Getting the 660 where I want it ???

[phil w]

So I was going to sell the Tenere. But after a good few hours pontificating I have decided it really is worth getting to where I want it to be.
Some things I do know about comparing it to my Transalp is.. Yes the TA is better built and its better on the open road at higher end speeds, but that is really marginal as the Ten in its current form is only about 5mph slower.
Transalps minus points are, hard servicing.. changing plugs is a pain and theres 4 of them, tappets equally a pain!! Working on the carb is also a pain. But then they are known for extreme reliability... one of the great plus points !!
Ha I know there are guys out there who buy a bike and keep it, then go and buy another and before they know it they have six or more, jeez I know of people who own 3 Transalps... why ??? I guess thats the way they live... I dont get like that but I do look through rose tinted glasses a lot!! I also dont have the space to have more than 2 and sometimes thats too many. But Ive always had say 1 mid size bike for doing a spot of touring or general sunny days cruising... and then Ive had an off roader, like an XR or KTM.. for days in the dirt..... So there I am... now with 2 mid size old skool adventure trailies
To be honest the Transalp is my rose tinted glass bike !!
I really should go to 1 bike but cant break away from what I have... my VW T4 could do with some love also
So the Ten
The points that bug me about it are
Some parts are a bit close to end of days.... the header pipes, so I may get some new ones. I have seen some on E Bay that are £210 from Motad and I guess well made.... but I have also seen some from Off-The-Road.De about 155 Euro that are oversized and therefore "they Say" better performance
But if I do that I will ( because Thats the way I am ) want a new tailpipe... no point in putting something old so close to that bling!!
Handlebar twisty, weird feeling is annoying. So today I find some inserts from Kedo that seem to fit the bill.
http://www.kedo.com/
Item no.40701
These are hard plastic and it replaces the bushes that go in the top yoke. Not sure whether to go with this as it may increase the vibe. Im wondering if its just worth fitting new bushes in as they are only about £9 each I think from Yamaha and then go with a 1 piece handlebar top clamp to hold them together which is item no. 30516 from Kedo

The last thing that really pisses me off is the plastics that buzz and rattle, mate says wear ear plugs.... and I do which helps but it still bloody winds me up. So I need to source something to try and make this better, its especially bad around the front headlight area, it even overpowers the rear floppy mudguard thing that I can hardly hear
Really the Tenere should be streets ahead of an old.. same age Transalp. It is easier to service by miles and has roughly the same power in a fair bit lighter package, is much easier to ride off road.... but sometimes lacks the quality I seem to be a fan of
So there I am at the mo with my Tenere

[xtzrick]

I have motad headers, yes they're well made but small bore, smaller than the exhaust port. & if you're spending money why not have more power (Lads on SZR & MZ660 forums always remark on the power increase just by fitting big bore headers).

The Off The Road headers seem to have very tight curves


which I don't believe is good for power... & they're ugly.

The other option is to have some made. I've just been quoted £40-50 for the welding if I can find the bends in 35mm O.D. tubing (about the right size for the 660 according to other forums) using my motad flanges, collars (I'll bore them out) & rear section that connects to the mid pipe. I might have to get a collector made, won't know until I measure.
So I found THIS place, about £45 for what I need

Obviously you would need to get flanges, collars & collector made Phil, but if you got a 2nd hand silencer from a large capacity inline four (like Geoff & Mezo have) & had it fitted at the same time, I'm sure you could get a full system for not much more than the price of the motad headers. You will save a lot of weight, that standard silencer weighs a ton, & they're expensive, might get some money back if you put it on ebay.

Free things 1st though
1. Take the seat off & pull out the air box silencer... it doesn't require any jetting changes but you could re-adjust your mixture screw if you think it might be running a bit lean. If you don't like the results, just re-fit it.
2. Open up the left hand carb mounting rubber to match the inlet port on the head with a file or dremmel if you have one. It's quite restrictive & makes a difference to high speed touring & over taking (@ XTZDazzyP Forgot to mention this the other day, I'll give you a hand when you want it done )

The annoying rattles
Mine has loads... but not from the headlights.
There are a couple of rubber "U" shaped strips that fit between the instrument cluster & fairing sides, are yours in place?
The headlights can develop a wobble, "O" rings slid over beam adjuster bolts take up the slack.

Rick

[xtzdazzyp]

cheers rick will have to do that mod ,and as for rattles mine stem from the tank shroud things rubber mounts fell out ages ago ,will sort out the other rattley bits n bobs over winter me thinks ,

[phil w]

Cheers Rick, just as well you have your XTZ.... as I dont think there would be much info on them with things to do otherwise. I wonder why it was so unpopular over here ?
I see what your saying on the headers and if thats the case I dont think I will bother with the Motad ones, but equally the thought of sourcing all my own shizzle and going and getting a new header made up sounds like a right pain. I may try and get in touch with a guy down this way who has custom exhausts made for exceptionally smart Dominator flat trackers, I bellieve he uses longlife as the only people who were prepared to undertake that stuff. But I rekon the OTR ones seem fav, and Im sure work better than my rusty corroded originals, and a lot less hassle
Will pull the snorkle and have a go on that, does it need a pre filter mind?? Cant see as it does as particles still go down the snorkle
Last Q for now mind is... as I look at whats selling on e bay.. there has been a few recently with "5th gear noise" or problems and "very common". Whats with the gears ??

[xtzrick]

I wonder why it was so unpopular over here ?

Will pull the snorkle and have a go on that, does it need a pre filter mind?? Cant see as it does as particles still go down the snorkle
Last Q for now mind is... as I look at whats selling on e bay.. there has been a few recently with "5th gear noise" or problems and "very common". Whats with the gears ??

I think the colour schemes had a lot to do with them being unpopular

We don't need pre filters in this country, it's only when you get fine dust, like the bull dust in Australia, you need an extra filter. The standard paper filter should stop that Welsh mud.

My 5th gear is starting to whine but it does have 84,000 miles on the clock, yours should be good for a while yet
There are threads on this forum about it for the early 600s, it's probably the same thing.

Rick

[xtzrick]

Gazzelle in Rhoshill near Cardigan are worth a try.

They made me a 4 into 1 for a Z1000 to fit a silencer I supplied 15 years ago, turned up with bike in the morning, went home with an exhaust in the afternoon

Rick

[phil w]

Cheers for that Rick, will give them a call and see whats on offer

[1600]

Any thoughts Rick, suggestions, whateva, on better carbs?

Has anyone fitted something differenet than the "so-so must" of Raptor atv BSR33 carbs? (or BST...cant remember now...)

For example, what about a donation from the latest TTR600 (1998-...conventional forks), that uses 2x30mm Teikei, instead of the classic 27mm of the almost entire XT range?

Should there be a benefit?...wondering...

[phil w]

Well its been a slack week with the bike, so nothing much has been done. I have just aquired a set of pannier frames for the bike so thats nice. I have also oredered a set of plastic type inserts from Kedo to get rid of the soft bushes that go inside the top yoke, so hopefully that will straighten things up there

[xtzrick]

Well its been a slack week with the bike, so nothing much has been done. I have just aquired a set of pannier frames for the bike so thats nice. I have also oredered a set of plastic type inserts from Kedo to get rid of the soft bushes that go inside the top yoke, so hopefully that will straighten things up there

I had another look at my 'bars & yes they were twisted, I'd always put the feel down to me having knackered arms

I have got them straight now, but it did take a while. The other XTs have the same set up, is there a knack to it? Anyone?

(1600, look here )

Rick