Is motorcycling allowed?

[Grebel]

We had a bit of an off-road weekend a while back during my Yamaha days in the Newcastle area. Most of the guys were on XT660's (the Tenere and Super Tenere hadn't been launched yet). I chose to take a demo TT-250R. I was ragged from the start. Until about halfway through the Saturday when we had to ride next to a railway line covered in those small blue stones and people were dropping their bikes like flies.

 

And suddenly riding a 250 wasn't such a bad idea at all. I got my revenge!

 

On that note, if anyone is looking for an extremely competent street-legal off-road bike which can be used to commute with fairly comfortably keep an eye out for the TT-250R.

 

They got a very bad rep because they were restricted when they came to SA and also very expensive because they were full Japanese imports and not cross-trade models. But once de-restricted they really fly. Proper suspension too.

Are those the same bikes that SAPS motorcycle guys ride? I used to see them around Pinetown

[mazambaan]

Are those the same bikes that SAPS motorcycle guys ride? I used to see them around Pinetown

 

I've seen the cop bikes as well - can't remember the designation. But I did go on a ride with a dentist (since migrated to Oz) who had a lekker little Yamaha 250 but I think it was a special import of some sort, or ex cop bike.

 

Sad we don't get the WR250R in SA, only the 250F enduro bike.

[Andymann]

Are those the same bikes that SAPS motorcycle guys ride? I used to see them around Pinetown

 

Yup - the ones the Durban cops use to patrol the beachfront.  And also i saw last weekend in Cape Town.  If the cops can't destroy them, no-one can!

 

That was actually the only reason we brought them in - for the SAPS Tender.  Every now and again a customer bought them, but if I recall they were close to R45k in 2010 where a WR250 was about R10k more.  So everyone bought WR's.  

[Andymann]

I've seen the cop bikes as well - can't remember the designation. But I did go on a ride with a dentist (since migrated to Oz) who had a lekker little Yamaha 250 but I think it was a special import of some sort, or ex cop bike.

 

Sad we don't get the WR250R in SA, only the 250F enduro bike.

 

There's two WR250R's in South Africa somewhere - we brought them in to test.  I rode one for a while.  It wasn't bad, but the problem was that South African's wanted a street legal WR250F and the WR250R had a completely different engine and frame.  It was more TTR than WR.  And it was from the European factory so was R60k then.  Would never have sold for that in 2011.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Andymann

[Wannabe]

I had a look through the For Sale sites, that TTR is quite scarce, and then pretty expensive also, should you be able to find one that looks half decent.

[Andymann]

I had a look through the For Sale sites, that TTR is quite scarce, and then pretty expensive also, should you be able to find one that looks half decent.

 About R18k-30k - not cheap.  Problem is the guys know what they have!

[patches]

I've seen the cop bikes as well - can't remember the designation. But I did go on a ride with a dentist (since migrated to Oz) who had a lekker little Yamaha 250 but I think it was a special import of some sort, or ex cop bike.

 

Sad we don't get the WR250R in SA, only the 250F enduro bike.

 

Aussies love the WR250R. Some of them go for the enduro version, but then they'll usually step up to the WR450F.

 

As for the Aussie cops... they are riding huskies these days (besides the highway patrol on BMWs).

 

Police in Melbourne on Husky FS701's 

 

And then there's the police that patrol the forests...

 

They used to be on KTM's

 

Pretty kitted, KTMs with long range tanks, Kreiga backpacks, Shoei helmets 

 

And now there are some Husky FE501's in the mix.

 

 

If NZ follows suit, I may consider a career change 

[mazambaan]

As Patches said "Aussies love the WR250R." So do the Yanks - big following over there. Nice bike to maybe compete with the Honda 250 Rally?

[patches]

As Patches said "Aussies love the WR250R." So do the Yanks - big following over there. Nice bike to maybe compete with the Honda 250 Rally?

 

Yeah, loads of aftermarket parts available for the WR, and the Yanks love the dual sport scene and customizing their bikes.

 

I won't lie, that Honda  250 Rally did grab my attention. However, at 24hp and 155kg, I was a little concerned that it may be a bit pap. Also a 10L tank is a little on the small side for a "rally" bike.

 

I wish Honda would make a CRF450 Rally, loosely based on their Dakar bike. Basically take a CRF450L, add a longer range tank, and put the CRF250 Rally kit on it. Now THAT would grab my attention and almost draw me away from the Austrians.

 

[Andymann]

Took a bit of leave last week and in between hanging up pictures and sorting crap in the new house, also managed to do a bit of work on that Norton race bike we bought some time back.  You might recall we got it running, but since then, life happened and it's been standing.

 

So the main issue was the front brake and the rear sets.  The brake wasn't working at all and the rearsets were all wrong - the kickstarter was hitting the footpegs and the gear lever was all bent out of the way.  I suppose the theory was on a race bike you don't need a kickstarter, but for us who plan to use it on the road you need one.

 

The guy had also fitted what we think is an old Honda VFR400 steering head and forks which are lovely, but gave the bike about 5-degrees of lock!  Would have been way to dangerous to try and ride it like that so out with the hacksaw and some sanding disks and that problem was solved.  Also removed the ignition barrel holder.

 

I then mocked up a new rear footpeg plate from an old piece of Aluminium I had lying around - got it pretty close the first time, but had to make a small adjustment to really get it comfortable.  Then it was trace, scan and import into AutoCad so that we can have new ones lasercut out of Stainless.  

 

The next big job is to find some brake shoes - the pads are hopelessly worn and because they are aluminium, needs a specialist to reline them - so I am going to have to try and source new ones form the UK I think :-(

 

 

[Fr33rider]

Selling my 2015 1290 Super Adventure if anyone is interested [emoji108]

 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/523822495087110/

[Hairy]

Took a bit of leave last week and in between hanging up pictures and sorting crap in the new house, also managed to do a bit of work on that Norton race bike we bought some time back.  You might recall we got it running, but since then, life happened and it's been standing.

 

So the main issue was the front brake and the rear sets.  The brake wasn't working at all and the rearsets were all wrong - the kickstarter was hitting the footpegs and the gear lever was all bent out of the way.  I suppose the theory was on a race bike you don't need a kickstarter, but for us who plan to use it on the road you need one.

 

The guy had also fitted what we think is an old Honda VFR400 steering head and forks which are lovely, but gave the bike about 5-degrees of lock!  Would have been way to dangerous to try and ride it like that so out with the hacksaw and some sanding disks and that problem was solved.  Also removed the ignition barrel holder.

 

I then mocked up a new rear footpeg plate from an old piece of Aluminium I had lying around - got it pretty close the first time, but had to make a small adjustment to really get it comfortable.  Then it was trace, scan and import into AutoCad so that we can have new ones lasercut out of Stainless.  

 

The next big job is to find some brake shoes - the pads are hopelessly worn and because they are aluminium, needs a specialist to reline them - so I am going to have to try and source new ones form the UK I think :-(

If you ever need some CAD assistance or something modeled up in Sketchup just give me a shout and will help where I can.

[Hairy]

On a personal note, I decided have not taken the job offer that had me looking at getting a motorbike ... so the bike pipe dream is on hold a little longer for now.

[Andymann]

If you ever need some CAD assistance or something modeled up in Sketchup just give me a shout and will help where I can.

 I might just - right now I do it old school - cardboard to aluminium which is then traced onto a piece of paper and scanned into pdf.  Then I import that pdf into AutoCad 14(!) and trace over the pdf.  I then print out the drawing, stick it back onto some cardboard and test it one last time before it goes to the laser guys!  Very cumbersome!

[Andymann]

I played a bit with 3d printing on the scrambler, but that just took ages.

[Spokey]

Somehow this has found its way to my garage...........or rather it will when I collect it later in the month! I am still in the Mid East and plan to ride the beast home to Hoekwil from Josie.

I needed a little retail therapy to ease the pain of time spent away from home!! (Or so I told myself)

 

A 2005 ZRX1200R with a full Yoshi system.......mmmmmm