Yeah…well….cough….it’s been on the cards ever since “Le Shrek” (Goodie’s 650) was finished and I couldn’t keep my grubby mitts off it at every available opportunity….and still can’t.
After the front end was finally dialed in thanks to all the detective work by Aaron/ AceRider, the Shrek’s been an absolute joy to ride. It still feels like a 250 when swapping across from the VEE, it’s just so light’n easy to throw around. The K60s also fit like a glove, looks like they were custom-made for the 650.
Then again…after building 3 bikes, more or less, in a row, I’d had enough for a while. Good to see others picking up the threads on ADVrider and other forums … and “ThinStroms” popping up around the globe. Some awesome builds amongst the crop, too. Technically, as well as cosmetically.
Then this shows up in last week’s Fowles listings again, it’s on its 4th “lap” around and the hammer comes down at $2300.
Add 200bux in fees (there are all sorts of fees and charges, incl. the online bidding fee for chucking in blind bits on something you haven’t even seen in the flesh) and another $200 for the transport down to Melbourne.
At $2700 in-the-garage, we’ve got a Jan ’09 plated non-ABS WEE with a bent rear subframe, everything missing around the front end and a pair of forklegs full of "rusteo-arthritis".
Oh yeah…there’s a bundle of busted and cracked plastics and bits floating around the floor of the truck…
And there’s a key…and a flat battery.
Picking up the bike from the transport depot, I scooped the shrapnel into a washing basket and chucked it into the back for the way home….there’s a sort of good?? instrument cluster amongst that lot , but the pointers seem to be stuck halfway around the dials.
Unload and hook up the charger, battery is taking charge, yeeha!.... there’s even a little fuel in the tank, coolant is full, oil looks good enough with still a yellow sheen to it…the OEM Bridgestones are about 60% on the usability scale.
Plenty of meat for a few 1000k’s and a hint that the bike is still a baby with pretty low mileage.
An hour later and some fiddling to jerry-rig part of the electrics to hook up the instrument cluster and the dials spark up…we’ve got lights, all electrics work, horn, indicators (what’s left of ‘em)…and there’s a lousy 4752k’s on the clock !!!!!!
Bounce, bounce! Got a good one, yayyy!!
The dials have also reset themselves to normal…
Turn the key, pull the clutch….and look away, baring your teeth while pressing that starter button, expecting ….ANYTHING, really.
A couple of short coughs, then she fires up on the stale, old fuel, settling into a nice and steady fast idle right away….as any good Strom does!
Ok then, she’s been worth the money. NOT, if you want to repair it back to stock, mind…but for what’s going to come of it, it’s a bloody good buy.
Crooked “knees”, fairing frame bent to the shitter, the radiator panel-thread in the header tank is just barely tilted...easy fix by screwing in a bolt halfway, then gently bending it straight. VERY gently that is.
Got a good, straight set of forklegs on the shelf, and a spare set of Intiminator fork-inserts.
Mod, fix, replace…check the triple-clamps and get new head-bearings… all in one hit. Then replace the master-cylinder with an earlier or DL1000 one for better feel and feedback, some braided lines and that’ll make the front-end.
Weld up the cracks and chop that front-guard, all in one go.
All sweet underneath, no dings in the pipe or anywhere else.
The tail copped a whack…looks like there was a pillion involved, too…hmmm.
The one-piece exhaust system pushes the subframe across , the hanger brackets are bent slightly.
I got rid of the packrack and tail plastics/ lights and rear footpeg-brackets to remove stresses on the subframe and things come about 40% better immediately. The seat latched perfectly and smoothly before, so things are pretty minor. The rest will come out easily with the judicious use of an old piece of 2x4 flooring joist….exactly the same way the professionals do it (behind closed doors, of course).
The only other usable bit out of the “junk-pile”.
One mounting tab is broken at the back of the headlight unit which will be easy enough to replace with a fabricated aluminium bracket riveted to the plastic base…then again, the unit won’t be used on that bike anyway. Onto the spares shelf with it…
Time to start some reading…there were a few things about those post ’07 bikes…
…and time to start a shopping list for all those parts needed to bring this thing back to a reasonable state….a set of LED indicators and matching relay, some sort of skidplate, a set of Gixxer brake calipers and adapter plates, a forkbrace…some more aftermarket mirrors, the fiddly bits for the vacuum port extensions to make the TBS easier, a set of .85 linear Sonic fork-springs….a center stand…a set of Quicklock pannier rack off ANY bike, as they’ll be re-modelled anyway….crashbars? Better not yet, let’s build the body-panels first.
Look around for a mask, perhaps I can buy something this time rather than inhaling another bucketload of smouldering ABS.
Twin or single seat?
Re-build the header sections of the exhaust, routing it alongside the engine rather than underneath, freeing up an extra 50mm of ground clearance?
That’ll mean a once-off skidplate….and all sorts of fun with the CO2 sensor.
Hmmm, need some raising links for the rear, too, go up another 1”-1.5”
And a pair of K60s, which are in such short supply…at least one for the front.
Guess I’ll better straighten out the base first, re-built the front and fix the rear, make it all line up. Stringline the sucker and get that front-wheel spun to check if it’s out of round.
Yes, it’ll be a long-termer….and it'll be FUN!!
AGAIN!!!
After the front end was finally dialed in thanks to all the detective work by Aaron/ AceRider, the Shrek’s been an absolute joy to ride. It still feels like a 250 when swapping across from the VEE, it’s just so light’n easy to throw around. The K60s also fit like a glove, looks like they were custom-made for the 650.
Then again…after building 3 bikes, more or less, in a row, I’d had enough for a while. Good to see others picking up the threads on ADVrider and other forums … and “ThinStroms” popping up around the globe. Some awesome builds amongst the crop, too. Technically, as well as cosmetically.
Then this shows up in last week’s Fowles listings again, it’s on its 4th “lap” around and the hammer comes down at $2300.
Add 200bux in fees (there are all sorts of fees and charges, incl. the online bidding fee for chucking in blind bits on something you haven’t even seen in the flesh) and another $200 for the transport down to Melbourne.
At $2700 in-the-garage, we’ve got a Jan ’09 plated non-ABS WEE with a bent rear subframe, everything missing around the front end and a pair of forklegs full of "rusteo-arthritis".
Oh yeah…there’s a bundle of busted and cracked plastics and bits floating around the floor of the truck…
And there’s a key…and a flat battery.
Picking up the bike from the transport depot, I scooped the shrapnel into a washing basket and chucked it into the back for the way home….there’s a sort of good?? instrument cluster amongst that lot , but the pointers seem to be stuck halfway around the dials.
Unload and hook up the charger, battery is taking charge, yeeha!.... there’s even a little fuel in the tank, coolant is full, oil looks good enough with still a yellow sheen to it…the OEM Bridgestones are about 60% on the usability scale.
Plenty of meat for a few 1000k’s and a hint that the bike is still a baby with pretty low mileage.
An hour later and some fiddling to jerry-rig part of the electrics to hook up the instrument cluster and the dials spark up…we’ve got lights, all electrics work, horn, indicators (what’s left of ‘em)…and there’s a lousy 4752k’s on the clock !!!!!!
Bounce, bounce! Got a good one, yayyy!!
The dials have also reset themselves to normal…
Turn the key, pull the clutch….and look away, baring your teeth while pressing that starter button, expecting ….ANYTHING, really.
A couple of short coughs, then she fires up on the stale, old fuel, settling into a nice and steady fast idle right away….as any good Strom does!
Ok then, she’s been worth the money. NOT, if you want to repair it back to stock, mind…but for what’s going to come of it, it’s a bloody good buy.
Crooked “knees”, fairing frame bent to the shitter, the radiator panel-thread in the header tank is just barely tilted...easy fix by screwing in a bolt halfway, then gently bending it straight. VERY gently that is.
Got a good, straight set of forklegs on the shelf, and a spare set of Intiminator fork-inserts.
Mod, fix, replace…check the triple-clamps and get new head-bearings… all in one hit. Then replace the master-cylinder with an earlier or DL1000 one for better feel and feedback, some braided lines and that’ll make the front-end.
Weld up the cracks and chop that front-guard, all in one go.
All sweet underneath, no dings in the pipe or anywhere else.
The tail copped a whack…looks like there was a pillion involved, too…hmmm.
The one-piece exhaust system pushes the subframe across , the hanger brackets are bent slightly.
I got rid of the packrack and tail plastics/ lights and rear footpeg-brackets to remove stresses on the subframe and things come about 40% better immediately. The seat latched perfectly and smoothly before, so things are pretty minor. The rest will come out easily with the judicious use of an old piece of 2x4 flooring joist….exactly the same way the professionals do it (behind closed doors, of course).
The only other usable bit out of the “junk-pile”.
One mounting tab is broken at the back of the headlight unit which will be easy enough to replace with a fabricated aluminium bracket riveted to the plastic base…then again, the unit won’t be used on that bike anyway. Onto the spares shelf with it…
Time to start some reading…there were a few things about those post ’07 bikes…
…and time to start a shopping list for all those parts needed to bring this thing back to a reasonable state….a set of LED indicators and matching relay, some sort of skidplate, a set of Gixxer brake calipers and adapter plates, a forkbrace…some more aftermarket mirrors, the fiddly bits for the vacuum port extensions to make the TBS easier, a set of .85 linear Sonic fork-springs….a center stand…a set of Quicklock pannier rack off ANY bike, as they’ll be re-modelled anyway….crashbars? Better not yet, let’s build the body-panels first.
Look around for a mask, perhaps I can buy something this time rather than inhaling another bucketload of smouldering ABS.
Twin or single seat?
Re-build the header sections of the exhaust, routing it alongside the engine rather than underneath, freeing up an extra 50mm of ground clearance?
That’ll mean a once-off skidplate….and all sorts of fun with the CO2 sensor.
Hmmm, need some raising links for the rear, too, go up another 1”-1.5”
And a pair of K60s, which are in such short supply…at least one for the front.
Guess I’ll better straighten out the base first, re-built the front and fix the rear, make it all line up. Stringline the sucker and get that front-wheel spun to check if it’s out of round.
Yes, it’ll be a long-termer….and it'll be FUN!!
AGAIN!!!