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Help for riders in San Angelo

I posted in that thread.. but it awaits moderator approval ... Guess I don't post much over there....LOL
 
They signed up here...pending moderator approval:-P

Kinda a nice riding day for mods to be at their keyboards
 
ok well if they are reading here..

What direction are you headed next?

I'm 167 miles to the east of you now...


Not sure if that is in the direction you will be traveling, or out of your way???
 
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Hi,

Yes, we are watching this thread. Thanks Kurt for the approval.

E.Marquez: we aren't heading anywhere at the moment as one of the DR650s is not happy -- engine chatter ;-) Our next stop is going to have to be made with one of the bikes on the back of a truck, trailer, etc.

Our intention was to head over to Arizona, down through Mexico and Central America, South America and down to Terra del Fuego. Our trip site Trans-Continental Mambo is still a little sparse as we were first focusing on getting out of close to freezing, rainy weather, and now focusing on the current situation with the bike.

At this point direction of travel doesn't matter much as their is no real travel until the bike is running. On the plus side, we do have time to spare in that our schedule is open ended. Relatively speaking, though, money is tight as one might expect for a large trip.

It *is* going to cost money to fix this issue and we are prepared to deal with this, but service quotes from the local Suzuki dealer were getting high with upper end work, and when getting into lower engine work, it was well, well above the cost of obtaining a second hand motor, for example. Yikes.

We are carrying camping gear which is in obvious way to reduce costs if that becomes an option but we are finding the motels in San Angelo very expensive (and expensive for what you get), and more to the point, there is not much more we can do in terms of diagnosis/fixing from the parking lot of a motel.

We won't be sure what the problem is until we tear into the engine a bit. We have had the side covers off and don't see obvious signs of damage. It could be piston related, or something down in the cranks shaft. At this point, we haven't found tell tale signs of loose metal either in the engine or in the oil so that is much better news than it could be.

We would definitely like to reduce our current cost of living as days turn into a week, etc.: couch surfing, backyard camping, basements, etc. -- I would go so far as to say we can offer to do yard work in exchange if need be.

We also need to delve into the problem. Best case, it would be great to be able to set up in the corner of shop of someone who is a qualified motorcycle mechanic, or a very decent amateur, and bounce questions of said person while we perform the grunt work. At some point I am sure that we are going to have to get profession opinion, if not service, and order in some parts and probably specialized tools

So that is our story. With rain in eastern Texas behind us now, we are enjoying the sunny days, and new-to-us scenario of Texas.

Adam/Farkles
 
His mechanic Charles is in his shop there and is waiting to hear from you - that's all in the message Jim sent you. It's already past 3:30 so hop to it. I'm sure you guys can work something out.

I personally think it's your muffler bearing and I'd be happy to change that for you for free.
 
Thank you. I called Charles and apparently he does house calls as he is coming to us.

Adam



Good to hear.

If you make it down to Houston or possibly need to,
I can meet someone half way with a trailer.

Either way, I am off today and tomorrow.

Also, If parts are required I can check the salvage yards around here
 
If a local option does not make itself available.\Give me a shout,, it's a short drive with truck and trailer.. and there are a few options for habitation (couch, yard, Toy Hauler) and plenty of room in the garage, an open lift, tooling to do most anything needed.
 
Thank you. I called Charles and apparently he does house calls as he is coming to us.

Adam

Make sure I connected you to the right Charles in San Angelo who is coming to your aid

Charles #1 is a mechanic

Charles #2 (according to Chris Hansen at MSNBC) is out on parole for unspeakable crimes

Either way, you can ultimately thanks Jimmex from San Angelo - he's the one who recommended this guy (Charles #1 that is).
 
Huh?!?! That explains why Charles was more interested in the value of the bikes and having a look see at the "condition" of our motel room... :trust:

Nah. Just kidding. Given that Charles showed up on a nice bike, had mechanics hands, and used the "screw driver" stethoscope technique, it is safe to say that he was Charles from door number #1.

Charles had listen to the engine noise - and had no good news to offer us -- but we aren't expecting good news.

He offered shop space up to use if we want to use it, but had trepidation in terms of the availability of parts and services. He basically suggested that it might be wise to relocate to larger urban area where we would have a better time getting parts or services.

Adam
 
I did some searching around, and did not find any DR650 motors begging to be bought and swapped///
Anyone have a lead on a wrecked or otherwise parted DR650?

Aftermarket parts options are few and far between for this bike (BTW Adam,, what year is the bike in question)

Assuming the worst, crank / rod assembly, main bearings, gaskets ect.... OEM parts are in the $600 range, plus oil, coolant and the 15~50% unknown that always finds its way into a repair.
 
I did some searching around, and did not find any DR650 motors begging to be bought and swapped///
Anyone have a lead on a wrecked or otherwise parted DR650?

Aftermarket parts options are few and far between for this bike (BTW Adam,, what year is the bike in question)

Assuming the worst, crank / rod assembly, main bearings, gaskets ect.... OEM parts are in the $600 range, plus oil, coolant and the 15~50% unknown that always finds its way into a repair.

Fortunately the oil is the coolant on a DR650. :lol2: I'll keep an eye out for donor bikes. I suspect all parts will need to be ordered in most locations. Definitely here in Austin.
 
Where would you head to fix the bike?
I would think it makes more sense to go to San Antonio...
 
Erik has space, tools and skills. If he is willing, that is a good option.
 
If you find yourself in Austin by chance, and need an extra hand, im no "pro" but i can and will turn some wrenches to help a friend in need.
(i may not know you personally, but if you are on 2 wheels you are a friend)
Otherwise, it looks like you got a list of people already helping...
I hope this gets sorted out.. SOON, and CHEAP... so you can get rolling again!
Sending all my good vibes your way!
GL with Fix.:zen:
 
I can't be there physically, but PM me your email and I'll PayPay you a $20 bill.

I'd bet I won't be the only one...
 
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