The 919 Transalp Project

[Ken Phenix]

Objective: To achieve an upright adventure touring rider position and increased ground clearance on a budget without sacrificing nimble road manners. I had test ridden several bikes, mentally recording their respective handling characteristics until one bike up and pegged my fun meter. The 1050 Tiger has torque by the ton, acceleration, and totally had that whole nimble thing down. The 2007 Tiger however, was not in the budget. It wasn't until I rode that first 919 that I knew this balance of power and handling I loved about the Tiger could be had for a price I could afford.

So here's what I've been up to. The first bit of mods are complete. I raised the stock suspension as much as I dared, added the gnarliest tires I could find in a 180'55/70 and the Tusk Raptor bars.






First test ride today - so far so good. There's plenty more to do.

[nd4spdbh]

how does one raise the suspension on the 919... more preload front and rear?

The 919 is more than capable off road, i do it all the time with street tires on random ass trails and fire roads around here, with those tires it should be quite nice.

only thing like you said is ground clearance... If you plan on off roading id suggest fabbing up a small skid plate for the exhaust i have hit mine a time or two.

Overall though, love the red (its my fave which my bike was the red) very clean specimen there!

EDIT- oh yes was looking at pics and went... hmm what the hell is that thing on the clutch side... the lil circle thing on the bars.

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

how does one raise the suspension on the 919... more preload front and rear?

Granted, this is an experiment. This little fork mod gives me 38mm lift. I removed the fork cartridges and dropped in a pair of 5/8" impact sockets fitted with 1/2" OD steel spacers to maintain alignment. A 60mm bolt holds the assembly in place. I had to grind a little off the bold head on the left fork leg for axle clearance. I understand I have decreased the distance between the upper and lower fork bushings but so far it's very stable.

If I want more I'll have to go shopping for a dirt bike front end.

I stressed over the rear too until I saw how ridiculously easy it was. I had to drill one hole.

Slightly changing the shock angle softened the ride a bit too.

The 919 is more than capable off road, i do it all the time with street tires on random ass trails and fire roads around here, with those tires it should be quite nice.

Yeah, the Dunlop D616 is available in the right sizes and gets good marks over on ADV in similar dual sport conversions. We'll see.

only thing like you said is ground clearance... If you plan on off roading id suggest fabbing up a small skid plate for the exhaust i have hit mine a time or two.

I'm actually hoping to reroute the pipes. And the bike will see no real dirt work until the crash bars/skid plate gets fabbed.

Overall though, love the red (its my fave which my bike was the red) very clean specimen there!

Thanks. The more I shopped, the more the red color grew on me. It HAD to be a red one.

EDIT- oh yes was looking at pics and went... hmm what the hell is that thing on the clutch side... the lil circle thing on the bars.

That's a shield wipe cup. Bugs are bad down here.

[nd4spdbh]

still trying to see where those front spacers went... inside the shock to increase preload? or did that lengthen the top of the shock externally so you could lower the forks in the tripples.

Id be afriad if you added that much preload little to no sag which is asking for trouble IMO.

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

still trying to see where those front spacers went... inside the shock to increase preload? or did that lengthen the top of the shock externally so you could lower the forks in the tripples.

Id be afriad if you added that much preload little to no sag which is asking for trouble IMO.

I added zero preload. The spacers go in the bottom - under the cartridges. Preload and dampening are still adjustable from the top just as before the mod.

Oh, here's a before and after shot.

[nd4spdbh]

ahh ok the "proper" way to do it i guess

[rmb]

Very cool!

[dukeriley]

nice tires i have been running the d616 for two years now and have not found anything they could not go through or around except the berm at the abandoned army base i would have rubbed the bottom of my headers off but otherwise they grip like hell wet or dry

[mx463]

nice job Ken!

[nd4spdbh]

if you want to go dirbike front, im thinking an older XR front end might have the same diameter forks as the 919... i can measure the XR250 i have in the garage for ya.

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

if you want to go dirbike front, im thinking an older XR front end might have the same diameter forks as the 919... i can measure the XR250 i have in the garage for ya.

I appreciate that. I'm hoping to avoid sacrificing my dual rotor brakes to get more travel/ride height. I just did 30 miles after tinkering with the damper adjustments to soften the rebound a bit and I must say I'm very pleased.

[nd4spdbh]

surprising that the tubes hat that much extra available travel... i might be worried that there is not enough tube telescoped in tube to provide a non binding suspension, but if it works it works haha.

and who says u gotta loose dual rotors... a lil mig welding wala second caliper bracket!

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

surprising that the tubes hat that much extra available travel... i might be worried that there is not enough tube telescoped in tube to provide a non binding suspension, but if it works it works haha.

and who says u gotta loose dual rotors... a lil mig welding wala second caliper bracket!

Yep, this is only the beginning - we'll see how deep the rabbit hole goes. I had originally planned to replace the forks and go to a 19" front wheel to give me more tire choices, Anakee, Tourance, etc. but then I would have been limited to a 150/70 for the rear. I'm hoping the D616 with this simple fork mod is a compromise I can live with.

Unfortunately this fork mod does not increase travel. Its only effect is ride height. So yes it reduces the amount of fork tube "telescoped" into the fork bottom but only by a max of 38mm.

[Bigdaa]

I am digging greatly your headlong attack on this one. Very exciting indeed.

[Ken Phenix]

There wasn't much quality time for wrenching this week. Work gets in the way, you know. I did manage to get rid of the 2x4 kickstand puck, though. I took a side stand from an unidentified donor and modified it here and there. Heat (acetylene) is a wonderful thing.



I drilled holes in the back of the stand and in a washer to accomodate the Bike's rotary safety switch.



And lastly, I welded tabs to the stand and cut a piece of aluminum in an oval to make a permanent puck.



I also got the Moose hand guards mounted up.



The bike is a blast to ride and it's beginning to feel like a dual sport too.

[nd4spdbh]

very nice dude!!! next paint those stock mirrors black, just cus ... those tires look like they are the perfect agressiveness for good street use but also decent grip in the dirt!

[Amphibious]

This is very cool. down the road, when i finally do "upgrade" the 919, this would be a great project. Thank's for sharing!

[touring919]

Love it! Cheap and even more functional.

Dont know if its possible. But I'd call up traxxion dynamics or similar company and see if they can make custom length cartridges. I know they do for the versys. One can go from the stock 6" travel to 8" with new internals. Maybe the same can be done for the 919. If so, you can keep your extra 38mm hight but also gain 38mm of travel. Or more if you desire. The rear is supper easy. A new shock custom made for your desired ride height and travel is no problem. I've already talked to someone at traxxion about the shock idea and they said no problem. All are custom orders so price would be same no matter what the dimensions are.

As for your tires. I can personally attest that those tires work great off road (not in mud, no 500 lb bike is fun in the mud, don't care what tires are on it) The limiting factor for traction off road is suspension travel. Not those tires. Did a trip a couple years ago on the 919 out to CO and did several jeep trails. Level 1s(an HD could do these) and level 2s(low range 4x4 recomended). Level 3s are 4x4 low range Needed and lockers recomended. I saved those for when I returned with a dirt bike this past summer.

[touring919]

Any updates?

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by touring919

Any updates?

No, not much to report. I just added the harness and controllers for my heated gear. December is our busiest month at the bakery. I rolled the bars forward a bit - feels much better. I'll ride it a while before I pull the trigger on longer cables or fork tubes. My next step will be to mount the aux HID lights and to brainstorm on custom head pipes and crash bars. Stay tuned.

[Ken Phenix]

I logged a couple hundred glorious back road miles in the sunny breezy 60 degree new year's day weather. I think I can live with the new bar position. I know this is not a major transformation but it feels like a different motorcycle.

BEFORE:


AFTER:

[touring919]

Looking forward to seeing the progress. Better lighting would be nice.

I just did some crash bars on my versys over the holidays. If nothing else they will be a great place to pu highway pegs. And maybe some extra lights. I know their is a few threads around here. I may have to do some research.

[brian]

Fuckin cool!

[Ken Phenix]

Thanks brian.

I got the chance to throw the switch on the old stick welder yesterday - and that's usually a sign of a pretty good day. The idea is to adapt my old homemade Seahorse case rig using my u-bar lock method to the 919.



I got off to a pretty good start.






More grinding and paint work to come. I'll build something that looks more like a luggage rack to fill in the empty spaces. But first I'll do the side case racks and run a pair of struts to the back of this puppy for added support.

[Ken Phenix]

Here's a better shot of the bars and hand guards . . . .


Oh, and the 919 grips are on the short side so I left some space on the ends which I filled with 7/8" steel shaft collars. I got bar end weights for four bucks.

[Ken Phenix]

I just noticed a man eyeballing the bike in front of my shop. he appeared to be kicking himself. I stepped outside and greeted him. He just sold his beloved 919 to buy a dual-sport.

[nd4spdbh]

Originally Posted by Ken Phenix

I just noticed a man eyeballing the bike in front of my shop. he appeared to be kicking himself. I stepped outside and greeted him. He just sold his beloved 919 to buy a dual-sport.

haha win!

i bet he was walking out and did one them double takes and went... dafuq ... is that a 919 on stilts?

[AllanB]

Nice work on the rack. I'd be more inclined to bring it forward more so there is less weight hanging over the rear. Maybe set the bracket up without the grab handle as the grab handle is redundant when u have the box on. U could have a small pad made up at the front of the box for the passenger - bend up a simple U shape and weld that on to the rack to attach the pad to.

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by AllanB

Nice work on the rack. I'd be more inclined to bring it forward more so there is less weight hanging over the rear. Maybe set the bracket up without the grab handle as the grab handle is redundant when u have the box on. U could have a small pad made up at the front of the box for the passenger - bend up a simple U shape and weld that on to the rack to attach the pad to.

Thanks Allan. You're right - that case is "out there" pretty far. I had the same rig mounted closer on my last bike and things (the boys) got a little cramped when I carried my big dry bag full of camping gear.


I'm hoping to get the side cases mounted this weekend and I'll run a pair of vertical braces up to the back of the top case.


I like the back pad idea too but I almost never have a passenger.

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

haha win!

i bet he was walking out and did one them double takes and went... dafuq ... is that a 919 on stilts?

Zackly! He was pretty pissed - especially after I told him how easy it was. But I just didn't have the heart to ask him about his new bike.

[boogunoogun]

I think this dude has you beat................ hahahaha I dont see any footpegs

[nd4spdbh]

Originally Posted by boogunoogun

I think this dude has you beat................ hahahaha I dont see any footpegs

i wonder where that project is at.... guy has been workin on it for awhile.... and something like 2 919's + haha

[g00gl3it]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

i wonder where that project is at.... guy has been workin on it for awhile.... and something like 2 919's + haha

Yeah, there is a thread here on it. Wish he would come back and post updates...I was following that one with curiosity.

[Ken Phenix]

Originally Posted by boogunoogun

I think this dude has you beat................ hahahaha I dont see any footpegs

Yeah, I studied his project some - impressive - way radical - full fanatic dirt machine. My goal is touring mostly with an upright rider position and the ability to step off the pavement once in a while . . . . . . and to ride 'er to work between mods.

[nd4spdbh]

Originally Posted by Ken Phenix

Yeah, I studied his project some - impressive - way radical - full fanatic dirt machine. My goal is touring mostly with an upright rider position and the ability to step off the pavement once in a while . . . . . . and to ride 'er to work between mods.

i step off pavement on my stock 919 all the time haha... 100hp w/ street tires and 4in of suspension makes for some interesting riding

[Ken Phenix]

Back to work on the side case install. I'm trying hard to make this rig job of a rig job not look like a rig job. The only place to hang a bracket on the 919 is the muffler mounts inside the tail plastic. Here's what I came up with.


This made replacing the tail section a little tricky.


I needed to make new rear top case supports but found myself short on material. What to do? Oh, this'll work.


Perfect.

[nd4spdbh]

NOW WE IS TALKIN!!!!

i say fab up a skid plate that hugs the exhausts and you will be good to go!

[Ken Phenix]

Progress is slow but here's a little wrench head porn anyway:

Perfect.

Well not quite. Those protruding bolt heads had to go. The only flat head cap screws I could find were barely long enough and didn't quite work. So here I go head long into the man cave with limited tools and short on time. I ground about 1/4" off the spacers that go between the grab bar and the top case mounting bracket and then drilled into said bracket to countersink the bolt heads.


Now the new bolts will be long enough but the heads are still too big. Not for long . . . .




Voila! Close enough for rock 'n roll.


As always, I filed this rig job under "Desperation is the Mother of Invention."

[touring919]

Hell yea. Nice prgress on the racks. And your racks just gave me a great idea for a simple way to attache side cases without expensive draw latches. Tim to get out the sketch pad so I don't forget.

[Ken Phenix]

UPDATE:

I put the Tigress through a bit of a road test - 4,000 miles worth. I started off with a BB1500 and touched 19 states in 13 days.



RIDE REPORT

I learned a few things. The bike's performance was absolutely flawless. The CB900F has a huge power band - plenty of grunt in any gear - more juice than I'll ever need. My minor suspension mods proved comfortable enough on long distance runs. The ergos need work: The bars need to go up another inch so I'll be ordering motionpro cables. The peg placement is a tad high on the 919 which wouldn't have been a problem if I'd had time to build the engine guards and added some highway pegs. My old knees were sufferin' the last few days on the road. The lack of the guards precluded much off road testing. I will say this smooth nimble tourer became a heavy beast in a hurry on fresh 1.5" limestone. Most importantly, I have some decision making to do regarding tires. The Dunlpp D616 is a fantastic pavement tire - superb in the wet. However, I have already gone through 2 rears so the most I can expect is around 4500 miles. The front tire is pressure sensitive and @ 40psi can make the bike pretty twitchy and 80mph in the wind. Dropping it to 37psi made a huge improvement. Front tire tread is virtually unscathed @ 9k. The D616 will never inspire confidence, in me at least, off road. I'm not ready for the new fatboy TKC80 - especially @ $250 a copy. I don't expect to ever do more than 20% off road with this machine. I could throw in the towel and go back to the Storm St or Pilot Road and be happy. Or I can keep feeding this beast D616 rubber at least while looking for wheels suitable for a set of Anakee's, etc. Conclusion: I will need 2 sets of tires and wheels.



So it's a work in progress but she's an absolute blast to ride. Stay tuned.