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huge list of changes and mods after 50,000 miles, lots of photos
so far i have 50,001 miles on the bike 2009 it's a xt660z, the "1" clicked on as i pulled in the driveway after riding 38,000 from Ushuaia, Argentina!!!
i have a photo trip blog here if you want to see where the bike and me have been so far - http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=18174 ...and this is what it looked like tonight when i decided to tear it apart http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Mp...Mp8HPNm-X2.jpg what i'll be doing is the following
any question feel free to throw them at me as i go along |
Hey Paul can you list all the parts you have replaced over the last 50000 miles, this will give other rides an idea or running cost over that mileage.
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i'll do it for the last 38,000 miles, i got the bike with 12,000 miles on the clock, bought it in the UK got to see it for 5 minutes then the next time i saw it was in Argentina, hence minimal changes and upgrades, thats why the list is so long now
so the things changed/ done the list is surprisingly very short: one upper neck bearing 3 headlight bulbs 1 set of front brake pads (lots of off road minimal use) 3 sets of rear brake pads two rear sprockets one front sprocket 4 chains (2 were standard 520 chains in south america lasting around 1500 miles before i could get to a dealership and get and or ring) i had to fix a left rear turn signal wire that rubbed thru 4 front tires 6 rear tires i used conti trail attack when doing around 30/70 off/ on road, good wear got 12,000 out of the first rear!!! already had 3000 on it when i got it for off road i tried conti TKC80 twice, best i got from a rear was 4800 miles but after about 2000 miles the wear was bad - never again i was in Newfoundland and needed a rear tire and the only thing i could find was a kenda k270 50/50 tire, looks like a full off road knobbly. right now it has about 6000 miles on it and still has more tread than the tkc and it was on $60 i did oil changes not regularly enough in south america due to finding it difficult to find 20/50w oil most changes i put in between 2.6 and 2.9 litres, the standard amount - just did a oil change the other day and put 3.7 litres in. the order i took the oil out was this and i guess somehow it drained better? front frame tube plug with the bike on the center stand left side plug with the bike on the side stand filter with the bike on the center stand put in 2 litres and changed the filter...raced the motor around 6 times as per manual, then added 0.6 litres checked the dip stick and nothing, another 0.2 - nothing, then another 0.2 - nothing, go get another litre and and like i said got 3.7 litres total in there - weird!!! i'll add more as i go thru it...but thats the sum total of parts/ service i have 'had to do' so far |
i added Renthal twin wall bars. RC 922, they are 1 1/8inch so new risers as well, i am OK with this because if you take out your risers you will find they are machined out of one piece of material, if they snap in a fall you are screwed if there isn't a dealership around
at least this way round i can go and get a new bolt and ride off, problem resolved http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-GH...GHkQKfP-X2.jpg the risers are Outlaw heavy duty, all the wiring and cables fit just fine |
when i was changing the bars and obviously had the battery unhooked i had 50,001 miles
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/u...SAM9063-X2.jpg and then when i hooked everything back up, the mileage dropped to 50,000...anyone ever noticed this happen? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-pn...pnRwLtH-X2.jpg |
firstly the electrics...
i added another GPS i run with a Garmin Zumo 550 as standard and also added a touratech mount for a Garmin GPS 60CSX. Why? well the zumo is not the easiest for adding coordinates and the 60CSX is, also the Zumo occasionally faulted out and took a day or so start working again, so basically the 60CSX is my back up and obviously a lot cheaper than having to buy it whilst on the road and i can run one on maps and the other on compass...belt and braces i know!!!! http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Qj...Qjxh4gZ-X2.jpg ...and in this photo you got a good photo of the volt meter, more about that soon |
Wonderful mate thanks for the super pics and stuff!!! I know that when that nutter Nick Sanders was doing his first runs on the 1200 Super Ten they had an Aussie journalist ride with him on an XT660T and he covered some 17,000 miles in a matter of weeks and Alf England Motorcycles in Coventry (
www.alfengland.co.uk) took the 660 back and serviced it. I know that the wear and tear was very little indeed. Write to Brian their Service Manager I think he has the material to write us an interesting article. Ciao.
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so where it says "switch for spot lamps"
here they are http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-VD...VDWnnKp-X2.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZD...ZDV4LhP-X2.jpg they are from a company here in the states call ADVmonster, www.advmonster.com this is the link to these specific lights ( http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hst...off/Detail.bok) they are 3600 lumens, if you are not sure what that is, lets just say outragiously bright these photos were taken at 125th of a second as a comparison the first is the normal high beam - the second is just the spot lights http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-BL...BLQrvZP-X2.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-9n...9nFsd2k-X2.jpg to fit these i added a waterproof switch, last photo in the last post. i also wired them in the main harness along with a relay and an inline fuse, its the white box to the left of the battery http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-x2...x2mCgww-X2.jpg |
so from this photo you'll notice that the front turn signals have been relocated into the headlight housing. This is very easy just a few cuts and soldering (use heat shrink to waterproof it all) and the are done, it was maybe a five minute job...buy the bulbs before you do it, they are part number 194NA
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-L5...L5X2vkm-X2.jpg if you do this remember that you need to have a disconnect on the spot lamps in case you need to do some service work on the head lamp or gas tank, i use Deutsch DT Series Connectors, waterproof and easy to use, and available almost everywhere. They are available in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 pin configurations Because of using high output spot lamps you need to be aware of your volts so i also added a waterproof LED volt meter (also from ADVmonster) *****turn spot lights off if motor is not running***** these lights have a lifespan of 35,000 hours, so your battery will loose the battle http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Mf...Mf8ZZpZ-X2.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Qj...Qjxh4gZ-X2.jpg |
front end protection - i removed the original crash bar i had on the bike seen in this photo
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-p8...p8gQDj5-X2.jpg one of the tabs had snapped so i got some SW motech crash bars, very easy to fit if anyone wants them let me know, i can TIG weld the tab back on, just cover the shipping cost from me to you. You can have them for free (first come first served) also the reason for the change was with the original crash bars you have to remove them to rotate the motor for a valve adjustments SW Motech you don't http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-V2...V2RfbVs-X2.jpg also changed hand protectors to Barkbusters, my original ones had cracked from a fall in Argentina, my first choice was Enduro Engineering but they wouldn't work with the 1 1/8 bars as they mount to the 7/8 part and there simply wasn't enough room...so barkbusters it is, again very simple to fit in about ten minutes |
suspension was next...i forgot to take photos when i did the front end, i got rid of the stock springs and replaced them with progressive springs from Hyperpro and added 15 weight fork oil
on the rear end i took off the stock Sachs shock and got a Ohlins as replacement. I had emailed them months back to ask if they sponsored RTW riders, they said not 100% but would give me a substantial discount if i could prove that i was really doing it...that was easy i sent them a link to my blog!!! i got a $620 discount :rolltfl: if you don't ask you don't get, also they are doing my first service for free http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-2G...2GmXQKk-X2.jpg that Sachs shock has 50,001 miles on it, its the original unit, i think it held up pretty well considering what i have put it thru so it was time for the rear end to be stripped, cleaned and checked out http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-w5...w59TRqX-X2.jpg i found some damage below the left needle bearing area http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-BD...BDCqhrN-X2.jpg i found a new one on ebay UK today so ordered it, no choice!!! but for now everything is going back together and i will baby it until the new one arrives checked all the other bearings, no more problems. if you haven't done this its relativity simple to re-grease once its all apart, there are needle bearings and a pocket area for additional grease. If i was a designer at Yamaha i would add grease zerts to these bearing areas so the bike didn't need to be dismantled to grease them all the bearing were degreased, and then regreased using high temp bearing grease...and a little cleaning on other areas http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-M7...M7pLKsC-X2.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-2n...2nXtWpf-X2.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W3...W3J7FB4-X2.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-BT...BTqsFDC-X2.jpg also repainted the swingarm *********the bike is going to a show to be displayed and just in case the new one doesn't arrive i have to make it look good in the mean time*********** http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hJ...hJN5b4n-X2.jpg this is the swingarm pivot bolt, it needed cleaning too! the dirt around it is what was packed into areas that when i cleaned the bike i couldn't get to, it was made up of hard packed grease and dirt, time to break out the wire brush http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-rp...rpWgQfk-X2.jpg |
the Ohlins suspension in place
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-9m...9mZgVL5-X2.jpg it is a very tight fit, very tight!! i am currently working in a CNC and machine shop so i made some 'jack up links/ dogbones" they are the ones on the left, they are made from 304 stainless steel, and 115mm long, only one problem, they don't work with the Ohlins. the spring body is larger than the stock one so the Ohlins hits the swingarm, the longest that will fit will be 125mm long, i'll make some more so if anyone wants these for 35 pounds including shipping send me a PM http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-H7...H79xffh-X2.jpg here it is together, all cleaned off, repainted, regreased, loctite on all the nuts and bolts http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-JX...JXjMg6b-X2.jpg to do the swap took me about one and half hours one thing i didn't get a photo of was an adjuster on the inner side or the right hand frame, it is threaded and there to stop side play. How i put this together was using a long piece of rod about half the size of the pivot bolt, this way you can get it in and out easily to make adjustments for width, when it is a snug fit with virtually no side play then i put the pivot bolt in, greasing it first of course, then add loctite to the nut on the left side http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-jm...jmV4D9N-X2.jpg also i added a toe guard, i was ridden off the road in Bolivia and thrown from the bike but my foot got caught under the bags and the tip of my boot caught the chain, this is to eliminate that happening again 'if' i come off...just my personal preference also i added a new upper chain roller you can see in this photo, the old one was absolutely destroyed |
That swingarm wear is proper scary fella.
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Because its cast it can't be welded and machined, it would anneal it |
Thanks Paul. A really good read and nice photos. You've done a cracking job getting the bike refurbished ready for the next leg of your trip.
With the top roller mashed and the swinging arm grooved on the bottom would seem to suggest that you rode a large chunk of your 50000 miles (sorry 50001 miles ;) ) with the rear suspension pretty much bottomed out? I can see why you were looking at raising links now. I'm sure the Ohlins shock will help with this, the Sachs spring must have been well saggy (they don't generally make 10000 miles!!) |
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i even had the suspension set at its stiffest point, it was the only adjustment i could make |
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next is the MTC exhaust
the stock exhaust was harder to get off than the new one was to put on...the retaining bolts on the exhaust clamps had rusted solid so had to be snapped to get them off. I replaced them with nickel plated grade 8 so it won't happen again.
the stock rear exhaust hanger is replaced with the new unit, i'm doing a single stainless can, ordinarily you would cut the other side off if its not being used to hang an exhaust but i am contemplating making an auxiliary fuel tank in the space left by the right can once the stock system is taken off you can see the heat resistant pad which is silver colored, i sprayed it with hi temp black paint to help it disappear a little but still have the same effect if required to protect the electrics http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Dp...DpRqBG5-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wH...wHfzLDt-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Z8...Z8FFS7c-XL.jpg before the rear wheel went back on i did the kev mod on the cush drive rubbers, it looks oily, its not its soapy water to help it slide together easier...oh, and by the way those cush drive rubbers have 40,000 miles on them!!! http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-FB...FBJ3C4C-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Pz...Pzz4Kmz-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-nT...nTkHHFB-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-WK...WKh4z6N-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-QX...QXdGhxM-XL.jpg just realized i forgot to mention tyres...i did a front tyre change to match the rear, the front has zero miles but the rear has 6000 on it, Kenda K270, i did maybe 2500 miles off road...the wear is good but they are a bit noisy on the tarmac, but cheap - pros and cons!!! http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-bt...btjFgq6-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-g8...g8Chvsk-XL.jpg ...and if you are wondering what the white patch is on the left side of my tank it a customs sticker from flying the bike bike from columbia to panama, it looks like $hit but kind of reluctant to take it off |
chain guard and headlight guard fabrication
had some spare time this week so when i found a crack in the chain guard it was time to make a new one
took a template from the original trimmed some aluminum sheet to size and bend it in a sheet metal brake http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-sK...sKDXXVV-XL.jpg drill some holes and used a dimple die, they look like this http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-63...63Fc65P-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-g5...g5qwRZd-XL.jpg so basically lightened it up a little but the dimple adds strength to the piece this is what it looks like against the original...not sure if i like it or not, or if i need to paint it black, or add another hole or more in the "V" area http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-tj...tjx7Fkv-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-dW...dWkQgNj-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-gc...gcF5zzk-XL.jpg got this finished quicker than i thought so i had a template for the head light, so started to make a rock guard, with the XTZ headlight being a complex shape it was easier to make a generalized shaped around the template http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-zZ...zZC9P72-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-jg...jggq27R-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-BF...BFskZdC-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-cR...cR5VhMk-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hZ...hZ7MmnP-XL.jpg in the last photo you can see another one i was making as well...choices???? |
what kind of tank bag do you use? is it the Famsa one?
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up to now i had used a Nelson Rigg, it was the only thing i could find here in the states that looked like a fit, and it wasn't!!! Now i found someone over here who could get me a Famsa, so what you see on the tank is the mount, better fit but the quality of the zip doesn't look great, hopefully it holds up. Keep in mind every single fill up that zip has to be undone...i'll wax it and see |
hmmm did check out that Famsa one, as it was the only one that to me looked up to the job of covering the tank properly. I`ll keep an eye on it. It maybe the one for me :)
I take it the base thing comes with it? or is it just the tank bag and you need a separate base? |
besides the zip i think it is a good design, custom made to fit the crazy tank shape and looks well made, should be for 140 quid!!!...just for me on a RTW i need longevity and it will be on the 100% of the time, lets call it real world testing
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I used the Touratech tankbag for 35.000 miles and its still in excellent nick
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New Swingarm Arrived Early
before i do the swingarm write up and show how its done
have a look at this, this is my front sprocket that i changed, this one has 35,000 miles on it... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Mx...MxDCcHK-XL.jpg so the new swingarm arrived very early so i have time to do a swap before the bike goes off to a show in a couple of weeks http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-6Z...6Z5qHwc-XL.jpg the new one on the left and the old one on the right with the crazy damage http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-sQ...sQXZGh5-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-gn...gnN4B8h-XL.jpg i ordered new needle bearings, spacers and seals to do a complete refit http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-pt...pt4H4XK-XL.jpg these are the main set for the swingarm pivot http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Tt...TtHGvjv-XL.jpg as i doubt any off you took your bike apart before riding it, this is what the needle bearing look new http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-H6...H6F5SJ6-XL.jpg i asked the dealership if they would put the bearings in for me, they quoted 75 pounds and told me it would take 1 1/2 to 2 hours!!!! Having owned a motorcycle shop i know it doesn't take anywhere near that, i think they were trying to get some money back for selling me the swingarm so cheap so here it is, using a hydraulic press http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-B5...B5SpDc5-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Vh...VhCHCsS-XL.jpg take measurement as you go along so the bearings are in the same location and there is enough space for the seal http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W8...W8vSGcZ-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-sN...sN6jhGQ-XL.jpg there is a lot of space in the swingarm for additional grease to be in there, so again make sure the bearings are in the right place with measurements http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-t9...t9tr44H-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-vq...vqvCGMM-XL.jpg the whole job of putting all the bearings, spacers and seals in a new swingarm took me about SEVEN minutes and just for reference i use Timkin premium hi temp red bearing grease http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-QP...QPTVHfV-XL.jpg to do a swingarm removal take out the rear wheel, i put zip ties over the sprocket to the spokes so keep it all together for an easy refit later, i have the cush drive rubber mod and it want to spring apart, this stops that happening http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Wb...WbhVs5W-XL.jpg i this in my tool kit, if there is a problem getting the pivot bolt out this fits in the open end and it long enough to hold everything in place when putting it back together as well http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-TP...TPJ4gvB-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-JC...JCxhmBM-XL.jpg get anything out of the way that is in the way!!! brake caliper and rubber protection http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-tt...tttHd7T-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-KP...KPc4CCB-XL.jpg undo the lower dog bone bolt and remove it http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-KX...KXSSFk4-XL.jpg once this is taken out then remove the pivot bolt and the swing arm can be removed, chain does not need to be take off. ...continued in next post |
swingarm swap
the bushings were out of stock and on back order, as the old ones were unusable i had to make new ones on the lathe in the shop where i work, the originals were made from 308 stainless which has a small amount of carbon hence the rust, i made the new ones from 316 S/S
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-QV...QVJTf6B-XL.jpg yamaha paper weight http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-jP...jPTgrrH-XL.jpg pull out the swing arm...that's it, about 15 minutes for it to be out, do some cleaning and regreasing if you haven't done it before, when you put it back in i use that rod to locate everything and check the side play and make the adjustment on the nut on the inside of the right frame rail to get it to spec http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bc...BcDCCXP-XL.jpg so do all steps in reverse to put it back together, this is the new one back in place with the new chain guard painted with an additional hole!!! http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-g6...g6TzZVn-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W3...W3C9hzw-XL.jpg |
Nice writeup mate, always good putting new shiny bits on. That sprocky is toast! are you changing teeth or sticking with 15?
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new clutch and brake levers
i placed an order for a new set, from China...i am really not happy about getting stuff from China and most of it is $hit, they were cheap so it was worth a try, i paid $40 inc shipping (around 25 pounds)
they are CNC machined, and hard anodised, as i owned a motorcycle shop and now work in a CNC shop if they were bad they would be in the trash straight away these are the shorty version http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-cH...cHxLXSn-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-7K...7KzFpkc-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-mZ...mZSW6NN-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-dx...dx4gKj4-XL.jpg fitting took all of 5 minutes, perfect fit, brake side is easy, clutch side you need to take the tension off the clutch cable with the adjuster on the bars, that's it...undo two nuts and bolts and do them back up with the new ones on http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wT...wT4nGDC-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W8...W8JrdRM-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Kj...KjLZSxd-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-CQ...CQXTbpq-XL.jpg i'll be saving these for spares :HeyHey_GOO2MN: http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Tt...Tt6cbjx-XL.jpg when the sun comes out i'll get better photos |
nice work on the old centre stand also, i remember you were whinging about it in your rtw photo post ;) gonna be a whole lot easier dealing with tyres and wotnot on the road now presumably.
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i have about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of clearance, should be enough for jack up links and a new rear wheel |
Hi rtwpaul
Levers look awesome Any chance of posting link for them on here please I've been looking everywhere for them levers. Thanks bob |
nice, chinese asv`s.
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it would surprise me if ASV have them made by these guys, let me tell you as a CNC machinist these are good quality machined not cast out of sponge like most of the parts out there they are a perfect fit, no cutting or filing required like some had to do that i read on here the ebay link is for US ebay but they say they ship worldwide http://www.ebay.com/itm/170694297800...#ht_6549wt_960 these are the parts you need as they don't specifically stock for the XTZ Suzuki - GSXR 600 1997 - 2003 Clutch Yamaha - FJR 1300 2004 - 2008 Brake once i sent them this info they sent me a money request via paypal, it took about ten days to get them |
kev fuel mod install
Kev fuel mod install, relativity simple to do, about a ten minute job, unclip the connector, i pulled it thru to the right side of the bike so i have room to work.
i added a good length of wire, around 3 feet, i didn't want the switch under the seat. when travelling and the bike is loaded its not always easy to get the seat off, as i have done some serious elevation changes in a day i wanted it accessible http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZG...ZGdcZZZ-XL.jpg simply cut the blue/ black wire from the sensor and add the unit, i double heat shrink it and run it under the tank http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W3...W3P3hC8-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-p6...p6HLTHX-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-rs...rstW6wR-XL.jpg ...and then mounted it to the windshield with heavy duty 3M double sided tape so i can make adjustments as i'm riding http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-6r...6rF4jkC-XL.jpg |
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Eric |
Great looking levers, I ordered them myself. I made a horrible mess of the order so I hope it goes through. Forgot to add paypal note while paying, sent a message on ebay but forgot to add what colors, sent another one with the colors... Fingers crossed!
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