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older tards????

148K views 194 replies 105 participants last post by  ktmsupermoto10 
#1 ·
Most of the bikes I see here a pretty damn new! I really want to get into this sport recreationally but I have like no money.... College kid.....

I have been looking into converting an old dual sport, becauseI do still like riding off road alot. I have an 87 cbr600 right now and its my first sportbike and I really dont like it that much, I love hitting twisties, exploring back roads, and I love hitting little jumps off the beaten path. so i guess it seems natural that I should have a motard right????

so I have been looking into older XRs, mainly older DRs, some KLXs, and old Ktm and husabergs. these are the bikes that might be with in my price range.
so I want to see all the guys rockin older bikes and what you suggest I should do??? I know that laced wheels are kinda pricey but I was thinking of a gs500/katana rim swap on a DR. or if I got an XR I have a set of hawk gt rims and with a little skill and luck I wanted to find a gt single sided swinger and do a custom job...

but heres a pic for refrence of whatI would love to have, I think this is a 92 dr350, with gs rims and rm forks...
 
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#3 ·
I did up a friend's DR350 with 83 gs750 wheels over the winter.

How I did it....



 
#9 ·
I purchased an 87 Hurricane for the rims, rotors and brakes for my sumo conversion.

I paid $300.00 for the Hurricane and parted the thing out on ebay minus the parts I needed and made over $2,500.00.

The old CBR600F1 Hurricanes have almost a cult following and people will pay top dollar for body parts, if you have any left post them on ebay to pay for your build, thats what I did.

I still get emails at least once a week from people looking for F1 parts, if you want I can forward them to you.

BTW the F1 rims work very well on the XR400, see my post here on SMJ.
 
#6 ·
I had a DR350 for enough time to put about $5000.00 inot it trying to make it inot a bike as good as a stock XR600R then I sold it and got this. Do yourself a favor and tard up an XR instead.
 
#8 ·
those both look like great bikes! are they really big bikes???? I think I sat on one at a dealership once and it seemed really talll. I am 6'2" but I still dont want something I cant throw around a little. I know I sat on a klr650 and it was hugeeeee. the dr650s arent that big. I dont know, and I heard the XRs arnt that good on gas? those reallly look great though!

what about a KLX 650???? they seem fairly cheap?
 
#16 ·
The KLXs are great bikes after you sort the factory problems, but the other problem with them is the aftermarket, axtuallyt the lack of an aftermarket for them.
 
#10 ·
unfortunetly most of the plastics were toast after the previous owner hit a guard rail reallly hard.... I do have an fiberglass upper fairing with headlight, the rear side panels, and the tiny tail piece. most of those have the tabs broken though? I should sell it all I just have to get off my ass to do it
 
#14 ·
in CT just need to get a street title (from another state) and theres no bike inspection so your good to go.

the harley my grandfather bought from the farmer across the street in 1933 for $1.50

not a bad deal...
 
#15 ·
Been playing with the idea of doing the supermoto thing with a 86 xl600 I'm about to pick up. Had just thought of trying to find some sport bike wheels used. Great to see people are already doing it.
Glad to see in my first post that I'm not the only person messing with building a ghettotard.
 
#17 ·
One draw back to the stock mag swap is weitght. They are probably twice the weight of a set of spoked 17's.
 
#19 ·
If you are really trying to have fun cheaply and you can find some super cheap older bike, remember that you don't have to do a 17' wheel conversion.
Just put a good set of tires on the stock rims and you can still have a ball. Don't sink a ton of money into an old bike unless you want an "older unique" motard.
 
#23 ·
I Think this is the best advise here, i picked up a bone stock 99 XRL for 500, yes 500. put bout 400 into having the carbs cleaned and oil changed and all that cuz i am a newb and then about shot myself after i realized the money i could have saved doing it myself. which i always do now :thumbup: I have the big 21" in the front and 18 in the rear and i love it, got some pirelli tires for like 250 total and about 4000 miles on them already, they look new
 
#20 ·
Scotty that is awesome the 1987 CBR was also my first road bike! I was the second owner and paid like $1100 back in 94'. The guy I sold it to still rides it to work in the summer. It was in the local shop a few weeks ago for a tune. It has like some 73K on it now.

Are you just looking for an old enduro to do a wheel swap? If I were you I would find an old XR and part out the rest of the bike. If you sell that thing complete you won't get shit for it. I just seen a BRP on ebay some place in New York. Not sure if the CBR wheels fit on the XR though.

Just my $.02 good luck!
 
#21 ·
yeh I know i reallly couldnt get any money for it unless some one had the same tastes as me< unlikely> but seeing as it was my first "built" bike for me I think I might keep it for a long time for sentimental reasons and that it couldnt pull a penny in the market. I might as well just save up and by my self a graduation present next spring or maybe the rents will get me a graduation present!?!?!?!

welll as far as a wheel swap on an older bike, I have a set of hawk gt rims, s if I set my self on a project..... you might see a single sided swinger xr in the future!? be warned
 
#22 ·
No to KLX

The bad thing about the old KLX bikes, it as Sniper X said, there isn't much of an aftermarket for them... It is hard to get parts for them from the dealers!

The good thing about the KLX bikes, is they are like the XR and DRZ bikes, they just run and run. Bombproof. Another thing is not very many are out there!

I've had my '94 KLX 650 for about 3 years, made it street legal as soon as I picked it up. I've seen only one other KLX (not legal).

I had to have a rear brake hose custom made, since the factory unit is no longer made (tried a few different shops and all gave me the same answer).

I bought the bike because I got a sweet deal on it. Already had a Big Gun exhaust and aftermarket Mukuni carb installed. It runs like a tractor, pulls wicked hard down low but the vibration can kill.
 
#24 ·
havent been on in damn long time!!!! no internet at home....

Well I am back at school I got high speed inty and have been cruising all the posts since may on the street tard section!!!!

I saw a few really sweet older bikes, xt600 and that black xt350 which was amazing!!!
I am really glad to see older bikes like being made into amazing tards! I love wayy up in northern ny so even finding a dual sport was impossible this summer... I ended up getting a 1984 honda cb700 nighthawk S,


It was damn cheap and is a good mode of transpo for the time being at school.

I graduate in the spring and my rents mentioned a graduation gift... they said a car, but I have 99 jetta tdi that I love and no way want a new car... so I was thinking a drz400sm! I thought about maybe just looking for an older bike to convert but I kinda want something new that I can ride more than time I have to spend working on it.

but any ways Im back and I want to keep this thread alive and see more older tards!!!! post any pics you have!!
 
#26 ·
I have a KLX650C that I'm in the process of 'tarding, and while parts are hard to find they aren't all that bad. I've got a kickstarter + short swingarm + triples + forks off an R (dirt) model about to go on, and a set of 17s that I picked up for $750 shipped. I need to get it back together though, and my friend managed to fuck up the little end of my rod when doing a top end rebuild so it'll probably be a couple months.
 
#31 ·
This is me riding my brothers 96 XR 600r tard. He picked it up dirt cheap as a baja/desert race bike and converted the wheels to sumo. Man this this is a BEAST! :bowdown: It is a professional tire eater too!

...oh and this dang thing is probably one of the most reliable bike's I've ever ridden.
 
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