If you’ve watched the FortNine YouTube channel, you would probably be familiar with Ryan’s clone mechanics. This month, we are featuring Mechanic #45, who owns a 1997 Suzuki DR650 (which he recently released an epic video on) as well a ‘97 DR350, an ‘82 Kawasaki KL250, and a ‘75 Suzuki RV125.
The modifications 45 has done to his fleet of bikes are extensive.
In this month’s tech talk, Carl talks about the importance of having matching rims and spokes when putting a wheel together.
We hear from a lot of customers who dent a rim, bend some spokes, or just want a different rim on their bike. We also hear from customers who bought a rim somewhere and just need us to get them a new set of spokes. Unfortunately, not all rims and spokes go together.
This month, we are excited to feature Joey Pons, who is based in Louisiana and is the proud owner of a 2020 Suzuki DR650 and a 2021 Yamaha FJR1300. While the FJR is undoubtedly a cool ride, the one we’re really interested in his DR, so let’s dive in!
Visually, the most obvious upgrades to the DR are the 4.9 gallon IMS fuel tank in natural, a Seat Concepts seat, a ProCycle skid plate, a rear top rack, Wolfman saddlebags, and a ProCycle tool tube. Joey also upgraded the suspension, both front and rear, with a Cogent shock and Cogent Dynamic Drop-in Cartridges (DDCs).
In this month’s tech talk, Carl gives an overview of fuel petcocks and walks through the process of rebuilding one. Fuel petcocks sit between the tank and the carburetor, and are typically either vacuum-fed or gravity-fed.
Tom and Mike from our sales team went to Las Vegas last month for one of the motorsport industry’s premier trade shows. This multi-day event brought together dealers and exhibitors from across the world, and provided us with an opportunity to stay in touch with manufacturers and keep current with new products. Tom shares some highlights below:
In this month’s tech talk, Carl will demonstrate how to properly apply anti-seize paste. Anti-seize paste contains copper, aluminum, or zinc particles mixed with bearing grease, and helps keep your parts lubricated so that they do not seize up, even after being exposed to extreme temperatures or the elements.
Copper-based anti-seize are suited for high-temperature applications such as spark plugs, head bolts, or brake calipers. Aluminum-based pastes can be used for things like triple-clamp mounts or handlebar mounts.
We are excited to continue work on our project XR650L with the installation of a skid plate from B&B Off Road Engineering!
In this short video, Tom and Rob replace the stock armor on our XR with a beefy 1/8”-thick aluminum skid plate. This is a must-do upgrade to help protect vital components and keep you from becoming stranded while riding off-road.
We’ve been hard at work teaming up with suppliers to bring you new and exclusive products. We don’t have these items ready to order quite yet, but want to give you a sneak peek.
Happy 2024! We have been hard at work on our new project bike for this year. Hot on the heels of our TW200, we’re excited to introduce our project Honda XR650L! We’ve also been working with vendors to develop new products, so stay tuned. Check out our intro video!
Mike B, our resident Yamaha Ténéré 700 rider and salesperson extraordinaire recently took a 860-mile round trip across Oregon to Idaho and back. The serious chunk of saddle time allowed him to evaluate the upgrades on his bike. Read his reports below:
