Show us your TransAlp modifications!

[mas335]

Originally Posted by GSPD750

Will those seats bolt onto my '96 TA? I sort of need another one for my riding pleasure as the current one is custom lowered for family. Hard to tell from the pics but one is def blue. Others are black correct?

No all 4 are 89 Blue. Since I have never seen a 96 TA seat I can't say for certain but I would think the seat mounting did not change. I need to get these seats listed in the flea market they do take up a lot of shelf space.

These seats range from near mint to faded and discolored. I also have just a blue seat cover that was taken off of a 89 seat but you need the entire seat and cushion right?

Maybe someone else knows if the seat attachment changed from 89-90 to 96.

[GSPD750]

Originally Posted by mas335

No all 4 are 89 Blue. Since I have never seen a 96 TA seat I can't say for certain but I would think the seat mounting did not change. I need to get these seats listed in the flea market they do take up a lot of shelf space.

These seats range from near mint to faded and discolored. I also have just a blue seat cover that was taken off of a 89 seat but you need the entire seat and cushion right?

Maybe someone else knows if the seat attachment changed from 89-90 to 96.

Thanks for that mas335. I need to go with an entire black seat.

[mas335]

USA bikes were only blue and gray. I had a 1991 TA that did have a black seat.

[Ladder106]

Sure looks like the identical frame and tank so older seats should fit.....

.....unless Honda did something odd and changed the mounting points.

My money is on the seats being identical.

[mgorman]

I wonder if there'd be any hints in the part numbers between the last model year of one and the 1st of the next? I like how KTM does their part numbers. Each part gets a number that cross references to every bike it fits. I think Honda has a model code in their part numbers. I'm hoping to be enlightened on that.

[Bronco638]

Hi All,

it's been a while since I stopped in to read and catch up (about 18 months since I had a TA). I was in France for Thanksgiving break and came across this near the Sorbonne. I've never seen black bodywork before (in person). Since most bikes/scoots spend most of their life exposed to the elements, this example needed some TLC (especially the saddle). Happy Holidays!



I have no idea about the model year. I see it has a sliver motor with a rear disc, center-stand and gold rims (I'm pretty sure the wind screen is after-market). Did European models differ that much from US spec stuff or is this example from the early-to-mid 90s? And, no, it's not leaking oil/gas, it had been a damp morning.

[deathu]

Originally Posted by GSPD750

Another buying feature was that it was already lowered with a kit and custom dished out seat. Forks also lowered in the triple clamps. This will make it easy for my family members to ride once they've had a motorcycle course.

Hi,

Are you absoultely sure the bike is actually lowered, and not raised on rear side? Judging by the above pics, it seems to sit just as high, if not higher than the average Transalp 600. These bikes are very common here in Europe. In the pics it is indeed obvious that the fork tubes are raised in the triple clamps to lower the front end, however overall the bike seems higher than most, which puzzles me.

For instance here is a pic of my '99 model

My bike is definitely not lowered in any way. In the meanwhile (since this pic was taken), I cranked the real preload to maximum, which raised the rear end by another 1-2 cm but that's about it.. ground clearance is still crappy, below the officially stated 195mm of this model.

In fact, it would be nice if you could measure the ground clearance, between the ground and the bottom of the center stand mount joints, while holding the bike vertical, and under it's own weight only.

[GSPD750]

Originally Posted by deathu

Hi,

Are you absoultely sure the bike is actually lowered, and not raised on rear side? Judging by the above pics, it seems to sit just as high, if not higher than the average Transalp 600. These bikes are very common here in Europe. In the pics it is indeed obvious that the fork tubes are raised in the triple clamps to lower the front end, however overall the bike seems higher than most, which puzzles me.

For instance here is a pic of my '99 model
My bike is definitely not lowered in any way. In the meanwhile (since this pic was taken), I cranked the real preload to maximum, which raised the rear end by another 1-2 cm but that's about it.. ground clearance is still crappy, below the officially stated 195mm of this model.

In fact, it would be nice if you could measure the ground clearance, between the ground and the bottom of the center stand mount joints, while holding the bike vertical, and under it's own weight only.

It must be an illusion to your eyes when looking at the pics as this bike is def lowered inluding the spring that is wound down judging by the hammer tooling marks on the spanner ring. You did see the pic of the lowering kit which changes out the OEM link? Ok, I just got down on my back on the cold garage floor and measured ground clearance of approx. 185mm to the center of the cross member of the frame...give or take a mm.

I just purchased a used OEM link on ebay.de which will give me the option of jacking it back up again.

Hey, is that an AT skid plate on your TA? Does it bolt right up?

[Ladder106]

The AT bashplate will certainly fit into that space (at least the RD03/04 one would...not the RD07). But the AT plate uses one bolt at the front and the AT plate uses two...the other mounting hole may or may not line up. It doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to mod some brackets to bolt it up, though.

The TA plate from Twisted throttle is much stronger and will bolt right up to the TA. Mine has brushed off some pretty severe hits over the years.

[deathu]

Of course, I did see the custom suspension links on your bike. Well, I am not sure exactly to which point on the frame did you measure, but in my case the clearance was about 175mm (that was before I maxed out the preload, I think I will measure again today just to have an idea). Of course, if the center stand mounting joints did not exist at all, ground clearance would be about 20-25mm higher. This is a bad design on the EU frames... the center stand mounting is always the first to hit in certain situations, such as climbing high curbs or crossing railways in not specifically intended places when going offroad

Originally Posted by GSPD750

Hey, is that an AT skid plate on your TA? Does it bolt right up?

That is indeed an Africa Twin skidplate, the 3-pieces model from RD04/RD07(a) ATs. It requires minor modifications such as cutting a few notches and drilling new holes in order to mount on the TA. As far as shape and size, it fits well.
The thing is, the higher you wish to mount it, the more you have to cut. As the transalp engine cases are very exposed, protruding a bit below the main frame rails, I wanted a little "buffer" space, around 10mm, between the underside of the engine and the skidplate.I don't know what kind of space is there on a RD04/RD07 AT, but I wanted to allow the skid plate to bend and deform to absorb impacts, not to ruin my engine cases. This also compensates a bit for the height of the centerstand mount joints, and should allow the underside of the bike to slide a bit easier over obstacles.
AFAIK, the Africa Twin RD03 skidplate (one-piece model) is a bolt-on on the Transalp frame, but I may be wrong, maybe others can confirm this.

[ravelv]

RD03 skidplate also needs similar modifications as RD04 and RD07 ones to fit TA frame. Though, RD03 skidplate, in my opinion, is best to use for TA.

Originally Posted by deathu

...
AFAIK, the Africa Twin RD03 skidplate (one-piece model) is a bolt-on on the Transalp frame, but I may be wrong, maybe others can confirm this.

[GSPD750]

Originally Posted by deathu

Of course, I did see the custom suspension links on your bike. Well, I am not sure exactly to which point on the frame did you measure, but in my case the clearance was about 175mm (that was before I maxed out the preload, I think I will measure again today just to have an idea). Of course, if the center stand mounting joints did not exist at all, ground clearance would be about 20-25mm higher. This is a bad design on the EU frames... the center stand mounting is always the first to hit in certain situations, such as climbing high curbs or crossing railways in not specifically intended places when going offroad


That is indeed an Africa Twin skidplate, the 3-pieces model from RD04/RD07(a) ATs. It requires minor modifications such as cutting a few notches and drilling new holes in order to mount on the TA. As far as shape and size, it fits well.
The thing is, the higher you wish to mount it, the more you have to cut. As the transalp engine cases are very exposed, protruding a bit below the main frame rails, I wanted a little "buffer" space, around 10mm, between the underside of the engine and the skidplate.I don't know what kind of space is there on a RD04/RD07 AT, but I wanted to allow the skid plate to bend and deform to absorb impacts, not to ruin my engine cases. This also compensates a bit for the height of the centerstand mount joints, and should allow the underside of the bike to slide a bit easier over obstacles.
AFAIK, the Africa Twin RD03 skidplate (one-piece model) is a bolt-on on the Transalp frame, but I may be wrong, maybe others can confirm this.

Any way you look at the TA (with or without the lowering kit) it's fricken low. I know it's not fair if I compare it to my AT. Question....is the Honda OEM centerstand for the TA any lower in physical length than the SW Mototech centerstand?

[Blackbert]

Originally Posted by ravelv

RD03 skidplate also needs similar modifications as RD04 and RD07 ones to fit TA frame. Though, RD03 skidplate, in my opinion, is best to use for TA.

I have an RD03 skidplate on mine. A piece of 4mm flat mounted on the front of the frame, 2 holes for M6 bolts with nyloc nuts on the inside mount the plate using the OEM points.
I drilled 2 holes in the rear bottom part and used 2 countersunk bolts to mount the plate to the frametubes, using 2 of these.


It has taken a few beatings, never moved, no damage to the mounting points.

[locorider]

You can build your own bashplate...

[locorider]

Love the crate! Is it yours? Of course, needless to say that the bike is awesome!

Originally Posted by GSPD750

I can now officially join in on this thread with the aquisition of a 1996 XL600v-T that I brought over from Germany last week. Yes, working for a major airline here in Canada has it's privlages. My Africa Twin now has a little sister.
A colleague in Frankfurt who works air cargo was also very instrumental in making this happen with transport of the bike in his van to pick it up from the seller 135 kms south of Frankfurt. This coworker also owns an Africa Twin.

After a whirlwind visit with 2 nights stay at a hotel near FRA I was on my way back to Calgary with the TA on the same Airbus A330 as me....and some German Xmas cakes and chocolates. I didn't forget the 1 liter bottle of Crown Royal either.
The bike I came home with was my first choice with 19,500 kms and in the end the seller held it for me which simplified things further with no need to look at a backup '95 TA 30 kms down the road. Another buying feature was that it was already lowered with a kit and custom dished out seat. Forks also lowered in the triple clamps. This will make it easy for my family members to ride once they've had a motorcycle course.

So...needless to say I'm stoked and I'm going to have fun with this bike. Did I mention it was clean? I don't think it's ever been through a mud puddle.

Ok...pics.

Dangerous goods have to be x-rayed.








I did it! It's in my garage. Of course after I paid taxes and a brokerage fee.




And clean it is...













I had to bring it to my buddys m'cycle shop for a required government inspection in order to get it registered....another fee.









Anyone care to comment on this suspension link. It was said by the previous owner that it lowered the bike 22 mm.
Also seen in the pic is the custom shorted sidestand which was fabricated with threaded ready rod and a jam nut. It was actually not a bad weld but the rod did not hold up for the flight over and was bent. Rod is removed in the pic. First repair/mod to do.







Soooo....I've got plenty of time this winter to dress the girl up. Probably start with tires as they are old and hard. I need some ideas for a luggage system. Not sure what yet. Centerstand would be nice...but damn she's pretty low already. I might be plowing the fields with it. Some heated grips and a tankbag might be on order too.

Any ideas...chime in please.