2008 KTM 990 Adventure
After the extremely unfortunate and premature demise of my Super Tenere, I opted to try a different bike. While I did love the Tenere, there were a couple negatives, firstly, I would have to finance a new or used replacement, which I would rather not do at this point, and secondly, it is a bit limiting, both on pavement (lean angle) and off-road (heavy). Of course there were huge pluses as well; it is, without a doubt, the most reliable and maintenance free adventure bike on the market right now. That's pretty huge. Really huge. So huge I am constantly questioning my decision... but what's done is done, and I've moved on! Considering that I wanted a full size adventure bike, without financing it, my choices were instantly limited to two (the two that have been around for more than 2 years, so used models are out there). BMW 1100-1200 GS, or KTM 950-990 Adventure. For me, the choice was obvious. I can often ride fairly extreme, and the KTM is known the world over as being the extreme choice. With the right tires, lean angles allow for knee dragging on pavement, or jumping on a motocross track, or exploring jungles, or racing in giant rallies, or whatever else you could possibly want to do. This "extreme" ability comes at a bit of a cost, with higher maintenance, and some known reliability glitches, but I've justified it to myself, and I think (hope) it will be worth it. The bike is roughly 100 pounds lighter than the Super Tenere, and, while the Tenere was light on it's feet, the KTM feels notably smaller. I've lost several creature comforts; traction control, a fuel gauge, linked brakes, as well as some performance related items; 10 lb/ft of torque, drive shaft, and tubeless wheels. But I've gained the feel of a large but true dirt bike, with dirt bike tires, and a sport bike motor just begging to be flogged.
I found a 2008 near by, with a bit more mileage than I had hoped, but it was in nearly immaculate condition. After some negotiating with the shop owner, I signed off on the bike, along with some KTM luggage for it. I bought it with about 26,000 miles; a new battery, chain and sprockets, and brake pads, and about 50% on the tires.
I've added an Adventure Bike Comparison page relating this bike to my previous Super Tenere and Ulysses, as well as a KTM Tire Page.
The Super Tenere wants to take you somewhere cool, whether it be a beautiful stretch of pavement curving through hills, or a dirt road to the top of a mountain pass; alone for the day, or with a passenger and camping gear for thousands of miles, the Tenere is ready to go.
The KTM wants to fricken blow your mind; as soon as you start it up, some little Drill Sargent dressed in KTM orange replaces that angel on your shoulder, and he just sits there screaming at you "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT PANSY?" while you twist the throttle a bit more, trying not to let the bike know you're freaking terrified.
I found a 2008 near by, with a bit more mileage than I had hoped, but it was in nearly immaculate condition. After some negotiating with the shop owner, I signed off on the bike, along with some KTM luggage for it. I bought it with about 26,000 miles; a new battery, chain and sprockets, and brake pads, and about 50% on the tires.
I've added an Adventure Bike Comparison page relating this bike to my previous Super Tenere and Ulysses, as well as a KTM Tire Page.
The Super Tenere wants to take you somewhere cool, whether it be a beautiful stretch of pavement curving through hills, or a dirt road to the top of a mountain pass; alone for the day, or with a passenger and camping gear for thousands of miles, the Tenere is ready to go.
The KTM wants to fricken blow your mind; as soon as you start it up, some little Drill Sargent dressed in KTM orange replaces that angel on your shoulder, and he just sits there screaming at you "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT PANSY?" while you twist the throttle a bit more, trying not to let the bike know you're freaking terrified.
November 2013 update
I've put nearly 10,000 miles on the bike now, and I'm still very pleased with my decision. I've ridden it 2-up to South Carolina, and solo to upstate New York with George, as well as a big trip out west with my dad. I've added a couple necessary parts, as well as replaced a couple problem parts (all outlined below), but that's to be expected from any bike, let alone a 5 year old used KTM. The bike will need some preventative maintenance this winter, since I'm closing in on the 35,000 mile mark. I plan on replacing the air filter, fuel filters, and spark plugs, as well as checking the water pump and valves. No Rush, it's running great.
I've put nearly 10,000 miles on the bike now, and I'm still very pleased with my decision. I've ridden it 2-up to South Carolina, and solo to upstate New York with George, as well as a big trip out west with my dad. I've added a couple necessary parts, as well as replaced a couple problem parts (all outlined below), but that's to be expected from any bike, let alone a 5 year old used KTM. The bike will need some preventative maintenance this winter, since I'm closing in on the 35,000 mile mark. I plan on replacing the air filter, fuel filters, and spark plugs, as well as checking the water pump and valves. No Rush, it's running great.
Article and Photo from Ride Apart
KTM 990 Adventure makes the "Top 5 Bikes for Actual Badasses" list!
The Bike: 2013 KTM 990 ADVENTURE
Type: Adventure Bike
The Ride: Riding a KTM 990 Adventure is kind of like driving a truck built for rock crawling or a trophy truck. You know there is just so much more it’s capable of than you’ll ever get out of it.
Who we imagine riding one: Jimmy Lewis, podium finisher at the Dakar rally, dirt school teacher, and all-around bad ass, rides one out at the Jimmy Lewis Dirt School that Wes and I attended last year. I saw him do things on that bike I don’t think I could do if I were holding a toy motorcycle in my hand.
The Details: When you’re talking about Adventure bikes, they’re all going to be just fine on the road, what separates them is what happens when you take them off it. Unlike the other bikes in this class, which are just made to look tough and off-road capable, the KTM is actually brilliant off road, allowing guys like Jimmy to make even good off-road riders on dedicated dual sports look silly in comparison.
The Bike: 2013 KTM 990 ADVENTURE
Type: Adventure Bike
The Ride: Riding a KTM 990 Adventure is kind of like driving a truck built for rock crawling or a trophy truck. You know there is just so much more it’s capable of than you’ll ever get out of it.
Who we imagine riding one: Jimmy Lewis, podium finisher at the Dakar rally, dirt school teacher, and all-around bad ass, rides one out at the Jimmy Lewis Dirt School that Wes and I attended last year. I saw him do things on that bike I don’t think I could do if I were holding a toy motorcycle in my hand.
The Details: When you’re talking about Adventure bikes, they’re all going to be just fine on the road, what separates them is what happens when you take them off it. Unlike the other bikes in this class, which are just made to look tough and off-road capable, the KTM is actually brilliant off road, allowing guys like Jimmy to make even good off-road riders on dedicated dual sports look silly in comparison.
KTM Luggage
I opted for the KTM Quick Release luggage racks and the KTM Black Aluminum panniers. I worked them into the deal when I purchased the bike, so I would have them for a small trip I was taking a couple weeks later. The racks are relabeled SW Motech Quick-Lock parts, which are exactly what I had, and loved, on the Tenere; they have a few 1/4 turn fasteners, and the entire racks pop off. The boxes are relabeled Trax 37 Liter cases, stamped with KTM. They are a bit thinner than I was expecting, and don't feel quite as durable as I had hoped, but they look great, and they should get the job done. The locks come separate, but are all keyed alike. Unfortunately, these are the biggest downfall to this setup, the locks were finicky from day one. Sometimes they work perfect, but most of the time you have to wiggle and jiggle the key just right to get it in and to turn. On one occasion it simply wouldn't unlock. It was extremely frustrating, but a couple days later it worked fine again.
Oil Drain Hose
CJ Designs Oil Drain Hose Kit
The first (of two) absolutely necessary modification to all KTM Adventures comes in the form of an oil drain hose. There is no excuse for KTM not to have corrected this in the 10 year life of this bike, but regardless, it's an easy and cheap fix for the in-the-know owner. There are two drain plugs on the KTM, one on the bottom of the engine (normal!) and one at the top (what the hell where they thinking?!). This means that, to do an oil change, you have to take off a gas tank, and you should take off other parts (as to not make a mess), turning what should be a simple and common procedure, into an hour long mess. The oil drain hose, brace your self, this get very complicated....
Screws into the upper drain hole, and has a plug in the bottom, so it's effectively now a second drain plug on the bottom.
Seriously, it's a 12" piece of tube, that lets you drain the upper plug, from the bottom of the motor. IT'S THAT SIMPLE! Why KTM hasn't done this I don't know, but it doesn't look good on the brand. I've heard several folks bad mouth the bike because of hour long, difficult oil changes. I chose to make my own oil drain hose, with help (and part numbers) from here. It cost me $20 in parts (I opted for a heavy duty rubber line, rather than the steel) from Jegs, and about half an hour to fit everything together. If you'd prefer, you can buy a preassembled kit (with a steel line) for $80. In either case, you do need to modify one piece of aluminum, by cutting off a tab. Took me about 2 minutes with a cutoff wheel, but it could easily be done with a good Dremmel as well.
Full disclosure, there is an oil 'screen' up by the upper drain plug, so if you want to check that screen with every oil change then this tube isn't going to be as beneficial. I've read enough to know that, unless something is going very wrong, there is no need to check that screen but once a year, perhaps when doing a valve check. I checked mine when I installed this drain hose, and it was perfectly clean.
Screws into the upper drain hole, and has a plug in the bottom, so it's effectively now a second drain plug on the bottom.
Seriously, it's a 12" piece of tube, that lets you drain the upper plug, from the bottom of the motor. IT'S THAT SIMPLE! Why KTM hasn't done this I don't know, but it doesn't look good on the brand. I've heard several folks bad mouth the bike because of hour long, difficult oil changes. I chose to make my own oil drain hose, with help (and part numbers) from here. It cost me $20 in parts (I opted for a heavy duty rubber line, rather than the steel) from Jegs, and about half an hour to fit everything together. If you'd prefer, you can buy a preassembled kit (with a steel line) for $80. In either case, you do need to modify one piece of aluminum, by cutting off a tab. Took me about 2 minutes with a cutoff wheel, but it could easily be done with a good Dremmel as well.
Full disclosure, there is an oil 'screen' up by the upper drain plug, so if you want to check that screen with every oil change then this tube isn't going to be as beneficial. I've read enough to know that, unless something is going very wrong, there is no need to check that screen but once a year, perhaps when doing a valve check. I checked mine when I installed this drain hose, and it was perfectly clean.
Side Stand Relocation Kit
Black Dog Cycle Works Side Stand Bracket
Absolutely Necessary Modification number 2 comes in the form of a Side Stand Relocation Bracket, which, I suppose, is only absolutely necessary if you plan on taking the bike off road. Despite the name, the kickstand doesn't actually get relocated, more so, it gets refastened. The original bolts attach the kickstand directly the the bottom (case) of the engine. What this means is, in a tip-over, if the side stand makes contact with anything hard (like a rock, or the ground), it can very easily break a hole in the bottom of the engine. Very Bad! There are several versions of this piece available, but I chose this one from Black Dog Cycle Works for $90. Cheap compared to the engine repairs from not having one.
16 Tooth Front Sprocket
While it's not quite an 'Absolutely Necessary Modification', I am very please by my decision to drop a tooth on the front sprocket. From the factory, this bike is geared extremely high. So high, that I was lugging 6th gear, while on the interstate! 6th gear did not like to be below 70 miles per hour.
Dropping to the 16 tooth front sprocket allowed me to cruise more comfortably between 65 and 75 (my normal freeway range), and gave first gear a little more low speed ability and pickup. It is still very comfortable cruising at a true 80 MPH as well.
I cheaped out here and bought a Pro-Tek steal sprocket for about $25 shipped from the internet. No complaints thus far, although I have read of horror stories online regarding using a cheap front sprocket. Turns out, if the fit is loose, it can wear out the countershaft. KTM offers OEM from sprockets in a variety of sizes to eliminate this worry.
EDIT: I recently learned that 2009 and newer KTM Adventures came from the factory with the 16 tooth front sprocket.
Heidenau K60 Scout Tires
Heidenau K60 Scout Tires
I put about 7,000 miles on the OEM Pirelli MT90 Scorpion A/T Enduro tires, and was actually quite pleased with them. At $265 for the set, the price isn't terrible, and their wet and dry pavement traction was quite adequate. Off Road, they are better than street tires, but you quickly realize they are not knobbies. For me, the rear lasted about 6,000, and the front about double that; not terrible, but not great.
I wanted a tire that was a little more aggressive, with maximum tread life. I was torn between three choices:
Heidenau K60 Scouts
Mefo Super Explorers
Mitas E-07s
Unfortunately for me, these are all from less common manufacturers so I would have to order them off the internet. They also all worked out to about exactly $300 for the pair; these are more expensive tires for sure, but they should last much longer than the average set. I opted for the Heidenau tires again, same as I put on the Super Tenere previously. These tires stick well, and lasted, at least on the Tenere, for about 12,000 miles on the rear, and double that on the front. I buy my Heidenau's from Jaxon.
The tires don't have great feel, and I can't say I love them on the KTM. Traction is still good, and tread life looks great, but I expect to try one of the other two choices when these are ready to be replaced. See my KTM Tire Page for much more information.
I wanted a tire that was a little more aggressive, with maximum tread life. I was torn between three choices:
Heidenau K60 Scouts
Mefo Super Explorers
Mitas E-07s
Unfortunately for me, these are all from less common manufacturers so I would have to order them off the internet. They also all worked out to about exactly $300 for the pair; these are more expensive tires for sure, but they should last much longer than the average set. I opted for the Heidenau tires again, same as I put on the Super Tenere previously. These tires stick well, and lasted, at least on the Tenere, for about 12,000 miles on the rear, and double that on the front. I buy my Heidenau's from Jaxon.
The tires don't have great feel, and I can't say I love them on the KTM. Traction is still good, and tread life looks great, but I expect to try one of the other two choices when these are ready to be replaced. See my KTM Tire Page for much more information.
Hand Warmers and New Grips
Pro Grip 761 Touring Gel Grips
I've been spoiled by heated grips, and can no longer live without them. Unfortunately, I haven't found a generic set that I love yet, so I tried a new brand/model for this bike.
For heaters, I went with the Moose Racing Hand Warmer Kit. I like this kit for a couple reasons: It came with a flush mount switch rather than the big ugly silver switch (pictured on the site), and it doesn't use the big ceramic resister for 'low temp. mode'. Disappointingly, they don't get as hot as I would like. Above 40 degrees they are great, below that, and they are a bit inadequate. I used them once in a soaking wet 30 degrees, and I couldn't even feel them through my thin leather gloves. Bummer. Still better than nothing.
For grips, I went with Pro Grip 761 Touring Gel Grips. My favorite grips ever (discontinued Buell Touring Grips) had a contoured shape that fit the hand well, I thought these appeared to have a similar shape, and I liked the sound of 'touring gel'. They aren't as nice as the old Buell grips, but they are not bad at all. I'd probably buy these again.
Front Wheel Bearings
All Balls Racing Wheel Bearings
This was the first part I had to replace due to failure. I blew a front wheel bearing around the 32,000 mile mark. I was able to limp the bike home, where I happily learned name brand replacement bearings were less than $20 shipped. i went with All Balls Racing (brand) replacement bearings, and changed them myself.
Fuel Pump Filters and O-Rings
Gefr Replacement Fuel Filter Kit
My fuel pump began dripping while riding in upstate New York. This was a very minor issue (a couple drops a night), and I opted not to replace the O-rings until after my big fall ride out west. I didn't want to risk hurting the fuel pump right before leaving for a big ride.
I did purchase an O-Ring kit from CJ Designs for $15 to take on the trip with me, just in case the drip did become a serious problem.
I purchased a fuel filter kit, and took to replacing both the filters and the O-Rings at the same time. These parts are quite unreasonable from KTM, luckily, they are available in the aftermarket. i bought the filters from a fellow in Europe at a fraction of the cost from KTM.
I performed this service at 34,000 miles, and the filters I removed were in alright condition. The new filters installed without issue, but I had difficulty sealing the pump with the new O-rings. I ended up applying a liberal coating of Permatex 2 Form-A-Gasket Sealant, which seemed to have solved the problem.
I did purchase an O-Ring kit from CJ Designs for $15 to take on the trip with me, just in case the drip did become a serious problem.
I purchased a fuel filter kit, and took to replacing both the filters and the O-Rings at the same time. These parts are quite unreasonable from KTM, luckily, they are available in the aftermarket. i bought the filters from a fellow in Europe at a fraction of the cost from KTM.
I performed this service at 34,000 miles, and the filters I removed were in alright condition. The new filters installed without issue, but I had difficulty sealing the pump with the new O-rings. I ended up applying a liberal coating of Permatex 2 Form-A-Gasket Sealant, which seemed to have solved the problem.
36k Mile Major Service
36,000 miles wasn't any magic number, it just happen to be when my plan came together to tear into the beast and perform some service. The bike was running perfectly, but having bought it used, I had no idea when the last valve check was performed, or when the spark plugs had been changed previously. I did know that the air filter was in poor shape. Below are the major tasks I performed.
Valve Check
My bike had 2 valves that were in spec, 2 that were at the minimum, and 4 that were a little tight. The KTM uses 10mm valve shims, same as the Harley V-Rod, all Aprilia's and Beta's, and most other Rotax motors. Harley produces the valve shims in smaller increments than any other brand, and most dealers will sell them individually. Perfect if you don't plan to do this often. Others may prefer simply to purchase a variety pack, and have all sizes on hand. In order to get them all locally without ordering them in, I ended up with 4 from Harley (at $4 each), and the other 2 from Aprilia (at $5 each).
I had a difficult time with this procedure, but having learned from my mistakes this first time, I'm confident I could do it again in an afternoon. It's not that difficult, but you need some fancy tools, like feeler gauges and a micrometer, as well as a 14mm allen. I used this How-To post: http://paochow.com/forum/index.php?topic=45.0 There is some more information in the KTM Hall of Wisdom here. |
Open Intake
 CPR Rottwiler KTM 990 Intake System
There are two large manufacturers of the kit, CPR Rottwiler and Sporting Wood. I pieced together my own kit, and saved almost 50% over the cheapest of those two. I bought the base plate from Gefr (when I purchased the fuel pump filters), and the (massive!) filter directly from ITG.
There are a few reasons to get this kit. The filter is much easier to get to, and is washable. There is a performance increase. And the most important to me, it makes working on this bike, any and all work in the motor area, drastically easier. In the time it used to take to simply check the air filter to see if it was dirty, I could now have the throttle bodies off, and be halfway through a valve check, or spark plug change, or anything in there. The disadvantages; the computer needs a new tune. The bike will run lean with this intake and the stock fuel map. I purchased my own tune cable (like this one from CJ), to plug my bike into the laptop, and have been using the free TuneECU program to modify mine, see below. Also, this intake is LOUD. Very, extremely, loud. |
Remove Emissions Stuff
I used the KTM Hall of Wisdom again with this one, and I removed the charcoal canister (and motor and hoses), as well as the SAS (motor and hoses). The canister motor required a 22k ohm resistor, while the SAS motor required the same resistor, as well as the SAS block-off plates (pictured above). I bought mine from Gefr when I ordered my fuel filters, but they are available from all major KTM parts sources.
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Spark Plugs
I went ahead and purchased Iridium spark plugs, for no reason other than the extended life (often 3 times longer than standard plugs). The plugs I pulled out were not in bad shape at all, so I kept them as back-ups. KTM 990 spark plugs are different for the 2006-2008 model years, and the 2009 and newer. My 2008 took these plugs:
NGK DCPR8E - standard NGK DCPR8EIX - Iridium But I will stress, 2009 and newer, as well as the older carbed versons, all take different plugs than that. Many folks have found standard spark plug sockets do not fit in the holes in the KTM. Luckily, I discovered my Yamaha (wr250r) spark plug tool worked perfectly. |
Fuel Map Editing with TuneECU
2007-2008 model years are different from any newer year, so my pre-made tune options are very limited. Also, there are no tunes made for an open intake, but stock exhaust. Therefor, I was forced to first try the pre-made tunes made for aftermarket exhaust, and then try to make my own tune. Here are the locations of KTM 990 tunes I have found:
Needless to say, I wasn't pleased with the couple choices I had for my 2008. I tried the Akra map from TuneECU, but it felt 'dull' for lack of a better term, and it is known to get poor gas mileage. Then I tried the 2% Lean version of the Rottweiler map. This had a horrible flat-spot/stumble right around 4-5k rpm, and smelled very rich. I ended up reverting back to my stock map which ran flawlessly, and simply adding fuel to it. I started with a 2% increase, but I had popping while engine breaking, which is a sign of running lean. Then I tried a 4% increase, which helped, but the popping was still there. I am now on a 6% increase, and the popping seems to be gone. The quick throttle response is back that I lost with the Akra map, and there doesn't appear to be any flat spots like with the Rottweiler map.
The optimal solution would be to Dyno-Tune the bike. Since I can't currently afford to do that, I might just put the bike on a dyno for one run, to make sure it isn't running excessively rich or lean.
In any case, to make my 2008 run smoothly with the open intake and stock exhaust, I added 6% to all four fueling maps in Tune ECU. It's a fairly simple map to make, but I've attached it below anyway. Keep in mind, this will only work on 2007-2008 990 Adventures. Run at your own risk (like any and all maps).
- The TuneECU Website (2007-2008, and 2009-2012)
- Rottweiler's Website (2007-2008, and 2009-2012)
- Moto-Treks Website (2011)
Needless to say, I wasn't pleased with the couple choices I had for my 2008. I tried the Akra map from TuneECU, but it felt 'dull' for lack of a better term, and it is known to get poor gas mileage. Then I tried the 2% Lean version of the Rottweiler map. This had a horrible flat-spot/stumble right around 4-5k rpm, and smelled very rich. I ended up reverting back to my stock map which ran flawlessly, and simply adding fuel to it. I started with a 2% increase, but I had popping while engine breaking, which is a sign of running lean. Then I tried a 4% increase, which helped, but the popping was still there. I am now on a 6% increase, and the popping seems to be gone. The quick throttle response is back that I lost with the Akra map, and there doesn't appear to be any flat spots like with the Rottweiler map.
The optimal solution would be to Dyno-Tune the bike. Since I can't currently afford to do that, I might just put the bike on a dyno for one run, to make sure it isn't running excessively rich or lean.
In any case, to make my 2008 run smoothly with the open intake and stock exhaust, I added 6% to all four fueling maps in Tune ECU. It's a fairly simple map to make, but I've attached it below anyway. Keep in mind, this will only work on 2007-2008 990 Adventures. Run at your own risk (like any and all maps).
| 2007-2008 KTM 990 Adventure Stock Map Plus 6% Fueling |
2-Up Touring Seat
In an effort to please my passenger, who was extremely spoiled by my previous bike, I purchased a 2-up Touring seat. I actually simply purchased the seat foam and cover kit, which uses the stock seat pan (I already had, with the stock seat). I bought from Seat Concepts, because of endless rave reviews, and very reasonable prices. This kit came about a week after I placed the order, and was somewhat customized for me; high or low, I chose low, black stitching or KTM orange stitching, I chose KTM orange, and a variety of materials, I chose a gripper top and carbon look sides. It took me about an hour to pull the factory seat foam and cover off the seat pan, and stretch and staple the new foam and cover on. It's not perfect, but not bad at all for my first time messing with upholstery. It's not much wider or lower than the stocker, but it has much more obvious 'shaping' to it.
Yuasa Battery
When I picked up the bike from the dealership, they gave me a new BikeMaster TruGel battery. Unfortunately, that particular low-cost battery is not up to the task of turning over the monster V-twin, and on numerous occasion it needed jump started after sitting in the cold overnight.
Technology is going towards Lithium type batteries, but their focus is less weight. When reliability and durability are the number one priority, sealed batteries are still king.
The two best sealed battery brands are Yuasa, OEM for almost all bikes, and Deka, OEM for Harley. Both great batteries, but the Yuasa is a bit more common, and I was able to find it for about $50 less than the Deka.
I bought my Yuasa YTZ14S from here, for $130.
Technology is going towards Lithium type batteries, but their focus is less weight. When reliability and durability are the number one priority, sealed batteries are still king.
The two best sealed battery brands are Yuasa, OEM for almost all bikes, and Deka, OEM for Harley. Both great batteries, but the Yuasa is a bit more common, and I was able to find it for about $50 less than the Deka.
I bought my Yuasa YTZ14S from here, for $130.
Michelin T63 Front Tire
In preparing for an off-road specific ride, I replaced the K60 front tire with a more aggressive Michelin T63 DOT Knobby. The tire was inexpensive and works very well off pavement and on, unfortunately the tread life will be expectedly short. I hope to get about 4,000 miles out of this.
Both off road and on, this tire compliments the Heidenau K60 rear very well, but will only last half as long.
Update: I was a little late to flip this tire on the rim (to reduce cupping) at 4,500 Miles, but it should last another 1500 or so miles now.
DID Chain and JT Sprockets
When I purchased the bike (used), the chain and sprockets were in good shape, but I had no way of knowing how old they were. I promptly changed the front sprocket for sake of gearing, but continued riding. After 10 months and 14,000 miles, the chain and rear sprocket were finally worn out. I replaced both front and rear sprockets with new JT Sprockets, and I installed a new DID X-Ring chain.
I went with a 17 tooth front sprocket, 45 tooth rear sprocket, and 120 link 525 chain.
In hindsight, I still feel it's geared a bit high, if a 47 tooth rear sprocket was readily available, I would love to try it, unfortunately it appears the only 47t sprockets come from high end and expensive manufacturers.
I went with a 17 tooth front sprocket, 45 tooth rear sprocket, and 120 link 525 chain.
In hindsight, I still feel it's geared a bit high, if a 47 tooth rear sprocket was readily available, I would love to try it, unfortunately it appears the only 47t sprockets come from high end and expensive manufacturers.
Quick-Release Passenger Backrest
I made this quick release passenger backrest for riding 2-up. It makes the ride drastically more comfortable for both my passenger and I. Three main parts were utilized: the cross bar for the side-carrier rack, beneath the luggage rack, and a Corbin style passenger backrest. I bought an aftermarket backrest from Harrison; their large, carbon-fiber look version. Then I bought one piece of 3/4" steel square tube; 6" would've done it, but it was only sold in 3' pieces. With a cutoff wheel, I cut the square tube about 5" long, and notched (and folded) the bottom, so it was a closed end. Then I cut the top at the approximate angle, so it would fit flush to the luggage rack. I then cut a couple gussets, to give the square tube much more weldable area. The gussets were welded to the sides of the tube, and then the whole part was welded to the side-carrier rack bar. I drilled a hole through the plastic beneath the luggage rack, so the tube protrudes beneath the seat, and I cut out a notch in the luggage rack itself. One more hole in the bottom of the tube for a bolt, and the fabrication was complete. I painted everything with black rust-proofing paint, and through it back together. All but the open square (flush) hole is hidden normally, and the backrest simply slides in the tube. I then pop the seat off with the key, and screw in the thumb-screw to lock the backrest in. It is officially quick release, but you need the key to get to the screw (so it's vandal-proof).
