My Shortypants SV650 ADV Mod

[Future ten]

Originally Posted by Gypsy_Writer

Thanks! I guess I could teach the girlie side of the garage ('cause caves aren't only for men?).

Don't give up on her! It actually took me a LONG time to be comfortable in a shop and with tools, and most of that came from the absence of testosterone. I know that sounds harsh, but when I was learning to weld and wrench I would shut down when a man came near. It made me super self-conscious and all I wanted to do was get away because I thought that I was messing something up. I know, kinda crazy, but that's female psychology for ya. After a while I got more comfortable and can handle myself when the hubby is around. Still, there are times when it is better to just work alone (like when I'm trying to pop old fork seals out). She may surprise you yet!

Good stuff gyps, she is a trooper for sure. I don't expect her to weld that's my fun but she is actually a gymnastics coach and would probably beat me up if I asked her to change a tire anyways. What a lot of girls don't get is that the average guy (rider) finds it very cool. I say rider because there are too many out there that get intimidated real easy by a lady that knows her way around the shop. Good for you !

[Gypsy_Writer]

Okay. I know. I'm a bad girl. I get you guys halfway through the project, finish it up, then abandon the thread in lieu of the beautiful weather. HOWEVER, she's done!!

So, I got all the guards welded, painted, and in place. Then it was just a matter of tires and test rides. I went with the Full Bore M-40 Rear tire, but had to practice my tire patching skills before I removed the old street tire.



It was a LOT harder than I thought. Then the fun part of removing the old and putting on the new. Didn't get any pictures of that one, but here is the end result.



Wanted to test it. The rear worked great, but the front was still a semi-bald street tire that did not like oozie goozie mud.



The guard worked well though!



So, time to replace that front tire. Only problem was the fact that I am still running the stock wheels and finding dual sport tires in 17" leaves you with few choices. So, I decided on the Shinko 705 because it is practically the exact same tread pattern as the Full Bore. And, the height of the tire made it the equivalent of a 19" tire instead of a low profile 17". PROBLEM! When it arrived in the mail I realized that not only was it a rear tire (so I would have to mount it backward inducing a wobble at high speed) but it only comes in a tubbed model in that size. But I am one tenacious stubborn woman, so we made it work. Here are a couple comparison shots.


New one behind the old one.


Side by side.

Now, we get to the "fun" part.



Gotta love a press!

Okay. I'm short, so don't laugh... much. Here I am attempting to get enough leverage on the damn thing. I'm not sure what I was saying, but I look pissed in this picture. Hmm, not entirely sure why.



And, here it is on the bike, mounted backward. I don't feel like going into a gigantic explanation as to the importance of switching the direction, so I won't. But, if you are mounting a tire designed for acceleration onto a position designed for stopping, you need to adjust for the difference. And, yes. It does create a wobble at speeds over 60mph and will need to be replaced sooner, but at that time I think I'll just spring for the TKC-80 and not mess with this headache again.



And, here it is in the sunset all put together and ready for adventure!



It was a fun project and I learned a lot about the bike after tearing it apart so many times. I really do love the way she handles off-road. Given the limitations I had in her build, I think it turned out extremely well. If I were taller, I could have upgraded the forks and suspension pieces without worry. If I had more money, I could replace the wheels and get a set of TKC-80s in a proper size. However, I am short, so I had to make it function at a lower seat height. And, I'm not a millionaire yet, so I was working with a small budget.

She is peppy, she is fun, she has attitude and class, and she can eat corners faster than my husband's F800GS. So it is well worth the effort.

Thank you for reading and I hope you are having an awesome Summer season! It is time to RIDE!!

[theWolfTamer]

Great job!

Love seeing girl power. I think I'm a little inspired to work on my VX800 this winter.

[elgato gordo]

Funny about the wobble. I mounted my Shinko the opposite way and no wobble so far. May be way different geometry on my build but you might try flipping it round. I like the tire for dirt roads and pavement. Like to spring for a TKC but not till I win the lottery.

Guess I should mention no speed wobble on the pavement, I do get what I call a head shake after I hit moderate size bumps on a dirt 2-track.

[B1]

congrats on the shorty pants mod! mine was more of a "longy pants mod".

at this stage i've just put the rear tire from a DR650 on the front wheel (bridgestone trailwing) as that's what i had lying around and i have almost no money to throw into my conversion. like gordo, no wobbles at all at any speed, but then like his mod i do have dirt bike forks on which has lifted the front end and given it more in line stability.