V649HP-Kawasaki's new gravel runner

[jsquared]

Should be interesting to say the least.

J

[sanjoh]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

when i know a kid has had his hands on something automotive related, i'm naturally suspicious. sorry, that's just the way it is based on my experience. 999 out of a 1000 just can't turn a wrench these days. video games yes, wrench no.

Or add,

I drained almost 7 quarts of oil out of the last one I bought, surprised it didn't blow a seal.

[jdrocks]

i talked to the owner at a bike dealership about this subject a few weeks ago. his comment-

"you would never believe what comes into our service department."

[johnwesley]

you mean your not suspose to check the oil with the engine running

[vernon dent]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

i talked to the owner at a bike dealership about this subject a few weeks ago. his comment-

"you would never believe what comes into our service department."

from years of personal experience and horror stories from others my rebuttal to the dealership owner is:
"you would not believe what comes out of their service department"

[markbvt]

This ought to be a cool build to watch.



--mark

[SamM]

yeah, frame gets shaved, then repainted. don't need or want spoke wheels. i run tubeless, and building a set of wheels for the size tires i run is a budget buster for this bike.

i have both swing arms, not sure which one i'll use. i'm not going to build a custom swingarm. undecided on shock.

you should have considered the 649HP for your KLR.

jdrocks,
I'd be tempted to cut the entire subframe of the Versys frame and use a durtbike subframe.

The 649HP must be the Ninja (cop motor) huh? I've been lurking on the Ninja and Versys forums and looking at the various engine upgrades. The Ninja guys are using the Versys cams to get more power from the Ninja engines. Can't remember if it's the intake or exhaust cams they prefer but apparently that's the hot ticket. Custom grinds will be available soon. Part of the plan for my bike is off-road use. I like my power in the midrange as opposed to the topend. I don't ride much up there anymore! The mid-range is more important to me. I have a few tricks that I would like to tryout, to lighten the bike more. Cutting more from the frame and subframe and I believe there are a few other things that can be removed. Getting it down to a 300 to 320lb wet weight, empty tank (thanks Lukas) with the '08 Versys engine is my goal. The Versys engine weighs 6lbs more than the KLR engine. It's unlikely that I'll be able to get it down that far but it's nice to set goals.

Again, looking forward to your build!

SamM

[ktmklx]

With that V in the title I thought you might be building a Vulcan! LOL. I'll be watching, should be good.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by axis power

from years of personal experience and horror stories from others my rebuttal to the dealership owner is:
"you would not believe what comes out of their service department"

wouldn't know about that. i fix my own junk.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by markbvt

This ought to be a cool build to watch.



--mark

hey mark, might be a cool build but i don't think it will outrun your new Tiger.

[markbvt]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

hey mark, might be a cool build but i don't think it will outrun your new Tiger.

Maybe not, but you're going to have a lot more fun building it this winter than I will wondering if my new Tiger is going to make it across the pond in time for my big trip in May.

--mark

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by SamM

jdrocks,
I'd be tempted to cut the entire subframe of the Versys frame and use a durtbike subframe.

The 649HP must be the Ninja (cop motor) huh? I've been lurking on the Ninja and Versys forums and looking at the various engine upgrades. The Ninja guys are using the Versys cams to get more power from the Ninja engines. Can't remember if it's the intake or exhaust cams they prefer but apparently that's the hot ticket. Custom grinds will be available soon. Part of the plan for my bike is off-road use. I like my power in the midrange as opposed to the topend. I don't ride much up there anymore! The mid-range is more important to me. I have a few tricks that I would like to tryout, to lighten the bike more. Cutting more from the frame and subframe and I believe there are a few other things that can be removed. Getting it down to a 300 to 320lb wet weight, empty tank (thanks Lukas) with the '08 Versys engine is my goal. The Versys engine weighs 6lbs more than the KLR engine. It's unlikely that I'll be able to get it down that far but it's nice to set goals.

Again, looking forward to your build!

SamM

don't need a dirtbike subframe, it's a gravel runner and that frame will work just fine. the ninja and versys subframes are slightly different, and i wanted the versys for this build.

the 649HP is what i call the cop motor. it doesn't need anything for this build although it can be run up to 80hp pretty easy. the bike with this engine already has a "go directly to jail" cruise speed and is white knuckle fast on the gravel. the 649HP makes more HP and torque than the versys engine and the curves are about perfect for a combination of gravel and street with stock gearing. impressive throttle response, and depending on your riding style, this alone can save your ass as it did on the Trans Taiga.

I was riding comfortably at 50 and downshifted to 5^th for a little compression braking as I rapidly approached a sweeping left hand curve. There was moderate banking here with deep gravel thrown up the banking and covering the whole west bound lane. I dropped down and picked a line on the upper track in the east bound side, ran over a patch of marbles, drifted a little lower, and rode right into a deep sand hole saturated by the recent rain.

The front wheel dropped into the hole and the bars were nearly ripped from my hands. I was on the gas instantly, the front end lifted, the rear end came around left, and I roared up out of that sand like I was attached to a bungee cord. Now I’m crossed up right, shooting up the banking at a shallow angle, and in real trouble. My entire world was inside a little circle centered on the bike where the action was going by in high def clarity. Everything outside that circle was a complete blur.

Off the gas a fraction of a second, the bike straightened up, but I’m in the marbles on top of the banking and about to run off the road. Stab the shifter into 4^th without the clutch, lean left, and now the rear is coming around right in a spray of loose gravel. I can’t believe I’m up. Still at 40 going down the banking at an angle, now I’m going to run off into the trees at the inside of the curve, not in control yet. I muscled the bike back around right, stabbed the shifter again, and on the gas in 3^rd when I find another sand hole down low. The bike snapped upright and instead of another lowside, I almost highside. I wanted to be going right and ended up coming around left, still on the gas, that engine was howling. I was moving too fast to catch the upper east bound track, but landed in the hard lower track, upright, straight, and coasting. My heart had stopped beating. I had forgotten how to breathe. My throat felt like sandpaper, I know I was yelling something on that roller coaster, don’t ask me exactly what. It was all over in some very long seconds.

I never stopped. If I hadn’t been dazed, I might have. At a quarter mile I was fidgeting around in the seat trying to get comfortable again, and at the half mile mark I was back in 6^th and rollin’ west at 50. There was nothing else to do. I had been riding at a deliberate pace, not slow, but not nutso fast either. I couldn’t think of anything to change. Being in 5^th sure helped me power out of that first hole, and not for the first time, but 4^th gear was the one that saved my ass. From that curve forward, I thought of 4^th as my “get me the fuck outta here” gear, and would need it again on the gravel ahead.

i don't see a need to lighten the frame, there's hardly anything there to start with and the bike can be subjected to a real beating on the gravel. the engine will stay in it's ultra reliable stock configuration. i don't need more HP, but i don't want less either.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by ktmklx

With that V in the title I thought you might be building a Vulcan! LOL. I'll be watching, should be good.

a friend suggested i call it a VGS, but that kinda sounded like an STD.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by markbvt

Maybe not, but you're going to have a lot more fun building it this winter than I will wondering if my new Tiger is going to make it across the pond in time for my big trip in May.

--mark

hadn't thought about that delivery time frame. contingency plan?

[markbvt]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

hadn't thought about that delivery time frame. contingency plan?

V-Strom. I really hope the Tiger arrives in time, though, as we'll have a few long semi-slab days on this trip for which the Tiger's extra 30hp would come in handy.

--mark