Help & advice prepping an X Challenge for almost RTW trip

I've also noticed that while the stock forks feel relatively smooth, there are occassions, such as a really rocky granite climb i was trying to attempt in france last year, when better suspension would have been a bonus.
it was one of those climbs with no grip and you needed to hit the bottom with good pace to keep enough momentum to get to the top, but with the front end of the bike bouncing around over the rocks, it was pretty much impossible to control the direction, and the grip wasn't there to try and ride slower.

i have some runs like that round here, i'm not a great rider so any help i can get from the suspension the better. i've done the progressive spring bit and that helped a lot over standard but now am looking for something better
 
I'm in the middle of a house renovation so am not spending much time in the workshop, .

Hi rossi sorry to hear you're not going to make the mendips hu meeting, was hoping to meet up with you there
 
Hi rossi sorry to hear you're not going to make the mendips hu meeting, was hoping to meet up with you there

I was hoping to make it but 2 weeks ago we got the keys for a house we bought at auction. It has been empty for a couple of years and it is a mad rush to get it ready to live in by the end of the month. Lots still to do!

I'll probably be doing another HU mini-meet down here, possibly February but no dates confirmed yet. Maybe see you then.
 
ah not 50mm ones no ... too much for me to go through ...... 45mm shivers now that would be tempting ... if i can afford them ;)

OK wait till I have a look at them mate. I have been told they are brand new - never been used, so I snapped them up. But I want to check them. Reserve stock from a German suspension workshop.

Will let you know when I get a look at them
 
Clayton,

The bike came out great, looks the ducks nuts and should be a fine trusty steed wherever your adventures take you. :friday

How much did the Touratech subframe set you back?



Here we go again. You really don't like it when someone doesn't agree with you, do you, Cole? Well a lot of what you do is wrong and illogical. You've learnt some stuff from experience but you don't seem to be very good at forward planning. My impression was that this guy was copying your modifications when those modifications may not have been suited to him. Certainly from the way he was talking he did not seem terribly experienced. My comments were not condescending but I queried if he would notice the benefit of the work he's having done or if the money might be better spent elsewhere.
Ok, there's a thread about changing forks. Well done for spotting that, kudos for being able to read. There's a myriad of threads about all sorts of things on the ADV, most are pointless.
Your bike is probably ok for you although I disagree with some of your choices and I find the end result chaotic. I didn't not choose to change the forks, my budget wouldn't let me and I'm spending the remaining money traveling. That's my choice. The fact remains I don't agree with you and that seems to rattle your cage. Most people I meet seem pretty decent but some like to show off their toys a bit too much and that's fine for them but I prefer to use what I have. It's called a difference of opinion. Yours is no more valid then mine or anyone elses. Your bike was built on the advice of others, more qualified where I've saved that money and gone out and researched for myself and made choices that fit my budget. Someone asked and I had made a suggestion in line with my philosophy and our opinons didn't match. So what? That's a good thing, if everyone agreed there would be no discussion, now would there?
I wish I had had the budget to spend that you did, in fact one of my dreams is to build a bike from the ground up when i get a chance but mine would be quite different to yours. I don't have a beef with your modifications even though some of them I think are wrong. I don't hate your mods, I actually don't care one way or another but you seem to be fine going around forums knocking other people choices.
The fact remains... I don't agree with you. That's an end to it if you can get your ego under control... I bet you can't and I bet you have to reply to this, don't you...
;)

Dude,

Who pissed in your cornflakes that morning?

Besides a lot of personal attacks questioning Walters experience - he has probably ridden more kms in the last year than 99% of all motorcyclists in their lives - I don't see a lot of constructive criticism.

Why don't you stick to discussing bike mods and let us know what you would have done better/differently?

I have seen a lot of modded bikes and built my own share, and if I ever get an X-Challenge it will end up very similar.

Safe
 
Hey Lukas,

the steel TT frame was expensive around €560, (I had blanked it from my mind it cost so much) there is a large discrepancy in TT parts across their dealers as I was building the bike in Holland I got it from TT Holland, it only took 7-8 weeks to get the parts that I had confirmed were in stock in Germany. TT Holland are not on the ball at all.

That is all history, I am currently in Melbourne working and wishing I was heading to Morocco. My bike is quickly becoming the greatest adventure bike ever built (for me anyway) and never has never been ridden on an adventure. Work keeps getting in the way, (it does allow me to buy stupid expensive parts, that are yet to be used) LOL.

This I have to change.
 
Hint

Lucas

On the subframe issue, the 2009 X Country (at least) has a steel rear subframe as stock so If you can find one of these in a breaker undamaged, it may save you alot of money. :beerjug:
 
Lucas

On the subframe issue, the 2009 X Country (at least) has a steel rear subframe as stock so If you can find one of these in a breaker undamaged, it may save you alot of money. :beerjug:

Thanks, that's good info indeed, although they seem very very hard to find used.

Are all the attachment points the same as the X-Challenge?
 
Hi Clayton

Michael here (spain off roading in July) - hope all is well.
Thanks for the video link, amazing footage - Lyndon very impressed too he said to me.

The bike continues to sound amazing and looks twice as good - like you say, things have to change so you can get it almost RTW!!


Does your mate still think us northerners have 'poor moral values' :D
 
Thanks, that's good info indeed, although they seem very very hard to find used.

Are all the attachment points the same as the X-Challenge?

Yes and No. It fits to the bike the same as the XChallenge and the seat, exhaust etc fit the same. However, on this model, the rear footpegs are welded to the frame so you can't just unbolt them. I just cut mine off and am having the subframe powder coated black.
 
Hey Mike,

Am itching to get back to toratrail, have been away working for 6weeks and have managed to work this year away again (almost).

Matt just got a great 640ADV that i found on ebay and he got it, a real find 1k miles.

As for his views on northerners I will let you take that up with him, I being australian don't discriminate between the north and south, I have mutual disdain! LOL.

off to get the GSA out of storage

hope your well mate
 
well how do sir

yeah i'm clawing at the idea of getting back there asap!

the training in the mountains did me wonders, i finished the Kielder K2 two day enduro on my 1150GSA! hit all the time checks, finished all the stages.

Think it might have aged my bike a couple of years though... :D poor thing, i've retired her now - just nice smooth tarmac from now on for the old girl.

When you getting your shiny new bike dirty then? :thumb2
 
well how do sir

yeah i'm clawing at the idea of getting back there asap!

the training in the mountains did me wonders, i finished the Kielder K2 two day enduro on my 1150GSA! hit all the time checks, finished all the stages.

Think it might have aged my bike a couple of years though... :D poor thing, i've retired her now - just nice smooth tarmac from now on for the old girl.

When you getting your shiny new bike dirty then? :thumb2

Well my GSA got nicked last night so probably sooner than I planned.
 
what?? u got to be jesting?!!

no way - sorry to hear that, thieving scum.
:mad:

just out of storage? does that tell a story??

jeees - hey i really hope u get it back in one piece

unbelievable, u must be gutted
 
I am glad it was not this baby!

6241221443_b70f044cd6_b.jpg
 


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