Is motorcycling allowed?

[mazambaan]

On 1/12/2022 at 12:59 AM, patches said:

Hahaha, that is lucky! I've been telling my wife I'll sell one of my Huskies for over 2yrs. For the most part she doesn't mind as it's my garage space that it chews up. The only time it comes up is when I complain that I don't have enough fun money for some silly extravagant purchase, then she'll remind me that I have a dirt bike gathering dust in the garage that I promised to sell 😅

Back to your 690 though, and your earlier mention of tyre pressure, are you considering putting a tubliss setup on it in stead of the rim locks (which I assume it has)?

Although a pain to mount, I'm a huge fan of the tubliss system and you can run some really low tyre pressures (for dunes etc.). Better yet is if you have a 12V DC outlet on the dash to hookup one of those pocket compressors to, allowing you to fluctuate between 8 and 20 *Psi with relative ease.

On my 450 with rally kit I run roughly the following pressures (when I remember to check and change, haha

* forgive my use of imperial units. I used to work in Bar on my MTB, but with dirt bike tyres and the low pressures I find Psi a little easier.

Are the pressures above with the Tubliss patches?  The Motoz is a heavy duty tyre (I have a rear waiting to be fitted when the factory Continental Twinduro on the 701 is worn out) but those are quite low pressures; 1bar is begging for snake bite usually.

I still have tubes all round and am always above 1.5bar as I do not relish changing a tube roadside in SA and I don't ride hard enough for grip to be a real challenge. Same with ABS; I leave it on, Traction Control on the 701 though, off for sure.  I have the 701LR and have had a problem with the fuel vent valve in the factory filler and drilled them out. After market billet replacements are R3k a pop, a little rich for me.

[Spokey]

12 hours ago, mazambaan said:

Are the pressures above with the Tubliss patches?  The Motoz is a heavy duty tyre (I have a rear waiting to be fitted when the factory Continental Twinduro on the 701 is worn out) but those are quite low pressures; 1bar is begging for snake bite usually.

I still have tubes all round and am always above 1.5bar as I do not relish changing a tube roadside in SA and I don't ride hard enough for grip to be a real challenge. Same with ABS; I leave it on, Traction Control on the 701 though, off for sure.  I have the 701LR and have had a problem with the fuel vent valve in the factory filler and drilled them out. After market billet replacements are R3k a pop, a little rich for me.

I am keen to check out this Tubeliss system. I believe it is available at Flying Brick in CT for the 690. My bike does not have traction control. The ABS is either on or off. There is a KTM Dongle available that keeps the front ABS on an rear off at all times. I think I will order that. I am finding the bike a hoot to ride!

Anyways, I am planning a trip to CT, dirt roads of course, to pick up some bits and pieces  for the 690.

[patches]

14 hours ago, mazambaan said:

Are the pressures above with the Tubliss patches?  The Motoz is a heavy duty tyre (I have a rear waiting to be fitted when the factory Continental Twinduro on the 701 is worn out) but those are quite low pressures; 1bar is begging for snake bite usually.

I still have tubes all round and am always above 1.5bar as I do not relish changing a tube roadside in SA and I don't ride hard enough for grip to be a real challenge. Same with ABS; I leave it on, Traction Control on the 701 though, off for sure.  I have the 701LR and have had a problem with the fuel vent valve in the factory filler and drilled them out. After market billet replacements are R3k a pop, a little rich for me.

Yup, those pressures are on the Tubliss system, and as you stated, the Motoz tyres are pretty heavy duty.

Once (pre-Tubliss) I got a front snakebite puncture riding some rocky back-country trails. The casing/sidewalls on the Motoz Tractionator Desert HT's (that I used to run) is so rigid and the Husky 350 is so light that I didn't notice the flat until I was back on tarmac and had to brake hard from 90kph down to 30kph to cross a one-lane bridge. I just about pooped myself when that tyre folded and squirmed.

It was after that trip that I went Tubliss, and snakebite is one of the things they apparently reduce the risk of due to the high pressure inner chamber acting as a "bumper".

They claim that one could end ride at 0Psi in the outter chamber in emergency situations, and I believe the hard enduro lads & lasses that run it (as opposed to mousses) run as low as 6Psi (0.4 Bar), terrain dependant.

My only issues with them have been:

• Tricky to install when using with heavy-duty typres like the Motoz rallZ or Desert HT's (although still easier than wrestling lubed-up bib-mousses)
• Tricky to get seated/sealed properly if instructions aren't followed to the T.

[patches]

14 hours ago, mazambaan said:

Are the pressures above with the Tubliss patches?  The Motoz is a heavy duty tyre (I have a rear waiting to be fitted when the factory Continental Twinduro on the 701 is worn out) but those are quite low pressures; 1bar is begging for snake bite usually.

I still have tubes all round and am always above 1.5bar as I do not relish changing a tube roadside in SA and I don't ride hard enough for grip to be a real challenge. Same with ABS; I leave it on, Traction Control on the 701 though, off for sure.  I have the 701LR and have had a problem with the fuel vent valve in the factory filler and drilled them out. After market billet replacements are R3k a pop, a little rich for me.

Does the 701LR come with the ABS dongle as standard, or does one still need to buy it separately? Or is it a completely different ABS control setup to the original 701's (based on the fact that it has traction control etc)?

1 hour ago, Spokey said:

I am keen to check out this Tubeliss system. I believe it is available at Flying Brick in CT for the 690. My bike does not have traction control. The ABS is either on or off. There is a KTM Dongle available that keeps the front ABS on an rear off at all times. I think I will order that. I am finding the bike a hoot to ride!

Anyways, I am planning a trip to CT, dirt roads of course, to pick up some bits and pieces  for the 690.

I've heard from a number of 701 owners that the dongle is their first purchase after buying the bike. It takes them just 1 or 2 times, forgetting to turn the ABS off (when offroad) to convince them.

Regarding ABS in general, it will be interesting to see what happens here in NZ with the law now stating that new or used bikes MUST have ABS in order to be road registered. There are some exemptions like classic bikes and "trail bikes" (which they are very vague about and sounds like it's more enduro bikes that need road registration for liaison stages more than dual-sports), but basically it means no more EXC500 and FE501's being used as ultimate light weight adventure bikes, and the Suzuki dealers were flogging their DR650 stock for dirt cheap to get rid of them before the law kicked in (1 Nov 2021).

Hopefully re-registering my FE350 will be possible (as it was previously registered), and now that "plated dirt bikes" are a rarity, I may get a few more gold coins when I sell it 😅

Has SA moved to make ABS mandatory?

[mazambaan]

9 hours ago, patches said:

Does the 701LR come with the ABS dongle as standard, or does one still need to buy it separately? Or is it a completely different ABS control setup to the original 701's (based on the fact that it has traction control etc)?

I've heard from a number of 701 owners that the dongle is their first purchase after buying the bike. It takes them just 1 or 2 times, forgetting to turn the ABS off (when offroad) to convince them.

Regarding ABS in general, it will be interesting to see what happens here in NZ with the law now stating that new or used bikes MUST have ABS in order to be road registered. There are some exemptions like classic bikes and "trail bikes" (which they are very vague about and sounds like it's more enduro bikes that need road registration for liaison stages more than dual-sports), but basically it means no more EXC500 and FE501's being used as ultimate light weight adventure bikes, and the Suzuki dealers were flogging their DR650 stock for dirt cheap to get rid of them before the law kicked in (1 Nov 2021).

Hopefully re-registering my FE350 will be possible (as it was previously registered), and now that "plated dirt bikes" are a rarity, I may get a few more gold coins when I sell it 😅

Has SA moved to make ABS mandatory?

Thanks patches; the 701 is a 2020 and, as I understand it, the ABS can be switched off with the bike stopped but doesn't stay off and comes on at every re-start (lots of legal warnings in the manual).  I have not given the ABS a full test - emergency braking with it on then off and the only other time I would use it is hairpins and turns to lock the back wheel which for the 701 is very rare as its mainly gravel road riding that I do.  Quite strangely maybe but I have never had an accident where I think ABS would have saved me.  My road (not enduro/off road loss of talent) accidents have been carrying too much speed into a corner (two and both off camber) and it is too late to brake or where a car has pulled in front of me; no time to brake, almost at all. Near accidents have been on slippery roads, snot and/or existing ruts. I have had some panic stops where I lock the back wheel (never front) and stall the engine but never crashed. But I don't commute (I used to, for probably 10 years) and ride as little surfaced road with traffic as I can as well as generally riding carefully; granny like - I have seen too many friends killed or badly injured, mostly due to speed and bad judgement; one just very bad luck.

So ABS is a non-event for me I think but I will do the test. Nanny state enforcement, ho hum.

[Hairy]

Took my eldest out for a quick sunset ride and Cape Town was showing off in all her glory.

 

[BenReaper]

1 hour ago, Hairy said:

Took my eldest out for a quick sunset ride and Cape Town was showing off in all her glory.

 

That's a stunning way to end the day.👌

[sawystertrance]

Great photos Hairy. Exactly where is that?

[Hairy]

3 hours ago, sawystertrance said:

Great photos Hairy. Exactly where is that?

Blaauwberg Beach Front .... all the parking bays were full, but with the bike it was easy to get exclusive parking on the paved sections

 

 

[Hairy]

[Thug]

Put everything back together. Also picked up some spacers for the fly-by-wire throttle to eliminate the initial slack. 
 

Loving the Snap Crackle & Pop of the exhaust when you roll off the throttle. 
 

[Andrew_Smith]

Super clean @Thug

She's looking good.

And there's nothing that gives me goosebumps like a snap crack & pop from an exhaust on a bike. Love it!

[RoddieJ]

Took a morning ride wit my son. Admittedly not as scenic as @Hairy’s pics

[Andrew_Smith]

Bike is still at the mechanic... So my friend helped me to surprise visit my dad in Yzerfontein for his birthday. First long pillion and night ride for him. Proper spots is a must for those dark backroads.

 

[Hairy]

The barn finds in the states is next level
 

 

[Thug]

6 hours ago, Andrew_Smith said:

Bike is still at the mechanic... So my friend helped me to surprise visit my dad in Yzerfontein for his birthday. First long pillion and night ride for him. Proper spots is a must for those dark backroads.

 

 

I don't know if anyone has experience with Extreme Lights spots or if they are any good..

https://www.extremelights.co.za/collections/motorbike-lights