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16 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydog
These wanna-be Dakar racers ride to Mongolia like it's a rally.
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To be fair, Lyndon is an actual Dakar racer. His best result was a stage 9th in the 2013 Dakar. On top of that a 1st place overall in the Mongolia rally and a 2nd overall in the Baja Rally.
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16 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by duibhceK
To be fair, Lyndon is an actual Dakar racer. His best result was a stage 9th in the 2013 Dakar. On top of that a 1st place overall in the Mongolia rally and a 2nd overall in the Baja Rally.
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Not to take cred from Lyndon ... reference is more to the buyers of such bikes who are NOT actual racers ... and for all we know won't go beyond Starbuck's.
46th place in the 2013 Dakar rally is certainly impressive. No question a great rider. Great finish in the Baja rally too getting 2nd behind Hengeveld (former Team Honda Hero, multiple Baja 1000 winner, now at retirement age)
I wonder if Lyndon will enter the Baja 1000? (the real Baja race!)
Big entry fee for that rally ($2,100). He must have generous sponsors. 
Point is, Lyndon's meticulously prepped KTM racers as a travel bike is not for everyone ... not for me, even if I could afford it ... all that Dakar stuff just looks silly ... unless you ARE a racer going racing! (road book, GPS holder, multiple tanks) Overkill IMO.
But it's a big world! All kinds hit the road, from guys doing "NO budget" trips on a 100cc Postie bike ... to Trust Fund kits going Carte Blanche. There's room for everyone. My favorite guys ride around in a $400K UniMog campers ... they always have cold  on board!
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17 Oct 2015
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There's an interesting thread on AdvRider from a British guy riding the US TAT (Trans America Trail) on a GP450. He sounds an average sort of rider rather than an off road god, and talks honestly about some of the problems he encountered.
I was one of the many that CCM spoke to as part of their market research. One of my suggestions (and maybe from others as well) was the stealth tool tube which ended up as the rather expensive false silencer. One suggestion of mine which wasn't acted upon was a wider ratio gearbox and minkyhead from ABR has done some work changing internal ratios.
I did have a test ride eventually but it was a bit disorganised, the accompanying 'guide' rider didn't know the area, so it was on tarmac with the exception of a couple of hundred metres down a lane. So I ended up buying a second KTM 690 Enduro which has proved ultra reliable.
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17 Oct 2015
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Homologation
Going back a few pages to the US homologation comments, I'm a former brake homologation engineer and would comment as follows;
The regs are fundanentally different. Any rest of the world data is useless so you need to employ locals.
There are components you have to change which means cartel pricing for which a small European manufacturer is painful.
Septic lawyers are scary and highly prevalent. As you mostly self certify you stand alone, no government agencies in self defence mode.
I wouldn't sell paperclips in California in case someone choked on them. CCM would be wise to fill other markets first.
Andy
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17 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie
Going back a few pages to the US homologation comments, I'm a former brake homologation engineer and would comment as follows;
The regs are fundanentally different. Any rest of the world data is useless so you need to employ locals.
There are components you have to change which means cartel pricing for which a small European manufacturer is painful.
Septic lawyers are scary and highly prevalent. As you mostly self certify you stand alone, no government agencies in self defence mode.
I wouldn't sell paperclips in California in case someone choked on them. CCM would be wise to fill other markets first.
Andy
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There's a reality check.
Naturally, The impending TTIP will solve all of this.
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17 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie
Going back a few pages to the US homologation comments, I'm a former brake homologation engineer and would comment as follows;
The regs are fundanentally different. Any rest of the world data is useless so you need to employ locals.
There are components you have to change which means cartel pricing for which a small European manufacturer is painful.
Septic lawyers are scary and highly prevalent. As you mostly self certify you stand alone, no government agencies in self defence mode.
I wouldn't sell paperclips in California in case someone choked on them. CCM would be wise to fill other markets first.
Andy
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It's true small companies have a hard time with homologation. I've visited the Triumph factory were they explained the 3 versions of the same bike they were building on same production line. They showed us the data tag that indicated which market it was destined for. Each bike had slightly different components. IIRC, it was one for UK/EU, another for USA/California and yet another for the rest of the world. The Japanese do the same.
BTW, most ALL OEM's now build (and have done for years) a "50 State" bike, which means its California legal as well as legal in the other 49 states. So not a big deal for big companies. They are set up for it and have the system sussed out. Problem is ... things change every year! 
You may choose not to sell paperclips in California ... but hard to ignore such a huge economy and a state with most motorcycle registrations of ALL US states.
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17 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
There's an interesting thread on AdvRider from a British guy riding the US TAT (Trans America Trail) on a GP450. He sounds an average sort of rider rather than an off road god, and talks honestly about some of the problems he encountered.
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My memory of that thread is that he had a mechanical failure and he rang the factory here in the UK; they responded and air freighted a replacement part to him in the States.
In essence, CCM were listening to one of their customers and supported him during his ride - that appears to be a "bespoke" service.
He has also had some form of electrical issue(s) which may have fried one or more battteries.
Perhaps a loose/bad electrical connector somewhat as per the XT660Z reputation??
Thereafter, he came up against the pyschological issues involved in riding off highway alone for weeks at a time and decided to call it a day and perhaps return next year to continue his ride.
Or, maybe he ran out of time?
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17 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout
My memory of that thread is that he had a mechanical failure and he rang the factory here in the UK; they responded and air freighted a replacement part to him in the States.
In essence, CCM were listening to one of their customers and supported him during his ride - that appears to be a "bespoke" service.
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Yes, fairly impressive, though I think they managed to bodge a part from another bike.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout
He has also had some form of electrical issue(s) which may have fried one or more battteries. Perhaps a loose/bad electrical connector somewhat as per the XT660Z reputation??
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Yes, I suffered with the loose connection on the Tenere rectifier. I had to fly home from southern Spain and return a couple of months later to pick the bike up again after the dealer replaced the entire wiring loom under warranty. They paid for my flights as well, which was quite fortunate as I had intended to leave the bike in Spain for a few months anyway. LOL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout
Thereafter, he came up against the pyschological issues involved in riding off highway alone for weeks at a time and decided to call it a day and perhaps return next year to continue his ride. Or, maybe he ran out of time?
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As I said, he was a normal guy, no offroad god, so no criticism of his decision. I am used to riding solo and am equipped with my Sudoko books, music on my iPod, films on my MacBook and so on. Others are not used to the solitude and find it difficult.
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18 Oct 2015
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Pejorative bodge
I don't recall it as being a "bodge"; the customer's needs were met, pretty quickly and across the Atlantic, and he was satisfied with that service from CCM. That is my memory of the riders' postings at that time.
If he himself had used the term bodge I believe I might have remembered such, and the Advdribble masses might well have descended upon the thread also.
Whatever CCM actually did to meet their customer's requirement was not stated as far as I recall, beyond the provision of the necessary new part - I can't really be bothered to wade through the multitude of dross that accompanies threads in Advdrivel.
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18 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout
I don't recall it as being a "bodge"; the customer's needs were met, pretty quickly and across the Atlantic, and he was satisfied with that service from CCM. That is my memory of the riders' postings at that time.
If he himself had used the term bodge I believe I might have remembered such, and the Advdribble masses might well have descended upon the thread also.
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I also went back to the original thread on AdvRider. After finding the axle was broken he took the bike into Gunnison Motor Sports who managed to find an axle off a Husqvarna bike that fitted. Nice bodge.
You see my expression as a pejorative, I don't.
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18 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
As I said, he was a normal guy, no offroad god, so no criticism of his decision. I am used to riding solo and am equipped with my Sudoko books, music on my iPod, films on my MacBook and so on. Others are not used to the solitude and find it difficult.
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Absolutely, who would any of us be to criticise an individual's personal decision?
Contrary to my last post, I have looked back, briefly, at the quoted thread posted elsewhere to remind myself of the writer and his decision to curtail the ride because, at that time of writing, it was the most interesting aspect, to me, of his ride ---- "Will he or won't he continue the trip" -- "hang out for the next episode" kind of interesting aspect, rather as the TV writers of drama achieve.
But, in this case, he was writing from the heart about those psychological aspects and that is far more interesting to me than reading about those who accomplished a plan that "all went swimmingly" and "how good am I?"- that style of script is a big turn off in my case.
Only he really knows his own mindset in total but he does express some of the physical and mental ups and downs of his ride and the frustrations that ensued; perhaps Tommyturtle will turn up on here someday and elaborate.
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