Trailing an R1100RT!?

[Cpn Kelly]

Dear Oilies!

 

Good to be here!

 

After a life of big trailies with a 10 year break, I needed to get back riding again, but had no idea what to get. 

 

This little beauty had been standing in a garage for 18 years and had just 18k on the clock. I thought it a bit of a risk as it was not even running, but the spirits spoke to me and I got it for £600.

 

With a new fuel pump, tyres, battery and plugs, it now has an MOT and I took it out for the first time this week. 

 

I loved the ride, but know that the trails will be calling me off the tarmac every time I see one. I plan to tour Europe this summer and take in some TET trails. If I put some intermediates on her and take it easy, am I being silly? Should I sell her on and get an adventure BMW? I don't have much money...so...

 

I value your opinions and look forward to any remarks. 

 

I am also looking for some riding partners in N Scotland, if anyone cares!

 

PS I am building a cage to carry 'toobs' the wonderdog. 

[dirtrider]

11 hours ago, Cpn Kelly said:

Dear Oilies!

 

Good to be here!

 

After a life of big trailies with a 10 year break, I needed to get back riding again, but had no idea what to get. 

 

This little beauty had been standing in a garage for 18 years and had just 18k on the clock. I thought it a bit of a risk as it was not even running, but the spirits spoke to me and I got it for £600.

 

With a new fuel pump, tyres, battery and plugs, it now has an MOT and I took it out for the first time this week. 

 

I loved the ride, but know that the trails will be calling me off the tarmac every time I see one. I plan to tour Europe this summer and take in some TET trails. If I put some intermediates on her and take it easy, am I being silly? Should I sell her on and get an adventure BMW? I don't have much money...so...

 

I value your opinions and look forward to any remarks. 

 

I am also looking for some riding partners in N Scotland, if anyone cares!

 

PS I am building a cage to carry 'toobs' the wonderdog. 

Morning Cpn Kelly

 

Riders do it, the gearing isn't very good for the slower technical stuff, the ground clearance is rather low,  the plastics damage easily, front tire size isn't the best choice, you can't turn the ABS off (easily anyhow), standing-on-the-pegs riding is awkward, it's heavy in the wrong places, the brakes are linked (not the best for USA off-road, I don't know what off-road needs where you ride?).

 

If you ride in the mud (especially sticky mud) you don't have much front tire to fender clearance so the front tire can quit turning if it jams with mud.  

 

If you get it stuck in sand or mud you can burn the plastics above the exhaust pipes it you use the engine to try to try to free it, or ride it out. 

 

Otherwise if you don't poke a hole in the engine case  (no skid plate fitment), it will go off road if you are careful & have decent  tires. 

 

Also, put some valve cover protectors (best is actual bars) on it, if you drop it while moving you can 

displace, crack, or damage a valve cover so it then leaks oil. 

 

With that low exhaust just don't stall it in the middle of a stream or river crossing.

 

If your TET trails are hard packed,  with no deep water crossings, not slippery, no overhanging branches, no deep holes or big rocks then it should go OK for you, just don't abuse your clutch. 

 

You might also put some side mirror cable retention on the mirrors as they can get knocked off easily. 

 

  

[Hosstage]

From the TET site:

 

"The Trans Euro Trail® is aimed at small and medium capacity trail bikes – bikes such as Yamaha’s WR250R and XT600 and XT660Z Tenere, CCM’s GP450, KTM’s 690 and Suzuki’s DRZ400. Larger bikes can tackle it but riders need to be more experienced and competent. Soft luggage, travelling light is the ethos – leave those panniers and armchairs at home. This is overlanding in its purest form."

[szurszewski]

The question for me is, do I care if I kill this bike? Unless you're planning on never falling over you're almost surely going to essentially destroy the plastics - fortunately you don't really need any of them (well, if you have to pass an MOT I guess you'll need the parts that hold the mirrors - or you can add GS mirrors to the existing holes on the bars). 

 

D.R. has made a comprehensive list already of all the other parts that are less than ideal/reasons you could damage other parts of the bike. Perhaps your investment is low enough and your personality such that you'll enjoy trashing the bike by riding it somewhere it wasn't meant to be ridden - and nothing wrong with that!

 

Now that you've got it running and roadworthy, could you sell it for enough to buy a more suitable bike? I'd at least consider that option. 

 

But, more importantly - can we have more pictures of toobs? Are those RexSpecs he's wearing? He looks ready to go!