The ideal two-bike combo?

Warren

2
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
2,332
Location
O'Fallon, MO
Bike
2019 Yamaha XMAX
I thank you all for your comments.

Another forum seems to have found the bike for me.
https://www.kawasaki.com/Products/2017-Versys-X-300-ABS
Neither of the local deales have one yet.
Maybe Honda will make a similar one too?
Maybe the upcoming CFR250 Rally will be OK .


Dave
Nice little bike. Around $400 for a set of saddle bags and $100 for a top box are reasonable. Looks like it would make for a good little back roads touring adventure bike. With a seat height of 32.1" its barely taller than the NT's seat. Think I will go to my dealer to look at one this weekend. According to the website my dealer has them in stock.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
18
Location
Northern CA
It has been a long time since I had a chain drive. What is your technique to take good care of your chain?
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
18
Location
Northern CA
Phil, I am still waiting on some of the accessories I ordered for the NC700X. I got in a Givi windshield which helped some, but still not great. I ordered a laminar lip for it but had to guess about which one to order as I felt it was a waste of effort to try to make the tiny stock shield work. I am real happy with what the lip did for my stock shield on the NT. I rode it for 6 hours Friday and am happy I kept it. I won't really know how much I like the NC for touring until I get bags and good wind protection. I am thinking about going with soft luggage.
 

Phil Tarman

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Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
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Age
81
Location
Greeley, CO
Bike
2010 Silver NT700VA (ABS)
Charley, I'll probably see Larry (my friend with the NC700X) when I'm in Spearfish this summer. If I do, I'll get some pictures of his mods for weather protection and send them to you.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
399
Location
Great Plains
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
It has been a long time since I had a chain drive. What is your technique to take good care of your chain?
On my first motorcycle with a chain, I used a couple different brands of "chain wax". Even though I cleaned and lubed it regularly it actually started to rust. I rode that bike as often as I could, so it wasn't like it sat there. When I purchased my second bike with a chain I did some web searching and found a lot of positive reviews on Dupont teflon products. I liked the one in the blue can better, but haven't been able to buy it for a while. They are probably just the same stuff anyway. Some people in wetter climates says it comes off in the rain, but I haven't had any problem with it. I like it better than the "chain wax" types, because it isn't sticky and doesn't seem to attract sand or dirt. Some people complain that when it is dry it doesn't look like the chain has lube. The chain will look much cleaner longer. Here is an amazon link, but I usually get it at walmart and I think it is cheaper there usually.

https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-32610-Dupont-Teflon-Chain/dp/B00HUYMPSO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494258399&sr=8-2&keywords=teflon+chain+saver

I lube the chain with the dupont teflon stuff about every 500 miles or three tanks of gas, and at the end of a ride when the chain is warm. I also get out the kerosene and clean the chain about once every 1500 miles. I have found that holding a rag behind the chain and spraying the chain helps control it and prevent it from getting on the tire. It doesn't take long for the rag to get completely soaked and I use it clean and get the teflon on the parts that are difficult to get by spraying. When done, I just park the bike and let it dry overnight. In the morning it won't look as glossy or wet, but it will be there. Doing it this way, I could probably extend the kerosene cleaning out farther, but like to do the kerosene cleaning when I have some spare time. Makes me "feel" better even if the chain doesn't look much different afterward.

My Triumph tiger chain always looked new and clean using this method. That bike pretty much stayed on the pavement. I have owned my 2012 DR650 with 12K miles on it since new and I have only used the Dupont Teflon stuff on it. It doesn't have a speck of rust on it, and the sprockets don't show any hooking or issues. Some DR650 riders reporting changing their chains and sprockets at this mileage, but mine look great and I am hoping at least 20k miles out of them. On big trips I did get lazy and only lubed the chain about every 1,000 miles, But I did check it daily. When doing mostly highway in dry conditions it didn't seem to need much.

Sorry for the long post. Hope it helps.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
18
Location
Northern CA
On my first motorcycle with a chain, I used a couple different brands of "chain wax". Even though I cleaned and lubed it regularly it actually started to rust. I rode that bike as often as I could, so it wasn't like it sat there. When I purchased my second bike with a chain I did some web searching and found a lot of positive reviews on Dupont teflon products. I liked the one in the blue can better, but haven't been able to buy it for a while. They are probably just the same stuff anyway. Some people in wetter climates says it comes off in the rain, but I haven't had any problem with it. I like it better than the "chain wax" types, because it isn't sticky and doesn't seem to attract sand or dirt. Some people complain that when it is dry it doesn't look like the chain has lube. The chain will look much cleaner longer. Here is an amazon link, but I usually get it at walmart and I think it is cheaper there usually.

https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-32610-Dupont-Teflon-Chain/dp/B00HUYMPSO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494258399&sr=8-2&keywords=teflon+chain+saver

I lube the chain with the dupont teflon stuff about every 500 miles or three tanks of gas, and at the end of a ride when the chain is warm. I also get out the kerosene and clean the chain about once every 1500 miles. I have found that holding a rag behind the chain and spraying the chain helps control it and prevent it from getting on the tire. It doesn't take long for the rag to get completely soaked and I use it clean and get the teflon on the parts that are difficult to get by spraying. When done, I just park the bike and let it dry overnight. In the morning it won't look as glossy or wet, but it will be there. Doing it this way, I could probably extend the kerosene cleaning out farther, but like to do the kerosene cleaning when I have some spare time. Makes me "feel" better even if the chain doesn't look much different afterward.

My Triumph tiger chain always looked new and clean using this method. That bike pretty much stayed on the pavement. I have owned my 2012 DR650 with 12K miles on it since new and I have only used the Dupont Teflon stuff on it. It doesn't have a speck of rust on it, and the sprockets don't show any hooking or issues. Some DR650 riders reporting changing their chains and sprockets at this mileage, but mine look great and I am hoping at least 20k miles out of them. On big trips I did get lazy and only lubed the chain about every 1,000 miles, But I did check it daily. When doing mostly highway in dry conditions it didn't seem to need much.

Sorry for the long post. Hope it helps.
Thanks Artemedes, I appreciate the detailed answer. I will definitely give the teflon a try. I have ridden the NC more now and really enjoy how it handles. The upshifting is seamless and the downshifting approaching curves with the manual button is so easy.
Charley
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
399
Location
Great Plains
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
Bad news on the Dupont teflon stuff. It appears it has been discontinued. It has been replaced with wax based product that has teflon added. The old stuff wasn't wax based. Motorcycle Consumer news tried the new stuff and found kinking and a general poor results. This is really disappointing because I tried multiple brands of "chain wax" and much preferred the old dupont teflon stuff. I used the blue can dupont teflon lubricant before the yellow "chain saver", and preferred the old blue can too. They keep discontinuing what I like :(

You can still buy the good stuff at Amazon, but stock is dwindling. I ordered a few cans, and will have to search and figure out a good replacement.
 
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