Scramblerize it.....? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Scramblerize it.....?

mimico_polak

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Been doing some reading recently and came upon a few posts about guys making their street bikes into scramblers....looks interesting but not sure what's really involved. This is piggybacking off my thread about switching up the tires on my CB500F and doing some very LIGHT off-road (i.e. gravel, fire roads, Simcoe Forest)...anyone done it? What's involved in it? I think I'd start with the tires, and a bash plate as those are easily doable on the bike...what else is there to it? New headlight? Exhaust?

Maybe switching it up a bit is what I need...don't want to buy a new bike though as I really like this one.
 
you can do that stuff on the bike stock, street tires even.

I took my old cbr500 through some of that stuff, no problems

of course depends how adventurous your feeling
 
I'm in the middle of doing it to my CM250 Custom. I did quite a bit to it but really it involves getting rid of a lot of weight items first. Pitching the gigantic headlight for a smaller one, tossing all the fancy big fenders and big turn signals for smaller, low profile ones. Get rid of the massive weighty seat for a lightweight bench. Ditch the lead-acid battery for a super-light lithium ion and put it in a tray under the seat with the electronics. The look is basic, stripped-down, simple and lightweight. Some guys even get rid of the twin rear spring suspension for a monoshock design. That's not too hard if you have a welder, but it has to be done right. Also, putting the license plate on a gravel road and running over it with your pickup truck adds to the look, LOL.
 
you touched on the first steps...
would make sure you have some sliders for the dumps
or maybe dirt guys will say it's a bad idea? not sure
they could dig in and cause more damage
suspension of course, soften it up for the dirt

if you're tire shopping, I put a set of Avon Trail Riders of my FJ09
really good on gravel and some light trail riding, fantastic on wet roads
would highly recommend them
 
Besides the aesthetic/style differences, suspension is set up differently for off-road than street.
 
I think the Scrambler guys are more into the aesthetics than the functionality.

They talk about tank design, flow to the seat, etc.

However, if you are really thinking about making your bike more dirt friendly, here are some thoughts:

- knobby tires
- larger front wheel (19" or larger)
- wired wheels have better flex and can be fixed more easily when dented
- run tubes so you can drop the tire pressure to very low levels
- higher clearance
- longer suspension travel
- wider handlebars for more leverage
- if you have a windshield, cut it or remove it, so you can see what's directly in front of your front wheel even when the screen gets dirty
- relocate the pegs so you can stand up on them and still steer the bike comfortably
- think about installing a higher seat, so the transition between sitting and standing is quicker
- barkbusters, bashplate, protectors for the rad, lights, etc.

or....

you can just buy a dirtbike... ;)
 
For the riding you describe I think you'll be farther ahead to buy something like a klr 650. It'll only take a couple falls offroad before your cb500f will be hard to sell for decent money. You'll also have a lot more fun.

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If you venture offroad,You will want to get deeper.It's just human nature.Save the expense of modding your streetbike.It's a waste of money.Buy a dirt only bike,the lightest you can afford.Weight is everything offroad.Buying a dual purpose bike is only going to leave you wanting a real dirtbike.Or mod your streetbike and go into the woods,sit on a log and the watch guys have fun.
 
What Wingboy said - get the right tool for the job, its cheaper (and more fun) in the long run.
 
If you venture offroad,You will want to get deeper.It's just human nature.Save the expense of modding your streetbike.It's a waste of money.Buy a dirt only bike,the lightest you can afford.Weight is everything offroad.Buying a dual purpose bike is only going to leave you wanting a real dirtbike.Or mod your streetbike and go into the woods,sit on a log and the watch guys have fun.

True that.

Function of a 21" front wheel is to easier go over larger obstacles. Full knobby tires are superior to any pseudo knobby tire and real trials tires are not DOT approved. Full knobby tire usually is fitted with a raised front fender which is less likely to jam up with rocks and mud but almost useless on wet pavement to stop road spray. Somebody mentioned a taller seat but personally lol I have no use for them, trials bikes have no seat so that you can better use your legs as suspension. Rubber mounted and covered footpegs remove vibration on street, they don't work so good on dirt, same with rubber cushion rear drive sprocket. Large steel fuel tank is passable for street, useless off-road. There are 2 basic kinds of dirt bikes, go fast or go anywhere, you need to choose one that suits your riding terrain unless you are some kind of phenomenal rider.
 
Isn't there a CB500X for just such a purpose?

;) that's an adventure bike, you are suppose to mount stupid big luggage containers on that and putt around on twin track gravel roads pretending it's off-road. .... or something like that
 
Wingboy and Iceman are right.

Buy an inexpensive/older dual sport and try it our. You'll spend less than modifying your street bike and you'll figure out pretty quickly if off road riding is for you (it likely will be).
 
I enjoy gravel roads on my street bike, but besides tires, I don't know if any mods are worth the money. Enjoy what the bike is good at. You can do a lot of exploring without having to go offroad

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I think the Scrambler guys are more into the aesthetics than the functionality.

They talk about tank design, flow to the seat, etc.

However, if you are really thinking about making your bike more dirt friendly, here are some thoughts:

...

you can just buy a dirtbike... ;)

Well ok, Scramblers are cool and look good, but I think to compare them to full-on dirt bikes is missing the point. Sure they can do some off-roading, but also I think they make better city/commuting bikes than most street bikes, especially with all the construction and crap we see on GTA roads. Lighter weight, higher clearance, higher and wider handlebars makes traversing city obstacles at traffic speeds a breeze. Functionally, they're great all-rounders.
 
If you venture offroad,You will want to get deeper.It's just human nature.Save the expense of modding your streetbike.It's a waste of money.Buy a dirt only bike,the lightest you can afford.Weight is everything offroad.Buying a dual purpose bike is only going to leave you wanting a real dirtbike.Or mod your streetbike and go into the woods,sit on a log and the watch guys have fun.

Good points. Also think about what it would take to reverse the procedure if it didn't work out. Selling an unusually modified vehicle could be a problem as well.

Does your insurance company ask if the bike has been modified?
 
Throw some rubber on it and give it a go.

As soon as you start to alter a bike from its intended design, it loses its appeal to others. But it’s your bike so do what you want.

That’s why some have multiple bikes because one rarely does it all well. And some of the changes affect the bike in negative ways so you end until going through the process only to spend money and end up buying the right bike for the job anyways.


It’s your journey. Take it as you wish.

Some exceptions do work out nicely.

But it was spendy because it didn’t exist.

HD Sportster Scrambler is one I can think of.

Looks cool, sounds cool. Capable of dirt. But it is big and heavy and not much fun in the dirt or the street. Other than the gawk factor, very few ever try to replicate.

After a change in rubber, you might look at suspension and that can get costly.

Thus running what you have unmolested and looking for a cheapy machine that does the job you are looking for.

The Ducati and Triumph price of admission is fairly high and custom knock offs rarely achieve the desired result and end up spending the money that could have been better spent.


Good luck!


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Don't forget the following farkles:

Plaid riding jacket
Skinny Kevlar jeans
Structural beard
Horned rim riding glasses
Grenson Freds

I get the image/style appeal of Scramblers - I don't get the utility of for our roads. If driving conditions here were mostly slower rough roads (like rural Asia), Scramblers would make more sense. Our roads are fast, even the dirt ones -- so I can't see where the scrambler's utility fits.

Rather than molest a good bike into a scrambler, I'd keep my intact and spend a few bucks on a cheap DR/XR/KLR. That gives you something better purposed for both worlds.
 

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