Hi folks, I figured with all the separate posts I have been making (and want to make) for this project I might as well have a master thread. It's the weekend, let's start my write-up.
In November 2018 I flew down to Costa Rica to pick up my old HP2 which I'd stored there a few years prior. I had already ridden it from San Francisco to Costa Rica, and I expected to be able to continue South. Wrong! The Costa Rican government had seized it, as you cannot store a bike there (legally, even by following local procedures to the letter) for more than a year without nationalizing it. Of course, nationalizing it means paying insane taxes and months of processing including vehicle certifications, plating, etc.
What a nightmare! I had a nice ride on a rented BMW with the wife and then flew back to LA to pick up a 2017 R Nine T Scrambler — to make it my new RTW travel bike.
Here's what I am starting with:
![Image]()
As you can see it came with a few 'nice bits' from the previous owner: an Altrider skid plate, header protectors, a nice little (Dart?) flyscreen (I hate proper windscreens, and loved riding all the way to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on my unfaired Ducati Sport Classic GT1000!) and a Hepco Becker rear luggage rack. It has peg-lowering brackets, as well. I think that's about it. It has the spoke wheel option and ASC (toggleable ABS! Important!), as well as a dual gauge setup with rev counter.
Changes I will be making:
- Suspension bump: I got the Wilbers +70mm suspension kit ordered by Beemershop. They're local to me, and reports on this forum are super positive. That's a front and rear upgrade with longer fork legs and a much longer rear spring, which are both fully adjustable. It's still (sadly) not an USD fork and less than 200mm, but that's the best you get without a front end swap.
- Dirt-friendliness upgrade: 21 inch front wheel and 150/17/70 rear wheel
- Higher seat
- Lower footpegs
- Higher fender (high fender if possible)
- Handguards for drops
- Crash protection (cylinder head, crash bar)
- Luggage setup for very long distance touring
- Lightening: swap steel gas tank for aluminum unit, drop the stock exhaust)
- General protective bits (oil cooler, intake)
- Add power hookups for heated gear, devices
- Change handlebar rise for comfortable stand-up on tricky off-road bits and general comfort
- Make handlebars comfortable to hold (somehow got terrible cramp riding it up)
PARTS!
![Image]()
[RESERVED SPACE FOR COMPLETED BUILD]
In November 2018 I flew down to Costa Rica to pick up my old HP2 which I'd stored there a few years prior. I had already ridden it from San Francisco to Costa Rica, and I expected to be able to continue South. Wrong! The Costa Rican government had seized it, as you cannot store a bike there (legally, even by following local procedures to the letter) for more than a year without nationalizing it. Of course, nationalizing it means paying insane taxes and months of processing including vehicle certifications, plating, etc.
What a nightmare! I had a nice ride on a rented BMW with the wife and then flew back to LA to pick up a 2017 R Nine T Scrambler — to make it my new RTW travel bike.
Here's what I am starting with:
As you can see it came with a few 'nice bits' from the previous owner: an Altrider skid plate, header protectors, a nice little (Dart?) flyscreen (I hate proper windscreens, and loved riding all the way to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on my unfaired Ducati Sport Classic GT1000!) and a Hepco Becker rear luggage rack. It has peg-lowering brackets, as well. I think that's about it. It has the spoke wheel option and ASC (toggleable ABS! Important!), as well as a dual gauge setup with rev counter.
Changes I will be making:
- Suspension bump: I got the Wilbers +70mm suspension kit ordered by Beemershop. They're local to me, and reports on this forum are super positive. That's a front and rear upgrade with longer fork legs and a much longer rear spring, which are both fully adjustable. It's still (sadly) not an USD fork and less than 200mm, but that's the best you get without a front end swap.
- Dirt-friendliness upgrade: 21 inch front wheel and 150/17/70 rear wheel
- Higher seat
- Lower footpegs
- Higher fender (high fender if possible)
- Handguards for drops
- Crash protection (cylinder head, crash bar)
- Luggage setup for very long distance touring
- Lightening: swap steel gas tank for aluminum unit, drop the stock exhaust)
- General protective bits (oil cooler, intake)
- Add power hookups for heated gear, devices
- Change handlebar rise for comfortable stand-up on tricky off-road bits and general comfort
- Make handlebars comfortable to hold (somehow got terrible cramp riding it up)
PARTS!
[RESERVED SPACE FOR COMPLETED BUILD]
After that, Seattle and Vancouver.
