Triumph Scrambler

[TStorm]

Originally Posted by BorneoPomfretti

That was an excellent installation post by ZappBranigan, thank-you for calling it to my attention. His installation looks plenty solid, which eases my mind...just a little...about spending 600 bucks for those frames, which as I understand it are being shipped from the UK on special order.

I took a long hard look at the Duratool and Pellican boxes, but I am pretty sure I want top loaders this time around. Really just a personal preference based on struggling with the side loaders I had on the GS for so many years. Metal Mule are just too expensive, Happy Trails are also expensive, but less so. Apparently Bernd Tesch offers a seriously strong set, listed on his German website, but it doesn't appear there is any place to purchase them in the US. I also looked at the ALPOS, used in that awesome post about the Iran ride (I can't tell you how much I enjoyed those pictures) but once again, they have to be imported for lack of a US vendor, and some of the UK posts I have read down-rate them as too thin and not durable, especially the top case apparently, which even on the Iran ride appears to have been abandoned at some point. Slowly coming to the conclusion that the ammo boxes will be just too heavy, I'm a big guy already.

I picked mine up from the other US distributor, EuroCycleGear.com. They charge the same $500 price that you'd pay if you were buying direct from MetalMule. Shipping was only about $25 bucks for 2-day delivery, IIRC. Shipped in about a week of my ordering them. Here's a link:

http://www.eurocyclesgear.com/Metal_...036-022-59.htm

And for luggage, Kriega's Overlander 60 is an excellent softbag setup that works perfect with the MM racks. Only weighs about 6lbs per side. See my post a few pages back for pics. Even when they're loaded, the bike still feels as light and nimble as ever. With the ammo cans, it felt fat, heavy, and slow.

[grebmrof]

BorneoPomfretti - hey, another thought for side boxes is a pair from http://muffintopindustries.com/ , they look to be very well made and a bit more reasonable than many of the providers that are out there. I am considering a pair of their boxes for my '74 MotoGuzzi. They communicate via email and their email address is found under the FAQs.
Good luck with all of this!
Tom

[DoubleCafe]

T-Storm,
Thanks for the post & link to the US Dist. for the MM Racks.

Anyone,
Just to be clear, will my Zega Pro cases fit on thes racks?
Thanks!

[TStorm]

I don't have them, so I can't give you first hand advice, but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to. The MM's are a standard 18mm tube, so most racks should fit. If anything you could always get an universal mounting kit that will let you mount anything to that size rack, like this one:

http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/1...nting-Kit-18mm

Here's a story of someone mounting them on a GS with those racks, using that kit.

http://adventurevagabond.com/tag/metal-mule/

[JohnForLife]

Originally Posted by tvscum

What mx handlebars did you install? Do you have a link? Nice Scram.

I think they are moose bars, for a 300ex quad if i remember correctly

[Graniteone]

Got out for a ride above my house after installing the double headlight guard today. The TKC's ride way different than the Anakee's.

[thistle66]

Borneo,

For a long trip, look at upgrading suspension (seat is the other one but you have that done with the solo seat being good - stocker is a plank)

Front supsension: blacktigers fork mod (cheap) or Ricor Intimators (~$200) up front are two obvious options.
Rear suspension: aftermarket shocks (bunch of options, all way better than stock. eg Hagon Nitros, Works, YSS. prolly don't get Ricor rear shocks - great shocks but mess up rack fitment; trust me I know) edit: just saw images; guess solo seat/rack means shocks don't mess w that rack so ignore the bit I said re Ricor shocks.

You will absolutely not regret upgrading the seat & suspension if you ever do any long trip of any kind.

[flyinfuzz]

Thinking about adding a Scrambler to the stable. I know they added FI , anything else that was a major change? Any years to avoid or things that I should look at on a used one?

[BorneoPomfretti]

Originally Posted by thistle66

Borneo,

For a long trip, look at upgrading suspension (seat is the other one but you have that done with the solo seat being good - stocker is a plank)

Front supsension: blacktigers fork mod (cheap) or Ricor Intimators (~$200) up front are two obvious options.
Rear suspension: aftermarket shocks (bunch of options, all way better than stock. eg Hagon Nitros, Works, YSS. prolly don't get Ricor rear shocks - great shocks but mess up rack fitment; trust me I know) edit: just saw images; guess solo seat/rack means shocks don't mess w that rack so ignore the bit I said re Ricor shocks.

You will absolutely not regret upgrading the seat & suspension if you ever do any long trip of any kind.

Of those rear shock options you listed for me (thanks!) which do you recommend as the best choice considering cost and performance? I don't really feel competent to make the choice, but I have read extensively that the rear shocks should be upgraded as you suggest.

[BorneoPomfretti]

Originally Posted by TStorm

I picked mine up from the other US distributor, EuroCycleGear.com. They charge the same $500 price that you'd pay if you were buying direct from MetalMule. Shipping was only about $25 bucks for 2-day delivery, IIRC. Shipped in about a week of my ordering them. Here's a link:

http://www.eurocyclesgear.com/Metal_...036-022-59.htm

And for luggage, Kriega's Overlander 60 is an excellent softbag setup that works perfect with the MM racks. Only weighs about 6lbs per side. See my post a few pages back for pics. Even when they're loaded, the bike still feels as light and nimble as ever. With the ammo cans, it felt fat, heavy, and slow.

Yeah, ouch. I found that distributor just about 16 hours after I ordered mine...hundred bucks of gas money gone.... I did check out the Kriega soft luggage you recommended, very nice. Also very darned expensive. If I did my "mock order" correctly on the Happy Trail site I can get hard cases cheaper...but as I said, very, very nice soft bags. I think if I was totally honest, I just want hard cans for the way they look and they way they conjure up the romantic ideas of trips to far-away lands. Not really a great way to make a choice, I admit, but there you have it. Plus, I have already ordered up spare gas can mounts and double bottle mounts from Touratech, which I had intended to mount to the ammo cans. (and of course those HT pucks are on the way too) It's funny in a way, I was totally excited about using the cans when I decided to order the Metal Mule racks, and in fact used their low cost to justify the Metal Mule purchase. But now, after getting personal input, and doing further reading, I am almost 180 degrees on that. I'm afraid they are just going to be way too heavy and ungainly. I'm doing all the classic things to convince my wife that "her" awaited tax refund should be used in part for aluminum panniers...you know, pouting, moaning, boring the crap out of her with weight vs cost, the need for good gear for "safety" reasons, etc.

Like I said, I'm new to this aspect of motorcycle use. I had motocross bikes starting as a little boy, street bikes as soon as I had a license, no break in the flow all the way to age 52, but I never really took a long trip. The GS was rigged for it, but a weekend or so is all I ever did. I like running two track and fire roads and such, and once I figure out my route through Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming I intend to stay off the beaten path as much as possible...so I want those panniers to stay in place. And I want the bike as nimble as possible. Even though I have used the Scrambler mainly for a commuter to work, I couldn't resist off roading it a bunch of times, and I have no illusions as to it's handling...it ain't no dirt bike. On the other hand, I always thought the big GS was a hog to ride through the woods too. I appreciate all the advice people are giving me here, and welcome as much as you are willing to throw my way.

[Yani]

Originally Posted by BorneoPomfretti

Of those rear shock options you listed for me (thanks!) which do you recommend as the best choice considering cost and performance? I don't really feel competent to make the choice, but I have read extensively that the rear shocks should be upgraded as you suggest.

+1 on upgrading the suspension. For bang for the buck in the front it's hard to beat blacktiger's fork mod:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...postcount=3565

For rear shocks there really is quite a few options out there. For pure bang for the buck I would recommend the Hagon's They're not Ohlins or YSS shocks by any means but way better than stock and affordable. I got mine from Dave Quinn Motorcycles and I would recommend him. He built them for me based on a lengthy discussion we had on the phone and he nailed it out of the box.

http://www.davequinnmotorcycles.com/...cgi/Hagon.html

Another thing you may want to consider is a windscreen. I went with a Dart and it does just enough to keep the wind blast off my chest.

http://www.newbonneville.com/html/dart_scrambler.html

A couple of other mods I did to mine that really helped for touring was I switched to a 140 width rear tire (a Avon Distanzia in my case) and I added a friction style steering damper. Both of these mods added greatly to high speed stability when on the slab.

I got my damper here and it is a really nicely made bit:

http://www.farleyandace.com/damper.html




I've done quite a bit of touring on my Scram and people always say, "You can't ride that thing here or there or on the highway or down this dirt road, can you?" And I always say why not?

Good Luck!

Yani

[BorneoPomfretti]

Originally Posted by grebmrof

BorneoPomfretti - hey, another thought for side boxes is a pair from http://muffintopindustries.com/ , they look to be very well made and a bit more reasonable than many of the providers that are out there. I am considering a pair of their boxes for my '74 MotoGuzzi. They communicate via email and their email address is found under the FAQs.
Good luck with all of this!
Tom

Those are really nice looking panniers. The quality looks excellent. Still, they are more expensive than the Happy Trail models. Right now I can get two Teton panniers, size 18"x15"x9" for $487.00. They are running a free shipping promo, so no shipping charges are involved. The Muffintops look to be around $598.00 a pair for a comparable (slightly smaller) size, and I assume there would also be some shipping charges involved. I do really like that seal on the Muffintops though. I'm surprised with all the looking I have done I never tripped over them. Thanks for pointing them out.

[BorneoPomfretti]

Thanks Yani! Exactly the information I needed.

[COride]

Originally Posted by Two Moocows

Took the Scram out for a ride in Bahrain on Saturday. It was a beautiful day.







Lovely sunsets in this small country.

Enjoy.

That's fantastic!

[Two Moocows]

Originally Posted by COride

That's fantastic!

Thanks COride.

There's something about this bike that just makes you want to ride it everyday. Only 2200km on mine and I have loved every one of them, even here in the summer when it is 48 deg celsius.

I am loving the black rims I see on some of the bikes here though. May be another mod coming up for me.