zombiphone Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 Sorry it took so long for an update- these parts are expensive, and I had to get some shipped from overseas, so it took a while. But next round of mods installed and ready! To start, I hit up the owner of APmotoarts (The guy who made the fully faired FZ07R racebikes, and generally works on my racebike in the rare instances I'm not the one doing it) and got some of his prototype risers installed that put my stock foot pegs up and back about an inch and a half: (If you're anywhere near socal and have never been to this restaurant, you are doing yourself a disservice, FYI) As a long time sportbike person, I find the slightly more aggressive leg position more comfortable in general, and having the pegs back a bit makes it so they're not in the way when I put my feet down. So far, I'm pretty absolutely in love with them It did require the side frame cover thing on the left side be cut slightly to compensate for the shift rod (As you can see), and it did slightly change the mounting position of the kickstand, so the bike rests very slightly higher, but nothing terribly drastic. I've got no complaints. And for the big, expensive, but most necessary of them all, I also picked up some Hepco and Becker Panniers, which ended up being a bit more effort to install than I expected. Initially, I was going to go with Givi cases, but the only option that was compatible with their FZ-07 frame looked too sporty and didn't at all give me the look I wanted. Normally, I'd sacrifice aesthetics to save a buck, but if I'm building my dream bike, and I'm gonna do it right, dammit! This ended up a more intense install than I expected, but it meant learning a bit more about how this bike is set up, so all good! I had to remove all of the tail panels to use the mounting spot for the fender, in addition to removing some parts of the fender itself. I'm not sure if these would or would not work with a tail tidy, but the brackets perfectly frame the stock fender when all set up. Unfortunately, in order to put the tail panels back on, I did have to dremel out notches in the undertail: Hard to see, but I had to cut out a pretty good chunk of it. Fortunately it's all on the bottom of the tail, so I'll never see it, but it admittedly hurt my soul a bit to cut into pristine, uncrashed bodywork. BUT! It was all so worth it once everything was on, and installed! If this image doesn't make your heart skip a beat, you're either dead inside, or not nearly as big a nerd as I am, haha. I can't wait to take this camping now for a test run. It's going to be sooooo nice to actually have storage space, because this bike otherwise has the smallest tail of all time, I swear. Pretty excited by how this is coming together. Next up should be Hand guards (I'm looking at some SW motechs, but still up in the air), and probably some sort of gps mount. Top case will be pending a lot more monies. Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Even Yamaha's own luggage rack requires cutting the bottom of those rear cowls. Had they given it a bit more thought, they would have put the hole there with removable covers. The SW Motech rack comes with templates to show exactly where 2 holes must be drilled, each side. The rack's mounts go thru the holes and look very OE in the end. I also added their soft bags as the rack and mount for the bags were meant to be together. You can't go wrong with the quality of SW Mo or Hepco Becker. I have the an HB rack on my Aprilia that's now 13 years old and has stood up well. Looks like yer ready for some travellin'. If you want more space, add a tank and tail bag to the collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 Looks like yer ready for some travellin'. If you want more space, add a tank and tail bag to the collection. Yep! Planning to take it cross country early next year, so I've got a lot of gearing up to do! This is really more of a project FZ-Adventure bike than a zombie apocalypse, but I feel like those things go hand in hand a bit, haha Makes sense though- I've never installed luggage racks on any bike before (When I used to put soft bags on my ninja 250 or my SV650, the straps fit under the rear seat and I never worried about it), so I had no idea what I was getting into going in. All in all it wasn't so bad. And I'm really liking the quality of their stuff overall for sure- which works out because there are very, very few rack/hard case options for the FZ-07 still. I'm planning to start shopping around for a top case in a few more paychecks, since these are only the 30 liter cases, so they aren't big enough to fit a helmet. To think- when I bought the bike, I was almost worried it wouldn't make a good touring rig Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I don't remember the volume, but in expanded mode, these bags would hold a full face helmet if the door flap at the top was big enough. They even come with waterproof, removable liners. With a small tankbag and my bigger than life Nelson Rigg seat bag (it expands upward a couple inches), running away from home is always a possibility. http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/rashapir/IMG_1419_zpse1ri5hnu.jpg And you aren't kidding by how short that rear section is. This seat bag actually fits on the pillion seat of my Futura http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/rashapir/seat%20bag_zpskjwztrqu.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregjet Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Fantastic project. Great left field committed mods. Love it. A DRZ400sm or a YZF450SM might have been a better option but this is my kind of bizzare. Thought of Giant Loop luggage? That would give the useless passanger peg mounts something useful to do. You will need some real protection for the sump, oil filter, water plumbing and the exhaust. A proper length exhaust would get your muffler higher up out of the way ( the stock one is too short anyway) or even a custom double length. Check out Pirelli MT 60RS's. Used them on a DRZ400SM. Pretty OK on the tar and quite good on the gravel. You tank size will be a big limiter I think though. Why this bike was such a tiny tank I just don't know. I reckon the MT will make a good tourer. Easy to ride distance though the rear setting of your pegs MAY come back to bite you ( if you are short maybe not). The standard peg position is surprisingly ok for standing on the pegs if you have to. Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator jeffkisthename Posted October 14, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 14, 2015 So, on your crash bar install, did you have to plug up anything with the charcoal canister? Or did you just yank it out and leave it be? I'm in CA too and I want these bars lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 Fantastic project. Great left field committed mods. Love it. A DRZ400sm or a YZF450SM might have been a better option but this is my kind of bizzare. Thought of Giant Loop luggage? That would give the useless passanger peg mounts something useful to do. You will need some real protection for the sump, oil filter, water plumbing and the exhaust. A proper length exhaust would get your muffler higher up out of the way ( the stock one is too short anyway) or even a custom double length. Check out Pirelli MT 60RS's. Used them on a DRZ400SM. Pretty OK on the tar and quite good on the gravel. You tank size will be a big limiter I think though. Why this bike was such a tiny tank I just don't know. I reckon the MT will make a good tourer. Easy to ride distance though the rear setting of your pegs MAY come back to bite you ( if you are short maybe not). The standard peg position is surprisingly ok for standing on the pegs if you have to. Did a trackday a year or so ago on a rented drz400 sumo. Could barely touch the ground with the tip of my tippy tip toes when shifting to one side. And the 450 I literally can't reach the floor enough to get the bike off its kickstand. Seriously blows being a small woman who isn't down with cruisers, and I'm 5'6"/30 inch inseam, so I'm not even that short! I mean, that kind of stuff isn't that big a deal on the track where the pavement is always flat (In the paddock, anyways. I'm looking at you, cars who tear up my corners <_<) and there are people around to help all the time, but on the street, first time stopping on uneven ground, or a hill, or anything not 100% ideal, I'd be fucked. Definitely jelly of you guys who are tall/heavy/strong enough to rock logical bike options, haha SW Motech makes a skid pad option for the FZ that I was looking at (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sw-motech-skid-plate-yamaha-fz-07-2015). Not sure how I feel about it aesthetically. Might keep an eye out for some options across the pond, because that'd probably be a good idea either way. I don't intend to do anything too intense dirt-wise though. Just want it to be able to handle the occasional commuter car worthy dirt road to a camping spot. One of my buddies had recommended the wolfman bags (which are a lot like those giant loop bags), and I allllmost went with them. The only reason I ended up with hard cases was because you can lock the cases, and that makes me feel slightly more secure. Looking at their options, I definitely like some of those for the stuff that'll be stored on top the cases though! Good call! And I'll take a look at those tires, since I'll want a new set when I head out. As for the leg position- I've done a decent trek on the new position so far, and I like it way, way better. Before the foot position was like my CRF230, now it's like my Ninja 250 with rearsets. Which is still much more tame than your average sportbike (Hell, my old SV650 was much more aggressive than both of them). I think I'm just more used to it, because now it feels a lot more natural leveraging off the pegs to stand and turning in general. Plus, having a little more ground clearance never hurt anyone. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm going to be hauling across the US starting February, so still so much to do to get this ready! Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 So, on your crash bar install, did you have to plug up anything with the charcoal canister? Or did you just yank it out and leave it be? I'm in CA too and I want these bars lol.This was the part I struggled with a little on that removal, because, while all of my past bikes had their emissions equipment yanked, it was always done by tuners. I used this tutorial for an FZ-09 to figure it out (http://www.fz09.org/forum/34-yamaha-fz-09-common-problems-issues/1741-removing-ca-emissions-evap-canister.html). Actually removing the charcoal canister is much easier on these bikes though, since it's just held on by a rubber sleeve that can be accessed without a wrench. I left on the tip over valve instead of removing it at the base like they do (Follow the tube closest to the rear of the bike, and you'll see another little canister), and after some trial and error, I haven't found I needed either tube capped off. I don't consider myself an authority on this stuff at all though, so take that with a grain of salt. I just know my bike seems to be running fantastic with no issues for the 1000 miles since I did this Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member motomeek Posted October 14, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 14, 2015 Bruxie's in Orange? You are around!! Why haven't I seen you yet?! I had placed rearsets on my CBR250 right before I sold it. It's definitely a different position compared to the FZ. I'm on the short side, so I wonder if they'd help on this bike. Instagram: @meekmade | You don't need to flat foot a bike to ride it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 As for the leg position- I've done a decent trek on the new position so far, and I like it way, way better. Before the foot position was like my CRF230, now it's like my Ninja 250 with rearsets. Which is still much more tame than your average sportbike (Hell, my old SV650 was much more aggressive than both of them). I think I'm just more used to it, because now it feels a lot more natural leveraging off the pegs to stand and turning in general. Plus, having a little more ground clearance never hurt anyone. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Imagine going back and forth between the FZ's more upright position to an Aprilia with relatively low bars stretched over a long tank and pegs that are set back and moderately high (let's not even talk about the 130 lb weight gain). That's what i do when the mood moves me to swap bikes. Somewhere in between would be the ideal position for me. Sounds like you've accomplished this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 LOL! When I used to ride my dirt bike more often and I still commuted daily on my SV, every time I switched back and forth, it would take me a couple seconds to even find the footpegs. Add in weight difference and power difference (Oh man- Going from daily driving a 60hp Vtwin to racing a <30hp torque-less parallel twin in a 24 hour period, that first time twisting the throttle to full lock on the 250 was always the most comical and disappointing moment of the weekend, haha). The struggle is real! But yeah, I'm super happy with the new position. Not too sporty to get painful and not too neutral to slightly take away from handling. I swear I love this bike more every day <3 Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 Bruxie's in Orange? You are around!! Why haven't I seen you yet?! I had placed rearsets on my CBR250 right before I sold it. It's definitely a different position compared to the FZ. I'm on the short side, so I wonder if they'd help on this bike. I actually live about 30 miles north in Redondo Beach, but Andy's shop (Apmotoarts/motoshop, which is now in the former cyclemall shop) where I got them installed is about a mile from the Bruxies in old towne orange, so I couldn't resist Used to meet up with friends from the area there all the time before most of them either stopped riding or got too busy to be fun. Love that place so much! If you ever want to meet up for sandwiches, lmk! You could always sit on my bike and see how you feel about the seating position. (Any excuse for motos and waffle sandwiches is a good excuse ) Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregjet Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I forgot to mention about the DRZ and Th YZF. I made the DRZ up for my girlfriend who is 5"3". The thing about these to Motards is that they have sooo much travel you can lower them by shortening the suspension INTERNALLY and still have big travel. The DRZ had 275mm front and 250mm rear ( I think it was a while and many suspension mods ago). I shortened the travel at the front to 180mm on the front and rear to 175mm (internally and longer links). It still had way more travel than almost any road or "adventure" bike but Sally could touch the ground easily. Had to cut the sidestand considerably. Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 It's like the supermoto equivalent of a corgi! That's super cool! And super clever! I know how to install and service suspension components, but my knowledge of actual setup still leaves much to be desired, and most lowering kits I've seen kill the ground clearance so drastically it renders the bike about as useful as a bagged truck, haha. Good Shet, dude! I love hearing about the things I wouldn't have even thought possible. I'll keep that in mind for future projects Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregjet Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 You can't do this with a MT though. Not enough suspension travel to start with. Ad stuff all ground clearance. Very suitable for Motards though and you get a great road/adventure bike ( with the addition of a big tank.) Actual lightweight tourer for on/off road. This pic was before we put MT60's on it. It was fun onroad with the Bridgie S20's. The front was lowered by putting an aluminium bobbin on the top out stops on the cartridge shaft. Rear links and an internal spacer in the shock. I like the corgi reference. I was thinking Daschund but corgi sounds funnier. Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member motomeek Posted October 15, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 15, 2015 I actually live about 30 miles north in Redondo Beach, but Andy's shop (Apmotoarts/motoshop, which is now in the former cyclemall shop) where I got them installed is about a mile from the Bruxies in old towne orange, so I couldn't resist Used to meet up with friends from the area there all the time before most of them either stopped riding or got too busy to be fun. Love that place so much! If you ever want to meet up for sandwiches, lmk! You could always sit on my bike and see how you feel about the seating position. (Any excuse for motos and waffle sandwiches is a good excuse ) Haha, sounds good! If you're ever back down here, let me know! Instagram: @meekmade | You don't need to flat foot a bike to ride it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigero Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 If this image doesn't make your heart skip a beat, you're either dead inside, or not nearly as big a nerd as I am, haha. I can't wait to take this camping now for a test run. It's going to be sooooo nice to actually have storage space, because this bike otherwise has the smallest tail of all time, I swear. @zombiphone - Can you please do me a solid and take a measurement of the total width with the panniers on? Outside left to outside right edges of the panniers while on the bike. Also, if possible, the top of the panniers to the ground when the bike is level. Thanks in advance!! I've taken the FZ on a few moto-camp trips now and it's a great economical bike to rack miles on. I've kept it totally crude with a duffle bag full of my gear strapped to the pillion seat, but hey, it gets the job done. Those panniers/mounting system seems like an awesome solution with the addition to the idea I've been toying with of moto-camping and bringing my mtn bike along. I know there's no aesthetically pleasing way to mount a bike to a bike, but I could care less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 here ya go http://2x2cycles.com/product/motorcycle-bicycle-rack/ that'll turn heads on the highway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigero Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 here ya go http://2x2cycles.com/product/motorcycle-bicycle-rack/ that'll turn heads on the highway Think I puked a bit in my mouth after seeing that… Yes, that definitely solves the problem and my solution probably won't be any better aesthetically. However, I was thinking of using the mounting system that @zombiphone used, but just carrying 1 pannier. The over side I'd graft a bike rack to the pannier "cage". I'm just in the concept stage ATM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 That sounds very cool- I'll get you the measurements asap, because I'd love to see what you can come up with. For what it's worth, I know at least one person who uses that ridiculous bicycle carrier for when he goes to out of state mountain bike races and such (And has it mounted on a ninja 250, no less), and while he's said he does turn a lot of heads, it's gotten the job done for thousands of miles worth of bicycle hauling. (In case we didn't have enough confirmation that motorcyclists were all fucking crazy). I've considered getting one of those so I could take my road bike cross country with me, but I'm trying to resist going full minivan status on my moto, haha Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregjet Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 The lower and closer to the centre of gravity the less adverse the handling effects will be. I like the sound of the along the side. We used to have a guy that bought his MTB to rides on his DR650. It was frame was mounted crossways at the back, and the 2 wheels along side ( both wheels removed). The wheel hoops even acted as a stand to help put the bike together. Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigero Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 That sounds very cool- I'll get you the measurements asap, because I'd love to see what you can come up with. For what it's worth, I know at least one person who uses that ridiculous bicycle carrier for when he goes to out of state mountain bike races and such (And has it mounted on a ninja 250, no less), and while he's said he does turn a lot of heads, it's gotten the job done for thousands of miles worth of bicycle hauling. (In case we didn't have enough confirmation that motorcyclists were all f@#%ing crazy). I've considered getting one of those so I could take my road bike cross country with me, but I'm trying to resist going full minivan status on my moto, haha ...never go full minivan. HA! Sorry, 2 more q's: 1. Does H&B have a max load limit on their Lock It frame? 2. Are those the 30 or the 40l Xplorer boxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted October 27, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted October 27, 2015 Bruxie's in Orange? You are around!! Why haven't I seen you yet?! I had placed rearsets on my CBR250 right before I sold it. It's definitely a different position compared to the FZ. I'm on the short side, so I wonder if they'd help on this bike. I actually live about 30 miles north in Redondo Beach, but Andy's shop (Apmotoarts/motoshop, which is now in the former cyclemall shop) where I got them installed is about a mile from the Bruxies in old towne orange, so I couldn't resist Used to meet up with friends from the area there all the time before most of them either stopped riding or got too busy to be fun. Love that place so much! If you ever want to meet up for sandwiches, lmk! You could always sit on my bike and see how you feel about the seating position. (Any excuse for motos and waffle sandwiches is a good excuse ) Shit i was just out in manhattan beach shoulda got together for a ride over to johnnies ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 In over 4 decades of riding I've hauled all manner of stuff strapped to a motorcycle. Bicycles ( I have 2) never made it to the list however. But these guys strapped freeking surf boards to bikes, so why the heck not http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/03/19/bmw-r1200gs-adventure-vs-ktm-1190-adventure-r-long-term-test-wrap-up-review-and-specifications/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 That sounds very cool- I'll get you the measurements asap, because I'd love to see what you can come up with. For what it's worth, I know at least one person who uses that ridiculous bicycle carrier for when he goes to out of state mountain bike races and such (And has it mounted on a ninja 250, no less), and while he's said he does turn a lot of heads, it's gotten the job done for thousands of miles worth of bicycle hauling. (In case we didn't have enough confirmation that motorcyclists were all f@#%ing crazy). I've considered getting one of those so I could take my road bike cross country with me, but I'm trying to resist going full minivan status on my moto, haha ...never go full minivan. HA! Sorry, 2 more q's: 1. Does H&B have a max load limit on their Lock It frame? 2. Are those the 30 or the 40l Xplorer boxes? So to answer at least some of these questions, at the absolute widest point, the brackets with the cases attached are 33" wide. The mounting brackets without the cases are 15" wide. The distance from the bottom of the bracket to the ground at the highest point is 26" and at the lowest point is 22" (Both assuming completely unloaded with no additional weight compressing the suspension, so these numbers are a bit variable. But that's the approximate). I was going to get you a picture and draw out the measurements, but I had to go to work, so this was done pretty hastily, haha. I can get you a more detailed diagram with more measurements after work, if you need it I have the 30l boxes, as I was trying to not go too overkill and add too much bulk and weight (And those were expensive enough as is). As for load limit, that I'm not sure. I've been told 20-30 pounds per case is the general rule of thumb to not affect handling, but I can't find any official word on weight capacity. Might have to actually ask them directly. Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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