Home is where my T7 is

[random1781]

We've been traveling and living on our bikes for about a year now, so all our worldly possessions are pocketed, strapped, or bungeed to our bikes, along with a dog. We love dirt and stick to it as much as we can, and I have a soft spot for rocky, technical terrain. Between all of this, I have a pretty specific way I want to outfit the bike.

 

I'm in the process of overhauling this post, so here's the start to a definitive and historical account of my T7 doodads, hopefully to be completed soon.

 

 

PROTECTION

 

Crash Bars

• Givi
  These didn't provide as much protection as I wanted and didn't provide a good mounting option for bags.
   
• Adventure Spec
  I wanted to give aluminum a try to get rid of weight and I figured I could bend the bars back out if they got bent. Unfortunately the bars didn't bend, but the tab where they bolt on to the frame did, from flat to S-shaped. This is a bit harder to correct, and I feel like repeated attempts to do so would weaken it more than I'd like.
   
• Hepco and Becker Extreme Tank Guards
  Over 5k on these now and plenty of good crashes! The two cross-members up front give it ridiculous rigidity.

 

Skid Plate

• Camel ADV Gut Guard
  This came with the bike and I absolutely love it. It has taken an immense amount of abuse with no issues. Works well with a trail stand.
   

Hand Guards

• Barkbusters
  These bend easily. The threaded inserts in particular seem to go quickly for me.
   
• HDB
  I've wanted these for a long time, along with their awesome folding mirrors. They are the strongest I've ever seen, but I've still managed to bend one bar a bit when I had a really hard fall directly on it. I was able to straighten it out with a hammer, torch, and vice. I did bend a bolt for the stock bar also, but I have since replaced my bars and can now use their massive 3/8" bolts.
   

Misc

• SealSavers
  I have the zippered ones. You can't prove a negative, but since I've been using them, my seals have been great!
   
• Camel ADV Rally Bend
  This bike falls a lot, and I have a tendency to drop it on the right side, so this just made sense. Having dented the extension, I wish I had gone for the Enduro Bend.
   
• Wheels: Excel rims / Haan hub
  I'm throwing these in the protection category because for me it's preventative. I have a lot of weight and have bent rims pretty good in the past, so moving to a stronger rim was important. Why new hubs? Because the cost to relace was almost as much as the cost to get entirely new wheels.
   
• BRP Chain Guard
  It came with the bike. I would not have purchased this. After spending time with this, I do actually like the additional peace of mind that this gives me. When my chain started biting the dust and stretching out, I wasn't paranoid riding until I was able to get and replace the chain.
   
• Guglatech Air Filter
  It's reusable and they're known for having good products. So far it's performed well. This was virtually impossible to effectively clean for the first service. Dish soap and water, per the instructions, do not get it clean if it's been in the desert. The metal mesh around the filter element trapped a bunch of fine sand, which turned to mud that did not come loose. I stubbornly refused to use a solvent since Guglatech is pretty adamant about dish soap, so I let it soak, which caused the mesh to rust. Additionally, the top plastic gasket cracked, which is probably my fault for overtightening. In either case, the cleaning experience was so miserable that I would never use this filter again.
   
• Uniflow Unifilter
  I replaced the Guglatech filter with this. Filter, pre-filter, and a spare pre-filter shipped were cheaper than the Guglatech filter shipped to the US.  I haven't had to service it yet, but it's a foam filter.
   
• Guglatech Tank Filter
  Since we travel in places with questionable fuel, I got the tank filter. It makes filling up painful since either the gas pump doesn't automatically cut off and the gas overflows or it cuts off really early, making it annoying to top off. Additionally, the four small holes aren't protected.
   
• Acerbis Tank Filter
  The Guglatech filter diameter is too small for the Acerbis tank, and I didn't want to spend another $100 for a filter, so I just got this one.

 

CONTROLS

 

Handlebars

• Renthal KTM High
  I wanted less sweep and the same height. These seemed to fit the bill, but were still a bit too high. I think this is because I didn't factor in how different sweep would affect the angle that I had the bars at. Fortunately this was easily fixed by going to the...
   
• Renthal KTM Low
  Perfect for me.
   

Brake pedal

• Camel ADV "The Fix"
  My stock pedal got bent pretty early on. Not only does this one do exactly as they describe, but it's also tucked away much better and is in perfect shape despite a lot of abuse.
   

Levers

• Driven Racing short/adjustable clutch lever
  A short clutch lever is a must, but otherwise it's a lever. I don't really think about it.
   
• CRG RC2 brake lever
  It's the normal length, which wound up being too long for the HDB guards, so I had to cut some off and file it down. It's fine, but so is the stock lever.
   

Grips

• Oxford Heated Grips
  Because toasty is important.

 

BODY

 

• Rally-style tower with a Baja Designs XL80
  I needed more room and support for a giant tablet and I wanted a project, so I built a tower
   
• Tusk High Fender
  It came with the bike. The fender sags, so I'll be replacing it with something I can reinforce.
   
• Camel ADV High Fender
  The steel brake lines and routing is perfect. It's a much cleaner look and also durable. I paired this with the Acerbis YZ fender that they recommend and it looks much sharper than the fender that came with the Tusk kit.
   
• IMS Core Enduro Pegs
  These came with the bike and I generally like them. They are the perfect size and work well most of the time, but they don't have cleats, and recently I've found myself sliding a bit more than I'd prefer on them, but not enough to change them.
   
• TST Industries LED Flashers
  These are far dimmer than I expected, but they're also fairly cheap without being Alibaba specials. I also ordered the relay to stop the crazy flashing, but it caused them to dim even more and flash in a weird pattern, so it went back.
   
• Superbrightleds.com
  These things are $2.99/ea, 18mm long, and they are, indeed, super bright. I'm not sure why turn signals are often unreliable or of questionable quality or are ridiculously priced. This is the second bike I've used these on and have yet to have a failure, but if I do, I'm okay spending another $3 on a replacement.
   
• Camel ADV Camel Toe Sidestand (long)
  I got and installed the long Camel ADV stand before changing suspension. It turns out that even at stock height, the long version is perfect for dirt, and there are only a few instances on pavement where it's an issue.
   
• Camel ADV Tail Tidy
  I don't need a tail tidy, I thought to myself, especially with the tiny turn signals I had. And then during one of my drops, the right soft luggage rack got bent in a bit, pushing the exhaust inward slightly and aiming it directly at the turn signal. Now I have a tail tidy.

 

PERFORMANCE

 

• Black Widow Exhaust
  Needed something to accommodate the Camel High Exhaust, plus it weighs less and is smaller than stock while still cheap.
   
• Leo Vince Header
  I got a good deal on these, and the more weight I strip off, the better. I think the total exhaust savings was something like 11 lbs. The added benefit was the performance increase. I don't generally notice subtle changes in performance, but I did when I swapped this out.
   
• Scotts Steering Stabilizer / BRP Mount
  I'm hooked on this. I was initially sold on a steering stabilizer as a safety thing, but I am constantly adjusting it based on what I'm riding. It's awesome. Side note: I made the mistake of not going with a BRP mount on my previous bike, and it failed fairly quickly. BRP is expensive, but it works.
   

SUSPENSION

 

• Revalved YZ450 forks with Camel ADV lugs and triple clamps
  I had been looking forward to this for a while, and it hasn't been disappointing. With a fully-loaded bike, the forks eat up hard hits, and in the 6k I've had them on, I've only managed to bottom out twice.
   
• Tractive +25 with Soup's lowering links
  More travel and geometry that is corrected by the lowering links. The bike still sits about an inch taller.

 

LUGGAGE
 

• Kriega OS-18 for the rear
   
• Kriega OS-6 for the crash bars
  Perfect for rain and cold weather gear. They basically function as pillows for the bike to fall on.
   
• 11L Expedition Pannierz-style knockoffs
  These sit immediately in front of the OS-18s and function as quick-access and temporary storage for things like beer, mezcal, or dog food.

 

 

 

This T7 came to me with 3800 miles on it, along with:

 

• Camel Gut Guard skid plate
• Camel Anti-Bobble
• Outback Motortek pannier racks
• Tusk rear rack
• Tusk high fender
• Givi crash bars
• Barkbusters
• IMS Core Enduro footpegs
• BRP chain guide
• 14T front sprocket....I think. I haven't counted yet, but I'm in 6th gear at 50mph. Then again, maybe that's normal and I can't tell because I just halved the HP on my bike!

 

Picture from the listing because I didn't take any before starting to tinker

 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by random1781

[random1781]

First mod! I actually got the BDCW Helo Pad before I got the bike, so the first thing I did was pop it on and strap on the dog carrier, which actually worked out pretty well:

 

A strap on either side going to the passenger peg mounts and one around the rear fender held it on pretty well temporarily.

 

BDCW plates for the 1290 were a bit different. It was two separate pieces since the rear was bolted down and the front had the seat release. Because of this, we made a quick-detach system for the carrier to get underneath the seat without much effort. Three T-handle pins locked it in: two on either side towards the front and one in the rear.

 

1290 plates, view from the bottom up.

 

The U-channel provides some extra support for the rear that hangs off a bit. There are two tabs bolted onto the carrier where the U-channel slides in between. The pin goes through the tabs and U-channel. The T7 Helo Pad wound up being quite a bit smaller:

 

Indent of old plate for reference!

 

So basically I needed a U-channel for the rear and the two front mounts. Lacking 2" U-channel and needing something quickly, we used 1" aluminum angle and bolted two pieces on the rear. There is very little clearance under the plate, so a lot of the angle had to be cut off so it would clear. While this isn't really meant to be load bearing, I don't like how it sits, so eventually I'll be replacing it with something stronger.

 

The front mounts are basically tabs bolted to the plate that have a barrel welded to them. The barrel slides between a channel that's bolted onto the carrier itself and is pretty tightly aligned to it, so the front mounts needed to be completely remade to fit the new plate.

 

The barrel gives a very positive lock.

 

The only downside is that the plate is not bolted down in any way since it's part of the seat release. The whole plate pivots left/right around the seat release pin, so I'll probably keep the straps that I had going from the passenger pegs to the holes drilled into the mount just to lock it down. I don't think this is entirely necessary, but I feel better with it immobilized, and I'll have some spare straps if I ever need them for something else.

[random1781]

Lots of changes have been made since this original post, which I've updated.

 

Current as of October 22

 

Protection

We wound up passing through Denver, which happens to be where Highway Dirt Bikes is located! We called them up to see if we could stop by. It's actually a really small operation with no store front or anything, but Chad, the owner, let us ride in and use the shop to swap out my Barkbusters for their guards, and he replaced some lost/beat up components to my partner's setup for free.

 

A guard being born

 

The HDB guards are worth the higher price point. They really are bomb-proof, and the fold out mirrors that they make are excellent. I actually like the T7's stock mirrors better than all of the popular aftermarket ones, which sometimes feel cheap (Touratech) or are just too big and in-the-way (Doubletake), but at the end of the day, having no traditional mirrors makes everything feel much more open.

 

I also wound up swapping out the crash bars from Givi to Adventure Spec, primarily because I wanted taller bars to strap luggage onto. I was on the fence between these and the Heed Bunkers, but the weight was a bit much for me.

 

Luggage

I completely changed my luggage arrangement. I previously had the Mosko Backcountry 35 bags along with a Outback Motortek rack. I didn't like how far they stuck out or how often components were breaking. More than that, they sat pretty far towards the rear, and I'm trying to move as much weight as I can forward on the bike.

 

I originally wanted the Rally Raid pannier rack, but because of the length of time to get one, I wound up with the Adventure Spec's rack instead. Both are very similar in dimensions, but I think the Rally Raid rack has better cutouts for straps. The rear bags are Kriega OS-18s, and they're strapped together saddlebag-style with webbing going under the Helo Pad for the top buckles while the bottom buckles are strapped directly to the rack. This needs some work still.

 

In front of those is a set of one-off 12L nylon bags that someone had made and then sold. They're intended to be used in the traditional saddlebag style, but I have them strapped around the front mount of the pannier rack and to the passenger peg bracket. They conveniently rest on the passenger pegs, which hopefully puts less stress on them. While they're huge, they roll up really well and are a great temporary storage space for consumables (beer!) before camp at the end of the day.

 

The Kriega OS-6 bags are perfect for the crash bars. The fit is excellent and I have convenient access to jackets and rain gear. They also cushion the blow of drops and keep the bike slightly more upright.

 

I added a Giant Loop fender bag as well to store a tube and patch kit. I wasn't sure how this would pan out, but so far so good!

 

Lastly, I have had a Mosko Hood tank bag for a while that I need for my camera. Unfortunately with the shape of the tank and the gas cap, it really got in the way while standing. I added a couple strap mounts under trim bolts on the tank, tweaked the straps/buckles a bit, and rotated the bag 90 degrees.

 

 

This gives me much more space when standing and leaning forward. It has a tendency to sag backwards since it was not designed this way, but when I lean forward it just gets pushed up.

 

Misc

Since I moved away from big pannier racks, I went with the Camel ADV high exhaust to avoid damage...

 

I also changed my own tires because shops were asking $65 plus tax to mount and balance one tire

 

The exhaust is fairly loud, but that was expected, and for the cost I can't really complain.

 

I also added the BRP mount and

 

Dog carrier

One of the mounts for Surak's carrier broke at the weld...

 

 

...and the strut coming straight out of the rear to give it some support was cracked...

 

 

This wasn't too surprising since it was aluminum and a quick, temporary solution to get going. Fortunately, some bike surgery got it fixed up...

 

 

...and reinforced...

 

 

Since this BDCW Helo Plate is narrower than the one the carrier was originally built for, it had some torsional oscillation when riding trails, and I think this significantly contributed to the fatigue. All of that is gone now, and it's doing great.

 

Lastly, Surak got a much needed, custom-upholstered seat...

 

 

The top is just carpet with velcro sewn to the bottom, which attaches to a waterproof, zippered wedge with high density foam in the front for support and softer foam in the rear for cushion. Lastly, I spliced an SAE connector to an ATV seat heater and tucked that inside, so if we find ourselves in colder weather, Surak can hunker down and enjoy some heat.

 

Wheels, wiring, and suspension are up next on the list!

Edited October 23, 2022 by random1781

[BikeBrother]

Great! And if you are standing, is Surak standing too?

[Hollybrook]

@random1781 if the exhaust noise gets to you, the new CamelADV muffler is quiet with the dB killer installed. I prefer the sound without it, but can put it in when riding in an area where minimum noise is preferred 

[random1781]

11 hours ago, BikeBrother said:

Great! And if you are standing, is Surak standing too?

In his own way! He hunkers down and braces with his front legs and uses his rear legs as shock absorbers:

 

 

I also box him in with my ass. Poor guy.

[random1781]

A few changes:

• Camel's "The Fix" brake pedal
  • Awesome mod that has been completely unscathed through quite a few falls
• Renthal KTM high bar
  • I should have gotten the KTM low. I thought that one would be too low, but I was wrong. Fortunately I think I'll be able to trade out.
• Switched from Adventure Spec soft luggage racks to Rally Raid
  • The Adventure Specs bent way too easily, and the mounting points for the Kriega straps were meh.
• ECU flash
• Mods to the dog carrier

 

Still waiting on suspension!

[Windblown]

Thanks for the write up. Sounds like an awesome experience.

 

I had some hope I'd be able to ride with the new Shepard pup I got last year but he's pretty high strung so not sure it's going to work out. 

[random1781]

10 hours ago, Windblown said:

Thanks for the write up. Sounds like an awesome experience.

 

I had some hope I'd be able to ride with the new Shepard pup I got last year but he's pretty high strung so not sure it's going to work out. 

I'll tell you what, Surak is absolutely spent after a day of trail riding - he's constantly moving and keeping up with what's going on. We'll finish riding for the day, set the tent up, and start a fire to relax, but he's got his snoot up against the tent door, occasionally looking back at us to open it so he can get in his bed and pass out. Even if we have a mellow pavement day, he's still busy craning around to smell everything and process what's going on. He doesn't rest much, even though he could. I actually think high-energy breeds are pretty well suited to this stuff. We did start him riding at a 10ish weeks, which was helpful, and it was like any other dog training, just repetition and slow progression.

 

We recently did an overview of his bike setup since people were asking about it:

 

 

 

[Hollybrook]

@random1781 I really enjoyed the video! How much does Surak weigh? 

 

McMaster is a great resource. When i was racing sports cars, they were my primary source for fabrication materials. 

[AZJW]

@random1781. We hadn't gotten a new dog since our last 100 lb Dalmatian due to having to leave him at home when we travel,  but your video kinda shoots holes in that theory!  Lol

[random1781]

On 2/24/2023 at 7:22 AM, Hollybrook said:

@random1781 I really enjoyed the video! How much does Surak weigh? 

 

McMaster is a great resource. When i was racing sports cars, they were my primary source for fabrication materials. 

Thanks! We've had a lot of folks ask about it recently. Surak's just over 50 lbs. Perfect size for a motorcycle dog who can still run along when need be...we really lucked out with that.

 

On 2/24/2023 at 8:34 AM, AZJW said:

@random1781. We hadn't gotten a new dog since our last 100 lb Dalmatian due to having to leave him at home when we travel,  but your video kinda shoots holes in that theory!  Lol

Ha, yeah I wanted a dog for years but have never owed a car, so I just figured it wouldn't happen. Then one day we went to a brewery, another brewery, a shelter, and then a dog-friendly brewery. Then I was forced to figure it out!

[Hollybrook]

@random1781 I saw in another thread that you now have an Acerbis tank.  How is that working out with the Scott's steering stabilizer and tank bag?  I managed to dent my tank and am thinking about the Acerbis one, but my current setup has tank bag straps mounted to the front of the metal tank.

[random1781]

2 hours ago, Hollybrook said:

@random1781 I saw in another thread that you now have an Acerbis tank.  How is that working out with the Scott's steering stabilizer and tank bag?  I managed to dent my tank and am thinking about the Acerbis one, but my current setup has tank bag straps mounted to the front of the metal tank.

Actually my wife got one, which was a helpful way for me to try to fit my stuff on there to see if it would work. Fortunately it does, so I will be adding one also.

 

For the Scotts you have to use a heatgun to reshape the tank to give it clearance like others have mentioned. There actually was about 1/8" clearance when she installed the tank, but once it's full it swells and will impact the damper.

 

She has a Mosko Gnome tank bag and it fits fine. She has it behind the gas cap, which has that vent tube coming out of it that leads to the charcoal canister. We'll be getting the locking gas cap because it has an integrated vent, and when all that stuff gets in we'll be ditching the canisters also. I have a Rogue 6L that I use as a tank bag, and it fits fine on the Acerbis tank. It does impact the handlebars at full lock, but there's enough give that it just gets pushed a bit. Where do you have your front straps routed? The Gnome goes around the steering stem and I have straps from the crash bars.

 

I am a bit worried about my handlebars though. She has the Renthal KTM High, and I have the Renthal KTM Low. Her bars come close to impacting the tank, so I'm afraid that mine might actually hit.

[Hollybrook]

Is your wife still on the KTM or did she switch to a T7?

 

Here's what my tankbag front mount looks like. 

 

 

When I had the straps mounted to the frame, they rubbed on the steering stabilizer. 

[random1781]

7 hours ago, Hollybrook said:

Is your wife still on the KTM or did she switch to a T7?

 

Here's what my tankbag front mount looks like. 

 

 

When I had the straps mounted to the frame, they rubbed on the steering stabilizer. 

She's been on a Tenere since November, I think, since a druggie hit and totaled her 690. It's crazy how different her T7 feels compared to mine though!

 

What tank bag are you using? You might be able to use the mounting points where the side panels bolt on to the tank - the one in your picture on the right edge in the middle. There really aren't a lot of good options.

[Boondocker]

@random1781 - Color me impressed! At first I was skeptical given the general impracticality of carrying a dog on a motorcycle. Your video was a great exposé of a fairly well-engineered and practical solution to an impractical problem.

 

I am reminded of an entire DVD I watched on the subject of people whose dogs ride in sidecars. At first I thought it was silly, in the end it was heartwarming. The sidecar-riding dogs all wore "doggles". Does Surak wear doggles too?

[Hollybrook]

@random1781 I have a Nelson-Rigg Trails End Adventure bag, which has front mounts very close to the center line of the bag and pointing forwards. In sure I can come up with something that would work with an acerbis tank, just like I did with the stock one. Right now, an acerbis tank is much cheaper than the stock one, even if ordering the Yamaha one from Japan.  At least I have some time to figure out what I want to do since my stock tank is not leaking. 

[random1781]

On 4/7/2023 at 12:24 PM, Hollybrook said:

@random1781 I have a Nelson-Rigg Trails End Adventure bag, which has front mounts very close to the center line of the bag and pointing forwards. In sure I can come up with something that would work with an acerbis tank, just like I did with the stock one. Right now, an acerbis tank is much cheaper than the stock one, even if ordering the Yamaha one from Japan.  At least I have some time to figure out what I want to do since my stock tank is not leaking. 

Well I'll have a stock tank for grabs in about a month or so when I swap out for the Acerbis. If you decide to stay stock and want it, you can have it for the cost of shipping, but that's probably around $100.

[random1781]

On 4/7/2023 at 9:57 AM, Boondocker said:

@random1781 - Color me impressed! At first I was skeptical given the general impracticality of carrying a dog on a motorcycle. Your video was a great exposé of a fairly well-engineered and practical solution to an impractical problem.

 

I am reminded of an entire DVD I watched on the subject of people whose dogs ride in sidecars. At first I thought it was silly, in the end it was heartwarming. The sidecar-riding dogs all wore "doggles". Does Surak wear doggles too?

It's actually been a really fun engineering experience. And it has its own meaningful history, since several people have helped out with it over time, and those parts of it are reminders of those experiences.

 

He does have goggles:

 

 

They are pretty vital, the amount of crap that winds up on them and the scuffing was surprising. He's gone through almost a dozen lenses at this point, and one frame!

[Hollybrook]

18 hours ago, random1781 said:

Well I'll have a stock tank for grabs in about a month or so when I swap out for the Acerbis. If you decide to stay stock and want it, you can have it for the cost of shipping, but that's probably around $100.

Thanks for the offer!  I'm going to fill the dent for now and thinking about going to a larger tank in the future. 

[random1781]

Finally updated the original post here with the latest changes to the bike.

 

I recently hit 21,000 miles and completed a pretty big service on it. The old chain was in pretty bad shape and the front sprocket was worn down, but the rear was actually in excellent shape. I still replaced everything and went with a DID VX3 chain.

 

 

I had noticed a chatter when coming to a stop. I initially thought it might be steering bearings or wheel bearings, but, alarmingly, the bolt for the front sprocket was loose. Fortunately I caught it quickly.

 

I finally replaced the entire suspension about 6k ago and absolutely love it. I'm still slowly working through getting a feel for it and having a couple sets of settings depending on what's on my bike at the time.

[sunndog]

I take my dog in a dog carrier Rucksack on occasion. (On road)

He absolutely loves it and whines more than I do at traffic lights  

[Hollybrook]

@random1781 are you still running the seal savers, and are you happy with them? I'm getting the T7 ready for a long trip out west and thinking about some fork seal protection. 

[random1781]

38 minutes ago, Hollybrook said:

@random1781 are you still running the seal savers, and are you happy with them? I'm getting the T7 ready for a long trip out west and thinking about some fork seal protection. 

At this moment, no, but that's because I keep forgetting to wash them, and they're pretty dirty.

 

From the several suspension shops I've talked to, nobody will definitively say they work. They just relay some impressions from the frequency of repeat customers saying the ones with seal savers seem to have less issues and conclude that it doesn't hurt to have them (as long as they're clean).

 

It's hard to prove a negative, so I get it. Personally, I think there are situations where they help...sand, some types of mud, etc., but generally they account for a small percentage of time. Since they need to be cleaned, you are adding a service item to your list, so whether they're worthwhile is another matter. I don't have ready access to seals or tools, so I use them, but I don't think I would otherwise.

 

But I will definitively say that if you do choose to use them, get the zippered ones so you can easily remove and clean them, and get a lighter color so that you can see discoloration if the seals start leaking anyway.