NX 650 Dominator ('96 - RD08) Querries.
 

First off, I'm looking for a replacement/solution to the infamous Dommie brick that's supposedly the seat. The big single's vibrations coupled with my relatively heavy weight (90+kg) make anything over a hundred or so kms a somewhat painful experience. I guess the stuffing is just not designed for the taller/wider ones of us out there. Are there any straightforward solutions for this (as in not having a seat custom-made)?

Secondly, I'm looking to replace the rear shock (still stock atm), which suffers from the same problem as the seat stuffing: too bloody soft... I've got the height (1.90+cm) to deal with a less saggy rear end and, truth be told, it could use some tightening. Now, I know I can get an Ohlins for about 900€, but considering the bike itself was bought for about 2.5K (and it's my first, "learner" bike), it's rather excessive.

The third question is about crash bars (or however you want to call them). I've seen a couple of them (sadly there's not that much to choose from apparently), and the only ones that seem sturdy and don't look like they'll just fold up i found at Fehling (a german company), but sadly they don't seem to make them anymore. So, any options? Right now Hepco & Becker seem to be the best option, but it's more of a "there ain't nothing better, so what the heck"-case if I end up getting them (which is doubtful).

Next (and thus question nr. 4), comes the issue of the (pretty much non-existent) screen. Going over 90km/h becomes a fight against the wind, particularly with my height. The only option I've found till now is a Givi screen (which I don't even know if they still make/have as the Spanish importer/dealer has yet to reply to one of my 3 emails in the past month and a half). Any other options there?

And Q.5: Any good/decent hard-or-soft cases for the Dommie in the "cheaper than Touratech"-range? Again, a simple matter of trying to keep the total expenses down.

Finally (and lastly), the sixth question: I'm nearing 30K on the odometer, and am wondering if there's any particular issues I should look out for, etc., specially considering I intend to do a few medium-range (1-5K km) trips within the next couple of months, and I'd prefer to not run into any predictable surprises. And I have to take into account that I bought it with about 25K on the odo, with very little info on it's previous servicing/repair record.


Anyhow, I know it's a lot of questions, but even just an answer to one or two of them would already be a great help.

Cheers,
J.

Nx650 - Rd08
 

Firstly, Congratulations on owning a truly awesome machine!!
I had the same model ebfore having to sell it because of moving to Australia.

I can't answer all of your questions, but can offer suggestions for some.

1. Gel pad.
Gel adds a lot more confort. If you can get hold of a gel pad used by horseriders (it is put under the saddle to make the horse more comfortable) and secure it to your existing seat, that might be an option.
I know a few riders who make use of cycling shorts with padding in them to make longer journeys more comfy on the rear.

3. Crash bars
The best ones I have seen for a Dommie have been custom made. Make friends with someone with a welder!

4. After a long search I ended up opting not to get a larger screen. The only ones I have seen have been custom made (I recall Welcome to M & P listing a screen for the Dommie, but I had to order one and the order time didn't coincide well with my trip plans).

5. Soft Panniers
Softies are my favourite.
I had a couple of racks made up for me (to keep the panniers away from the exhaust and to have something to easily attach them to).
Ortlieb make excellent weather and dustproof panniers that you can fit a bunch of stuff into.
Andystrapz.com also make similar bags.

6. Bike Reliability
I can't offer much advise here because my bike travelled less than yours has. I did look into it though and the one thing that repeatedly came up was warnings against overheating (and resultant valve drop - ooeee!).
If you can ensure that the bike is well serviced before you travel, making sure that you include some preventative servicing/replacement for anything that might be particularly likely to take strain, then you should be good. The Dommie is known for being bulletproof! Love it and it will get you anywhere!

Happy travels!

Thanks a lot for the info.:clap:

And now, some follow-thru questions (etc):

1. Hmmm... not much horse-riding going on around here, so any suggestions as to where I might find something like that?

2. Well, I've decided on a Technoflex shock for the rear... still trying to decide between the 413€ "basic" model and the 589€ "advanced" model... I think I'll probably go for the cheaper one, as I'm still quite a ways off from knowing what those extra options on it even DO (and it IS a cheap first bike after all).

3. Oh well, thanks for the tip... :thumbup1: sadly Spanish people aren't exactly much into the whole DIY stuff, and in 25 years (on and off) in the country haven't met someone who even knows how to weld (beyond people that do it as part of their job)... and I haven't done it in over a decade (plus I don't have any of the gear to do it anymore). Guess I'll have to look harder :eek3: Or I could always just fire up the old AutoCad, come up with some ideas and check to see how much it would cost to get it made (I fear it'll be rather pricey though).

4. The M&P screen is supposedly exactly like the "original" one... which means either no screen or just the useless lil' fairing up front... unless I've missed something? :confused1: (at least, according to M&P in an email I got from them)

5. I'm in love with Andystrapz's soft panniers... so that's decided... due to the double exhaust right in the way I'm considering getting the TT rack (pricey, but very sturdy). Considering I don't need the rack to support the panniers, perhaps a lighter/cheaper solution would be better? Any recomendations? I haven't been able to find a lot of options for the Domi to tell you the truth... :(

6. Hmmm.. does the Domi have a heat sensor by any chance? Perhaps the same light that warns you the kickstand is down? Or can I add one? I read something about some Vector or Vapor (can't remember what brand) substitute for the "dash" for an XT600 iirc, which came with an oil temp sensor... is there something similar for the Domi?
And yeah, heard the same thing from the mechanic who checked out my bike just before I bought it (something along the lines of "it's indestructible, you could use coke instead of oil and it'd probably still run no prob"... not something I'm gonna try though...:rofl:)

I bought Shells' bike and fitted the Hepco & Becker bars. They're sturdy, look good and are easy to fit.

I fitted the tall screen from my R1100GS (£50 from James Sherlock). I used three M6 bolts with penny washers to fix it to the Honda screen after hacksawing the corners to miss the indicators and (on full lock) handguards. It's been fine for 10k+ miles. See picture.

See here.

Regards, Mick