Winter upgrades almost done

The RMZ front end is now bolted on, as are the bar riser clamps, top clamp, handle bars and hand guards from Highway Dirt Bikes, and the Vapor computer is bolted into the HDB billet Vapor protector dash, Corbin seat, DRZ tail light (and a yellow rear fender I found on ADV Rider). My new Alps Mountaineering Neptune 2 tent arrived today. Just waiting for my Pat Walsh luggage rack to arrive. Then I just need to figure out how I will mount my Pelican 1430 top-loading cases for use as panniers. Looking forward to some dirt bike camping this summer.


Good news, bad news...

Good news: the snow is melting fast and riding season is about to start (it was nice enough that I'd have ridden to work today if the bike was ready). Bad news: tomorrow I leave on another trip for work. This time I'll be gone for just over a month, so it seems I will miss the first few weeks of riding season. That's a hard  pill to swallow after not being able to ride for 3 months now because of winter. I'm dying to ride, the weather is finally cooperating, but I'll be away for a month. On the other hand, I am looking forward to this trip. It's a true round-the-world trip: Ottawa > London > Mumbai > Singapore > Bandar Seri Begawan >  Perth > Melbourne > Auckland > Vancouver > Ottawa. Unfortunately, it's not a tourist trip... it will mostly be long work days, with very little time for seeing the sights.

2 weeks in Africa

Went to Africa for work recently. One week in Bamako, Mali, followed by another week in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Both are former French colonies, and located in the North Western part of the continent. Hot and dry climate. Had a great time, even if I did spend long hours at work every day.

Took photos of some of the motorcycles I saw. Interesting to see all the different bikes people ride in other parts of the world.

Hotel in Bamako

 

Bananas just outside my hotel room.

 

Typical Bamako side-street

 

Typical woman on the main drag in Bamako, selling carrots.

 

Beer time.

 

Soccer is very popular

Yamaha DT175

Honda CG125

Yamaha 100cc 2-stroke (these are very common)

 

Baotian - never heard of these things.

Not the same KTM as most westerners would think.

Check out the KTM !

 

View from my hotel room in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

 Some type of air-cooled Honda v-twin in Ouagadougou --

the largest dispacement bike I saw.

 

 

 

 Honda TransAlp -- in Frankfurt 

(where I spent a night on my return trip)

Rear shock upgrade - completed

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about my plan to have Cogent Dynamics rebuild and upgrade the rear shock. Well, I just got back from a 2-week long business trip and the newly upgraded shock was waiting for me when I got home.

The "before" photo: the OEM shock with a 7.5 Kg/mm spring from ProCycle

The "after" photo: the same OEM shock with the full Cogent treatment.

So the shock was rebuilt and upgraded by Cogent Dynamics in North Carolina. Here's a rundown of the work they did:

• new longer and thicker shaft (Yikes! Sounds like a penis enlargment scam!)
• new lower mounting clevis
• added a compression adjustment clicker knob, the red thingy (previously, there was compression damping adjustment)
• new 8.1 Kg/mm Eibach spring
• anodized the shock body exterior
• ceramic-coated the body interior for better heat dissipation
• new seal head assembly with with bushing seals and O-rings
• new piston with a custom-made shim stack for me (a 200 lb. rider)
• new needle and needle jet
• new spring clip

By the time it was done, and round-trip shipping paid from Canada to North Carolina, the whole thing worked out to $601 on my Visa card. A lot of money, yes, but others who have done it all agree it's worth every penny. They were also kind enough to return the aftermarket spring I had installed last summer (a 7.5 Kg/mm spring from ProCycle). I've already sold the ProCycle spring for $100.  The original spring from the factory was a soft and squishy 6.5 Kg/mm. Can't wait to install this thing and go for a ride. Just gotta wait for the snow to melt.

Also waiting for me was a spare front wheel I bought on eBay. With the new RMZ front end, I have a wheel already but I found a deal on a front RMZ wheel in very good condition. So, now I have 2 full sets of wheels. I intend to have a set of knobbies mounted on one set, and a pair of more street worthy rubber mounted on the other set.

'07 RMZ250 front wheel found on eBay for $100.

Very nice condition, will make a nice spare.