Can't Wait for a Factory Built Adventure Tourer?

[2wheels]

Building an Adventure Tourer on a Budget.

This details the work a guy did on his DR650SE.



Budget Adventure Touring - webBikeWorld

 

[bikesncats]

....Building an Adventure Tourer on a Budget.....

OK...what about turning this...




Into THIS:


...with shaft drive of course

 

[bikesncats]

The Pacific Coast has great engine actually, have you ever seen the torque curve on it? Goes to over 50ftlb of torque by 1,800rpms and stays up there till 6,500rpm...just seen it now as I was looking at what kind of an alien was advertised out of Phuket...narrow V-twin 800cc bulletproof engine with loads of torque, greatly spaced gears, intake and carbs from the top (high airfilter)...shaft drive for me... can't get a better engine option for a real adventure bike build...at least not on a budget.

Anybody knows of a PC800 (or the engine and drive) for sale in Thailand let me know please. Thnx.

 

[bsacbob]

Actually i have one, one of my favourite bikes of all time virtually unbreakable apart from the plastic's that is. Very rare in Thailand i only know of five in LOS.



Some more images, not of my bike, lot's of guy's have remodelled them on the various groups like http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ipcrc/info and http://pc800.co.uk/.





A famously well travelled model.

 

[skeedary]

Bob you should ride it more. Maybe bring it to Loei this month


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[bikesncats]

Actually i have one, one of my favourite bikes of all time virtually unbreakable apart from the plastic's that is.

How much are you asking for it? Commooooon...there's no such thing as not for sale is there?

Just kidding Bob...but seriously, if anyone hears of one for sale I am interested, I strongly believe this represents the best option for building a true adventure bike.

The engine is not the most powerful, especially not for an 800, but it has loads of torque and from very low revs...this makes it a prefect engine for off roading with a mid-weight class and the frame is easy to modify, add sidetanks, single shock and a proper fork with two appropriate wheels...it really would make a serious base.


The weight is going to drop in half just by removing all the comfort stuff...alternatively, taking something like a WR and swapping the engine and swingarm could also be an option, then add tanks etc...


Yes, it is a proper base for a nice adventure bike. Just my opinion of course.


BTW Loop, nitrogen is a lot smaller molecule then oxygen or the even bigger CO2. As such, when heating up significantly the volume change remains smaller then with compressed air (which is a mixture of Oxygen, CO, CO2, N and some other gases in small amounts), or CO2 used to repair the tires (most adequate because of the extreme change in volume from liquid to gas). Having pure N inflating the tires also eliminates any moisture which will also increase significantly in volume besides adding to corrosion.

It is in fact the advantage presented by Nitrogen. The downside is that any tiny porosity that might not let air through could let N through and thus deflate your tire slowly when other gases wouldn't but in modern tires it is not an issue anymore.

Sorry for posting the answer here but I don't want to take anything away from the add...other then try and put it back up onto the daily board by commenting something related. Cheers, Alex.

 

[bsacbob]

Pm Sent.

 

[Loop]

BTW Loop, nitrogen is a lot smaller molecule then oxygen or the even bigger CO2. As such, when heating up significantly the volume change remains smaller then with compressed air (which is a mixture of Oxygen, CO, CO2, N and some other gases in small amounts), or CO2 used to repair the tires (most adequate because of the extreme change in volume from liquid to gas). Having pure N inflating the tires also eliminates any moisture which will also increase significantly in volume besides adding to corrosion.

It is in fact the advantage presented by Nitrogen. The downside is that any tiny porosity that might not let air through could let N through and thus deflate your tire slowly when other gases wouldn't but in modern tires it is not an issue anymore.

Sorry for posting the answer here but I don't want to take anything away from the add...other then try and put it back up onto the daily board by commenting something related. Cheers, Alex.

No problem.

I spoke to some Emirate ground engineers about why they use it in the planes and they told me that it lessens the chance of a blow out when the plane touches down as there's no moisture in the Nitrogen to expand when it heats up very quickly. So just a safety factor for aircraft.

A bunch of go kart racers use to use it at the local tracks and i use to take it to the V8 Supercar teams when they raced at the local tracks.
For them it's keeping the tire pressure constant over race distance to avoid them getting too hot and losing performance,which could make the difference between winning and losing in the end..

In my day on the race bike we'd do a few laps and pull in and check the pressure while hot and let a little out if need be.

So,IMO makes little if any difference to a road going vehicle as within a couple of psi is good enough/no noticeable difference. I think having the correct pressure every time you ride a bike or drive a car is much more important....and lets not forget that air is 20% Nitrogen anyway.

 

[brake034]

and lets not forget that air is 20% Nitrogen anyway.

No, "air" is about 78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the rest is Argon, CO2 etc.

As a side note, inhaling 100% nitrogen will cause sudden death! If oxygen drops below 19,5% suffocation will occur.
In petro-chemical industry N2 is considered the silent killer.

 

[Loop]

Yeah,it's 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen,got it the wrong way around.....and it's free!!

 

[bikesncats]

No problem.

I spoke to some Emirate ground engineers about why they use it in the planes and they told me that it lessens the chance of a blow out when the plane touches down as there's no moisture in the Nitrogen to expand when it heats up very quickly. So just a safety factor for aircraft.

A bunch of go kart racers use to use it at the local tracks and i use to take it to the V8 Supercar teams when they raced at the local tracks.
For them it's keeping the tire pressure constant over race distance to avoid them getting too hot and loosing performance,which could make the difference between winning and losing in the end..

In my day on the race bike we'd a few laps and pull in and check the pressure while hot and let a little out if need be.

So,IMO makes little if any difference to a road going vehicle as within a couple of psi is good enough/no noticeable difference. I think having the correct pressure every time you ride a bike or drive a car is much more important....and lets not forget that air is 20% Nitrogen anyway.

As mentioned, the volume changes remain smaller...much smaller actually. Air has N in the high 70s % but more importantly the issue with compressed air is the moisture associated with it. What comes out of compressor has a significant amount of moisture (even when people use a properly maintained separator) while N out of a "can" is dry.
The moisture content can easily make a big difference in your tire pressure when heating up...in say an R1...or FJR...when ridden hard, especially at higher speeds. BTW, temperatures can easily go from the 20s to (I extreme cases) over 100 (degrees C that is).
In normal race circumstances high 70s are a heated tire, causing 6 to 8Psi pressure difference depending on size, and that using nitrogen.

You erroneously think these volume changes are negligible...in your endur(this was an o) they are...but not in my R1 (ex mine..sniff...why did you have to bring it up).

Some people (like Rudi from Bavaria) were commenting about me being insane riding at the speeds I've been riding at...having a perfectly set-up and maintained bike is what makes it so much less insane. That's the biggest point in the end really...so many people that are so quick to judge have no clue how many and how big the differences are between the toilets they ride and the state of the art bikes we use to pursue and accomplish our most secret (or sacret) goals. The same thing goes for extreme remote adventure tours...it's all about being properly prepared, bike included.

 

[Loop]

Ok,we see it different.
I think i remember letting about 2 psi out of my air filled rear slick at the track a couple of times after doing hard laps then check in the pits.
And i assumed that a tire would get hotter when more friction is applied from hard cornering/slide/drift with full throttle exits.They certainly ball up on the edge and not the middle.

Just had a look on google and there are a multitude of arguments about it so i think i'll bow out

One tire expert says..

A much better use of your money would be to buy a good tire-pressure gauge and check your tires frequently. This is a good idea even if you have a tire-pressure monitoring system in your vehicle. The warning lights aren't required to come on until you have less than 25 percent of the recommended tire pressure.

Having the correct tire pressure will get you many of the benefits of using nitrogen and will ensure that your tires last longer.

That was my point too.

And lastly if you watch the F1 coverage these days they run a heat sensing camera that shows the temp in tires going from black down the straights to blue then orange to yellow when they brake and corner and then cool down again under straight line acceleration and higher speeds.

 

[bikesncats]

Ok,we see it different.
I think i remember letting about 2 psi out of my air filled rear slick at the track a couple of times after doing hard laps then check in the pits.
And i assumed that a tire would get hotter when more friction is applied from hard cornering/slide/drift with full throttle exits.They certainly ball up on the edge and not the middle.

Just had a look on google and there are a multitude of arguments about it so i think i'll bow out

One tire expert says..

A much better use of your money would be to buy a good tire-pressure gauge and check your tires frequently. This is a good idea even if you have a tire-pressure monitoring system in your vehicle. The warning lights aren't required to come on until you have less than 25 percent of the recommended tire pressure.

Having the correct tire pressure will get you many of the benefits of using nitrogen and will ensure that your tires last longer.

That was my point too.

And lastly if you watch the F1 coverage these days they run a heat sensing camera that shows the temp in tires going from black down the straights to blue then orange to yellow when they brake and corner and then cool down again under straight line acceleration and higher speeds.

You're not seeing anything different...except maybe for the use of nitrogen...and I'm not a tire expert but I always recommend to monitor and keep your tires at a proper pressure, that's a normal function to be performed every time you go through your checks. I'm surprised I even have to bring this up...don't you have a checklist you go through before taking your baby out on the road? To me that is an integral part of being prepared, bike included.

Formula one measurements confirm it but we kind of knew how extreme the tire temperatures can be even within just a lap (when on a course)...obviously high braking/acceleration will produce more heat.

Maintaining a proper tide pressure on a "street going" bike is essential as much as it is on a race bike. Having Nitrogen in my tires doesn't prevent me from checking my pressure at least every few days and certainly everytime before a major run. There is where I don't really get you...one doesn't exclude the other...and when I have a big difference in pressure I will head to the Michelin garage and let em refill nitrogen after figuring out why the loss.

If you check in on what is going on with MotoGP these days you will find that in hot days the tire pressure they drop after heating the tires is in the 6psi range give or take a couple psi based on the temperatures of the tarmac. Again, using Nitrogen...

And again, having dry nitrogen in contact with the inners of your wheel rather then moist (and who knows what else) containing air will ensure a longer life of your alloy.

 

[Loop]

My comments have been in general and about road going vehicles not just you or me.

Your average Joe driving around in a car probably wont check their pressures very often.

Your average Joe riding a bike maybe every now and then.

I warm mine up on the way to the servo before a ride and put the correct pressure in and keep an eye on them while away.

Certainly my bikes are in tip top condition before they leave the house.
I spent many an evening prepping race bikes at home as a teen and in my 20's and still keep a good maintenance routine on them these days..

 

[bikesncats]

That's the best advise we can give anyone really...be prepared properly, including the bike. Glad you do it too...and frankly, the average Joe should as well but then again, some wouldn't even know where to start and that's why we get such weird comments about our riding sometimes, don't we...

I apologize if I doubted your maintenance habits...cheers and ride safe.

 

[Gnasher328]

Love the 'Pacific Coast' lateral thinking. I have been meaning to draw up a list of shaft drive twins, but I don't think I have seen Moto Guzzi mentioned here. They have an off the peg adventure bike that could make a good base.
Re the air pressure in tyres, when I was doing track days there was a lot of discussion about tyre pressures, in the end I measured them after a drive on the road then adjusted them back to that when they heated up on the track, seemed to work well.

 

[bikesncats]

Love the 'Pacific Coast' lateral thinking. I have been meaning to draw up a list of shaft drive twins, but I don't think I have seen Moto Guzzi mentioned here. They have an off the peg adventure bike that could make a good base.
Re the air pressure in tyres, when I was doing track days there was a lot of discussion about tyre pressures, in the end I measured them after a drive on the road then adjusted them back to that when they heated up on the track, seemed to work well.

Moto Guzzi have some nice bikes but the weight is still way up there...BMW like high...if the Moto Morini would have a shaft the Corsaro Veloce would be a perfect base too, 1200cc with tons of low rev torque and more then enough power for an adventure bike.

If you have a list compiled of twin shaft drives please don't hesitate, post it...it would be great to go through them and see which ones may be suitable for the "ultimate adventure bike"

 

[2wheels]

Alex; remember the Honda CX500 and CX650?
Maybe a good base from which to start.

Had a CX650 too many years ago in Oz and it was excellent.

 

[2wheels]

 

[bikesncats]

Alex; remember the Honda CX500 and CX650?
Maybe a good base from which to start.

Had a CX650 too many years ago in Oz and it was excellent.

They were good bikes I remember...my brother had one as well. The he bought the turbo when it came out and sold it a week later as they were crap...unridable and unreliable.

 

[bikesncats]

Looking at the different V-Twins out there and comparing power and torque output with overall weight I actually think that the Moto Morini 1200 Corsacorta engine could actually make a great base for a true adventure tourer...one that could remain in the 160Kg range with auxiliary tanks and fitted out for Gunnbarrel Highway style travel...with pillion!

 

[2wheels]

They were good bikes I remember ..

And shaft drive too Alex!

 

[bikesncats]

And shaft drive too Alex!

I know...reliable as well...but heavy engines though...

Now the MotoMorini corsacorta engine would be a great base...put the engine on a diet like my friend did with the SuperTen and using a titanium frame and tubular swingarm (with Ti pipe as shaft) and that baby would come in superlight and superstrong. Oh shit...where's the budget...back to the drawing board LOL ...PC800 it is!

 

[2wheels]

Not forgetting the wonderful Kawasaki GT750; yes, shaft driven!

 

[bsacbob]

PC800 it is!

Very wise choice.

 

[bikesncats]

Ron, the Kawasaki was a great bike, I owned the 1300 shaft driven...remember that 6 cylinder monster? I think Kawasaki felt that Benelli was going to gain an advantage in the market and followed suite...but that Benelli six was something else. Unfortunately all of these are too heavy as a base...the engine alone tops our weight idea. I might as well take an old XS1100, I was crazy enough to take mine to the Sahara, over Mont Chaberton and through the Massif de la Saint Baume...just to prove it could be done (you know...those "I dare you" and "I bet you can't" ideas that pop up on drinking sprees) ... something I wouldn't want to do anymore!

So....PC800

Very wise choice.

Well...let's resume:

1. reliable, check
2. loads of torque, check
3. low weight after a bit of work, check
4. drive shaft, check
5. easy maintenance in its new form, check
6. budget, most is labour plus some parts from donor bikes, check

I believe this is the best base we found so far...now we need the cash and find two of them - because one would remain as is otherwise my better half is not going to be happy as she wants one to fart around now that she seen it - then get to work.

Once I start anyone that wants to pop in and help please feel free, room and board are provided...afraid no salary though.

 

[2wheels]

Excellent; I'm happy for you Alex and look forward to seeing how this project develops.

 

[bikesncats]

Just a few other priorities that I need to take care of right now and then right onto this.

On a different note: Another stupid idea that popped into mind for some extra fun would be taking a D4D and hook on a front and rear wheel, a diesel tank and a seat, maybe both wheel drive? Nahhh...but keep it auto huh?

 

[bikesncats]

Excellent; I'm happy for you Alex and look forward to seeing how this project develops.

How's England treating you Ron?

I just got the spec sheet of the MT-07 and now I am seriously asking myself what is wrong with the thick head of Yamaha's directors. a couple of years they were loosing so much market share because of their screwed up pricing strategy and now that they got their act together and start producing a great design at an excellent and very competitive cost they fail turning this most capable platform into a true midsize adventure bike that could blow anything from the V-Strom and Versys to the KLR and DR out of the water...

Me thinks this could make a great starting point for a great and punchy do it all toy...