Building a Rally Bike

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Twigg

Just an old, bald man!
Joined
Jun 23, 2011
Messages
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Location
Owasso, OK
I have been in the United States for about 10 years. Before that I lived and worked in the UK, my home country. I have been motorcycling on and off since I was sixteen years old, which is more years ago than I care to remember.

When I came here it was a few years before I managed to acquire another bike. In 2010 I bought a 1977 Yamaha XS750 as a "wreck". In March the following year I completed my first SaddleSore 1000 on that bike.

Later that year a 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale joined the Triple in the garage. Another wreck that I paid far too much money for, but I got it running and over the next three years it completed ten LD Rallies and a Bun Burner Gold. This bike was my "experiment". The arrangements I made for distance work changed several times. In the end I even succumbed to an $800 seat on my $1400 motorcycle, and it was money well spent.

I tried many arrangements of seating, lighting, hydration, navigation and comms. until I was happy with the set-up ... then I sold it :D

My rally results have been good. I have won one, placed in the top five six times, and DNF'd twice. One of those was because I planned very badly, the other was a deliberate decision to ride for home because .. reasons!

I have ridden in the Heart of Texas Rally for the last three years. The last two years I have finished 3rd behind Brian Walters (GS1200) and Rex LeGalley (Harley CVO, Honda Gold Wing), both times. It's nice to finish 3rd in a good field, but I was at the point where I couldn't get higher however hard I tried. In April this year I came in having ridden the freakin' wheels of the Venture. I was feeling fresh and happy, and I could not make that bike cover any more ground than it did in the 12 hours.

I have always rallied right on the bleeding edge of my talent, but now I was finding that the bike was unable to fulfill the demands I was placing on it and still remain safe.

I loved that bike, it gave me many happy hours and miles, and I will miss it.

Right about the time my friends were giggling and hoping that I would never buy a decent machine, another friend took pity on me and offered me a well-used, but clean and very cheap 2005 Yamaha FJR1300.

Booyah! Now Rex and Brian are in trouble :D

The FJR came to me almost stock. It has a Russell seat fitted, and auxilary gas tank and a farkle shelf. The seat needs a little attention and I have changed the tank. It also came with 88 000 miles on the odometer and a noisy cam chain (parts ordered). Other than that it is a good, clean example that appears to be running well. It also appears to have some life left in the suspension, and as I am not a boy-racer any more, I can live with that at least for now.

Budget is my main concern. If you read the Iron Butt Magazine you already know what I mean as the full story of my Venture Royale was printed a couple of issues ago. I sold both the Triple and the VR for decent money, which allowed this purchase and a few dollars over for the work I needed to do.

Not finished yet, but here is what it looks like today:

DSCN0093-M.jpg


From the front ... There is an MRA X-creen that I saved from the VR. These do seem to work quite well at lifting the buffeting over the rider while not causing "back-pressure". Anyway, I had it so it was cheap.

What were not cheap are the lights. They are the LR5s from ledrider.com (Justin). Service from Justin was awesome, as are the lights. I think they compare well with the Clearwater lights, at around one third of the price. I still need to fit a Skene Dimmer and an isolating switch. What I do have now is 10 000 lumens of light kicking in to help the high beams.

Before anyone mentions it .... That back rest will be re-covered in blue (the fastest colour), with "FJR" stitched in. Shouldn't cost too much to get that done. Screen is a National Windscreens item that seems to do the job.

DSCN0089-M.jpg


From left to right in the cockpit ... SPOT 2 , Sirius Radio, Garmin Nuvi 765T, Garmin 2720, Ram mount for phone. The bar risers were already fitted. All this stuff went on easily, and all are in the same positions I had them on the VR, which I am happy about. Under the shelf you can just see the SM10 Sena Bluetooth adaptor that handles the Nuvi and the radio.

The wiring from the shelf runs through a hole I had to cut in the front fairing right next to the slot for the windshield arms. It all goes back to a Fuzeblock under the rider seat. In the glovebox is a 12V power outlet that I will use for USB charging of the phone and Sena SM10 until I can fit a dual USB Charger to the underside of the shelf.

Bike has a ThrottleMeister, but it will get Cruise Control when I can afford it. I had CC on the VR and I already miss it.

Those little green things on the Tank Bag are where I attach a small clipboard that carries a list of bonus locations, in order, plus info for Call-Ins, and time-checks I need to hit.

DSCN0091-M.jpg


AT the back it gets complicated. The bike came with an RCI 5-Gallon Polythene Aux. Tank. A decent tank, but if we are being picky, 6.6 + 5 = 11.6! I know you can't get 11.6 Gallons into that set-up, but I don't want to be arguing the point with Warchild at a tech inspection. I had a Summit 4-gallon lying around, so on it went. I also had a 3/16th" aluminum plate that I previously had made up for the VR. This plate was designed to carry the Summit AND the Coleman cooler. What is more, with a few new holes it bolted right onto the sub-frame I got with the PO's set-up. This was a real result!

On the list is an Aux Tank Cover from Linda T and a "proper" filler tube with a screw-cap for the tank. I had one on the VR and it's lightyears better than those aircraft fillers.

You can see the sub-fram underneath the fuel hose. It bolts to the forward two mounts for the OEM grabrails, and the two tail mounts for the same. Four bolts and that whole set-up lifts right off the bike. Five minutes and I can return it to stock.

DSCN0088-M.jpg


Under the "shelf" is a high quality air pump and tire kit. There is still plenty of room. My bike cover and Thermarest Mat fit between the backrest and the tank. I haven't decided whether or not to power feed the hydration system. There are pros and cons.

DSCN0092-M.jpg


At the back I need to fit more lights. That is not a difficult thing to do and I'll come up with a solution soon enough.

So there we have it. Bike is well on it's way to becoming a decent LD platform, and I am running out of excuses for finishing third :D

I welcome all feedback and suggestions. I am very fond of "other people's ideas", it saves me having to re-invent the wheel.

 
The FJR was a great choice for a platform. Everything else is frosting on the cake. YOU know what you need, that is what's important. You have done well with what you have- you are your best advisor here. I got caught up in trying to farkle for the IBR like other riders... You know best. What works for you- is best for you.

Too much is too much.

For me it was simplicity.

 
The FJR was a great choice for a platform. Everything else is frosting on the cake. YOU know what you need, that is what's important. You have done well with what you have- you are your best advisor here. I got caught up in trying to farkle for the IBR like other riders... You know best. What works for you- is best for you.Too much is too much.

For me it was simplicity.
I have a rule ... Everything that goes on the bike has to contribute to making it more comfortable, less stressful, and/or improve my information. If I add something that doesn't do one of those things, it comes off again.

So while many people would think there is already too much, I use everything there and I can do it all in the dark :)

I am also of the view that "less is more". You will not see a radar detector, not three GPS Units, or two phones, or stopwatches and other sundry gadgets. I have tried most of those and while some swear by them, they don't work for me. What I will add up front is my Littlelite ... perfect for night work.

 
I think it looks good and functional. The only thing that comes to mind with that many miles is to look at a rear shock. My stock one blew all it's oils out at ~16,000 miles, and most people wonder about them beyond 25,000 or so. Not everyone, of course, but most. Someone (or 2) ended up w/a pogo stick at the end of a rally, and that's worth avoiding if you can.

 
+1 on the shock.

DON'T delay on the replacement CCT. Well under $100 and a couple of hours vs. a grenaded engine. You might be lucky (or otherwise).

 
Nice looking functional bike there Twigg! For reliability and as others have said, consider an replacement shock (OEM GEN III would be a budget replacement) and get that CCT changed. If the chain is already making noise, you're on borrowed time.

Good luck!

--G

 
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Nice looking functional bike there Twigg! For reliability and as others have said, consider an replacement shock (OEM GEN III would be a budget replacement) and get that CCT changed. If the chain is already making noise, you're on borrowed time.
Good luck!

--G
Thanks ... Parts are ordered and should be here in a few days.

The chain isn't bad, but I can hear it at idle ... the noise cuts in and out and goes away when the throttle is cracked. It will be done this week.

 
Good looking set up, Love that big V on the back rest, My Venture was a '90 blue on blue.

One of the great things about that mighty Venture was it's total package - powerful & torquey V4 engine, decent handling with the ability to lean, Cruise control. CB, AM/FM/Cassette radio, air suspension, turn signal cancel circuit, and other amenities. I sure wish that Yamaha would have kept that bike in production and let it go through another remodel like the Gold Wing. That was the problem, Yamaha let the Venture go out of date. Evidently there wasn't enough sales to justify pushing it into a third generation. I must admit, Yamaha did sell a lot of Venture 'Retro' bikes from '99 onwards. That Star line proved to be a money maker for the company.

Your set up looks to be good and solid. Your rule is a good one ...everything that goes on the bike has to contribute to making it more comfortable, less stressful, and/or improve my information… It will keep things functional and simple. You will be confident knowing that you are skirting one of Murphy's laws… The more complicated a thing is - the more can fail.

One thing you may consider is to mount pelican box under the license plate. I see from your pictures that you are limiting yourself to the 2 saddle bags. With a license plate box you can put things inside that need not be locked up but readily available. I keep my first aid kit inside mine.

image_zpsd854a5ab.jpg


If people ask what the box is for, I just say it's for the drag 'chute.

The following link is where I describe the set up for another LD brother of yours - Shuey. You may want to read the whole thread to get some ideas for your mount.

Pelican licence plate box

Have fun with your bike, and give your friends a run for the money when you start competing with this new bike.

Brodie

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First time I saw a box like that Ken Meese was using it for his bike cover. I believe it was a mail box he had fitted there :)

The other thing that jumps out at me from your picture is the car tire ... I wish they would quit calling them "car tires". They are tires, and I don't ever recall reading the word "car" on them anywhere.

I could never put on on the Venture because you can't get a 16" tire narrow enough to fit, but I will try one on this bike when I have worn out the current tire which is fairly new.

I don't have a top case with this set-up. That is one major change I am going to have to work around.

 
Twigg,

Since you mentioned it, if you are handy with a hack saw and bastard file, an evening's work session in the garage with a bench vise will enable your bike to accommodate the high mileage tire whenever you may need one.

IMG_1574.jpg


The tire you currently have on the back hopefully will go the distance quietly without mishap, however, if you find yourself in the middle of a rally with a failed rear tire, this mod will allow you to go to any tire dealer to get back in the game.

Brodie

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That mod is worth doing ahead of time ... just in case
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What are those lights you have at the rear?

 
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Those are Clearwater Glendas outfitted with red LEDs. The low intensity supplements the tail lights quite nicely. When I hit the brakes I can see RED light shining a half mile away at night. Because the LEDs are somewhat directional, I had to aim them down a bit to keep from being flashed from the car behind me while sitting at traffic lights. I learned that once the car pulls up back there to release the brake lever while sitting on level ground at a traffic light. I don't want to piss them off unnecessarily.

Brodie

:)

 
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The set-up I have for LD Riding doesn't allow for a Top Case. This is bad ... I have practised my routines using one, and I don't like to have to change that because it has always worked well to the point that a top case is essential. I could arrange one by changing my Aux. tank for something different, but that is a bit too spendy.

So I wondered about the frankly useless shape of the side cases, and all that fresh air in the lids ... and came up with this. Now, instead of going around the back of the bike to open a trunk, I simply have to open the left side case:

DSCN0100-L.jpg


Sorry about the feet :D

The only changes to the case were four small holes in the inner skin, to take the rivets for the hinges.

The dividers are cut from one of those yard signs from Home Depot. They are taped in place and are rigid.

DSCN0102-L.jpg


I need to find a way to clip it shut, although it stays shut for the most part when the case is closed.

Also, on top of that panel I might think of attaching some straps to hold my laptop.

 
So I wondered about the frankly useless shape of the side cases, and all that fresh air in the lids ... and came up with this. Now, instead of going around the back of the bike to open a trunk, I simply have to open the left side case:
DSCN0100-L.jpg


The only changes to the case were four small holes in the inner skin, to take the rivets for the hinges.

I need to find a way to clip it shut, although it stays shut for the most part when the case is closed.

Also, on top of that panel I might think of attaching some straps to hold my laptop.
Plexiglas would be better than your wood lid and magnets would hold it closed.

Inside the bag I used small bungee cords that are clamped to the front inside strap holder. I put a key ring on the the back strap holders so that it's easier to hook the bungee straps.

 
I agree about the plexiglass, and I might change the lid. I had some 3/16ths Oak Ply lying around. Meanwhile it just became a great place to keep those things I need on the road, that don't go in the tank bag.

 
If you had chosen the right side case, the open angle and accessibility would be better with the bike on the sidestand.

 
If you had chosen the right side case, the open angle and accessibility would be better with the bike on the sidestand.
I chose the left deliberately.

I have done the "thing" with the strap, and I'm on the left when I get off, I don't want to be walking round the other side.

 
I took a look at the kick stand and decided that Yamaha were having a laugh at the prospect of all the soft ground, and hot tarmac that was going to sell a lot of new plastic.

Given the likelihood of Rally Masters to send riders off-road at every available opportunity, it will not do. Normally I would have simply bought one of the attractive and functional items from members here, but I have little money. What I do have is some 1/4" aluminum plate, and bolts:

DSCN0104-L.jpg


It clears the exhaust, I just need to shorten the bolts. Not the most attractive, but it works.

DSCN0105-L.jpg


 
Twigg

Looks like it will work just fine. You'll get the custom ground finish with time and mileage. I like watching your bike take shape, be sure to give us some progress reports when you start competing.

Carry on !!!

Brodie

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