Yep . Going to be a bitch to keep clean and during summer won't be able to look directly at it unless wearing sunnies :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by trapperjohn
Yep . Going to be a bitch to keep clean and during summer won't be able to look directly at it unless wearing sunnies :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by trapperjohn
I bought a fancy new bike too... way flasher than I really need, but I like it.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...cea02354_o.jpgNew Bike! by Ben, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...58d8bcba_o.jpgNew Bike! by Ben, on Flickr
Of course due to Murphy's law the weather has been rubbish and the mtb trails are a sloppy mudbath, so I've hardly ridden it yet!
@Ftx325 They are a great bike we had 2 come on our ride around Oz ,the only problems both had was with the starters & you have to keep a eye on the fuel system ,they will not tolerate the smallest bit of crap fuel & they had problems with the fittings weeping from memory,they were heavy on tyres,when carrying kitt for extended touring so if it comes up for new rubber look at the good stuff .
Here is my Chopper l built & rode on that trip, as well as across America on a ride with Veterans mates of mine back in 2014. My own build except the paint & chrome, a custom Pan S&S built it in 2010 ,it was a great FUN bike & it got rode hard through 100's of Klm's of dirt rode in Oz,flooded creek crossings & deserts .
It was torn down 3 times so l could get the ride stance perfect for my 6'1 bod ,it is very comfortable & easy to do long cruises which is what l built it for.It should have had the custom Old School Sissy Bar & full pillion touring saddle on it for the ride ,but it got lost at the transport depot ,it turned up eventually after it was found someone had placed it in the boot of a car in the container.
Attachment 174479
A mate from the US who did the Veterans US run & spent some time riding the old girl ,made me a offer for it l could not refuse & as part of the swap l have a 2014 Harley Road Glide he crashed sitting in bits in the shed . I am going to either use as the base for a build of a "Bagger/Tourer"or another Chopper as l actually enjoyed riding them ,but unfortunately l think this Chyna Flu cluster fuck is going to put a end to any rides overseas for a while yet .I was supposed to have started the build last year but have put it on the back burner & will build my new Man Cave /work shop/ gun room instead until the bureaucrats work out how they will shape world travel/supply trains/shipping in the near future.
Very nice.Quote:
Originally Posted by GravelBen
We just brought a pair of e bikes being that we are getting old.
Bloody awesome things man they have some powerhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3aa5bc0996.jpg
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That's a cool chopper @bunji .
Reminds me a little of the triumph trident t150 I hardtailed years ago .
The seat on the chopper of yours is what I intend to do on the VT . Going for the old skool look . With all the chrome and fat front tyre it's already half way there so figured may as well run with it...
Might look a little odd with cafe racer bars but after a lifetime of race bikes the 'sit up and beg' seating position just feels unnatural .
Attachment 174491
And these two immaculate classics rolled up at work the other day... awesome to see...
Attachment 174496
Attachment 174497
That's what sparked the sprung seat idea ....
I ran into a guy on a track with one while hunting ,scared the shit out of me as it came around the bend & l was off day dream marching,he had blown his knees out when younger playing rugby & said he would not be able to hunt with out one now .Quote:
Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP
I have been thinking about one ever since for later on & would love to see a long time use review on one used for hunting .A lot of people do not realize bikes are popular for hunting access in the mountains in Oz & the US on closed vehicle tracks (for Bush fire prevention)during the summer months.The one he had was a real boxy/square looking thing ,l have not seen since .
You should do a post on how you like them after you have had time in the saddle , going to be some fun /challenging rides for you breaking them in :thumbsup:
So far done a few MB park tracks Rotorua etc real love it as it's been years since I've been on a bike we are doing 300km next year down south ocean to Alps. Would be awesome getting into some hunting blocks .Quote:
Originally Posted by bunji
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@Ftx325 Beautiful bikes,l always said if l won the lottery l would get a Brough Superior have loved them since l was kid & had Lawrence of Arabia as a hero.Got to see & hear one run when Jay Leno brought one to that US Veterans ride at a meet & greet for them he owned a couple at the time.
There are issues using a E MTB for hunting. I wrote quite a bit in the Forza dirt bike thread under the Outdoor transport heading. In essence they are fine riding with lightweight hunting kit for a day hunt, riding along forestry tracks sort of thing, but hit big hills, or gravel riverbeds, or lumpy going and they come up short and are hard work and the mythical 80km range evaporates before your eyes:o. Then you shoot something. What now?? 10-15kgs of meat on your back, along with rifle and day gear.Quote:
Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP
MTB's are not built as ruggedly as trail bikes. They are built to minimise weight. Period. Yes, with an 75kg rider, lycra onesy and two bananas and a drink bottle on them they can do some pretty cool things. But get a beefy Kiwi hunter with all his gear and rifle in and out of the bush is asking a bit too much from the current crop of EV bicycles.
Yip I agree I'll never be using mine for hunting but would be good for scouting out blocks or covering tracks quickly and quiet just with a rifle.Quote:
Originally Posted by XR500
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@XR500 Thanks l have been wanting to have a read up on them used for hunting for a while ,l will search out that thread & have a read.:thumbsup:
Threw the new cafe racer bars on the vt 750 . Definitely looks a lot less Harley like now... but I am finding the reach a bit excessive , so it looks like I am going to make my own handlebars so as to get them where I am comfortable with them .
Love the new mirrors though .
Attachment 175742
Attachment 175743
@Ftx not sure I like those bars....but I will not say anything other than as long as you like it that is all that matters....I have seen a number of XV1000 / XV1100 turned into bobbers and cafe's and it can be done. Once you start down that road.....Steering (rake will need to be steeper?) seat. weight, etc all comes in for a change....Great engines in the jap twins too. Watch out for the BT1100 though.....Yamahas version of a sports bike with the XV1100 motor in it...big, not a lot of power and looks good....Interesting to look at but I would not buy one...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ftx325
I hear ya @timattalon but won't be going down that route . Besides fitting a bobber style sprung seat to hopefully lessen any jarring through my back on the crap roads here I don't intend to make any major changes . I am well aware it's no sports bike... But after a lifetime of racing bikes it just doesn't feel natural to me sitting upright and is no good for my back either .
So I will have a crack at making some old style salt racer bars which will be low but swoop back along beside the tank so reach is not so far . Should be a good compromise between upright and racer crouch and make the bike look more old school , along with the seat , which is the style I am going for .
I do miss my R1 ....
I like narrow flat bars but if those bars were on my bike I’d rotate them so they don’t ‘droop’ so much, you could try that and see if it helps with your reaching issue?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ftx325
PS: I had similar bars on a previous Harley so your bike doesn’t look as ‘less Harley’ as you imagine!
Tried all that @Finnwolf . Started with drag bars but have to be on 4inch + risers to clear the tank so still 'sit up and beg' upright seating . The problem is the tank is so wide there's no room for the bars to come back or they hit the tank on lock . Those fitted at the moment just clear the tank but are waaay forward to do so and lifting,rotating them moves them even further forward so I have come to the conclusion the bars need to swoop out and around the tank and sweep back along the side to give room around the tank front for the switchblocks , rather than cut the corner on the diagonal like clipons or drag bars ....if that makes sense to you...
This sort of thing .... With a double bend rather than a straight line ...
Attachment 175761
My SR500 cafe-style, has screwed-on steering-stops so bars/switches clear tank. shit turning-lock though
@Ftx in that case you may enjoy what I looked at before I got my Katana....Sol Apollo....Quote:
Originally Posted by Ftx325
https://www.solinvictus.com.au/pages/apollo-cafe-racer
If it looks familiar , it should. Its an Aussie / chinese copy of the GB400TT from Honda...Around $8k new...
Yep , that looks good . Just my style . Would really like a 1200 triumph thruxton with top fairing but can't afford one of those (thanks to the kids...) but love the classic cafe racer styling . Like an old Bonnie I built many years ago but without a fairing . One of those machines I wish I had kept .
Made a start on new bars for the VT by cutting up the original western bars and will make inserts so can fit them to some clip-ons I have kicking around the shed in my random bike stuff .(original bars 1" , clip-on clamps for 7/8 bars)
Should look something like this when done...
Attachment 175854
They should wrap around front of tank and will be 4 inches or so further back at the grip hopefully .
Should sit something like this...
Attachment 175855
Heaps of room for the switchblocks and more oldie looking shape . Saves me having to make shorter cables to suit the bars on there at the moment too . So hopefully they work out okay and being clip-ons will retain full adjustability .
Well that's the plan anyway.......
I can't imagine getting my body into a position to be able to ride that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ftx325
Ready to go for summer. Classic next year, cheap rego.Attachment 175932
For all the two wheeled fans out there, I just watched this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p0ck5We5sU
It's like the IOM on a MTB.
If nothing else watch the first few minutes and then go to 22:30 for the plunge to the finish.
That should be an Olympic sport...Well worth the watch...Though the levels of concentration needed for 30 minutes just to make sure you dont turn all 216 bones in the body into 2160 bones would be incredibly challenging...Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
These guys are a bit like that too....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I46SP1Uc7ek
having done megaavalance in the past I can say these events are crazy fun- completely different to normal dh racingQuote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
What I refer to as a ‘Honda-Guzzi’ much to the annoyance of my Moto-Guzzi riding mate!Quote:
Originally Posted by muzza
What year is you Honda?
Thats the road to Ohura isn't it???Quote:
Originally Posted by muzza
Ah. The RD400F. My first road bike. Loved that thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by hamsav
I recently found a photo of my RG. So wish I still had that.
Attachment 176112
On the 80’s bike theme, I owned a ‘83 Suzuki XN85 for a while, sold it but kicking myself now, a cool radical bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by muzza
Those RG500s went like a bat outta fuck.
Had an RG250 then went to a GPZ750
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
That 906 is pure sex on wheels! :cool::cool::cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by hamsav
If you culled a bike you could get another RG500 :).....be a good investment if you can find one in original condition.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
I always lusted after one.
One sold on trade me about 3 months ago (not the gamma version) for $22,500. About 7x what I sold mine for:XD:Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Dont even start me on XB Fairmonts.....mine would be worth a good house on the coast now.....sold for 3k to top up mortgage when things were tight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
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H1 500 (drum brake model).Quote:
Originally Posted by rugerman
S3 400.
RZ350.
I miss my 2 smokes :TT TT:
Loved my RZ350 too.
With my nearly finished 68 Monaro in the background , 400 Chevy taken out to 412 CI , worked over ,and twin tunnel ram with a pair of 600 Holley's poking out the bonnet .... The car was faster than the bike .
Attachment 176141
Mmmmm. I had an RZ like that too (and a 250R). Just about as much fun as the RG500Quote:
Originally Posted by Ftx325
I spent the quiet times at work this week on the lathe and spun up the bar inserts and fitted them to the butchered factory bars and made my new clip-on bars . Spent the arvo today fitting them and a screen to the VT .
Sitting position is now comfy with a forward lean and weight on the bars without being a full on racer crouch . Very happy . That said the bars are very wide so may lop an inch or so off the length .
Looks old school as well so , not having test ridden yet, will currently call it mission accomplished .
Next is the springer seat....
Attachment 176742
Attachment 176743
Attachment 176744
Nice tidy looking work there Mr. F!:thumbsup:
There's one more thing I have have just thought of over a couple of DB's to try tomorrow .
I have put a couple of stainless bolts and dome nuts though the top triple clamp riser mount holes at the moment , but I reckon a couple of 45/70 cases might fit in the holes quite nicely.... :thumbsup:
