Why a old thumber without a magic button?
In 2004 I owned a XR 600 R.
I took it to the MX track, to the woods around my home village and even on holiday to the Pyrenen. I loved the handling, I loved the punch from low revs. I wanted to sell it because of that kickstarter. There were several Situations when I got crazy because it wouldn´t start like it should. (nearly burnt that f------g thing down, but luckily had no matches). But nobody seems to be interested … so month after month I had to kick it and as a guy wanted to buy it I was very god in kicking it to life. I had developed this special feeling for the engine. I knew exactly what it wanted. (choke full/half, throttle open or not, kind of kick…) But there was this guy… he wanted to give me all his money and in the back of my mind there was always this:”buy a DRZ” Which I did and never looked back. The DRZ is THE Endurobike. I still got it and will never sell it.
After a while, I think it was 2007, BMW showed the Xchallenge to the world. I was struck by the first look. That might be the “better “ DRZ. 2009 I was able to buy one.
So there you are, you got two “near perfekt bikes” in the shed and all you can do is screw gadgets(argl) onto them. Buy, open parcel, screw on… soon it gets very boring. No real craftsmenship, no welding, recoiling, getting things done on the lathe… well you know, no old stinking oil, no seals to be changed, no getting your hands dirty.
The DRZ and the XChallenge have no spirit, no history to tell. (to tell me at least) I think that is the point.
In the late 70ties, early 80ties my father took me to THE Enduro event in Northgermany. Just a village away in Kaltenkirchen (“coldchurch” if you want ;-) It was held on a military trainingground. There I was about ten years old standing in the rain and all the 500 to 600 ccm Thumbers were flying by in a 2 meters distance. I think it was then when that seed was placed in my head. That sound! That awesome sound of pounding singles! I remember those days were always very lucky days for me. I had the pockets full of empty training ammunition 7,62 mm and sometimes even 2cm FLAK (well, I was ten then) My father let me eat Pommes frits all day…
Back in 2010: I´m standing at the window looking out. A guy sitting high on an old thumper drives through our street, then he opens the throttle full and there it is. This “popp popp popp”!!! rolls through the Housecanyon. And that´s it. I have to have an old thumber again! I knew it instantly.
Reading Mezo´s rebuild gave the rest to me and I knew where I had to search for
The XChallenge was sold very quick. It was the bike with more “no spirit”. I think fuel injection makes it a dead thing. Now I had good money for the project.
For all who don´t know what I´m talking about:
This is NOT mine but you get the idea.
I´m in the process of restaurating a TT 600
Fred
)
I will go on to get the specialparts on the bike. (34L Tank, Supertenere fork)
I had some nice newish bolts for the footpegs from a younger XT. (Got a big bag with XT screws and bolts from a bikepartsdealer) So I screwed them in a bit and was happy... as I wanted to put the engine in the frame I discovered that there has to be a little "adjustment" to the rear enginemount. Laying the frame on the side taking a hammer and fixed that little problem and in the same process killing the nut in the frame.