CJ Designs CJDL-650-R

Any updates to this project? Will the kit work with the 2012+ DL650?

The images are going to be slow going for a minute I have some deadlines that have to be met before I can get through the Colorado testing images. Here are some details of the custom parts fabricated for this project.
Enjoy, I'll get more up when I can.

Matthew

Nicely done. Keep up the good work. Someone has to fill the gaps left wide open by the Japanese. So, you were able to take off a good 30lbs or so?

Bike shown with rear luggage rack and side pannier racks removed, about 1 gallon of fuel was 425 lbs. Most of the weight removed was off the front end, a good place to remove it. We figured we lost about 30-40 lbs overall from when we started.

I have not done any other testing on the new bikes and I don't see this working with the ABS bikes very easily, and I don't recommend ABS for off road use anyways.

Lots to work through yet for newer bikes as this was build on a 2009.

I am working to build a 17x 3.5" and 18x 3.5" rim options. This gives the widest range of tires to fit. But wider and narrower rims could be built to your specs. This size could fit most 130-140-150 size tires and is a strong rim setup.

Personally I don't like the skinny rim on the 950 SE, I feel it's too narrow and you never hook up with all the power. I prefer the 3.5".

The DL650 is down on power from the KTM 950, but you can only get so much to ground anyways in the dirt so I feel the 650 engine will offer a good power to tire life/traction compromise. The weight of the CJDL-650R and KTM 950 SE are pretty close now.

Some shots of some more custom bits in this kit.


Temp Sender

Chain Guide / Roller

Custom Rear Shock 10" of Travel

Retained Remote Preload Adjuster is One of the Shock Options

As a owner of both a DL650 and a DRZ this kit has catched my atention .
Will the back costume rear shock be mandatory, or can i start with just the DRZ front and raising links for the back, and buy only later on the rear shock ? (i know i would have less ground cleareance and i guess i would have to lower also the front)

Thanks for your comments and interest.

I am looking at making a budget option with rear link as an option also. Basically a "LIFT KIT", this will NOT add any suspension travel to the rear, but will help level out the bike with the raised front end.

That should be worked on over the winter.

We are busy prepping this bike for a local DS ride this weekend. Wet, muddy, wooded WI trails.

NEW REKLUSE EXP - prototype testing!!

We should now have some serious Dirt TRACTION!

17" Tereflex

nice :) , if it works well with the drz front i will probably end buying the rear shock. The problem is that i live Across the pond so costums will up the price of the pricier stuff (the rear shock).

I ship all over the word, we can work on that when he time comes.

Sun Rise, Northern Colorado with the CJD DL650 R

I like what you're doing

Similar path with a different beginning

WoW

CJ /mdfehrmann , how is the stopping power off the Wee with only one front disk?

Wee Strom, DL650 is proved itself as a great gravel tourer in its stock form. Some people were trying to push it even further to unmaitained dirt roads and tracks. And here the problems started to show up. For this kind of riding DL650 was totally wrong tool. The obvious things were enormous mass, lack of suspension movement, and not enough of ground clearance. So everybody has started to address those issues with a great reported success. Check the old threads in this very board for “thin strom”, “suspension upgrade”, “building weestrom for off road” and so on. You will discover the OP just tries to put aged ideas on a commercial footing. Getting rid of the faring, lights and controls, and replacing them with ugly and expensive commercially available aftermarket stuff to save some 4 kg up front. Then get rid of the front fork and replace it with one from DR650, requires DR650 wheal, brake and triple tree mod, to get some more up front movement. Put in a custom build shock with enlarged travel to gain in rear movement/ground clearance. All that has been known for years. Now, none of the bikes that were modified as said and gathered applauses at their time, 7 to 2 years ago, are not here any longer. Why? Various reasons, but I think that people eventually come to understanding that if a system as a whole thing is wrong, changing its components will not turn it into the right one. Enlarging suspension travel will rise already extremely high COG even upper and convert difficult low speed manoeuvres into impossible ones. And it wont turn the road intended rake angles into off road ones. Let alone frame/swing arm lengths. The wrong engine, with no low rpm torque, with hanging filter and oil cooler is not going to get torque or get rid of the hanging down pieces. Taking some mass from the front helps but bad weather protection/wind management will be converted to none. The best in industry OEM head lights and very good OEM instruments will be replaced wirh ugly aftermarket units having ¼ of OEM functionality. And so on.
A resume. To cj – good luck. To all considered, check this board, you will find all suggested mods in described details, they are not that hard for DIY.
Everybody can extend his gravel roads performance by changing tires and performing simple suspension work, and the main – practice. If you intend to go beyond, ride trails, tracks, unmaintained forest/mountain roads do not waste your time/money, get another bike.

Half the fun is having something different, set up the way you want it. These bikes can be made to be just as capable as a more expensive KTM or BMW Twins with longer service intervals & better reliability. Parts availability is generally improved as well. The parts he's replacing happen to be parts that are commonly damaged in a minor accident, making a salvage bike an ideal candidate to update.
True dirt bikes? No, but awesome adventure bikes definately
Mine tips the scales at 440lbs ready to ride, 5.4 gallons of fuel, racks & engine guards & skid pans installed.
Compare that the 540lb KTM990 I had equipped the same way. The KTM got mid to high 30's mpg, my jap bike gets low 40's if I ride it like I stole it & gets high 40's if I behave.
Easy 200 mile range with less fuel on board.

While I agree with the comments made above, I wouldn't say that a naked down version of a versys or vstrom is better compared with an SE which is still lighter than 440lbs quite more powerful and if properly jetted will get low-mid 40s mpg if you behave. But certainly making your own conversion involves a lot of inventive fun!

...but this thread is about one gentleman's/company's efforts to build a bike they like and make it marketable to others. Why rain on that? Don't like it? Don't buy it or don't change your bike.

I cannot do DIY conversions like others have done. If I was interested in changing my DL650 into something more along these lines, this could be an awesome option, as it seems completely plug and play.

CJ Designs-hope it works out for you.

Rant and thread hijack over. Sorry...