VOLUME 57 ISSUE 27 JULY 7, 2020 P79
Jefferson mounted up
some Dunlop 606's on this
bike. Which are good, fairly
aggressive all-around street-
legal tires that like to stick
to rocks, if you're crawling
over them. There's extra
fuel capacity and more light
output on-board, as well as
increased wrap-around hand
protection. All of these mods
are inexpensive and definitely
worth it to any bike project.
Maybe we should have
started the story with those?
The most unique modifica-
tion to this bike, to me, and
some that don't scream,
"fancy bolt-on" is the com-
plete rear swing arm from a
motocross bike, the Brembo
clutch master cylinder/lever
and the 701 Enduro shift
lever. The swingarm modifi-
cation allows Jefferson to run
a bigger rear axle, and the
axle cutout allows for more
chain adjustment range with
gearing swaps. The Brembo
swap on the clutch master
cylinder is actually a higher-
flowing unit that makes the
pull a little easier. And the
shift lever? Well, the indents
on the 701 shifter indexing
with the shift spline shaft
are oriented so the lever is
just a few millimeters higher
than any of the enduro or MX
shifters. This difference is
more comfortable to get your
boot under for better shifting,
plus it has a rubber tip, which
is nice for positive engage-
ment. It essentially fine tunes
shifter height to a perfect
level. I told you there were
some smart mods under all
this anodizing.
Yes, Jefferson's bike might
seem a little overkill, but we
can all dream, can't we?
There are certainly some
good and useful ideas here,
especially when it comes to
anything that has anything to
do with increasing durability,
as well as protection to both
bike and body. Anything that
will increase your chances
of getting back home is a
number-one priority for us,
so any part on this bike that
ends with the word "cover,"
or "guard," is certainly worth
a second look.
And, anything to improve
comfort is good with us, too.
After all, dual sport rides are
often all-day affairs with some
unplanned exploring. So, not
only do you want to get back
home but get back home
feeling rejuvenated, not
hurting. Performance parts
are simply icing on the cake
that make you and your bike
look/feel cool. And we all
know how good icing on the
cake is. More the better, but
just try not to overdo it and
make yourself sick. CN
There is a big difference between need and want. We want this bike.
