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Africa Twin thread

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Jarrett said:
Are you stock suspension with just different springs?
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Yes, I did NOT revalve. Replaced from and rear springs. You are a little heavier than me, if you start with just the springs you will find a great improvement. I love no more wallowing on the front end.


It will also prevent your bike from crashing on wet wooden bridges[emoji12]


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kubotamiketx said:
I didn't know there was a new Mitas E07+

.... wonder what the difference is.
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strom xct nailed it. the continuous rib in center (rr tire) has been deleted.
New 07+
41lCtIh560L.jpg



So,
i think the rr tire won't last as long, but now with gaps between center blocks, there's more offroad grip for tackling the mud, soft sand, deep gravel, water crossing ...
 
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Dao, i was thinking the same. The lugs do seem spaced apart more. Clean out better maybe. I saw that mud you took your strom thru in Mex. :thumb:

And yes, this is the Dakar version, just can't see the yellow stripe in my photo.

Misterk..yes it handles the beads perfectly..other tasks not so much but it didn't cost too much $55. Sounds like you made the best deal.

I used the spoons again and strips of plastic milk jug to protect the rim. May try the zip tie method next time.
 
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"THAT'S A QUICK BIKE!"

That's what a co-worker said after I passed him on the toll road going home. Now it's no sport bike, but 70 to 100, it is pretty quick. Of course he was in a miata LOL.
 
dualsportvet said:
"THAT'S A QUICK BIKE!"

That's what a co-worker said after I passed him on the toll road going home. Now it's no sport bike, but 70 to 100, it is pretty quick. Of course he was in a miata LOL.
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A.T.'s are do it all for sure

Vstrom Sidenote...At 100mph I begin to feel those hairs standing up and decide not to venture any further (seen 110 indicated briefly)
 
Just got the AT back from the shop today with the following done:

Touratech HD Springs (front & rear, made the bike a little taller)
New Fork Seals (while they were in there)
New TKC80 on the front (Outex sealing + tube)
New Mitas E-07+ Dakar on the rear with Outex Tubeless kit installed

They tried to do the Outex kit on the front wheel, but said it was leaking over night on the edge and around a couple of spokes, so I just had them throw a tube in it.

They checked the front wheel and found it it was off, but they could not true it back in. This might have been part of the leak issue. They called Honda to see about warrantying it, but Honda said the wheel was not out of spec far enough to warranty.

I haven't had enough time to really put the bike through its paces yet, but the suspension immediately feels better. Not sure how that will translate to performance, but I guess time will tell. Maybe it will help at the Dragoo class in a few weeks.
 
Jarrett said:
Just got the AT back from the shop today with the following done:

Touratech HD Springs (front & rear, made the bike a little taller)
New Fork Seals (while they were in there)
New TKC80 on the front (Outex sealing + tube)
New Mitas E-07+ Dakar on the rear with Outex Tubeless kit installed

They tried to do the Outex kit on the front wheel, but said it was leaking over night on the edge and around a couple of spokes, so I just had them throw a tube in it.

They checked the front wheel and found it it was off, but they could not true it back in. This might have been part of the leak issue. They called Honda to see about warrantying it, but Honda said the wheel was not out of spec far enough to warranty.

I haven't had enough time to really put the bike through its paces yet, but the suspension immediately feels better. Not sure how that will translate to performance, but I guess time will tell. Maybe it will help at the Dragoo class in a few weeks.
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Do you know what spring rate they put in? I am not sure, but I think Todd at cogent told me anything higher than a .82 required new valves.


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misterk said:
Do you know what spring rate they put in? I am not sure, but I think Todd at cogent told me anything higher than a .82 required new valves.
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I don't. I checked with Touratech and they said none were needed for this kit.
 
Took the AT out for a longer ride yesterday. It's definitely taller now. I felt a need to stop and put the seat in the low position. Never felt the need to do that with the stock suspension setup. In the low seat position, the seat height feels like stock.

The bike seems to just float over pot holes now. I could point it at whatever beat up piece of roads I wanted and it felt almost the same as rolling over smoother pavement. That seems like an improvement. On the VFR, I have to dodge that stuff to keep from being jarred.

Hopefully soon I'll run the AT over to the rough dirt roads nearby and see how it feels. I noticed I'm able to spin the Mitas E-07+ Dakar tire a lot easier than I was the TKC80 or Shinko 805 in the rear on loose stuff. Not that big of a deal, just something I noticed. TKC80 on the front feels planted in all situations so far.

Downside is after two months on the VFR, the AT feels slow now. Didn't realize there was that big of a difference between them until yesterday.
 
I told you in your 250 thread that good suspension would make a HUGE difference! ;-)

The bike sat low with stock springs because they were likely to soft for your weight. I bet it is now sitting at the correct height. It is nice that you can adjust the seat to accommodate that change.

I have yet to find a front tire l like better off the pavement than the TKC 80. The rear is not as big an issue to me. But, if the front doesn't feel good, that screws up my confidence and everything else.

The AT is not a bottom end torque motor like the VFR. The engine has to spin faster to make its power. Simply being a gear lower can make a BIG difference. I see this when I swap from my 530 EXC to Rsquared's 450 EXC. You might not think there'd be a lot of different between the two bikes, but there is! My bike can be lugged and I can be a bit more sloppy about picking the right gear. The 450 likes to spin faster and not be lugged, so I have to be more conscious of gear choice. Not sure how that works for you with the DCT stuff.
 
Never tried it, but it would come down to how big the both of you are. There's not a lot of passenger room and it wouldn't be very comfortable for them. The panniers cover the passenger pegs.
 
There are a few ride reports on advrider of some folks doing 2 up tours. However, my wife would not ride back there. I took off the pillion seat and replaced with an altrider plate.


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The AT is amazing two up. My wife and I have ridden everything from hill country, big bend to Colorado. She is comfortable and the bike feels stable on the road or in the dirt.


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Awesome, thanks for the input! The Twin seems about right in terms of price, but I can see how there’s mixed reports.

I wonder what the best adv bike is the best for 2 up? The GSA?
 
I have never ridden a GSA, so I can't provide any input. Most of my buddies that have GSA don't want to spend motorcycle time with their wife's so they can't report on how well the ride two up.

I know the AT is a bit under sprung and it doesn't get any better two up, but it has never been a problem for me. I can report speeds over 90MPH and some air time two up with the wife on back over some RR track crossings. And I must admit going way to fast in Ouray on 550 with her on the back too. But for normal riding it has proven to be a great all day bike.

She did complain a little bit in Big Bend when we rode some of the rougher areas and she had to get off and walk several times in the deep sand sections. That had little to do with the bike and more about me being stupid and missing the proper lines.
 
Ocho said:
I wonder what the best adv bike is the best for 2 up?
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Two up in the dirt or on pavement?

A lot of people seem to like the VFR1200X for two up touring on pavement. Especially the DCT model.

You can get them for pretty heavy discounts these days. I'd put someone on the back of mine before I did the AT.

But I don't really want anyone on the back of either :)
 
We didn't ride the AT, but when the spousalunit sat on one with me at the dealership she nixed it. I don't remember what her complaint was for sure, but I think it was peg position. We wound up with a Tenere' for two up. If I'd have been riding solo, it would have likely been an AT. I should note that my wife is very adventuresome and willing to ride, but she is well into her 7th decade and that may factor in her preferences.
 
That's definitely a case where the rider is as good or better than the bike! I still can't for the life of me get the front wheel up out side of first gear.
 
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