Dual Sport Bikes

[He Man]

Its a fair bit of work.  The major part is easy enough.... its the small details that take the time and effort to get right... y'know the stuff you dont think about when the tear-down begins  . 

I've seen conversions where the original DR650 front wheel has been retained....  custom spacers, bushings and disc rotor relocation bracket... etc.   I had an RMZ hub laced to a 1.85 (same as DR) front rim.  If I was gonna do it again I'd use a Honda CR/CRF450 Showas and front hub.  The Honda uses exactly same Showa forks as RMZ450, but the Honda's brake rotor is a 6 bolt mount.  RMZ is only 4 bolt.... no big deal, but I still think given the choice the Honda hub is a better option for the conversion.

I used Emig triple clamps  >>  http://www.emigracing.com/  <<   Stock RMZ450 triples will bolt straight on though, but there's no place to mount the ignition/steering head lock and you have to fab up steering stops.  I have a good set of RMZ stock triples I have no use for, yours if you can use 'em (just cost you some postage is all).

Here's my setup >> http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=46656.msg1168096#msg1168096

But seriously, ride your DR as is.  Get to know it first....

And if you do end up thinking you wanna do the RMZ fork swap...  get back to me, happy to share what I learned along the way FWIW.

Rode the bike for the first time yesterday. HOLY CRAP. talk about torque, this thing pulls like a mule ( though it pulls nowhere fast lol). Im guessing the bike without the pumper carb is really really weak. This thing is an aboslute BLAST to ride. The front is really soft though and the rear, the rebound is extremely slow. Almost 2 full seconds to reach 90% of its original position. I try dialing out the the rebound valve. No good. I am going to pick up the Cogent DDC for the front and the rear....well im not sure yet. I might send it out to cogent, or pick up another shock entirely. Ive heard they do a really good job and modifying hte stock shock. How much was your shock?

Is there a difference between the RMZ150,250,450 forks? Theres a huge price difference.  Do they need to be revalve/resprung? (i am only 150lbs, but i expect the loaded weight of the bike to be my weight + about 80lbs of gear max.

[Bonster]

Well I recently had a chance to put a couple of hundred country miles on a late-model Multistrada and thus to discover that my Monster felt much more comfortable and engaging over distance...

What I have realised is, the forward upper-body lean that you get on a Monster is much more comfortable over hours on the bike than the upright postures of typical dual-sports.

Your spine is stretched in an arc, rather than compressed, and bumps coming up through the seat act at a tangent to that arc rather than vertically up the spine and compressing it further.

And you ride balanced on the breeze, with your helmet in clear air.

What a great post and useful information for those of us who already tour on our Monsters and are thinking the grass might be greener on a Multi.   That settles it.  I'm going to sink some dough into my suspension and love the one I'm with.

[ungeheuer]

Is there a difference between the RMZ150,250,450 forks? Theres a huge price difference.  Do they need to be revalve/resprung? (i am only 150lbs, but i expect the loaded weight of the bike to be my weight + about 80lbs of gear max.

My RMZ450 Showas have been resprung (DR650 is a fat pig compared to RMZ).  Difference between RMZ models?  This any help?  >>  http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16665578&postcount=195

Rode the bike for the first time yesterday. HOLY CRAP. talk about torque, this thing pulls like a mule ( though it pulls nowhere fast lol). Im guessing the bike without the pumper carb is really really weak. This thing is an aboslute BLAST to ride.

The front is really soft though and the rear, the rebound is extremely slow. Almost 2 full seconds to reach 90% of its original position. I try dialing out the the rebound valve. No good. I am going to pick up the Cogent DDC for the front and the rear....well im not sure yet. I might send it out to cogent, or pick up another shock entirely. Ive heard they do a really good job and modifying hte stock shock. How much was your shock?

Elka shock?  It was $$$....  You have more options that I do...   The stock rear shock is very soft and soggy.  I'd spend your money there before you worry about the (also soft and soggy) front end.

[the_Journeyman]

IMO, the forks from the RMZ150 would likely not be a best option.  The 250 forks are probably similar to the 450, but either Ung mentioned would need to be resprung.  The RMZ250 & 450 are featherweights compared to the DR.

My reasoning on avoiding the 150 forks is the 250 and 450 are designed to deal with quite a bit more abuse than the 150.

JM

[He Man]

id like to do the fork swap if its under $500. It seems like i can snag some forks off of ebay for around $200-$300 for the RMZ450s. and a wheel can be had for aronud $150. I can deal with all the other stuff, its a non issue. Nothing a TIG cant solve.

The shock REALLY needs to get some work though. I find it strange how you said that hte rear matters more than the front ( usually its the other way around!). The rebound on it is flat out just terrible. I think a hardtail is better!

Racetech makes a kit for the shock, as sold by procycle, but cogent also has a option to sell you all the stuff and you pretty much put it together yourself. Unfortunately, finding a place that will charge up the shock with nitrogen is a handful. No one will do it. My last shock rebuild, i literally filled it with air. Its ultimately a moisture issue.

[the_Journeyman]

Cogent is a local company that does good stuff, so anything from them should be top notch.  I can't help with the nitrogen issue though.  A rear shock does more than a lot think.  I've got one on my M750 that is well past its service time, and even with a good spring, you'd be surprised at the wallowing I get when I'm pushing the suspension hard.

JM

[Speeddog]

~~~SNIP~~~
 My last shock rebuild, i literally filled it with air. Its ultimately a moisture issue.

Also a combustion issue.

[He Man]

Combustion? Whats fueling the flames? ( not sure if hydrualic fluid is combustible.

I know that the moisture can increase in volume up to the point where it becomes explosive if thats what you mean.

[He Man]

whoop! apparently aluminum can burst into flames when exposed to nitrogen under high pressure.

A few lab results are citing pressures in the 300MPA range (40,000+PSI), though the increased temp in the system when its worked could reduce that threshold!

[Speeddog]

Combustion? Whats fueling the flames? ( not sure if hydrualic fluid is combustible.

I know that the moisture can increase in volume up to the point where it becomes explosive if thats what you mean.

Yes, it's the shock oil that can combust in the presence of Oxygen.

The shock manufacturers don't spec Nitrogen just to be a pain in the ass or because they don't know any better.

[ungeheuer]

id like to do the fork swap if its under $500. It seems like i can snag some forks off of ebay for around $200-$300 for the RMZ450s. and a wheel can be had for aronud $150. I can deal with all the other stuff, its a non issue. Nothing a TIG cant solve.

The unforeseen costs have a way of sneaking the spend up higher...  Like I said before, plenty of people are happy enough improving the performance of the stock forks by dropping in Cogent (or other) goodness.  I just went the RMZ front end coz I thought it would be fun to do.  What I really didnt expect was just how much better the result ended up.  I figured that I wouldnt be a good enough rider to notice any improvement from the fork swap.  Wrong, it was surprisingly obvious even to a dirt-riding numpty like me.

The shock REALLY needs to get some work though. I find it strange how you said that hte rear matters more than the front ( usually its the other way around!). The rebound on it is flat out just terrible. I think a hardtail is better!

The stock front end is old tech damper-rod.... lots of sag... soft and cushy... first time you fall off (you will fall off), you'll discover just how ...um... rigid... the front end isnt when you "realign" it by tweakin' it straight..... between your knees  .  BUT.... the front end is Ohlins goodness compared to the wallow and weave inducing truly horrible rear shock.  I mean... sit on the bike and see how much it would benefit from some preload  ... and then go boil an egg while you wait for it to... um... rebound.  

No wonder it corners like a Merry-go-round horse.

So yup, I say start at the back end.  If you do the RMZ front end you're gonna HAVE to do something with the back end... or your DR will have the geometry of a chopper.

[DanTheMan]

id like to do the fork swap if its under $500. It seems like i can snag some forks off of ebay for around $200-$300 for the RMZ450s.

Keep in mind, if you have to upgrade the springs, if the size difference is big enough you can overpower the existing valving. Meaning you might have to get the valving done. Ran into this issue with my KTM. Put dirtbike forks onto the enduro. spring size went from a .42 to .52 and valving needed to be redone to compensate for the larger spring.

[He Man]

So the rear needs work for sure. I can kill its travel completely with just cargo and my own weight, let a lone a bump.

Do you guys know what spring is correct for a total weight of 250lbs (rider 150, cargo 100) I dont actually expect to be carrying 100lbs of cargo, but i think its a conservative estimate.

Heres some photos that i finnaly took of her.

[MendoDave]

I figure you have more or less 2 choices. Go down to the dealership and get the heavier spring which is going to require removing the reservoir and thus taking the shock in to the shop to get it recharged.

Or call race tech, tell them what you need and ship it off to them. They will take care of it for you and it will be all smiles when you get your shock back.

[koko64]

What carb is that, oem?