McVick's NX650!
- Thread starter Brian McVickers
- Start date
Ha!
Well you may have to wait a bit, working on version 2.
Version 1 sort of shrank! :chef:
Wow,
This thread has not been updated since November of last year!
I have owned my NX650 for less than one year and have already put about 5,000 miles on it! :bike_rider:
In that time it has received:
- New handlebars
- Hand guards
- New chain
- New sprockets F/R
- New clutch cable
- New throttle cables
- New throttle tube
- Clutch assist
- Carb rejet & adjustment
- New tires
- LED Auxiliary lighting
- Engine guards
- Pannier racks
- 3-4 iterations of luggage
I'll start updating a bit more, with pictures! :drool:
This thread has not been updated since November of last year!
I have owned my NX650 for less than one year and have already put about 5,000 miles on it! :bike_rider:
In that time it has received:
- New handlebars
- Hand guards
- New chain
- New sprockets F/R
- New clutch cable
- New throttle cables
- New throttle tube
- Clutch assist
- Carb rejet & adjustment
- New tires
- LED Auxiliary lighting
- Engine guards
- Pannier racks
- 3-4 iterations of luggage
I'll start updating a bit more, with pictures! :drool:
Last edited:
Most recently I finally figured out what I believe will be the solution for carrying extra water and fuel on extended remote rides and trips.
The NX and several bikes have no fuel guage to let you know how much gas is left in the tank. This requires careful monitoring of your odometer based against what you think is your average miles per gallon and overall range. Add on top of that average mpg varrying terrain with dirt, mud, rocks and sand, then add in the additional weight of any luggage and supplies you have strapped on, then figure on getting lost a few times or even getting stuck - your mpg is going way down when you have to duck walk through muck with your hand on the throttle! After all that I know I'll be thirsty too.
When I noticed that Sierra Expeditions had started carrying RotoPax containers a light bulb went off. Rather than trying to store several small 1L bottles of fuel or water I could carry one gallon of each in a secure container and not take up space in my pannier bags.
At first I was going to mount them to the outside of the pannier racks with my soft bags on the ouside but the setup quckly grew too wide and the fuel containers would be exposed to the heat of the exhust as well as possible puncture. So, the containers sat on the shelf for a month while I thougt about it.
I had finally decided to build an aluminum platform with integrated slides to secure the containers to the rear top rack. When I went to take measurements it turned out that the RotoPax mounts have the exact same mounting hole spacing as the factory rack! Rather than a fancy custom platform all it took were four new bolts from the hardware store.
I now have the capacity to carry one gallon of water and one gallon of spare fuel, fully secured and locked in place.
As an added bonus you'll notice that there are four strap holes, two on each container, that will allow for easily securing a soft drybag on top of the containers! There is also still access to the factory rack for running straps, I'll have to see which is more secure.
What's best is that this is not a permanent installation, I can pick or choose when to carry water, fuel or both depending on the trip. The RotoPax cans can be removed and a small tailbag nestled between the mounts for shorter days and spirited trail rides.
Possible concerns to be tested:
-Weight, but considering most large plastic top boxes weigh about 15lb empty this should still be lighter even with a small dry bag on top.
- Damage, the conatiners could impact the gound if the bike is laid down but considering they will be for long trips most likely accompanied by side panniers the panniers will take the hit first and possibly spare the containers. I'll have to test this out in a controlled setting by resting the bike on its side!
Specs:
Each 1-gallon RotoPax weighs 5lb
Each RotoPax mounting bracket weighs 1.75lb
One gallon of water weighs 8.3lb
One gallon of gasoline weighs 6lb
Empty the setup weighs 13.5lb
Full of liquid the setup weighs just under 28lb.
Brian :bike_rider:
The NX and several bikes have no fuel guage to let you know how much gas is left in the tank. This requires careful monitoring of your odometer based against what you think is your average miles per gallon and overall range. Add on top of that average mpg varrying terrain with dirt, mud, rocks and sand, then add in the additional weight of any luggage and supplies you have strapped on, then figure on getting lost a few times or even getting stuck - your mpg is going way down when you have to duck walk through muck with your hand on the throttle! After all that I know I'll be thirsty too.
When I noticed that Sierra Expeditions had started carrying RotoPax containers a light bulb went off. Rather than trying to store several small 1L bottles of fuel or water I could carry one gallon of each in a secure container and not take up space in my pannier bags.
At first I was going to mount them to the outside of the pannier racks with my soft bags on the ouside but the setup quckly grew too wide and the fuel containers would be exposed to the heat of the exhust as well as possible puncture. So, the containers sat on the shelf for a month while I thougt about it.
I had finally decided to build an aluminum platform with integrated slides to secure the containers to the rear top rack. When I went to take measurements it turned out that the RotoPax mounts have the exact same mounting hole spacing as the factory rack! Rather than a fancy custom platform all it took were four new bolts from the hardware store.
I now have the capacity to carry one gallon of water and one gallon of spare fuel, fully secured and locked in place.
As an added bonus you'll notice that there are four strap holes, two on each container, that will allow for easily securing a soft drybag on top of the containers! There is also still access to the factory rack for running straps, I'll have to see which is more secure.
What's best is that this is not a permanent installation, I can pick or choose when to carry water, fuel or both depending on the trip. The RotoPax cans can be removed and a small tailbag nestled between the mounts for shorter days and spirited trail rides.
Possible concerns to be tested:
-Weight, but considering most large plastic top boxes weigh about 15lb empty this should still be lighter even with a small dry bag on top.
- Damage, the conatiners could impact the gound if the bike is laid down but considering they will be for long trips most likely accompanied by side panniers the panniers will take the hit first and possibly spare the containers. I'll have to test this out in a controlled setting by resting the bike on its side!
Specs:
Each 1-gallon RotoPax weighs 5lb
Each RotoPax mounting bracket weighs 1.75lb
One gallon of water weighs 8.3lb
One gallon of gasoline weighs 6lb
Empty the setup weighs 13.5lb
Full of liquid the setup weighs just under 28lb.
Brian :bike_rider:
FurthurOnTheFly
Glamping Society
Very cool, I'm doing the same set up on my Sherpa. Just need to get to ACE to get some extra bits.
How are you liking that handlebar?
How are you liking that handlebar?
That Easton EXP bare is really great compared to the stock bar. The stock bar vibrated so much you could not see straight out of the mirrors and it caused a great deal of fatigue on hands and arms.
The EXP tapered aluminum absorbs a lot of that vibration, even to the point I can read the GPS with no issues. The extended hieght allows for a comfortable standing position to.
And, as a testament to thier strength, I laid it down in a boulder field hard enough to snap the aluminum Acerbis hand guard but the bars hardly felt it.
:bike_rider:
You will need the Easton 4-bolt mounts to match the bars but I beleive Cycle Gear is having a special with the mounts for free when you buy a bar.
Brian
Fuel container update
Here are a few pictues of the fuel container after sitting in 100+ degree AZ heat for a few days.
There is some visible deformation or bulging of the container but no leaking and no smell of fumes.
Brian
Here are a few pictues of the fuel container after sitting in 100+ degree AZ heat for a few days.
There is some visible deformation or bulging of the container but no leaking and no smell of fumes.
Brian
Ortlieb Dry Panniers
FeDex came by today and the box said AEROSTICH!!!:wings:
I have installed a new set of Ortlieb Dry Panniers on the NX.
Each bag is just over 1400 cubic inches or 24L.
They are independent of one another allowing for each bag to be removed without the other.
There are no straps suspending the bags over the seat or rear rack, rather, they are each connected directly to the pannier rack hoops on each side of the bike with a clip system. This allows the bags to hang lower and the center of gravity with them.
They come with a shoulder strap and a duffle bag style handle.
FeDex came by today and the box said AEROSTICH!!!:wings:
I have installed a new set of Ortlieb Dry Panniers on the NX.
Each bag is just over 1400 cubic inches or 24L.
They are independent of one another allowing for each bag to be removed without the other.
There are no straps suspending the bags over the seat or rear rack, rather, they are each connected directly to the pannier rack hoops on each side of the bike with a clip system. This allows the bags to hang lower and the center of gravity with them.
They come with a shoulder strap and a duffle bag style handle.