Swingarm protection

Anybody got ideas or product info to share?

Gonna be taking my black-framed and black-swingarm'd "X" offroad come the spring...
I can only imagine the gouges and scrapes....

I'm thinkin';
get generic sheets of number-plate background vinyl,
then carve & trim...

98940WR250R wrote:

Anybody got ideas or product info to share?

Gonna be taking my black-framed and black-swingarm'd "X" offroad come the spring...
I can only imagine the gouges and scrapes....

I'm thinkin';
get generic sheets of number-plate background vinyl,
then carve & trim...

There is a reason it's called dirt riding...

Oh dear... Rocks, logs, branches, gravel...all of that will chew anything regardless if you have plastic or vinyl stuff on it. Nature of the beast.

Lol, great replies!
Nice to see the admins actually posting on a forum

Actually, I've used the pre-cut types on the dozen or so dirtbikes I've had in the past,
and boy oh boy, I will attest, those vinyl stickers really do protect a bit,
especially in the crap that the NorthEast will dish out.

On raw extruded aluminum, it's not so bad...
It can always be brushed/polished smooth.
But the X's black powdercoat presents a challenge.

Anyhow, to each their own, and I'm the type that doesn't mind keepin' my dirtbikes pimp clean.
Years of being an auto, bike & boat detailer made me that way Lol...
Doesn't hurt the re-sale value either

So, back on topic--- from my quick observation,
it looks as if the WRs have a slighty different swingarm
(might I say 'smaller' or 'slimmer') than the true MXers...
So, I wondered if there was a WRR/X-specific precut out there.
Like for example, how I have seen WRR/X-specific carbon fiber heelguard/frame protectors...
Any info, anyone?

98940WR250R wrote:

Doesn't hurt the re-sale value either

Will someone translate please. Is "re-sale value" French?

Yes, french for sure.

My 2008x converted to look like a 2009x is seeing some offroad and one helluva' lot of gravel roads. I don't find the black finish to be delicate at all.

The only 2 wear places I've noticed so far:

I'd put a wide foot thing on the kick stand... to keep it from sinking into the mud. The swing arm was hitting that foot thing (bigfoot??) near max compression when I was doing the 20 foot plus monster jumps (yeah, that's MAJOR bullshiite) 'er whatever.

So I cut that added on foot down by 3/4" on the back, then touched up the worn spot with satin black. No more problems.

The other spot wearing? Where my boots wear on the sides of the frame by the footpegs. Some folks put vinyl protective film on there. I haven't done it yet, but might.

Anyway, the bike still looks "simply mahvahlous" but probably not perfect as I live on the dirt road from hell. It's fun, but kinda' hard for the equippage.


Feetsus Maximus - Proboscis no Problemas (threw that in for SW.. :-)

p.s.: X's are way faster. ;-)

(pc blaring Iron Man... oh yeah... old croaker tunes)

Not really getting the French inside joke thing,
wondering if it's grammar/spelling nazi-related...


BF, do you have pics of the kickstand mod?
Sounds interesting

I figured the french thing was just BS, so I tacked onto it...

Lemme see if I can find a pic without walking a couple hundred paces from the brewski's...

feet

OK, this foot thing was originally HUGE. It's an ABS plastic foot for kickstands to keep them from sinking.

It was sold to me by Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. The manufacturer doesn't want us attaching it permanently to the kickstand as that would increase their products liability exposure tremendously. That's crap, of course. Anyway, their dumbass suggestion was to carry it around in our pocket. Not likely.

So I countersunk a bevel head bolt into the foot of it to bolt it on... glued it on, too... cut the ridiculously massive size down so it would not drag on twisties... and back cut it by 3/4" as previously mentioned to avoid swingarm interference.

I found NO pics on my friggin' pc... so I had to hike down to "The Garagienda". Fortunately, the garbage guys came this a.m., so no bears out tonight. (breathes beer breath sigh of relief).

Here are some pics. You'll next ask for a PN link... I'll post back if I can find that. It'd better be on the pc 'cause I know it's not in Garage Mahal.

Larry & -feets

p.s.: You'd think a guy & bike with the screen name "BigFeet" would have a better handle on their kickstand's "BigFoot", eh?? ;-)

Perspective shot of kickstand foot:



Closeup pic:



Bottom of foot with KLR Roundel sticker partially cut away due to foot cutting... I'm a former KLR owner and this is definitely a NOT subtle message about which bike I like better!!



OK, next post to a PN/link if I can freakin' find it... where's my beer, anyway?

Larry

OK, no joy on a link...

Here's the PN info from my order with Rocky Mountain ATV/MC:

Jake Wilson Kickstand Pad Black 1288750001 $3.99 1 $3.99

I'll get into their site in a minute and see if I can find a linky...

These things are HUGE to start with, so ya' can cut it to any size ya' like...

LS

Ha, nice custom work there.
Thanks for the inspiration & images...

oh man, so now the thread twists...
What year KLR did you have?
Had fun? Why sold?
I'm kickin' around getting an 08+
just as a street ride...

Hmph. Well, that didn't take nearly as long as expected. Maybe it's time for another PBR... ;-)

Here's the linky.

feets

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/productDetail.do;jsessionid=18FCBE299852438F8BBACE3CF9B5D39D.westring1?webCatId=28&webTypeId=514&navTitle=StreetBikeAccessories&navType=type&prodFamilyId=27014&stockId=222304

98940WR250R wrote:

Ha, nice custom work there.
Thanks for the inspiration & images...

oh man, so now the thread twists...
What year KLR did you have?
Had fun? Why sold?
I'm kickin' around getting an 08+
just as a street ride...

Lemme see if I can save ya' the trouble..

Super low miles 2003 KLR650 with nearly every single mod except big bore. Way too friggin' top heavy.

My modified WRX (with less money in it than the KLR) does every freakin' thing better. Even acceleration up to 65 mph... at that point, the KLR had slightly better acceleration. Now that I've added a Madstad Spyder windshield, I think the WR is better even above 65. I'm flabbergasted that a 250 can outperform a 650, but it does. I'm a former drag racer, so I'm talking timed acceleration runs up to 65 so I proved it, not just talkin'.

The single quantifiable where the KLR might be better IMO? Ya' can't beat a KLR as a 2 wheeled 3/4 ton truck. Other than that, I'd NEVER go back. In fact I won't regardless. If I need a 3/4 ton truck... well, I'll use a 3/4 ton truck. Not a 2 wheeled one.

So piggy could carry everything but the kitchen sink, but I gotta tell ya': On some pretty rough real estate, I took my partially modded (at that time) WRX set up for dirt/street and left 2 KLR650's with seriously better riders IN THE DUST. I really wasn't trying to... it was so easy I was sure they were right behind me. NOT so.

That was on Blowout Pass in Colorado. Some people say that's only "average difficulty" but one KLR rider barely survived it.

End rant.

Love my WR; hated my frickin' KLR. One bike totally brings out my riding skills, the other totally suppressed them. You can figure out which is which.

BTW: WATCH THE FRICK out for an 08 KLR. It will almost certainly be an OIL GUZZLER in addition to being a 50 pounds worse pig than my 2003.

Knew an acquaintance with one in Alamosa and it guzzled a quart in almost no miles at all. Quart in 100? Can't remember, but it was epic.

feets

yikes, that bad huh..

I was kinda having that 2 wheeled 3/4 tom pickup truck groove in my head as well...
The poor-man's GS idea, has a gravitational pull to it

By the way, my WRX is way better than the KLR650 - even on the street and interstates.

So buy a 2nd WRR or WRX before ya' buy a pig. There is no comparison ANYWHERE.

Larry

If you're going to load 200 or 300 pounds on it and go ATW, then the KLR is probably a better bike. Though I'd say "marginally" at this point.

I expect the WRR's and WRX's will be doing plenty of ATW due to their gross tech advancements.

I'd pack lighter for it on a lighter bike, though.

Yeah, a KLR650 is probably more like a GS than a WR is.

But then, I won't ride a GS either.

98940WR250R wrote:

yikes, that bad huh..

I was kinda having that 2 wheeled 3/4 tom pickup truck groove in my head as well...
The poor-man's GS idea, has a gravitational pull to it

Well, not really that bad. A KLR650 was quite the bike in 1987. A WRR or WRX was quite a bike as of 2008. The math is actually that simple.

It's a gross technological advancement comparatively just like comparing a 1987 personal computer to what they could do for a similar price in 2008. No comparison at all - and that's the point of it.


Just to throw salt in the wound: I did a hundred miles of superslab yesterday. My WR does better in gusting wind and passing semi-trucks than the KLR650 did, too. That one REALLY surprised me.

L

Thanks for the opinions, I do appreciate you sharin'

98940WR250R wrote:

Thanks for the opinions, I do appreciate you sharin'

You're welcomed. So long as you're ok with REALLY top heavy, you'd be ok with a KLR.

L

I had a ton of fun test-riding a Versys (with Buell footpeg mod) last week...
Legs/knees still too much sportbikey position

If it had the footpeg placement of a KLR650 or XB1200XT, I'd be sold...

98940WR250R wrote:

I had a ton of fun test-riding a Versys (with Buell footpeg mod) last week...
Legs/knees still too much sportbikey position

If it had the footpeg placement of a KLR650 or XB1200XT, I'd be sold...

I read in a Versys website somewhere that most people put on a very popular footpeg lowering kit, then absolutely freaking love the bike! I was tempted to try it and may still...

I hadn't heard of the Buell footpeg mod, but I haven't been following that bike recently. Perhaps it doesn't lower the pegs as much as the other peg lowering kit? I think there were peg lowering blocks or somethin' by one of the Versys inmates...

Maybe the Buell pegs plus the lowering blocks would be the fershizzle??

I dunno; just askin'.

L

velvetcows wrote:

98940WR250R wrote:

Doesn't hurt the re-sale value either

Will someone translate please. Is "re-sale value" French?

It's not hyphenated: "resale". The french for 'resale' is revente. To sell is vendre which comes from the latin, vendere.

The internet says the word is from 'sala' passed on by the Vikings (Old Norse).

In this case, the value of selling something secondhand

98940WR250R wrote:

Lol, great replies!
Nice to see the admins actually posting on a forum

Anyhow, to each their own, and I'm the type that doesn't mind keepin' my dirtbikes pimp clean.
Years of being an auto, bike & boat detailer made me that way Lol...
Doesn't hurt the re-sale value either

This admin posts whenever and wherever. I like to try to keep up with the rest of the mob in here and throw the odd mudball.
Detailer? I did that back when I first got out of school; autos, bike, boat and heavy duty trucks. The latter were a real eye opener, especially the ore haulers. Try shampooing carpets that resembled concrete slabs. I had a custom made dual brush high speed air scrubber, worked a treat.

I don't think resale equates with this bike...at least for me. Out of all the bikes I've ridden over the years, only one came close to it and it was an old school DS, a DT 200. I was worried about the scratches once I got this one, but after the first drop it was like...meh, it's gonna see a lot more crap. Gives it character. I know it's kinda hard for others who are in the clean biz to see a dirty vehicle and not care...but I'm a mud whore and sometimes, for me, getting good and dirty beats the smell of cleaning solvents and glass cleaner. My protection lies in covering the engine, disks, and levers..oh and the rider. Kinda pointless having a rider with no protection cause well...riding a bike with a broken head doesn't work.

98940WR250R wrote:

Doesn't hurt the re-sale value either Any info, anyone?

??????????????????????????????????????????

"resale value"

??????????????????????????????????????????

I bought my Dodge Ram 2500 diesel factory order in 1994 and still put between 600 and a 1000 kilometers on it every week when the military doesn't have me off away from home somewhere.

I don't think I own a rifle, shotgun, or handgun that was built any later than about 1985, and many are pre-70's with some well over the century mark - and they're not collectors.

My Lowa hunting/mountaineering boots have been resoled probably over half a dozen times and my backpack is the same one I got from a custom pack maker back in the early 70's on a pilgrimage to Seattle.

My hockey equipment is still CooperAlls... and my sticks are from the same era - although my Graf skates are new school.

I think half the stuff I use in the bush or in other forms of recreation goes back to when Dire Straits was a new band and the jury was out on whether they were going to stick.

I do thrash my skis every year ski patrolling, but I'm still in the same packed out boots I was ski patrolling in Whistler in back in 1993 when I got back from Yugoslavia.

I have a theory that when you find a piece of kit that does what you want it to do, you hang onto it.

Barring mishaps, I can't see the word "re-sale" applying to my WR anytime in the forseeable future - and that has nothing to do with brand/model loyalty.

Jäger wrote:

98940WR250R wrote:

Doesn't hurt the re-sale value either Any info, anyone?

??????????????????????????????????????????

"resale value"

??????????????????????????????????????????

I bought my Dodge Ram 2500 diesel factory order in 1994 and still put between 600 and a 1000 kilometers on it every week when the military doesn't have me off away from home somewhere.

I don't think I own a rifle, shotgun, or handgun that was built any later than about 1985, and many are pre-70's with some well over the century mark - and they're not collectors.

My Lowa hunting/mountaineering boots have been resoled probably over half a dozen times and my backpack is the same one I got from a custom pack maker back in the early 70's on a pilgrimage to Seattle.

My hockey equipment is still CooperAlls... and my sticks are from the same era - although my Graf skates are new school.

I think half the stuff I use in the bush or in other forms of recreation goes back to when Dire Straits was a new band and the jury was out on whether they were going to stick.

I do thrash my skis every year ski patrolling, but I'm still in the same packed out boots I was ski patrolling in Whistler in back in 1993 when I got back from Yugoslavia.




I have a theory that when you find a piece of kit that does what you want it to do, you hang onto it.

Barring mishaps, I can't see the word "re-sale" applying to my WR anytime in the forseeable future - and that has nothing to do with brand/model loyalty.

What is this Hockey and Ski you speak of?