Hey Waterscm: those Avons don't look like they do so well in loose sand. Just thought I'd let you know Tell us about the trip, where'd you go with all that gas strapped to the back?
FG, he took a trip around Australia where he lives, and he's only 19. I think he's got a ride report floating around somewhere. He really covered some miles, too. I hadn't noticed the fasteners for your disk brake before, and I wanted to ask if your caliper has steel hardware behind the aluminum plate, or if it is only threaded in to the aluminum. It might be a good idea to use longer bolts and nuts on the back if there is room behind the plate for the nuts. I'm sure it would hold up but most of the disk brake calipers I've seen were deeper into more aluminum than that plate has. I'm sure you're much better off than us rear drum XL guys. If my front brake went out on me, I'd be F*cked! I can switch to my XR rear swingarm if I can find a cush drive hub that costs less than the RAD manufacturing ones. I'm adamant about having cush drive because it is my deepest, darkest fear that I will get a stripped or abused countershaft. I don't like doing tranny work. I beat up a couple of XL countershafts before I realizd that I needed to leave more slack in my chain. Now that I have a chain slider that I made out of nylon, it is ok to let some chain slack slide. (Geezus, can you believe that the OEM ones cost $60.00?!) Oh one more thing, guys, check out the sad little pile of hacked-off XL600 frame pieces in FG's disk brake photo! I'm trying to think of a good place to weld those onto my frame for a rack system. that would look so OEM! Ok, ok, another thing. FG, I remember you saying my rack I made looks rally OEM too. I had 2 more people ask, "is that the factory rack that's welded to the frame?" I said, "no, I built that, thanks!" Then they asked, "is it welded to the frame though?" "no, just bolted. This is only the rough first and I want to make more of them." Then I described the revisions to the design that I want to make.
Oh yeah, I had a dream last night that I was out riding and I realized I had carelessly forgotten to install the oil tube that goes from the oil pump to the head and that I was trying to get home and was getting really edgy because of the sounds my cam was making, starving for oil in there. Then I looked down there again and either the primary carb, or maybe just the airbox boot, was missing from the engine too. I thought "so that's why I've been having crappy idle". In real life the holes for the oil tube would have been shooting out a stream of oil and the bike would not have run at all without a primary carb! I have some wierd dreams, I know.
Hello everybody, new here to the forum, haven't said much cause I like to research before asking question. Anyway, here is my 87 XL600R that I bought two winter ago: https://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/b/balou34_Photosenfants.jpg https://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/b/balou34_Photosenfants001.jpg Took it for a ride with my brother last fall 50 km of trails, its awsome could not beleive what it could go thru. The plan for next winter is to clean it up and do a top end on it. My previous ride was a beautifull Hawk GT from Honda that I still regret selling. https://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/b/balou34_Photodivers081.jpg
theyre actually dunlop trailmax enduros, and at that moment the rear was completely bald and had around 35psi in it for the highway. i had just done a 1000km day hence why i didnt think to deflate it a bit, ie: my mind was melted. here is the rr: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=424359 hey joel howve you been?
looking at those off cuts of the red xl frame in the background what the hell is inside the xl frame? it looks like its got wood or something in it?
I'll have to check up on that ride, sounds epic...1000K in a day? You beast. and no, my frame is not filled with wood, but my fabricator guy had the bike up on wooden blocks that you see in the picture frame. Engine was back in my studio apartment at the time getting rebuilt...
I could see how one might think that but I also see how it is that really light surface rust that first forms on fresh steel and looks almost orange in color... have you seen what I'm talking about before? Subtleties, man, the subtleties...
well, that was the longest day i was pretty rooted at the end, in hindsight was COMPLETELY ridiculous, i dont think the engineers at honda designed in parameters for anyone who would be stupid enough to punish a bike that much. 'my frame is not filled with wood' - thats going to go into my signature from now on.
Hey what size tires you guys running in the rear, I can't decide whether to go with the 130/80-17 or 120/90-17 for something more street oriented. EDIT: note to self: lrn 2 search
This is really funny. I asked Adam, aka Fully Geed, a long time ago what his ADV username meant, and I think I remember him saying something like, "It's an expresion used by Australian bicycle racers meaning they're really amped up about the race they're about to ride or sometning." Now we've got an aussie who has put a quote of his in his signature line, "My frame is not filed with wood", based on the Aussie's own skewed visual interpretation of one of his photos. I think it's hilrious!
it is at the very least recursively amusing...I now understand what was meant by 'frame filled with wood' by which waterscm meant the interior of the frame tubing itself. I thought you were referring to that space where the engine usually goes as being inside the frame...no the frame tubing is where I put the rolled up $100 bills after doing my big drug deal with the rich cocaine guy at the end of some random airport runway...just like Peter Fonda would've done... but yeah, Geed. You aussies have some good road cycling culture, not to mention some pretty f-ing fast cyclists going through the AIS programme. I'm hoping Robbie Mac has a few more years (Stuart O'Grady for that matter, too), always like the way he squirts through the pack when the going gets dicey... BTW: Epic Thread-Jack....uhm...Ricky Stator! What Jets you all running? Jesus How come Honda made it a 17" rear Rim???!!!
yeah, isnt it wonderful how different cultures dont mesh at all, thats how ww1 started. i just think the line: 'no, my frame is not filled with wood' is possibly the best sentence in the whole of the advrider site.
Someday, when the oil runs too dry underneath the earth's crust, I'll rig my street tracker up with a REAL WOODEN ENGINE, though the air source will be plugged directly into me arse: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ngb4SYR74m4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ngb4SYR74m4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
I have the full story on Ride Reports, but thought I would post some pics here....Bought the bike in Phoenix and rode it...part way home. Here's the ride report...... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=452777 By the way, this is a 1985 XL600 By the way, the bike looks really little....but I am 6'4", 250lbs!!!
Dude! You shoulda bought a KTM with one of the 57" seat heights they are famous for and you wouldn't dwarf the bike.:huh
Interestingly, both the '83 and the '85 XL600's fit me pretty darn good. The '83 belongs to my 6'3" son and the '85 belongs to me, but my 6'2" son will ride it. I have no complaints at all...and that says a lot after doing a 420 mile day. My bike is a 650 VStrom that is raised and it is awesome! Anyway, I am a fan of the KTM's but if I dropped some dough on a KTM, it would be the 990 adventure. Anyway, this thread is about the XL's....and the bottom line is...they are awesome bikes!!!!!
I have a bit more work to do raising the handlebars, but I find my '85 fits me pretty well, too, at 6'6'' height. Now that I live in ABQ, NM, I think I have moved to where my ol' XL600 has always wanted to be.
