Maine Riders

How about a nice 250cc supermoto?

good deal on a garmin Oregon 550T at cabela's Dec.13-19 in store only....$249.00
if my 60csx gave out I'd get one....

That's a whole heap of coolness in a small package there CJ

While we're on the subject of little bikes, let's not forget Suzuki's latest offering the GW250

And the old line...
It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than ride a fast bike slow

For me it was my first time on two wheels since August - which means as of September my 104 month streak over

That is impressive. Well done even if it is over.

I am staying busy doing maintenance before the new sidecar gets here(ETA 1/20). Steering head bearings, wheel bearings, check water pump, heavier weight fork oil, new front tire, replace sprockets and chain, lube swingarm, and valve check(may need help on that one). I am really slow at it but that's ok. I am just happy to be out messing around in my shop.
For you FF's that offered help with the sidecar it looks like late January early Febuary iswhen I will be calling in for reinforcements.



Have a good week.

MOST excellent Strom...
Enjoy the therapy.

Do I sense a build thread coming....

I was just reading skierd's crazy cross-continent trip report and saw this:

As a potential new resident/rider i have been working my way through this thread. Is it too late for the beer part?



Noble Pils, good stuff when you can get it.

Never too late for the beer part. It's kinda like bacon ...everything's better with it

You must be some sort of n00b or something 'cause it would gave taken most of us a whole lot more than one to read this whole thread..

So, what's the trick to getting steering bearing races out of the frame? I thought I could just tap them out using a punch (ok, a big screwdriver), but I can't get a purchase on the races. There isn't enough of a "shelf" to tap on.

Look for a half moon cut out in the head stock.

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/43/-/171/989/-/13986/Park-Tool-USA-Steering-Race-Remover

Any excuse to buy a tool

There doesn't appear to be any on this bike.

I might have to do that. A little bending and filing on the screwdriver for a better angle of attack and I got the top race out. Not so fortunate with the bottom. The problem is, if I order that tool, I'm going to want to order wheel bearings and spacers, swingarm bearings, new seat cover... this gets expensive!

So-k, bearings should never be if'y.

Bent bars, bent rim, maybe, but not bearings.

Just me.

The head bearings weren't iffy, they were gone :eek1

Tool ordered (along with $80 more worth of parts so I can get free shipping). Yee-ha!

I've seen that thing in action. It was the shit.

I recently had to cut one out with a dremmel. Nothing for a tool to bite on.

Took forever, but I was eventually able to break the race once I had cut deep enough into it.

It's been a good x-mas for the DR650 around here. As a result I have a collection of 10% discount coupons - most of them expiring around the end of the year.

The first 4 people to PM can have them.

Jeez your scaring me. I am just getting ready to try and pull mine in the next few days. Hope I don't have to cut stuff, that will suck. I saw a video over on the F650 site and it shows a guy putting the new bearings in the freezer, and then heating up the head frame with a heat gun. The old bearings and rings popped out, and the new bearings from the fridge dropped right in. I am hoping for this method to work for me.
http://faq.f650.com/dvd/F650_Maintenance_DVD_3_14.m4v

I'll have the tool on Tuesday, you're welcome to borrow it after that


In my case there is no space for a punch to get to the head bearing races. I don't think all (most?) bikes are like that. The more I work on this bike, a Honda XR250R, the more I wonder if they designed it to not be serviceable. Sort of a disposable "beginner's bike" or something.