Steven Knoetze (sk27) Posted February 17, 2020 Share So I finished watching and I'm sorry to admit that with mt DT rose-tinted spectacles I didn't even notice what the other guys were riding and when I saw TTR-225 I should have known that bike was going to walk the challenge. How do I know this - well in 2007 or 2008 I think, Wild Will Gillet rode a bog-standard TTR-230 (the 225 and 230 is the same bike - ours just had a plastic tank) to a top 10 place in the Roof of Africa - it started as a bit of a joke over a beer, but in the end we as Yamaha agreed to supply him a bike and he agreed to ride it. We put on a GYT-R silencer, and some preload washers on the forks with heavier oil, some Protaper bars with hand guards, and Mousses and sent him on his way. All we did at the stops was check spokes - only because from the previous Enduro Africa rides we knew the spokes had a habit of coming loose. He enjoyed riding that bike so much, that we seriously discussed putting a TTR230 motor into a YZ125 frame for the next year and sending him out again. He reckoned the Air-cooled engine, and the low end torque was perfect for that year's ride. it was just the brakes and suspension which held him back..... So he could have podiumed if you guys (Yamaha) had put a bit more effort in. Imagine if you just ran the YZ running gear......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andymann Posted February 17, 2020 Share Ya - the Japanese don't take too kindly to fiddling with theirs designs. Shimwells were fitting WR gearboxes, 18" Rear wheels and weighted flywheels to the YZ125 5 years before Yamaha "designed" the YZ125X. And every time they came out from Japan and we showed them what we were doing they never acknowledged anything - like they didn't think a small country like SA knew better. The back number plate holder on the XT660Z Tenere is a crap design and unbraced, would vibrate and break off. When I was testing the pre-production 660Z out Boschkop way I went through some whoops and the number plate holder broke off. My Dad and I welded up a bracket out of flat bar just to hold the broken part in position. It was a nice neat job and looked professional. When I showed the Rep from Yamaha he wasn't very impressed - almost disgusted. But when the production models arrived in SA, every bike had a bracket bracing the number plate holder, which was identical to the one my dad and I had welded.... Wannabe, Steven Knoetze (sk27), Hairy and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 17, 2020 Share Filthy Westerner, thinking he can improve on OUR design! And then no mention of it whatsoever when it's implemented for the same reasons you did it in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 17, 2020 Share Ya - the Japanese don't take too kindly to fiddling with theirs designs. Shimwells were fitting WR gearboxes, 18" Rear wheels and weighted flywheels to the YZ125 5 years before Yamaha "designed" the YZ125X. And every time they came out from Japan and we showed them what we were doing they never acknowledged anything - like they didn't think a small country like SA knew better. The back number plate holder on the XT660Z Tenere is a crap design and unbraced, would vibrate and break off. When I was testing the pre-production 660Z out Boschkop way I went through some whoops and the number plate holder broke off. My Dad and I welded up a bracket out of flat bar just to hold the broken part in position. It was a nice neat job and looked professional. When I showed the Rep from Yamaha he wasn't very impressed - almost disgusted. But when the production models arrived in SA, every bike had a bracket bracing the number plate holder, which was identical to the one my dad and I had welded....maybe it was just your welding beads he was not impressed with? Steven Knoetze (sk27) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andymann Posted February 17, 2020 Share maybe it was just your welding beads he was not impressed with? That, and the fact that we used old pieces of flat-bar which probably came off the original crate which brought out the Iscor Newcastle Blast Furnace parts my Dad helped assemble in the 70's! Captain Fastbastard Mayhem and Hairy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCreamMan Posted February 17, 2020 Share https://www.superbike.co.uk/article/norton-was-it-a-fraud-from-the-start Norton possible fraud. Interesting read Edited February 17, 2020 by IceCreamMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the nerd Posted February 18, 2020 Share So my Cape Town office is right next door to Cape bike Rental.... tempted. But.. Like R2k a day is a bit wild! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 18, 2020 Share So my Cape Town office is right next door to Cape bike Rental.... tempted. But.. Like R2k a day is a bit wild! That is just down the road from my office .... let me know when you are in town tchjina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the nerd Posted February 18, 2020 Share That is just down the road from my office .... let me know when you are in town tchjina Im in town... All week, I shall PM you Hairy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 20, 2020 Share So my Cape Town office is right next door to Cape bike Rental.... tempted. But.. Like R2k a day is a bit wild! so what bike are you going to buy when you move to CT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the nerd Posted February 20, 2020 Share so what bike are you going to buy when you move to CT Hairy, Steven Knoetze (sk27), BaGearA and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 20, 2020 Share thumb of approval Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andymann Posted February 20, 2020 Share Motorbike will probably be cheaper Edited February 20, 2020 by Andymann Hairy, the nerd and Steven Knoetze (sk27) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Knoetze (sk27) Posted February 20, 2020 Share Really find myself wanting a gravel bike........Evil Chamois. But thats very off the threads intended topic the nerd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the nerd Posted February 20, 2020 Share In all seriousness it would probably be a 690 enduro or something like that... Steven Knoetze (sk27) and Hairy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allrounder Posted February 20, 2020 Share Finally my bike will be fitted with a pipe, hopefully loud. I have no idea what it going to sound like but the whole pipe is about as thick as a 2 liter bottle and as long as the Versys underbelly unit that is the cat and muffler etc all in one. I have been googling a bit, but can not find any summary of shape of exhaust and sound. All that I find is basically anything aftermarket will be louder. Wannabe, the nerd and Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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