The SuperMotard Thread: Because Real Men Back It In

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FlerpNerpin: Apr 17, 2006

i forgot about the teeny gas tank.

Hyper-strada and hyper-motard, anyway you cut it, they're too expensive for what they are.

# ? Jan 16, 2014 02:14

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# ? May 10, 2024 11:54

MetaJew: Apr 14, 2006; Gather round, one and all, and thrill to my turgid tales of underwhelming misadventure!

Z3n posted:

The only Dorso I'd buy would be the 1200 - the 750 is ok but range is low, it's heavy, and honestly, pretty underpowered.

I'll throw out my normal recommendation: Handlebar on a supersport. I think the Daytona 675 is the ideal street platform - plenty of kick, good suspension, nice brakes, reasonably priced, narrow and light feeling, and cheap/easy to install a bar kit on. Plus it'll push out to around 140 miles on a tank before the reserve kicks in. I bought my latest one for 2800 bucks (salvage title), have put minimal work into it, and it's loving awesome as a street bike. I took it out on some dirt roads, it handled it decently, as well as a hyper or any other streetbike would.

There's the BMW options if you're into being a boring old man.

I honestly disagree with Spiff here - I think that the Hyper is actually a very solid bike. It's something along the lines of what I've done to my Daytona, but done from the factory. Lots of room to move around in the saddle, a powerful, punchy engine, street oriented tires and suspension but the ability to do some gravel road blasting if you feel so inclined, better wind protection than a converted supersport...

It only seems confused because we don't get real standards. The multi isn't really any more or less useful than the Hyperstrada.

There is no loving way I would ever buy a hypermotard unless you're going to get the 6.2 gallon tank. 2.8 gallon tank on that engine means the fuel light is on every 80-90 miles.

I think the Street Triple will be the factory done up, cheaper option for you, the Daytona 675 with a handlebar would be the cheaper, sportier option (Street Triples still command a premium for some reason, at least in my market), and the nice, cool option would be the hyperstrada. ABS, TC, and that massive saddle would all be awesome on a bike, and I hope that in a couple of years I can find a crashed one for a song and remind myself why I hate owning Ducatis.

Comedy option: Multistrada 1200, leave it in Urban mode.

I think you're on the right path though - ride everything you can get your hands on.

Thanks for this. My brother keeps urging me to get a supersport. He just put a quick shifter on his R6. He thinks I should look at the Daytona 675 R. Maybe I'll see about a used one. The handlebar idea sounds kind of awesome. Have any photos?

Another idea is to buy a cheapo SV, use the extra money I save to buy more track days and so on. Then further down the road, when I have more money and a mortgage instead of ridiculously expensive rent I can buy something nicer.

# ? Jan 16, 2014 02:34

MetaJew: Apr 14, 2006; Gather round, one and all, and thrill to my turgid tales of underwhelming misadventure!

Spiffness posted:

Knowing dealers, don't expect the offer to blow your socks off. I'd made offers on Demo 848 and 1198s that I backed out of because they just werent willing to deal that much. They'll sell it at whatever silly asking price they quote you, so haggle hard but don't be afraid to walk away unless you were going to pay MSRP anyway and this is just a cherry on-top.

The 625 is one of the older style and less friendly KTMs, so I get your feelings. There really is a world of difference between that and a 690 and other newer KTM products. They really got their poo poo together in about 2008/2009 and everything they've put out since then has been pretty well executed.

None of that is here nor there though, let us know if the Hyperstrada falls through and you start shopping for other options.

If I were in your shoes, looking for beefy naked bikes with a little bit of gravel road chops. I'd be shopping used 990 SuperDukes and SMT's, maybe an Aprilia Dosoduro, or used Hyper-Motards. The older ones a quite a bit lamer compared to the new ones (being heavier, less horsepower, fairly poo poo suspension with few or no adjustments) but you can find ones that have been dropped and people upside down on loans for 6-9K used. At that price you could buy it without being 100% in love with it but make up the interest deficit by railing it down fire roads not giving a poo poo if you scratch it.

The Dorsoduro, like Z3n said, is hilarious in that it's heavy, carries about 2 gallons of fuel, and I think it's basically a Shiver otherwise.

I saw a guy with a 990 Super Duke at the track day I last went to. I think they would be really cool, but the only specimens I see for sale locally are fairly high mileage and what little I've read about maintenance makes me think the LC8 isn't super stout. The 990 SMT also looks sort of neat, but going off of GIS it looks a bit too BMW-adventure-tourer for me. I'd have to buy an AeroStitch and start posting on ADV Rider.

# ? Jan 16, 2014 08:34

Nostalgia4Dogges: Jun 18, 2004; Only emojis can express my pure, simple stupidity.

Won't someone please think of the Duke! Why does the Duke get no love

Doesn't KTM make some 900 cc SM? And Duke? ^^ yep

I think I've seen one on CL before but that's about it

Nostalgia4Dogges fucked around with this message at 08:56 on Jan 16, 2014

# ? Jan 16, 2014 08:52

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

MetaJew posted:

Thanks for this. My brother keeps urging me to get a supersport. He just put a quick shifter on his R6. He thinks I should look at the Daytona 675 R. Maybe I'll see about a used one. The handlebar idea sounds kind of awesome. Have any photos?

Another idea is to buy a cheapo SV, use the extra money I save to buy more track days and so on. Then further down the road, when I have more money and a mortgage instead of ridiculously expensive rent I can buy something nicer.

This is pulled from some other posts I've made so apologies if it seems a little disconnected:

quote:

Let's see, for the full conversion you need:

Longer brake lines (easy to get from galfer, I think mine were the galfer OEM replica kit with +4 inches)
Stock throttle cables work but make the bike a little twitchy cause they just barely hit the triples so there's zero slack in them.
Generic ebay fatbar mounts
Renthal Mini bend (I like it cause it's narrow enough to not bother me during lanesplitting)
Mounting plates

I machined the mounting plates for the triples - they're really simple, just billet aluminum milled to flatten out the angle that the stock triples have. There's another small billet backing piece that fits into the bottom of the triple. I'm probably eventually going to coat them in rubber just because my bike is set up for touring/commuting and it'll quell any residual vibes.

This is actually the second set I've made...the first set went missing when the assholes stole my bike and put clipons on it. Oh, the humanity! (Of course, with the bar kit, maybe he wouldn't have wadded it running from the cops...)
And then yes, you have to trim about 2 inches off the stock fairings - about half an inch up from the mirror mounts gives you plenty of clearance. I've got something in mind for reusing the stock mirrors as well, just need to spend some quality time in the garage getting it sorted out

Z3n posted:

quote:
One more question... is a Hypermotard a viable track bike? Never rode a super moto or anything similar.

No.

My advice - buy a race GSX-R 750, sell the extra poo poo, and have a really nice bike with awesome suspension for 2-3k less than you can buy a street triple for.

If you're going to buy a street triple, buy a daytona instead, get better suspension, better brakes, and put a handlebar on that instead. Cheaper, more powerful, better.
An adapter plate that fits in the triples is trivial to make:

Or go full retard and get a ZX10:

I've ridden all of these bikes at the track and they're perhaps a bit slower in the straights but the ZX10 was pulling wheelies in 5th gear down the front straight of Thill, so I highly recommend them all. You can do A group without a fairing, just don't be a baby about it and have a nice helmet that handles the speed well.

# ? Jan 16, 2014 09:06

TEASE MY NECKBEARD: Jan 13, 2009

That gsxr750 is pretty awesome looking, I must admit. I also really like naked bikes. However, it seems like resale value really takes a hit when you start in on a project like that. I know not everyone cares about resale, but I usually buy/sell every 18 months or so. On the other hand maybe trend would change if I had a 750 or 1k with handlebars.

# ? Jan 17, 2014 05:26

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Buy them crashed and cheap

# ? Jan 17, 2014 07:12

epswing: Nov 4, 2003; Soiled Meat

That's what I did. 2011 DRZ400sm, lowsided on the right side, some scuffs on the bar end, brake lever, peg, not much else though (the wheels had plastic sliders on them, probably helped). But the bars and the front fender don't line up with the wheel. I saw a youtube video where the guy loosened all the fasteners below the triple trees except the top ones and pushed down on the bars a few times to align everything. I don't have a rear stand like in the video (can't push down on the bars), but I can get my hands on a lift, so would I do the same except wiggle the wheel in the air? How do I know if I need new bars?

# ? Jan 17, 2014 16:16

Covert Ops Wizard: Dec 27, 2006

epalm posted:

That's what I did. 2011 DRZ400sm, lowsided on the right side, some scuffs on the bar end, brake lever, peg, not much else though (the wheels had plastic sliders on them, probably helped). But the bars and the front fender don't line up with the wheel. I saw a youtube video where the guy loosened all the fasteners below the triple trees except the top ones and pushed down on the bars a few times to align everything. I don't have a rear stand like in the video (can't push down on the bars), but I can get my hands on a lift, so would I do the same except wiggle the wheel in the air? How do I know if I need new bars?

Put it up on a crate, loosen everything, grip the front wheel with your knees and twist the bars until everything is in alignment. Don't loosen them too much or the forks will drop out of the triples. You should be able to eyeball the bars to tell if they're hosed enough to need replacing.

# ? Jan 17, 2014 16:42

Incursus: Sep 17, 2012; NOTHING LIKE HAVING THE BEST OEGAMIOM IN THE WORLD EVERYDAY!

Found a buyer for my car so I'll be moving onto the next project soon. I'm thinking I'll do something incredibly impractical to do a title conversion on. I live in Indiana so it's laughably easy to get anything road legal. I'm thinking CR250, RM250, CRF450X, WR450, etc. Really wanna do a two stroke just because I can. My question is, if I take it to a very Liberal state such as Cali, NY, NJ, etc, will it still be legal? I have heard mixed opinions. Anyone with personal experience?

# ? Jan 18, 2014 05:24

echomadman: Aug 24, 2004; Nap Ghost

Incursus posted:

Found a buyer for my car so I'll be moving onto the next project soon. I'm thinking I'll do something incredibly impractical to do a title conversion on. I live in Indiana so it's laughably easy to get anything road legal. I'm thinking CR250, RM250, CRF450X, WR450, etc. Really wanna do a two stroke just because I can. My question is, if I take it to a very Liberal state such as Cali, NY, NJ, etc, will it still be legal? I have heard mixed opinions. Anyone with personal experience?

If you can plate any bike easily the only sensible answer is a CR500AF sumo.

# ? Jan 18, 2014 13:26

Beve Stuscemi: Jun 6, 2001

If it's legal in your state it will be legal to ride anywhere in the US. If you were to move to Cali and try to re-register a cr250 there it probably wouldn't work. Just riding through will be fine.

Also do a cr500 or kx500

# ? Jan 18, 2014 14:01

Guni: Mar 11, 2010

echomadman posted:

the only sensible answer is a CR500AF sumo.

Here in Australia there were a few road registerable CR500's, which are worth an absolute mint (~$10k) and since I'll never be able to find one that's not stolen or beat to poo poo, I vote for this notion.

# ? Jan 19, 2014 09:32

MetaJew: Apr 14, 2006; Gather round, one and all, and thrill to my turgid tales of underwhelming misadventure!

I road an R6 with a quickshifter + GP shift today-- and I'd never ridden a supersport before. Minus the whole bad riding posture -> numb fingers thing, that power and acceleration could become very addictive.

Someone bring a modern sumo to the US before I go off and buy a Daytona 675R.

# ? Jan 19, 2014 09:34

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Besides thr 690, the fs570, the sxv?

# ? Jan 19, 2014 10:17

Nostalgia4Dogges: Jun 18, 2004; Only emojis can express my pure, simple stupidity.

In a perfect world we'd all have sport bikes and sumos

RC8 and 690 SMC please

# ? Jan 19, 2014 10:36

Incursus: Sep 17, 2012; NOTHING LIKE HAVING THE BEST OEGAMIOM IN THE WORLD EVERYDAY!

Z3n posted:

Besides thr 690, the fs570, the sxv?

Goodluck finding a Husaberg. I have only seen one, and it was at deal's gap. Maybe in Cali it could be different. You drat west coasters.

# ? Jan 19, 2014 20:24

Beve Stuscemi: Jun 6, 2001

Z3n posted:

Besides thr 690, the fs570, the sxv?

Those three bikes that there are literally one each of in our entire hemisphere?

Yeah get those.

# ? Jan 19, 2014 23:52

MetaJew: Apr 14, 2006; Gather round, one and all, and thrill to my turgid tales of underwhelming misadventure!

I've never seen a Husaberg sumo for sale. The KTM dealership near me sells various Husaberg and KTM dirtbikes, but the only streetbikes I've ever seen for sale in their shop are a pair of RC8s. Aprilias show up occasionally on craigslist, but my understanding is that their service intervals are ridiculous.

# ? Jan 20, 2014 00:53

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Jim Silly-Balls posted:

Those three bikes that there are literally one each of in our entire hemisphere?

Yeah get those.

There are 3 690 SMCs in the hands of people I know locally, plus another 3-5 in the hands of other randoms nearby.

Husabergs are rare, for sure. There's also the slightly lesser ones...the 690 SM, the 610/630.

They're not as common as a gsxr or whatever, but it's not an XMoto or anything.

# ? Jan 20, 2014 05:56

Marxalot: Dec 24, 2008; Appropriator of
Dan Crenshaw's Eyepatch

Are there any downsides to putting a kickstart on a DRZ other than "It costs about $200"? Starting it when it's about 40F outside seems to eat alot of battery, and when I do that all week without hooking it up to a battery tender I end up having to push start the bastard :v:

# ? Jan 20, 2014 11:11

Beve Stuscemi: Jun 6, 2001

Marxalot posted:

Are there any downsides to putting a kickstart on a DRZ other than "It costs about $200"? Starting it when it's about 40F outside seems to eat alot of battery, and when I do that all week without hooking it up to a battery tender I end up having to push start the bastard

Other than the cost, no. You're putting on a factory suzuki part, so fitment and quality should be perfect

# ? Jan 20, 2014 13:35

Snowdens Secret: Dec 29, 2008; Someone got you a obnoxiously racist av.

If you don't have a 400E, what does 'machining of the head' for that kit entail? Buying a 400E head?

# ? Jan 20, 2014 15:01

Beve Stuscemi: Jun 6, 2001

I think you have to machine the head to accept the type of auto-decomp mechanism that the E's had. The S and SM's have a different one designed for the electric start.

From what I understand if you are a man you can kick it anyway :iiam:

# ? Jan 20, 2014 17:57

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

I had a kickstart DRZ400S, and yeah, it was a bit heavy to kick but not the end of the world.

# ? Jan 20, 2014 19:14

BlackMK4: Aug 23, 2006; wat.; Megamarm

I'm standing infront of a Husky TE449 for sale right now. It looks so fun...

# ? Jan 20, 2014 20:10

Bazacko: Nov 23, 2008

I got to ride one of my favorite supermoto spots yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d89wacNx9O4

# ? Jan 20, 2014 20:36

echomadman: Aug 24, 2004; Nap Ghost

Jim Silly-Balls posted:

I think you have to machine the head to accept the type of auto-decomp mechanism that the E's had. The S and SM's have a different one designed for the electric start.

From what I understand if you are a man you can kick it anyway

Afaik the auto decomp on the S and SM exhaust cam still works with the kickstart, you don't need the manual decomp that the E head has. you just ignore those parts of the kit when fitting.
I was thinking of getting one just because kicking a bike is a lot more manly than push butan, and also because the lovely battery and lack of an off switch for the headlights has caught me out a couple of times in cold weather.

# ? Jan 20, 2014 20:37

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Bazacko posted:

I got to ride one of my favorite supermoto spots yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d89wacNx9O4

There appears to be something wrong with your bike, it doesn't wheelie...

Me, Spiff, and Zool once terrorized those roads at 3AM. Was pretty awesome.

# ? Jan 20, 2014 21:05

Nidhg00670000: Mar 26, 2010; We're in the pipe, five by five.; Grimey Drawer

This has been for sale for over a year at my local KTM dealer. I went over and talked to them, and it's apparently completely and totally impossible to register it for road use legally in Sweden, which is why they can't get rid of it.

116 kg (255 lbs) wet weight, (real) carbon fiber EVERYTHING, adjustable frame, adjustable steering head...

What cop would notice the difference if I just took the plate from my 690 and put it on that if I ever wanted to go for a ride?

# ? Jan 20, 2014 22:07

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Absolutely none. Oh my god.

This is my dream sumo:
http://pnwriders.com/motorcycles/184357-2004-tm-black-dream.html

And hey look, there's one of these up for sale:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=948104

Z3n fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Jan 20, 2014

# ? Jan 20, 2014 23:19

Deeters: Aug 21, 2007

Z3n posted:

Absolutely none. Oh my god.

This is my dream sumo:
http://pnwriders.com/motorcycles/184357-2004-tm-black-dream.html

Even with the knockoff Buell brakes?

# ? Jan 21, 2014 01:39

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Deeters posted:

Even with the knockoff Buell brakes?

Every rose has it's thorns, my man.

Seriouschat: Supermoto is probably an application where the ZTL style setup would work really well. It's a smaller bike, so you see gains from the lighter rotor assembly, the lower speeds means you're less likely to cook and warp the rotor, which is the primary problem that ZTL brakes have on bigger supersports.

Z3n fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Jan 21, 2014

# ? Jan 21, 2014 01:43

axia: Nov 15, 2005; The future is now.

Z3n posted:

Buy them crashed and cheap

Considering your collection, do you have any resources to finding bikes besides CL? I can barely stand dealing with CL people, but the idea of fixing things that are mostly cosmetic appeals to me...

# ? Jan 21, 2014 03:50

Deeters: Aug 21, 2007

Z3n posted:

Every rose has it's thorns, my man.

Seriouschat: Supermoto is probably an application where the ZTL style setup would work really well. It's a smaller bike, so you see gains from the lighter rotor assembly, the lower speeds means you're less likely to cook and warp the rotor, which is the primary problem that ZTL brakes have on bigger supersports.

I really would like to know how well that bike works. I've caught myself off-guard and lifted the rear wheel of my Firebolt before, so I can't imagine how fast a bike that's a couple hundred pounds lighter stops.

Do you know who makes that brake setup? I tried checking OZ racing's site, but nothing loaded right.

# ? Jan 21, 2014 04:51

Kernel: Feb 13, 2012

How harsh is the suspension supposed to be on a 690 SMC? It seems like every time I take it on a bumpy road I'm in pain. Is this just something I deal with? Is it worth figuring out how to dick about with the suspension settings? I did notice I forgot to bleed the forks for a while which may have exacerbated the problem but I do remember it being fairly harsh even after bleeding the forks.

# ? Jan 21, 2014 05:05

The Royal Nonesuch: Nov 1, 2005

Kernel posted:

How harsh is the suspension supposed to be on a 690 SMC? It seems like every time I take it on a bumpy road I'm in pain. Is this just something I deal with? Is it worth figuring out how to dick about with the suspension settings? I did notice I forgot to bleed the forks for a while which may have exacerbated the problem but I do remember it being fairly harsh even after bleeding the forks.

Adjusting the suspension requires a flathead screwdriver and three minutes, at least on my 2007 SM. Dunno what year yours is, but it should be similar. Turn the knob on each front fork all the way to one side (I forget if it's right or left), then turn it a particular number of clicks in the opposite direction - it's like, 15 clicks for sport mode and 25 for comfort/touring. Then, get your flathead and do the same thing to the adjustor at the bottom of the main suspension spring behind the engine. Your manual will detail how many clicks for what setting.

I didn't mess with mine for several months after I bought it, but it was in touring mode. I adjusted it to Sport and now I feel every single bump and crack but it handles like a goddamned F-22. You can probably find a middle ground you like.

# ? Jan 21, 2014 05:19

Kernel: Feb 13, 2012

The Royal Nonesuch posted:

Adjusting the suspension requires a flathead screwdriver and three minutes, at least on my 2007 SM. Dunno what year yours is, but it should be similar.

It's a 2009 SMC.

The Royal Nonesuch posted:

Turn the knob on each front fork all the way to one side (I forget if it's right or left), then turn it a particular number of clicks in the opposite direction - it's like, 15 clicks for sport mode and 25 for comfort/touring. Then, get your flathead and do the same thing to the adjustor at the bottom of the main suspension spring behind the engine. Your manual will detail how many clicks for what setting.

I think what scared me off is that my forks and shock have multiple adjustments each. I guess I'll try just going by the recommended settings in the manual and see where that gets me. Thanks.

# ? Jan 21, 2014 07:23

Covert Ops Wizard: Dec 27, 2006

Kernel posted:

It's a 2009 SMC.

I think what scared me off is that my forks and shock have multiple adjustments each. I guess I'll try just going by the recommended settings in the manual and see where that gets me. Thanks.

Always adjust the suspension after you buy a bike, it could be completely hosed from the dealership or the PO could weigh 300 pounds when you weigh 170. It's really easy if you have the clickable adjusters.

# ? Jan 21, 2014 07:33

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# ? May 10, 2024 11:54

Beve Stuscemi: Jun 6, 2001

I always set the suspension back to stock when I get a bike.

I have yet to buy a bike that had sane suspension settings. The PO of my drz had the front forks set to different settings :psypop:

# ? Jan 21, 2014 14:14

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > The SuperMotard Thread: Because Real Men Back It In

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