DR750 & DR800 owners thread

[robmoto]

Here is a old house still in close to original condition, what is left of this boom town is now declared a historic site and run by the National Parks and Wildlife.
Next time I will take more pics of the town for you all to see, and did I mention that this is where they found the largest piece of speciman gold in the world maybe if you google the Beaures Holtiman nugget there might be a photogragh.

[robmoto]

Heres a link.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?27,904532

[ausibatla]

Originally Posted by robmoto

Here is a old house still in close to original condition, what is left of this boom town is now declared a historic site and run by the National Parks and Wildlife.
Next time I will take more pics of the town for you all to see, and did I mention that this is where they found the largest piece of speciman gold in the world maybe if you google the Beaures Holtiman nugget there might be a photogragh.

How about a good front on shot to show the twin headlight setup. It looks pretty good in this shot but would like more.
Cheers.

[katana]

Rob, I really enjoy your "travel reports".

// Roger

[Ladder106]

Thanks, Rob,

The color scheme holds up well to a bit of mother earth. Looks better with a bit of dir on it.

What windscreen are you using? Looks pretty tall.

[Ladder106]

Thanks, Rob,

The color scheme holds up well to a bit of mother earth. Looks better with a bit of dir on it.

What windscreen are you useing? Looks pretty tall.

[the_sad_punk]

Hey Rob, the machines looking great man!
The daughters a chip off the old block too fair dues to her, must be great to spend quality time like that on the bikes together.
You certaintly have the country for the bike, im envious.
More pictars

[robmoto]

Lioyd,

[rowie]

Group,

Anyone know what the difference is between a late DR750 and an early DR650 rear rim? I'm looking at a NOS replacement for my 650 and have found that the hubs have the same part number, but the spokes and rims have different part numbers. Can I use the 750 rim with 650 spokes? The nipples are 7mm dia. and the total length of the spokes are 167mm and 125mm.

Thanks!

David.

[spen]

more pics ,cool to have your daughter with you ,hope to have my kids with me when they are older

[spen]

I have asked you this before how did you get the finish on your engine barrel

[robmoto]

Originally Posted by rowie

Group,

Anyone know what the difference is between a late DR750 and an early DR650 rear rim? I'm looking at a NOS replacement for my 650 and have found that the hubs have the same part number, but the spokes and rims have different part numbers. Can I use the 750 rim with 650 spokes? The nipples are 7mm dia. and the total length of the spokes are 167mm and 125mm.

Thanks!

David.

I did on my red 750, as the spokes were originaly bought for a 91 dakar 650 as far as know all the same thing.

[robmoto]

Originally Posted by spen

I have asked you this before how did you get the finish on your engine barrel

Hi Spen, I rubed them down with a couse scotch bright pad as this is good for between the fins, then used 1 whole can of VHT engine enamel, merican product pritty good stuff.

[Simon M]

Arghhhh! What have I done?

It’s funny how things work out isn’t it. A couple of years ago I had planned a trip across Australia with a couple of mates. The plan was to ride from Perth to Sydney, but staying on dirt roads wherever possible. No big deal right? So…

I bought a DR750. I’ve always loved them since the day they came out, it was the perfect bike for the trip (big tank, air cooled, etc), and relatively cheap. I couldn’t believe my eyes when on my first look in the paper I found one. The following weekend it was in my shed. Yahoo!

My plan was to add some bits and pieces to my DR to make it an Adventure Tourer that I could ride across Australia. All it needed was panniers and a few other little bits. Then I discovered this web site and the rot set in! I read every single post on the DR forum and discovered that my perfect bike wasn’t exactly perfect. The forks flex. No big deal, a fork brace and some WP springs will sort that out. Off to Herr Hesler’s web site. Ohhhh, shiny things. I was like my wife in a shoe shop. Hmmm, Wilber’s shock, if I’m upgrading the fork I’ll need one of those. Then one of the inmates had an Ohlins front fork, wheel etc for sale. I really NEEDED that, so into the shed it went, along with far too many other goodies. Then for many reasons the Trans Australia trip didn’t happen.

So about a year passed and I had a standard DR750 in the shed with two shelving bays full of Adventure Touring accessories. What to do? “I’ve always wanted to ride from Alaska to the bottom of South America” type thoughts kept creeping into my head. Back to the bloody computer and way too msny hours spent reading ADV Rider, Horizons Unlimited, and too many blogs to list. Then of course ebay supplied a huge pile of books and DVDs telling of everyone’s adventures. I was getting really restless.

A few weeks ago I spat my dummy at work and resigned. It was a spur of the moment thing. At 10am I had a job with no intention of leaving. At 10.30am I had resigned. After a week of relaxing I thought “Right, now I have the time, the bike, and the money to do a trip. No excuses. South America here I come.”

OK, up til now everything has been pretty straightforward. The decision has been made, so let’s get the bike ready.

I decided the first job to do would be to fit the Wilber’s shock. I’d pull the swing arm and linkages out of my bike, grease everything, and slip it back together. Should only take an hour or so, no big deal. Right? Then I thought I might as well give everything a really good degrease and clean while it's apart. OK, now I need a parts washing tank and 40 litres of degreaser. OK, done. The bearings are a bid rough. I may as well replace them. I don’t want to be looking for a needle roller bearing in outback Peru do I?

I might as well pull off the front end and get ready to fit the Ohlins fork and Resi’s twin headlight system. I pulled the tanks off. OK, not so good, a few stripped threads, a bit of corrosion, some missing bolts, etc, etc. Then I found two rusty wood screws holding the headlight bracket on. Pretty much every bolt, nut, and screw is corroded, and I can’t find a part of the frame that isn’t scratched.

So here I sit now, with a bike in pieces, after looking at all of Robmoto’s beautiful restoration photos. I can’t bring myself to bolt that beautiful Wilber’s shock into a really tatty looking frame. If I powdercoat the frame, then I have to do the swing arm, and so on, and so on, and so on. Let the work begin. Does anyone know a good powdercoater and a cheap supply of stainless nuts and bolts in Perth?

Damn you and your photos Rob!

[Ladder106]

Proceed onward, Simon

Since restoring the bike will cost so much, here's a ready-made "Plan B"

Ride from Alaska to my place in California (where any of you lot are invited if you ever get to the States). We'll both ride down to Baja with the Bigs, then, to save money, you can sell me your bike, fly to Argentina, rent a bike, finish the ride to Tierra del Fuego and fly back home.

........I'm liking this more and more, maybe I should be a travel agent



Oh...if your looking for your rear axle........I know where you left it