I have this crazy idea of converting my 1984 VF700S "Sabre" to and adventure touring bike. Its no heavier than a BMW GS, and though it sits lower, I figure it would handle gravel roads with ease. Thought about installing 80/20 street and dirt tires, hand guards, small windshield, luggage rack and panniers,along with a skid plate and maybe nerf bars. Has anyone out there did a conversion like this and can you show me the pictures?
You can pretty much convert anything... I am making a Yamaha FZ1 into a gravel road terror using 950 suspension. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=672108 Biggest deal is making sure the swingarm will work if you plan on donating. Also I think it is easier to swap in a motocross front end that way you get the tire/rim combo. Problem is that will significantly raise the front of the bike making a rear end swap necessary. And with that you get the rear rim tire etc... Conversion bearings and friends with machine tools and a welder are all you need. Plus some vision to see it through. I'll be riding mine in a week, fingers crossed
WoW!:eek1 Yeah, that is quite a project. I don't think I'm gonna go that in depth with the Sabre. In fact I already have a Fox twin clickeer shock on the rear and progressive springs up front, so I'll leave the suspension as is. I just wanna make it more gravel road friendly and give it an adventure look. I have a KLR650 for most of my riding. It actually replaced the VF700S after the bike hit 100K miles. The KLR is decked out for adventure touring and I like it allot. Its just not very good for two up riding. So the ole Sabre is just sitting there and she runs great. So I thought why not fix her up and keep riding her.
This sounds like a great project. I always admire a bike that's heavily modified to make it more versatile, especially in light of how narrowly focused many factory bikes have become. One example I've seen was a Bandit 1200 (the old air cooled version) set up for long-distance sport touring and maybe even gravel roads. It had tires, luggage, big windscreen, relaxed ergonomics, etc. Its owner spent ~ $8000 total on bike and mods, and ended up with a machine that's probably 95% as capable as a new $18,000 R1200GSA. With that ten grand difference, you can buy a lot of gas, motel rooms, campground fees, and park entry fees. You can even afford to eat out at steak houses a lot, but at the end of a day riding that unit, I'd feel it more appropriate to dine on pork and beans, (or even kippers and Ritz crackers). I say, go for it. In my mind, an '84 Sabre dressed out for adventure touring rates a lot of street cred--on paved or unpaved streets!
Tires, mainly. And it's nice to have some protection for the engine/radiator/sump. If it's a gravel road with potholes, ruts, and rocks, long travel suspension is nice. But it isn't just about riding gravel roads. Compared to a standard street bike, adventure touring bikes have better provisions for carrying luggage and mounting other accessories, they usually have a more neutral seating position, and (ideally) they carry more fuel. Although any bike can be ridden on a smooth, graded dirt or gravel road, many riders prefer an adventure bike for their riding style, even on pavement.
Check out this big ol' thread from the beasts forum: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330726
Sweet Thread!!! That Night Hawk and CB919 is exactly what I'm talking about! Though taller suspension is nice, for what I'm wanting to do, I think the lower center of gravity is better. Especially for a heavy bike like the VF700S.
I loved my old '84 Sabre! If some low-life hadn't stolen it, I suspect I'd still be riding it today. I rode it frequently on our rural gravel county roads here in Ct. in box stock form. (with Hondaline fairing!). Admittedly, I was risking severe financial hurt if I dropped it & broke much of that factory plastic, but I was young & foolish (& lucky!). The engine had the factory case guards, & I would never have taken it "off-road", such as plowed fields or hiking trails, but gravel roads & graded 2 track were not a serious problem, even with stock suspension. I suspect that the almost electric rheostat -like throttle response of that V-4 had something to do with it. The power came on so smoothly & progressively, that it was easy to ride fast & maintain a very precise control. You are quite right, wheelbase & weight compare favorably with the modern GS mega trailies. Perhaps the extra suspension travel would help in potholes, but I never found it a problem, & the stock bike is near perfect for the miles of b-roads required to get to the rural gravel. I used "Bagman Premiers" when touring, (throw-over saddlebags, long since defunct) but there are any number of excellent, similar, throw-over bags marketed today that would require very little modification to adapt to the Sabre. Good luck & I'm glad you are keeping the old girl on the road.
I have been thinking about the same for quite some time, I think it could make a real awesome adventure bike.
Someone posted that picture on one of the Goldwing forums. Everybody had a good laugh. I have ridden several cruisers on dirt/gravel roads with no problems, though not at breakneck speeds. Most streetbikes are just too heavy to ride fast off road. They can get away from you in a hurry. As far as preferring a bike just for it's looks, that's a personal choice.
I wuz look'in fer a Versys as an adv bike they're hard ta find, 'n kinda pricey. (I had a budget of $3K) So'z I ended up with a little FZ6. I like the low maintenance, and neatly tucked away "up" pipe. Yeah fer gravel roads ya really don't need ta change anythang; tires maybe? Butt I put plenty a mile on gravel with street tires. I put Pirelli Scorpions & wider Renthal bars on mah FZ6, and it's a dirtbike! But ya do need more travel for the gnarlier stuff; I get beat up when do the rocky, rutty roads. Butt then again, I'mma old bastard.
No under motor pipes, skid plate, crash bars , bark-busters. All these are good things. If it's low , go slow.