by crfsonly » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:26 pm
ok...i know i haven't been as good as i should at posting updates on the build. i'm not even sure where to start on all that's gone on in the last two weeks.
first, let me say that i spent several hours yesterday testing the bike and it rocks! probably the most notable improvements on the bike are the suspension and controls. the RG3 suspension is the best i've ever ridden. i ride in rocky and rutted out trails and prior to the RG3 suspension the front end would be very difficult to control as it has a tendency to really jump around in these situations. now it stays planted, holds it's line, and has amazing absorbtion capabilities. in the rear the bike would have a tendency to swap in certain situations. not anymore. keep in mind that i'm slight (read: significantly) off the target weight of 180-190lbs and this suspension is incredible. i can't imagine how it much better it would be if i was in 180lbs.
the next thing i notice is the power change due to the stage 1 cam. yes, i ended up going the stage 1 cam route versus the stage 2. why you ask? for a couple of reasons, first, this was a trail/off-road bike build for an intermediate rider. most trail riding is done in the low to mid range of the powerband. had it been a desert bike i would have gone with the stage 2 were that increased top end could be put to use. second, since i'm gearing up i didn't want to lose too much on the low end side. third, after consulting with tom morgan, famed mechanic, i was convinced this was the better choice for our purposes.
the power is fantastic. on the top end it feels a lot like the stock power...however, on the low to mid range there's definitely more and it's all usable. once i gear it up it will make the low end perfect with an increase in top speed up top.
now, for the challenging part of the last week plus. yesterday while testing, or perhaps during the cam installation, the starter motor failed. i'm not sure exactly how or why but it did and it put us into a panic. at least at this point we think it's the starter. starters on these bikes are not an easy thing to come by in a matter of hours. however, after enormous effort i located one and we're working on accurately diagnosing the problem and fixing it. i'll know more tomorrow how successful we are and will update all of you on our progress.
back to the things that went well. the graphics with the white plastics look awesome! i had it in the truck today and people were driving by with the big thumbs up signal. that's never happened to me with any bike in the back of my truck. that's a good sign.
i'll post more tomorrow.
ken