bike so appreciate what the mods can do.

63HP is a big big number even for a DR. Are you sure it was that high? Many 4 valve 650's struggle to get that much.

Not the DR. My 650 Berg has 63hp at the knobs, on the dyno, lights up at any speed in any gear, instantly. The suspension is also Frank Pons' WP test bed, been through a few iterations, and it just works, and has created a benchmark that causes me to try and get the DR up to in some areas.

I'm not trying the match the 63 hp, but better throttle response will be nice. With the jetting noted above it now works better than ever, but I know with an FCR it'll be better again. I'm familiar with FCRs, having fitted one to my 501 Berg years ago, as well as playing with the 650 Berg's stock one. And besides, I enjoy the shed time, I've never had a stock bike for long, just enjoy playing with them to improve them, and then ride them, analyse whats happening, and then play some more in the shed. I can't help myself, its a drug

I even built my first frame in the mid 1970s when I created a monocoque one for my highly tuned CB500, but that's a whole other story.

I met Snowy once, on a DSMRA ride in Tallaganda early this year. He'd not long fitted the forks, and I'd not long got my DR, so I was interested. I was hugely entertained on the day following him, seeing him run wide as he struggled to pull up it for turns, and overshooting many. No point going past as it was too much fun following, watching him create new trails

I know KTMatt too, as I've ridden with him a number of times on DSMRA rides, and he's had a play on my 650 Berg too, and he's building a bash plate for me.

I don't know what geometry differences exist with a RM/RMZ front end, but being off a similar spec bike, presumably the damping and springing is similar, so would perform somewhat the same perhaps, but as Snowy and others have said, huge improvement, even over my resprung, gold valved, and tuned and assembled by Frank stockers. And the WP front end offered a drgree of familiarity from my Bergs, and price was right on the day, so went that way. Now just got to service them and fit some new seals. Next week, got other priorities in the meantime, Merry Christmas.

Cheers
Steve

And I forgot to mention that I'm around 800 m, so this works OK at sea level and higher, a nice compromise.

Engine Oil – My answer to the question?

Caltex/Chevron Delo 400. They have other Delos, (DELO, aka Diesel Engine Lubrication Oil) including Delo 400 LE which you do not want, just Delo 400. The last I got was $85 per 20l drum, but is about $35 at the servo for 5l.

Its 15/40 and was recommended to me for the Bergs by a guy who raced them and won in the States, and was also a petrochemist who was involved in its development with Chevron. Excellent credentials. Many use it in their Bergs as a result, once they overcome the obvious concerns, and don't go back.

In the only scientific test I could do, the valve gear was repaired in my 501 after a cam follower bearing failed at about the time they do, ie 150 hrs. My fault for letting it go too far. At the time I switched from Mobil 1 Racing 4T used up until then. A well regarded full synthetic bike specific oil. Now another 300 hrs and valve gear is still fine, along with the rest of the motor with original bottom end still, with Delo 400 exclusively. It goes in all the dirt bikes here, and my tractor, is semi synthetic and works great with wet clutches and rolling element bearing motors.

http://www.caltex.com.au/<wbr>ProductsAndServices/Pages/<wbr>LubricantProducts.aspx?<wbr>Category=Heavy+Duty+Diesel+<wbr>Engine+Oils
http://www.caltex.com.au/<wbr>ProductsAndServices/Pages/<wbr>ProductDescription.aspx?ID=<wbr>1639

Perfect for the big trip, because its available pretty much anywhere.


Because you wanted to know
Steve

That makes sense.

The berg produces stupid silly power and weighs nothing. I am glad you are not claiming those ponies from the DR.....mind you I saw some supermono's in the UK making those sort of numbers from the DR donk but hand grenades I must say.

Since Snowy fitted the RMZ swingarm, his bike well and truly out handles the engine. It is a credit to him and makes you want one....for a bit.

And the thing is that the hp is useless if it can't be used. The Berg's 63 hp makes for fun bragging rights, but would be useless if it wasn't so usable, predicatble, linear, and with no powerband to speak of, just goes from off idle. The DR is peakier, believe it or not.

But the DR is also smooth and has enough power to do what I want it to, the centre and Kimberly mid 2011 among other adventures. I just like fiddling, refining and improving. I've learnt over the years to mostly leave engine internals factory, and play with the outside for reliability, and cost effectiveness. The best money you can spend is actually on rider training followed by suspension.

Steve

I am a big fan of suspension first and foremost. I would take Snowy's bike anywhere but standard they crack the swingarm and that is a weakness you do not want on any bike.

I would like to try the dr600 twin port head on the 650. It ran a flat slide and the KTM headers fit right up. I think that could help but it is just a guess...