damn, and here i thought i was making some progress. now i'm back to 3 gallons of fuel, straight exhaust, and a custom seat.
i came across a near new DL1000 19" wheel, so i picked it up for a spare, or maybe mount a different tire on it. these are a very versatile wheel and bearings can be found all the way down to 14mm. i'm surprised more Versys guys don't put a 19" on the front, at least for trips where they might spend some miles on gravel. this mod is easy and well documented for the Versys swap, and allows you to run a nice set of TKCs, or maybe a set of the Kenda Big Block, all in 1200GS sizes. the 19" front on the Versys makes a big difference.
the 19 was a key element in this particular build, figured i better find a spare. took only 4 months to find a cheap one.
so you put the 19 on the Versys and then bought the 800GS anyway! if i remember, ya did the cool color match on that wheel.
Hey... that was my wifes fault. I had it for sale, but she said "if that's all it's worth, just keep it". Some times it's just best to do what the wife said and everyone is happy. Yes I did have it painted to match the rear, but if I go to the 650 V Strom rear also I will powder caot them black.
she's just happy because she got a new bike too. what's the cost to bead blast a wheel and powdercoat? never have done it.
Happy New Year Mr. Rocks....I've been lurking in the back of the room reading your new build story, It looks pretty sweet. I'm wondering though, if you are building this as a result of shortcomings noticed on the bike I saw you on last year, or is this just a winter hobby. I would think building a new bike every trip would be a great hobby, I think Shirley would not agree though. I noticed the ugly KLR front fender thingy too, it seems KLR guys (like me) are going to low fenders to keep the crap out of the rad, why the high one on yours?
hi fred, good to hear from you. the old bikes worked pretty darn well, but i wanted a newer configuration with a new suspension, so DRZ forks and R1 shock on the Versys frame instead of the ER6. shirley would let you build bikes in the winter for a hobby as long as you built her a tricked out bike too. i haven't decided on a fender. that KLR fender sure gets no love. we'll see. why don't you come out to Alberta this summer, we'll ride up to Inuvik just for fun.
What do you think of doing a ninja 250 project of this sort. I have an 04 collecting dust. I need a set of 36mm forks. Any clue what bike uses this size
yeah, my dreams went right down the crapper when he said $105 a set. now i know i better just buy all my wheels in black.
jump in there. the 250 is buildable and parts are cheap. 36mm is undersize by todays standards, so i would look for a larger set of forks that would swap in without much trouble or expense. look for forks in the kawasaki lineup, they often used the same steering stems and bearings between different bikes. the newer R series uses a 17" wheel and might just swap right in to your 3rd gen model which means you might get SM size tires with a rear up front. wheelbase isn't much different than the Versys/Ninja. do your research. could be a cool project. 14k redline bike charging around on the gravel.
Just found a site with all fork listings. I may try and stay with the 36mm. Found a set for $50. Located front and rear tires