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Post By Jamie Z
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5 Sep 2020
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Seems like for RTW travel I might be able to get away with the newest gen (2019-21) bike with upgraded tires without having to order and install the ralley raid stuff. Maybe the suspension is not as high quality and the wheels aren't spoked but for RTW I think it should be fine - right? Seems like the cast wheels should be OK for most of the terrain I would encounter? Do folks agree?
These bikes are hard to find in the Eastern US right now!
Thanks!
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5 Sep 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SoulRebel
Seems like for RTW travel I might be able to get away with the newest gen (2019-21) bike with upgraded tires without having to order and install the ralley raid stuff. Maybe the suspension is not as high quality and the wheels aren't spoked but for RTW I think it should be fine - right? Seems like the cast wheels should be OK for most of the terrain I would encounter? Do folks agree?
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I have a 2019 with about 5000 miles on it. My plan was to leave the suspension alone, for various reasons. Partly because of cost, but also because I'm not a hard core rider. Mostly paved roads. Some gravel. And an occasional random track through the woods.
After putting luggage on it and taking it on a few bumpy tracks, I made the decision to upgrade the suspension. The bike just did not handle the weight and bumps very well. I purchased the Rally Raid Level 1 kit for the front and rear, which includes a new shock with a spring of your weight, plus new fork internals and fork springs. It does not change the suspension travel or stock height of the bike.
I have to admit, it's worth it.
Of course the stock suspension will take you wherever you want to go, but I'm very pleased with how much better the bike is now.
Jamie
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5 Sep 2020
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I am leaving the wheels alone, can't face tubes or bathroom sealant or second tubes all the time for the tiny amount of time I'll spend anywhere the alloys won't survive. Hassle and cost.
The suspension I want to leave alone but we'll see. In almost 30 years I'm yet to find a working suspension I couldn't live with, so maybe I'm immune from this.
The only things wrong out of the box is the tyres, sump protection, lack of hanguards and screen. The Brazilian Dunaplops are honestly the worse tyre I've ever had and I started on East German Pneumats.
Andy
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5 Sep 2020
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Hi Nick - there is a huge thread dedicated to the CB500X, and another to those bikes fitted with the Rally-Raid upgrades on ADVrider (including a list of FAQs on the first page) - I would check in on that forum for more detailed info. and plenty of owner feedback, although AnTyx has pretty much covered your initial enquires already above of course.
Also, do look in the ride report section here on ADVrider - I have covered a lot of ground on these bikes over the years, and people have ridden them from London to India, Ireland to South Africa, and all over Australia, North and South America.
I'd say they are the perfect bike for solo all-terrain long-distance travel.
Jenny x
ps. to help with your decision, when the 2019 model came out last year, I also put together a brief model history and summary of the changes over the years: here (which is also linked on that first page of the ADVrider forum).
fwiw. personally I would be inclined to buy a clean used earlier model, and spend the difference of the Rally-Raid wheels and suspension. You still can find a lot of these bikes which people have basically used as a commuter, so have had little use and look like new. These days you can certainly build a fully specced RR bike for the same price as a brand new 2019-on model, and it will be a much better all-terrain machine.
The 2019 model does have some notable improvements over the earlier bike, including fundamentally a 19" from the factory - but essentially they are still the same bike, in that the ergonomics and engine/running gear is essentially the same - and in the case of the suspension particularly, is still very basic and budget orientated.
That said, I'm sure you could easily ride a stock 2019-on model all the way around the world if you wanted - just add some decent all-terrain tyres, and some strong [backbone style] hand-guards and a decent engine guard... In that regard the Rally-Raid cradle design is the one to go for if you plan on riding over rough and rocky terrain, as it is the only one which properly isolates the engine.
Hope that helps...
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6 Sep 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMo (& piglet)
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Hmm. Tincup. I was thinking about trying that.
Worse than Engineer on a loaded bike?
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6 Sep 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie Z
Hmm. Tincup. I was thinking about trying that.
Worse than Engineer on a loaded bike?
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Hi Jamie - yes, Tincup Pass is appreciably more rough than Engineer Pass - particularly on the north side between Mirror Lake and the Pass itself. You can do it, but you'll get a workout... I recommend you travel north towards Tincup, rather than climb that north face heading south.
Jx
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6 Sep 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMo (& piglet)
Hi Jamie - yes, Tincup Pass is appreciably more rough than Engineer Pass - particularly on the north side between Mirror Lake and the Pass itself. You can do it, but you'll get a workout... I recommend you travel north towards Tincup, rather than climb that north face heading south.
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Gotcha... I'm not sure I'm interested in anything rougher than Engineer. I came up the Silverton side, and there were a couple spots where I had to stop and assess what my plan would be, and very near the top where the road curves around the edge of the mountaintop, I hugged mountain side and kept telling myself, "Don't look down, don't look down."
Especially fully loaded on stock tires. And that was before I got the upgraded suspension.
Jamie
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