Anyone know the url for technoflex ? I thought they we're based in Holland ... I only find their agent in the states...

Many thanks
Matt

Yea, my web search has come up with the same agent in the States + another in Oz:-

Technoflex Suspension Specialists - Motohansa BMW

at the bottom of that page there is a url for technoflex in the NL (Technoflex.nl - technoflex Resources and Information. This website is for sale!) - worth a go?

Cheers,

Off topic: I like the look of those pics of bike trailers - it's the first one I have seen with a swinging arm, which is a great idea compared with a direct axle.

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Dave

You can't see it well in these pics but these trailers also have a rising rate rear mc type rear shock on there....its at the back of the trailer. They claim they handle very well....the pics of nasty single track are impressive.

Cost is about $800 US. More with Top cover. Fully street legal.

Here is a comment from the owner answering some of my questions:

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

Take a look at the AfricanQueens - Spezialteile für Enduros und Reiseenduros. for alternative spring rates for the xrv. For travelling 2 up go stiffer back and front. Remember the week wheelbearing in the back wheel (left side), bring 1/2 extra, and change before you leave. Good luck with your travell, and watch your weight carefully. Try not to overload.


Mollydog: Have you ever tried an XRV or even seen one?

Talking about spagetti sving arm? XRV has an massive aluminium one, more than up to the jobb.

thin forks: actually the samme dimension as the road rocket suzuki you talk about, of course with more travel, and it comes with a brace. Do trawel bikes need 50 mm forks?

soft frame: I would say the xrv frame is pretty solid, with a good sub frame. RD04 was/is the choice for rally conversions. And i would say is is more solid than the old GS units, i dont know with the new 1200.

soft wheels? I have never heard of people having trouble with them so i suspect they are as good as anny.


Maybee know something about the actuall bike before you say it is a peace of shit?

I do aggree about not overloading the bike.

Mvh Frode

I don't see these expressions, or anything remotely like them in this thread!

(but Mollydog is well able to speak for himself )

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Dave

The "road rocket" Suzuki? You mean the VStrom? They have a 43mm fork IIRC,
and a frame that looks very similar to a GSXR. Have a look some time. Massive at the headstock. The AT was VERY good for 1990 but things move on
Is this a surprise to you?:confused1:

I have seen many AT's, mostly in Europe, some have been imported privately to the US. In the UK I rode a '98 AT while my Triumph Tiger was getting a MOT inspection, this in 2003. I only rode the bike for about 1/2 hour...it was for sale.

I was not impressed. Slow, heavy and a bit ponderous....terrible brakes, clapped out suspension. Bike showed 17K kms. Comfort was OK, but not as good as my Tiger or my Vstrom. Just my opinion. Most likely it had not been properly set up...or had more kms. than the ODO showed?

But I must apologize....I looked at some pics on the Honda Trail BIke forum, and see the swingarm DOES look rather BIG! And I read later versions had stiffer chassis. All good. My mistake. I don't see this bike everyday.

So does that mean the bike would be rock solid with 800 lbs on board?

But that said, I would also say modern frames, swingarms and front forks have several advantages over the older A.T. Current Fork tubes and Triple clamps are bigger, stiffer and more robust than the AT equipment. I see many AT owners go with modern forks on the front, going with WP upside down forks or other forks and aftermarket or kTM triple clamps. Good move.

The swingarm may be big enough but new casting techniques and design now make most all current ALU frames and swingarms generally stiffer, lighter and stronger than earlier. Computer aided design is far more sophisticated now than in the 80's. They do More with Less. This is progress.

NOTE THE LIGHTER PART.
The AT is not a light weight bike. I saw two dry weights listed for this bike: One 217 kgs. the other (on a newer AT) was 235 kgs. or so.

I am aware the AT is legend....mostly a Euro thing. A great bike with a huge Euro following of fans. Obviously bullet proof reliability. Kudos to Honda.
If Honda had done more upgrades to this bike over the years it would easily be the best in the world. Even so, its still serves well for many riders....but lets not try to compare it with either Vstrom.

Rally conversions? You mean rally conversions 15 years ago, right?

I never said AT wheels were soft. I'm sure they are way above average.
My POINT was that any bike's wheels will be dented easier when the bike is overloaded...a point on which we seem to agree.

I'm sure the frame is fine.....but may flex a bit when overloaded, no? And that, again, was my point. Put 700 lbs on a 1150 GS and you hardly know its there.
Same with a Vstrom...nearly. I just don't believe a stock AT would handle weight as elegantly as the other bikes in standard form.

Certainly not a POS....just a 20 year old design. A vintage bike.

Patrick

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

First of all; I’m not a big fan of the AT for me it is something between a sofa and a bulldozer and it lacks power, and the suspension is bad.
But it is a very robust bike and it can take a lot of beating. The rims are solid with huge safety lips that make them very sturdy. I would say the rim is better then most (all) rims on modern bikes.

Going offroad with an AT is a nightmare (for me), the weight, the suspension the high COG and the riding position doesn’t fit me at all. But I guess that’s my fault because I’ve seen people drive the AT hard and it works very well, even with luggage:

YouTube - How to handle a Africa Twin

Maybe its time for a little history on my AT….

For me I love the older AT, the RD04 is indeed an older bike so fitted into my budget (carnet !!!), powerful enough for me, I’m a slow rider, it’s a big bike and I feel very comfortable… I love the looks but can only really compare it to my 600cc Yamaha Tenere. Being older there is plenty of overland knowledge and everyone speaks of fantastic reliability… lastly its simple, no fancy electronics to worry about and they can take real punishment.

BTW I think the rims are made by ‘excel’ as standard fitment. Down side is fuel consumption, rectifiers / regulators and I’ll add rear wheel bearings.

But I would like to point out what Sjaak said; the only thing that’s important, is it has to feel right in your heart !!! he rode a Yamaha R1 around the world….
Sjaak Lucassen | travelling the world by motorcycle | Yamaha YZF R1


The issue of rear shock arose due to a recent documentary by a few well know actors who rode GS1200 (or was it 1150’s) to Cape Town, they had two support vehicles and even then all 3 bike suffered complete rear shock failures !! Very strange for a brand new bike that’s out of the box, RTW ready….. I guess it was all the extra camera equipment they had to carry ........

Salut

Still - maybe this should go into a new thread?


Mollydog,
Ta for the extra information; those trailers are well thought out and designed it seems to me. I assumed that there is a shock with the swing arm; any idea how they deal with steering in slow, tight turns at, say road junctions from a standing start - do they have a ball joint behind the attachment to the bikes' swinging arm for instance?

Not everyones cup of tea to pull one of course - the light weight bikes shown in the pics are obvious candidates and I guess they could find their limits easily enough in either deep sand or mud.

The price is competitive with the cost of hard bags and racks at the current exchange rates, so maybe someone should be importing these into Europe??!

Kelowna; nice place from memory. Toured through there a few years ago, unfortunately on 4 wheels at the time.
(I guess the pics are BC and not, as I assumed, good old USA!)

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Dave