Lastminuteracingdotcom... FIM WCCC round II (Tunisia Rallye)

However, while Tony and I nerd away to ourselves... I'm sure the rest of you would like to know how the test ride went...






















...wouldn't you?

:ddog

So here goes...

I splashed a bit of fuel into the rear tank to get me down to the local petrol station... only to run out a quarter of a bloody mile away and have to push the bike in all my gear! Thank goodness it wasn't the Tenere is all I can say!

I decided to fill one of the front tanks (approx ten litres - I actually got just under nine in, so I guess the fuel left in the bottom is around a litre each side - see later...), plus topped off the rear tank - although it looks bigger, I can confirm it only does hold [just] 5 litres...

So, with that I hit the mountain roads to see how it handled with all the kit on...



(don't panic, that's KMH, not MPH you fools. x)

Initial impressions were good (letting the brand new tyres bed in a bit of course), although the bike doesn't seem so eager to wheelie off the throttle anymore (probably a good thing on the rally!), what with all the weight of the nav tower/gear and the increased fuel load up front. For info, I am running 14/50 gearing, as this still allows me to hit 120kmh (max for mousses really), and is very happy around 100kmh, which if I'm realistic, is all I'm going to be racing at... and it means I have a usefully lower 1st gear for any really technical stuff...

I was pleased how solid everything felt... I did notice a bit of wind noise at higher speeds from the fairing, but of course it is like a barn door... while we're on that subject - I know why JVO include a bracket for an HID projector light on the Nav tower, as basically with the fairing properly in place, the headlight is pretty much pointing at the floor! I wondered why I couldn't see it reflecting in the rear panel of the cars I was following, but that is because it was illuminating their tyres!

It shouldn't be a problem, as I explained before, the Tunis round is run in daylight only (unless you have a problem of course)... but it will need addressing, unless you just want to trials ride at night!

I had a great ride round some of the nicest mountain roads in North Wales today, and the bike felt 'right' which was a good thing - not only after all the work I've put in, but the fact I have less than 48 hours before I have to load it onto a trailer!



It was my intention to ride the bike until the front fuel tanks ran out, then switch to the rear as a reserve. It turns out that the two front tanks end up self-leveling, and splitting the fuel between them (nice, as it keeps the weight balanced I guess) - although I did get a panic on when I looked and saw how low it had got on the side I'd filled up!

Anyway, the upshot of all this is the bike went onto reserve after 100 miles on ten litres (less the fuel left in the bottom of the tanks of course) - which is basically half the front tank capacity, and more importantly, plenty of range to cover 250kms (160 miles) if I filled both front tanks... infact I'd say that with the rear tank filled as well, I have the potential for 400kms, which is way more than I'm going to need, even in sand.

This is the level of the fuel that remains in the tank once it drops below the floatbowl level (hopefully you can just make it out in the photo):



So, the best news is I don't need to stress about a fitting a fuel pump on Monday - I will still fit one of course, but that can wait until after the Tunis rally... phew! All it will mean is I'll have to carry a few extra litres on board, but that is not a problem in comparision!

One more photo - with Mt. Snowdon in the background... for those unfamiliar with UK geology, Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales (@1085m), which for anyone in Colorado, doesn't even register on the scale of course! and is less high than the Grand Canyon is deep of course...

But we still love it!



J xx

So when I finally got home this evening, it was time to clean the dead bugs off the front (don't want any 3D relief when I apply my stickers tomorrow!), and give the bike a good check over...

Nothing seems to have rattled, broken or caught fire during the test run (just under 200kms in total - my IMO is still reading in continental dontcha know...)

However, on close inspection, I noticed the fuel hose from the right hand tank (that runs under the header pipe) has started to melt and had infact split - yikes!

So, #1 job was to reroute the pipework (yet again!) and fit an in-line fuel filter:


I seem to be getting more and more pipe off-cuts every time I do this, which is good as it means the fuel lines are getting simpler - it was like spaghetti the first time! I even have some pipeclips left over now!

I also noticed the rear edge of the right hand tank was rubbing on the [sharp] corner of the seat subframe, so ground down the edge of the subframe to give a little more space...

Once the tanks were refitted, I also checked how the waterbag (3 litres) sat:



I'll even be able to stash a spare inner tube under the seat (a precaution should I suffer mousse-meltdown at any point) - it's almost like a touring bike eh?

And finally, having given up hope my bash-plate will arrive from the US before I leave, I offered up my old XR650R plate, and you know what, with a bit of grinding and jiggling, I think it might actually fit, and do so pretty well - certainly well enough for Tunisie...



So, it will be another day in the shed tomorrow [Saturday*], followed by another test ride to check the revised mods...

Then I better get packing eh?!

J xx

*In a week's time, I will be lining up for scrutineering!

Hi Neil - just been reading about your adventure on the training weekend over on the other thread - excellent stuff!

I think the problem I had with the fuel line is I routed it alongside the oil line in front of the cylinder - directly below the hottest part of the exhaust header, which is where it blistered... I see from you photo that your right hand hose runs backwards and under the exhaust/carb - it should be ok there, although there is not masses of room under the exhaust...

I've now routed my right hand hose lower and forward in front of the crank case [and behind the bash plate when it's fitted...] and will see if that is any better - I'm sure it will be!

As for the tank rubbing - it's only minor, but potentially a problem - it is where the right hand tank fits around the subframe where the bolt goes through and shock reservoir - it's pretty close, and on my bike was just touching... I just took the Dremel to the edge of the subframe and chamfered it off smoothly.

Good news about the fuel capacity - it is a load off my mind now i don't have to fit a fuel pump on Monday afternoon [no time for testing!] - I was right with the name of this thread eh? Quite prophetic in fact...

Jxx

ps. Yes, building a bike like this does take over your life!

Hi Brimstone - it's not actually UK spec, as usually we get the same version as you have in the US - ie an 'enduro' bike with just a single beam headlight and tail...

However, mainland Europe did get a fully homologated version (basically a blue KTM EXC), which has an additional wiring harness for the horn and lights, plus bar switchgear, front and rear turn signals, larger dual-beam headlight and the rear fender extension that holds a licence plate and the brake light working in the rear lamp unit. It even comes with [crappy] mirrors!

The main difference is the exhaust though - it has a completely different header with a catalyst canister, plus some exhaust gas recirculation plumping (the sort of thing anyone resident in California will be familiar with!). It even has a completely different silencer (with an even smaller exit pipe) although I'm not sure how different it is internally...

Anyway, it is simple to strip off the stuff you don't want need, and my bike was supplied with the non-cat exhaust system, throttle stop etc etc to properly derestrict it - which was a total result!

If you are serious, you might want to look at getting one from Germany or Holland perhaps, as the bike I bought was originally bought in a special order for the Welsh Police force (lucky buggers!), and is not normally available from Yamaha UK...

J xx

Hi Larry - yes, that would have been one option, but I want to keep it simple as possible really... in fact I was going to use a similar principle to transfer the fuel from a rear tank on my Tenere into the [main] front tank as required, but realised I wouldn't really need the additional capacity (and headache) of fabbing a rear tank for that bike...

As Zippy (Clive Town, from Desert Rose Racing) who will be my mechanic for Tunisia suggested - if all else fails, you could always unbolt a front tank and empty it into the rear if you got caught short - and the nice thing about my set up is that each tank has a QR connector, and only three allen bolts hold each side on - it would only take a couple of minutes to remove the front tanks and empty then into the rear if I got really stuck...

But as I say above, having tested the bike until it ran out of fuel, I'm confident I will have comfortably more than 250kms available from the front tanks as it is [without a pump], and with the rear tank too, the best part of 400kms between refuels... result!

J xx

There's always (potentially) finding a way to siphon the excess fuel to the rear maybe?
The fuel in the front being low would probably prevent this, unless you had something you could have lower down to empty it into the tip into the rear?
More thinking aloud but you never know!


Do you have any experience with importing EU spec bikes? Or was this a one off result with the police importing them etc? Have you ever registered an offroad bike in the UK?

P.S. Yay Snowdon!

Hi Tome - yes, like you say, there is always a way of syphoning - although as I mention above, it is very quick with this set up just to remove either of the front tanks and tip it straight in... I must say, they whole JVO kit is very well thought out - other than the [stock] headlight pointing at the floor of course!

I did bring my XR650R in from the US a couple of years ago, but got a friendly dealer to do the paperwork for me... basically as long as you have [either] a certificate of compliance/homologation number (which you should have if it's a EU approved model), or a letter from the manufacturer stating when it was built, and ideally when it was first imported to the UK, then you should be able to get the corresponding paperwork from the DVLA and get it registered in the UK - either as a regular road legal machine, or as an 'enduro'/competition machine which has various exemptions from type approval SVA type testing if it has a certain ground clearance and seat height for example.

I must say, I have little time for bureaucracy, and you'd think they would make it very simple to register vehicles - afterall, it is better to have them registered (and thus tracable, and taxable of course!) and insured, than try to passify a few eco-weenies regarding emissions etc. At the end of the day, if you took all the motorcycles off the road, you'd still not make any difference to global warming/climate change/carbon footprint or whatever crap they call it this week*...

Yep, we're only a little country compared to the US x

J xx

*Let's face it, I'm about to race a petrol powered machine across a desert, for fun - I ain't gonna have much sympathy with the tree-hugging brigade...

Had to wait in all bloody morning for the postman, but I now have in my sweaty, greasy and oily hands, my ACU and FIM licences, plus my insurance for the event (nope, that isn't included in the licence fee as I expected, you pay extra for the insurance...) - a plastic card and a two pieces of paper is not a lot for £321!

Anyways, I also have my concurrents list for start next week - scrutineering is on Saturday 1st May at 10am for me, and I will be rider #111... pretty cool eh?

In fact have a habit of getting cool numbers for racing - on the Tuareg in '08 I was #77 (double lucky?), on Heroes' last year I was #10 (and it was only when pointed out to me that I realised how appropriate it was - 'Ten' as in Tenere of course - duh!) and now, my little love missile is an (F)111!

All together now: "Shoot it up, shoot it up!"*

Jenny xx

*I presume only some 80's saddos will remember Sigue Sigue Sputnik... x

Keep it simple!!


Glad to see you have the fuel range needed!!

I sure can confirm that the vacuum valve will work the way you need it!
It's no different than what older bikes (XT, TT, XR, etc.) had on their intak boots!

Fuck yeah!

xxx

Good luck Jenny!

Well, having had to wait in all morning (until after lunch in fact) for my licence to arrive (couldn't afford to miss the postman as I thought I'd have to sign for it...), and still no sign of my Flatland racing bash-plate... I was back in the workshop this afternoon, and was really pleased with the result!

I'd already offered up the XR650R bashplate, and it looked like it was going to fit - all the angles were similar, and the mounting brackets would fit the WR frame rails too... all I had to do was reposition the brackets and drill some new holes, plus trim the wings around the two lower tank brackets:



Even the lip at the rear was in pretty much the correct place - it just needed bending upwards slightly to fit more snugly:



Taking a lead from Flatland and their design, I also cut an access hole in the base so you can get to the sump plug without having to remove the bash-plate - neat idea huh?



Although the plate is relatively easy to attach, with the number of oil changes I'm going to need (I envisage every other day on the rally to keep things fresh), this makes a lot of sense...


So, with everything filed and the old knocks cleaned up (in a suitably shabby stylee of course, don't want to look like I was trying too hard...), I thought I'd Christen it with a sticker - the first on the bike!



Oh how I fell about laughing - so much I had to lie down on the floor (well, I needed an excuse for this photo):



Ok, I know it's a lot of photos of a shonky old bash-plate, but I was dead pleased with the way it turned out!


I also took [a lot] more time to really sort out that fuel line routing, and am finally happy with the right hand tank hose now - it's well protected, and at the same time away from the exhaust - result!:




More messing about (sorry, I mean 'final preparation') included getting serious with the spiral binding - looks like I've got a huge snake on board now!



However, it's important to protect the loom, as I'll be stashing the requisite 3 litres of water (and a spare tube) between the tanks - and probably fit in a pair of tyre irons and some long zip ties for bodging too...



That, in combination with the recycled XR bash-plate, has saved me at least €400... and more like €600 if I'd gone for a Meca'system aluminium rally bash-plate/water tank combo!


Together with the water, the only other thing you must have for FIM rules is the safety kit - which includes a [foil] space blanket, flares, strobe beacon light, lighter, compass and mirror for signalling. I've also included a rudimentary first-aid kit and spare batteries for the strobe... it all fits in a Kreiga Kube bag, which in turn would sit snuggle here behind the fairing (with the GPS aerials mounted on the Nav plate):



The alternative would be to bolt the bag to the rear fender, between the rear tank (which has bolt holes for just such a facility presumably) and the second rear LED light - it's a perfect fit there too!

Of course, the other option is to stash the safety gear behind the fairing (particularly as you'd hope not to use it at all), and use a second fender bag for my tool kit - that way, I could even dispense with my bumbag altogether, although I really like it! (and it cost a lot of money!)

We'll see...

For now, I really have to get some sleep... only my bed is covered with all my riding kit, paperwork and camping gear ready to sling in my kitbag tomorrow...

In less than a week, the first super special test will be over, the rally will have already started!

J xx

JMo- Thank you for showing us all your moto prep. It has been a blast following your rallye threads. Best of Luck on the rallye!!

**I must now admit to being freaked out by the Sig sig Sputnik ref.!

cheers,
KT

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Thanks JMO! I'll have to do some digging as to whether the local government here will allow importation. I'm keen on doing up a WR. Never been one for Orange... call me crazy. Maybe it's just the local dealer here that turned me off...

Go Blue!

Firstly - apologies for not updating you with more pictures yesterday, but it took me all day and most of the evening to finish off the final preparation, as I had no option but to leave first thing this morning for the long journey south to Desert Rose Racing HQ, and to be quite honest, after a week of 18+ hour days, I was utterly exhausted and desperately needed some sleep!

However, there is good news (not least that stickers have been applied - although some I'm not happy with)...

Firstly, the nitty gritty - in the past I've always carried a certain amount of kit on me (either in my jacket or a bumbag/backpack), but knowing how hot it can be (and is expected to be) in North Africa this time of year, together with the fact this is a full on 'race' event - this time I elected to try and stash everything on the bike itself (again, with the words of Si Pavey ringing in my ears), so as to free up myself and hopefully retain more energy during the long hot days...

So, the required safety kit:



This includes a pack of flares, a flashing strobe beacon (& spare batteries), a space blanket, a lighter, a mirror (for signaling, and checking your hair) and a compass incase it seriously goes wrong!

All this lot fits neatly in a Kriega Kube bag, and stashes equally neatly behind the instruments above where an HID would go (if I could afford one!):



That plate is meant for the aerials to attach according to JVO, however, it is not recommended the aerials be covered by either metal or carbon fibre, of which there is both in close proximity, so I have elected to mount the aerials on the top of the Nav plate, where a Cap repeater would go (again, if I could afford one of those too!).

With the necessary safety gear stashed behind the fairing, I then secured my tyre irons (Motion Pro T6s in 22mm and 27mm) and a bundle of large zip ties to the loom between the tanks, together with the water bag and spare tube - pictures of which I won't bore you with again x



With the FIM gear stowed, it was then time to fit my tool kit and 'bodge-it' spares onto the bike too... this is my 'trail' toolkit, which I have assembled (based on use) over the years:



Specific to the WR is the plug spanner of course, together with a 13mm ratchet ring spanner which fits the larger bolts on the JVO kit plus my handlebar clamp bolts - and can be adjusted with the GPS Duo cradle in place.

The majority of the fasteners on the WR are either 8,10 or 12mm - and I endeavored to retain as many of the OEM bolts when adding the new parts... I have a folding T handle (shown here with the 12mm socket fitted), an extension bar (with the 8mm fitted) and ratchet handle (with the 10mm socket fitted), together with a 13mm socket and a 6mm one (for carb jets) - all 1/4inch drive.

The rest is pretty obvious from the photo, and I always carry a spare chain link and valve core, plus a pair of latex gloves for the inevitable messy jobs.

There are a selection of screwdriver and allen key tips (with a 1/4 inch adaptor) in a bag, plus 2/3/4/5/6mm allen keys, which fit pretty much everything else (like I say, the majority of the fasteners on the WR are 8/10/12mm hex head).

The complete tool kit fits in a Kriega 'Stash' wallet, and in turn into another Kriega Kube - together with a few bodget spares (and my favorite T-handle, well it fits in the bag too, so why not bring it along):



Included is a cable repair kit, electrical connectors and spare fuses, odd bolts and nuts, a spare wheel/IMO sensor magnet (well, you never know), gaff tape, Quick Steel (awesome stuff!), and a 'toast rack'*, sorry, I mean tow-strap (*misheard by a friend and referred to as such evermore)...

The Safari tank has a pair of bolt holes, and together with the trio of fender-extender/tail-light bolts in the rear fender, that bag is secured to the back of the bike - I also fitted a webbing strap to the centre bolt to keep everything snug (especially if the zipper should ever fail):



I'd say that is the perfect spot? - as it is no wider than the fender, no higher than the rear tank, and opens towards you when the bike is on the side stand - result!

Finally, were I not already lousy with Kriega, I fitted the haul-loop from the Tenere to the WR forks:



It's likely to prove useful in the soft Tunisian Sand!

J xx