I made the mistake of riding a German friend's hacked GS and now have to have one of my own. Intended use will be to share the love with my tricycle motors and possibly do some of the TAT with my oldest. The tug will be a '06 KTM ADV S (bought new in '08) with 28,000 miles, ridden hard and well cared for. I am currently stationed in Germany and heading back to the states this summer. I Have made the pilgrimage to Mobec and Team Romer, very impressive and priced accordingly. My question is should I buy a used Ural tub and frame here or have Team Romer build a sub-frame and mount it to the KTM before I leave. I cannot do both right now but really want to get started on this build. Team Romer, very experienced in hacking the adventures, will build the subframe for about $2200 USD with the current exchange rate. Which would you choose and why? Thanks for the assistance!
Shipping the tub from Germany to the U.S. will probably cost as much as the used tub! And, time is short--this is May and you're coming back this summer? I'd get the subframe built ASAP so the bike will be ready to ship in time. Then when I get back to the U.S., start shopping for a tub and take your time doing the install and set-up. With the 950 as your tug, I'd think you will want to consider either a DMC or a CSM tub in addition to a used Ural to get the ground clearance and sturdiness you'll need in the dirt.
Drone, Thanks for the response. For the record Uncle Sam would be shipping the tub home in "household goods" right next to the blue beast who also gets boxed up for the trans-Atlantic cruise.
Well then, in that case, as a U.S. taxpayer, you're welcome! Aren't I generous? Back to the question, hacking a 950 or a 990 is not something commonly done over here, so if Romer has already got the subframe all figured out, I'd get it done. Then just about any good sidecar mechanic over here can figure out a mounting system for whatever car you get. You might even consider purchasing a couple more of those Romer subframes and selling them for a profit when you get here!
