OMG, Look Who's Entering the Dirtbag!

[Gabe]

Howdy BARFers!

It's been a while since I participated here, so hello old and new friends.

Anyway, my pal Al is being very generous with his time and energy (and assorted parts) and wants me to do a Dirtbag project. Motorcycle.com also gave me a green--ish light to maybe do a series of stories/videos. So here goes!

These are the bones:

Al has (I think) gifted me a '98 DR650 (previously owned by Christina, Wade Boyd's sidecar partner). The motor is in his 2015 DB entry (https://www.odd-bike.com/2016/11/guest-post-alan-lapps-dirtbag-challenge.html)

and we will pull it out of that bike and rebuild it. Other parts:

-fork/triples/wheel/brakes from Aprilia SXV550 Supermoto, which, if you ask me, is a bike that should never be ridden by anyone, ever, so we're doing the world a favor by using the front end from one. Interestingly, the source of these parts is Lee Parks of total Control Training (he runs CMSP for the State of California). Not to name-drop, but I feel like a real DB bike needs parts with interesting provenance, no?

-Relaced rear DR wheel with a 17-inch Sun or Excell 4.25 wheel, just in case anyone has one, hint, hint.

-We're thinking an interesting vintage tank, or one of these Chinese-made replicas I'm seeing on eBay and Amazon for around $100. https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

-For tail section, I'd love to think Al and I have the wherewithall to make something like this bike:

...but we probably don't, so I'll likely just buy a Saddlemen tail/undertail/seat and graft it on with a new subframe. I will grow a beard so we can do the grinder-wheel scene in Al's shop.

-I'd love to hear suggestions/tips/tricks/trollish abuse/whatever. See you at the Dirtbag (if it's an in-person or online event this year).

 

[cheez]

Looks like a fun build, good luck! I've already been gathering parts for my entry. It's going to be called Quasimoto.

 

[HadesOmega]

I was gonna say that looks like a 97' DR650 because I have one with the purple frame that the previous owner painted over. Nice frame, my subframe is twisted up like a pretzel =P

 

[Gabe]

I was gonna say that looks like a 97' DR650 because I have one with the purple frame that the previous owner painted over. Nice frame, my subframe is twisted up like a pretzel =P

Mine's a 98, I think--we looked at the VIN tag last night.

 

[HadesOmega]

A lot of the early DR650s have the fruity pebbles colors. The white, purple, and yellow colors. I have a 2000 that I'm selling that has the gunmetal frame. I think 98 is the last year of the purple frames.

 

[Gabe]

A lot of the early DR650s have the fruity pebbles colors. The white, purple, and yellow colors. I have a 2000 that I'm selling that has the gunmetal frame. I think 98 is the last year of the purple frames.

Wade Boyd (his friend Christa owned this bike) loves purple. He says it's the color of royalty.

 

[budman]

Cool... have fun with it Gabe! :thumbup

You too Dan.. Quasimoto.. love that you have a name for it already :laughing

 

[gixxerjeff]

Quasimoto.. love that you have a name for it already :laughing

I like it too.
Lemme quess.....as in The Hunchback of Moto Dame?:laughing

 

[auntiebling]

-We're thinking an interesting vintage tank, or one of these Chinese-made replicas I'm seeing on eBay and Amazon for around $100. https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Ho...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

never crossed my mind to check amazonbay for a tank. that is an interesting option!

i'm loving your front axle!

Looks like a fun build, good luck! I've already been gathering parts for my entry. It's going to be called Quasimoto.

me too, have been planning this build for ~10 years. i'm calling it "this years's dirtbag bike" for short.

with a little luck, it'll run before i run out of build time

 

[Caddywumpus]

Who's entering?

 

[cheez]

I like it too.
Lemme quess.....as in The Hunchback of Moto Dame?:laughing

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!

With me on it, it'll look pretty amusing I think.

 

[GooF2]

Is there a date for this year's DBC yet?

 

[auntiebling]

Is there a date for this year's DBC yet?

Not that I am aware of.

Just kinda guessing that the announcement should be sorta soon and by sorta I mean anytime in the next 8 weeks

 

[two wheel tramp]

Howdy BARFers!

It's been a while since I participated here, so hello old and new friends.

Anyway, my pal Al is being very generous with his time and energy (and assorted parts) and wants me to do a Dirtbag project. Motorcycle.com also gave me a green--ish light to maybe do a series of stories/videos. So here goes!

These are the bones:

Al has (I think) gifted me a '98 DR650 (previously owned by Christina, Wade Boyd's sidecar partner). The motor is in his 2015 DB entry (https://www.odd-bike.com/2016/11/guest-post-alan-lapps-dirtbag-challenge.html)

and we will pull it out of that bike and rebuild it. Other parts:

-fork/triples/wheel/brakes from Aprilia SXV550 Supermoto, which, if you ask me, is a bike that should never be ridden by anyone, ever, so we're doing the world a favor by using the front end from one. Interestingly, the source of these parts is Lee Parks of total Control Training (he runs CMSP for the State of California). Not to name-drop, but I feel like a real DB bike needs parts with interesting provenance, no?

-Relaced rear DR wheel with a 17-inch Sun or Excell 4.25 wheel, just in case anyone has one, hint, hint.

-We're thinking an interesting vintage tank, or one of these Chinese-made replicas I'm seeing on eBay and Amazon for around $100. https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

-For tail section, I'd love to think Al and I have the wherewithall to make something like this bike:

...but we probably don't, so I'll likely just buy a Saddlemen tail/undertail/seat and graft it on with a new subframe. I will grow a beard so we can do the grinder-wheel scene in Al's shop.

-I'd love to hear suggestions/tips/tricks/trollish abuse/whatever. See you at the Dirtbag (if it's an in-person or online event this year).

I have a weird ass rear wheel for a DR650. Doesn't fit my DR, might be from an earlier year? Yours if you want it.

 

[Gabe]

I have a weird ass rear wheel for a DR650. Doesn't fit my DR, might be from an earlier year? Yours if you want it.

That is kind, but I've located an SV650 rear wheel. I think we're going to go with a Ducati ST3 front end and SV rear wheel, TT500 tank, Bonneville seat. We're making the subframe ourselves. It'll be a cafe racer/brat kind of thing but tasteful, hopefully.

If anyone does have some stuff they'd like to see get used, we are in need of:

DR650 wire harness

DR650 oil-cooler lines

DR650 motor mount plates

Interesting/cool-looking muffler

Chrome or painted metal rear fender

 

[Gabe]

So thinkgs have evolved a bit since my last update, and I think the build has a firmer direction now.

-DR650 frame and swingarm
-DR650 suspension, shortened, resprung, revalved for supermoto
-Chopped subframe
-eBay hipster seat
-TT500 tank
-17-inch Warp9 wheels and hubs
-Vintage chrome rear fender, chopped
-Small plastic or metal front fender
-LED headlamp with integrated TS lights
-Cheap-o speedometer from Amazon
-Cheap-o rear LED taillight
-Renthal fattie bar
-Stock wire harness, carbs, electrics
-Home-fabbed battery/electronics box
-Cheap-o li-ion battery
-Shinko dual-sport tires
-Custom home-made exhaust system or bodged-together stock DR exhaust (I'd LOVE a donation of old DR header if you have one!)

I know some of this stuff is nasty, cheap crap that will likley break soon (if it works at all), but the wheels and tires are like 60% of my $2000 Dirtbag build budget. I thought it would be cheaper to buy rims and spokes and have wheels made locally with stock hubs, but surprisingly, that would only save about $150. This way at least I get two sets of wheels.

Here's my mock-up of where the project is headed.

 

[cheez]

So much badass in such a minimal package. What's your secret?

 

[Gabe]

So much badass in such a minimal package. What's your secret?

Well, I bought nosehair clippers, because who wants to see that, and I work very hard to be friendly and approachable, yet maintain a firm, manly demeanor.

 

[Gabe]

So I've evolved a bit more, here's a mockup that I hope will be close to the finished product. Anyone have ideas/thoughts/recomendations about exhaust routing? I have an old matte-black Kerker reverse-meg muffler from the 80s I want to use, it's about 16 inches long.

 

[Z3n]

It’s the dirtbag so you should have as short a 90 degree turn out of the head as you can and point the muffler exit down at the ground. Call it the street sweeper.