"L" Gets a little love

A few before and after photos of my "L" rebuild... It stopped running for some strange reason as I was following Crane into North Carolina from Georgia on the highway during a period of sustained high speed road work. I guess the new to me Edelbrock may have been a little lean on top? In the bottom and mid range it seemed great. I guess maybe the Eddy can't give enough fuel to a "built" motor in the high revs....
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So, I tore into the top end to see what the problem may be.... I have an idea it may have something to do with the hole in the piston??? I had around 12k on the motor after the first build (I put less than one mile on it before I tore into the motor and added performance goodies about 8 years ago). I had no problems with the FCR 41 pumper.
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Out comes the motor and off to Freddy at XR's Only for a few odds and ends... New bigbore, hi-compression piston (10.5:1... not too much, I want to keep the reliability) New Stainless valves, Ti-valve springs, freshen up the big-finned head with new valve seats, seals, and a 3 angle valve grind, an HRC cam, new rockers, new cam chain and cam bearings, a Carillo Rod, all new bottom gears, shafts, bearings, seals,clutch, springs, etc, etc...
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I scabbed a motor out of my buddies "L" that was actually my first "L" in '93 that I had XR's only do a complete build, complete with a red powdercoated frame, Ohlin's shock and WP upside down forks. I raced that bike in many hare scrambles in the mid 90's. I had the bike at my house awaiting a rebuild after sitting outside in Florida for a year or so. We had the opportunity to grab it back for $500.00 from the guy he sold it to, but... It needs new brake assemblies, wheels and a gaggle of other rusted items replaced, but the engine was fresh, so I 'borrowed" it and put it in my frame. You should be shot, hung, or ground up into bits and sold for scrap for bike abuse if you leave a bike outside. Notice the chrome peeling off of the swingarm...Ughhhh The WP forks went away as well. Frikken' bike abusing basteegh.

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Once I received the motor back from XR's only,
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I decided it was time for the duty, so out comes the loaner motor and time to order a few parts...
In the meantime, how about frame gussets and a fresh powdercoat, in say black? Thanks Kubiak for a slammin' deal on an un-dented and un-scratched swingarm!!! I installed a new chain slider and block with new brake line clamps. New chain and sprockets (actually they have about 100 miles on them before the motor checked out)
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How about some new billet goodies and a new front wheel in black to match the rear.... I had just installed a new Tall, soft Guts Racing seat foam that I had shaved flat with a small step as well as a new seat cover. The plastics and tank are all fresh as well. No need to change any of that out.
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It just would not be right to have a fresh new motor without a new 42mm pumper carb now would it? What about some heated grips, and a new computer? What the hey, I'm in!<a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h249/Wattner/?action=view&current=IMG_0036.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h249/Wattner/IMG_0036.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

I just had Dan with Kyle Racing freshen up the Ohlins with a new spring and fresh fluid, I changed the oil in the CRF forks to an Amsoil synthetic... Flushed the brake lines with fresh fluid and installed some new OEM brake pads...
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I minimized the wiring and removed unused stuff
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I am not satisfied with the bed liner treatment on the skidplate, so it is getting sand blasted and re-sprayed.
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Then we spent the holidays together getting all wrenched on... Happy holidays to me, from me!

I got to start it up around 12:15 in the morning after wrenching from 6:00 am, then rode about a mile, hauled ass home and hopped a plane to Texas to work a few days... I am ready to go RIDE!!!
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It fired up within a few seconds, checked the oil line to be sure there was pressure, then gave her a few heat cycles and heard her beg me for an old fashioned thrashing. Maybe in a week or two...I HATE work!

I now have 3 sets of wheels so we are set up for the street, dual sport, or dirt with a simple changing of the wheels. I have several bag sets with racks as well as a tail bag or two. A little bit of experimenting to get the right set-up for traveling and I should be ready to go for a long ride.

MEXICO, here I come!!!! Real de Catorce? Copper Canyon, Yucatan, Chiapas? I don't know yet, but we will be off somewhere soon!

There is plenty of riding all around my new home in North Georgia and through the Carolinas this spring and summer. This truly is riding Mecca!!!

Can't wait to see many of you on the road (and OFFROAD!!!)

Wow

Wow indeed. :eek1

Looks like she is ready for another round of thrashing for sure.

Check PM.

freaking nice bike dude. thats a lot of work in a small period of time.

Nice work! It's obvious that a lot of thought, sweat and $$$$$$ was put into this baby. I like!

Looken good dude.
Is that how you shipped your motor? In the ice chest? Good idea!!!!!
Have you got a close up photo of the sparl plug that was in the engine when the piston s__t the nest?
So everyone can see what LEAN looks like.

Hey Wattner, that is the rockinest L on here. Fantastic job. Can't wait to see some action pics.

Looks sweet! I hope the new motor holds up better than the last. Built big XR motors can be quite sensitive (recall honda's difficulty getting them to last for the baja 1k and how they eventually settled on the relatively mildly tuned 628's). Keep the jetting a touch fat and the oil cool and that will help:)

Nice work, looks like a very well thought out bike....bet it's a hoot now!

WHATTNER. I hope you don't mind me asking but what does Xr only charge to do that type of work? I don't need it yet but it will one day. The bike look great. Next to mine it my favorite. Ben

Awesome build.
How do you like the USD conversion? Is it wort the money?

Thanks for the kind words... The motor with carb, shipping and billet goodies was around 3K. The Ohlins and CRF forks are magic. I LOVE long distance riding... The bike has been all through North Mexico, the Copper Canyon, Southern Baja, raced hare scrambles, been ridden thousands of miles in the US on single track, dirt and fire roads as well as hooliganned through mountain roads from Colorado to Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, Colorado, Florida and ALL over Texas.

This is the second motor rebuild on this bike, but the first time I have gone into the lower end. I have always done my own top ends, but with my work schedule, I called Freddy at XR's only and had him massage the motor for long distance reliability with as much grunt as possible. I feel the motor has so much torque and that old school thumper hook up, that I concentrated on the top end performance. I ended up with a bike that BRAAPS out of it's paint from a crawl to the upper screaming revs. I LOVE wheeling out of 3rd and 4th gear sweepers on the fire roads and street twisties. Freddy has been involved with over 8 motor builds for me since the early 90's. I get around 10-15k miles on the motors, and I will gladly take that with the performance over more miles with average performance. When these bikes are dialed with the motor, jetting and suspension, they are really hard to beat. I run 15-43 gearing and carry a 14 tooth for the extra tight stuff if I want to bother with a 10 minute sprocket change and chain adjust. Usually I just ride it and wick it up a notch with the 15-43. I am good for all day riding above 90 MPH, as well as crawl through the woods.

I am afraid to ride the new Husaberg 570 though, as that may be the "L" beater for me.... Kudos to the "Berg" if it sways me. For now, I simply could ask no more from a dual sporter that can do it all.

The only thing that I found that really sucks about the bike is.... well, nothing. I like the weight, seat, suspension, rigidity of the CRF forks, handling and power delivery.

I choose this bike over my heavily modded '07 525 EXC, Cannondale and was the primary reason I sold the GS1200 ADV... I have more fun in the twisties on the "L" than on any bike I have ridden (I have had over 50...), I can single track (although for tight East coast I prefer the Cannondale, it is all smiled and Dialed, or the trailered to the tight trails in the mountains, where I prefer the KTM). However, if I am riding any distance on the street and am all but trials riding, the "L" gets the nod every time. I will have the Giantloop bag as well as a saddlebag and/or a small trunk option all set up next trip home.

I will be sure to update with pic's and report once complete!

Really nice build. Looks awesome.

Thanks for sharing the 2nd go round with us. That is a damn nice bike to be sure.

Is the difference that great between the 250/450 UDS suspension and Set of stock forks set up by a good suspension guru?

I am quite sure they are identical between the 250 and 450's...

Nice work! The only thing I haven't done to mine is a pumper carb.

One of the nicest "L's" I have seen!

Wattner,

All I can say is "ABSOLUTLY AMAZING!!!!!" What bars are those, Pro-taper or Renthal?