V649HP-Kawasaki's new gravel runner

[rlbowers03]

Manual Shmanual... Directions are just another man's opinion

[pjm204]

Originally Posted by rlbowers03

Manual Shmanual... Directions are just another man's opinion

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the manual thing was a joke since this bike is rather custom at this point.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by johnwesley

It is amazing what the proper suspension can do for a bike not designed to be off pavement

safe to say, you have some experience in that arena.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by rlbowers03

Manual Shmanual... Directions are just another man's opinion

true...so here's a shout out to a 2007 DRZ400S guy, anybody got the instructions for adjusting these forks?

an opinion on where the instructions can be found would work too.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by pjm204

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the manual thing was a joke since this bike is rather custom at this point.

nope, no joke, they're adjustable for a reason.

[johnwesley]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

safe to say, you have some experience in that arena.

You know that's true, i've seen pigs fly and have been on the back :)

At some point we have to hook up for a ride together

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by johnwesley

At some point we have to hook up for a ride together

if i could get there, that would be a circus, couple of beasts in the center ring.

[jdrocks]

all day ride, 600 miles, over 100 miles of gravel, mostly very rough. i think there were 17 water crossings, but i might have lost count. here's one...



i bounced off my line and ran slam into two boulders mid stream. bad place to flop the bike, plus my left foot was pinned under the swingarm. i hadn't seen a soul for 4 hours, it was dicey there for awhile, that creek was not exactly bath water temp.

when things go bad, it can happen in a hurry.

[pjm204]

I did some water crossings today on the dirt ninja, I wish I had gotten pics, the water was well above knee deep. The low exhaust on the ninja sounded cool under water haha.

[donny662]

Being pinned by the bike in cold, running water does not sound like fun

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by pjm204

I did some water crossings today...

i don't want any talk on water crossings for at least another 24 hours.

i'm in the market for some new boots, screw comfort, give me armor.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by donny662

Being pinned by the bike in cold, running water does not sound like fun

nope, stuck in a mountain stream with a foot pinned solid was not fun. i was soaking wet and boots full of water by the time the festivities were over, about 15 minutes to get free.

collected myself, muscled the bike back up, stood in the water long enough for the oil to get back down in the proper places, fired it up, then walked it out of there.

standing there thinking things over, i hear motor noise off in the distance, soon there's 3 young guys on those 250 KTMs charging across the water. the first two no problem, but the last guy had my line and slammed into the same rocks. the bike and rider jumped up in the air, and i swear that bike was near sideways, landed, jumped back the other way, and after a clear miracle save, he stopped to ask if everything was ok...kids, those guys were 20 minutes late to the party.

donny662, thanks again for the DRZ fork manual in pdf, quite the helpful group of riders we have here on ADV.

[jdrocks]

you can see in that last photo that the streambed is not sand or mud, it's all rock...hmmmm, you can get the bike back on it's feet, but will it run? can you ride it?

the engine guard topic is like bike oil, tires, luggage, you know, ad nauseum, it has a life of it's own and goes on forever. for me, and others that are venturing out there a ways, the need is for a guard that will protect the engine covers, radiator, footrests, and lower controls. forget the plastic, you're not in the Starbucks parking lot. the bike needs to run, first and foremost. that means Motech, not perfect, but the bike will survive most of these things by keeping crucial parts intact.



the leading edge always takes a good hit, but if you note the missing paint down by the rear mounting bracket, that rock would have gone through the generator cover. oil out, creek water in. no cell service, start walkin'.

[bodie1]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

you can see in that last photo that the streambed is not sand or mud, it's all rock...hmmmm, you can get the bike back on it's feet, but will it run? can you ride it?

the engine guard topic is like bike oil, tires, luggage, you know, ad nauseum, it has a life of it's own and goes on forever. for me, and others that are venturing out there a ways, the need is for a guard that will protect the engine covers, radiator, footrests, and lower controls. forget the plastic, you're not in the Starbucks parking lot. the bike needs to run, first and foremost. that means Motech, not perfect, but the bike will survive most of these things by keeping crucial parts intact.



the leading edge always takes a good hit, but if you note the missing paint down by the rear mounting bracket, that rock would have gone through the generator cover. oil out, creek water in. no cell service, start walkin'.

Well im convinced i need engine guards. Glad to see your ok JD, thats some scary stuff.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by bodie1

Well im convinced i need engine guards...

get the guards on the bike before the first ride, lots of damage can be done if something punches through the engine covers. since you're going big with the DRZ setup, you'll need them.

don't forget the folding shifter, folding rear brake, and Fastways...you'll want those too.





get back in there and you're often standing on the pegs for hours over the course of a riding day, having the big non slip footrests makes all the difference.