Well i know they do an off-road version now... but this is still quite interesting.
I completed this build a couple of months back now, but thought it was time to share it with the group. I'm not one to document my builds as I'm usually busy with work/life/kids etc. so this is the first time it's made an appearance anywhere other than my local Facebook groups.
Background: I've always had an interest in both road and dirt riding and so have been building "Scramblers" for about 10 years now. Started with a CB250RS, then CB400N, GS500, MT03 (660cc), Duke 390, and now finally the MT07. As much as I knew the MT07 would always be the perfect base for an adventure/dirt build, I was always a bit apprehensive about using my MT07 as it's been my faithful and all time favourite bike for the last three years now and also isn't a cheap bike to go awol on and turn into a dirt bike. Though I finally got sick of building Scramblers which just weren't quite good enough and so I bit the bullet and sacrificed my MT07 to the dirt gods.
After spending countless hours on research prior and sourcing the necessary parts, the build itself was rather quick taking about a month from start to finish. The "kit", named so because everything is fully reversible and transferable to another MT07, is the following:
- Gen 2 KLR 650 forks in the standard MT07 triples with Cogent DDC emulators, 200mm standard travel.
- YSS SV650 shock, 175mm travel, revalved for adventure riding conditions.
- KLR650 wheels, 21" / 17", running Motoz Rallz, and oversize 320mm front disc.
- Fully functioning ABS retained with a toggle switch up on the handle bars.
- Few accessories, screen, taller+wider bars, hand guards, skid plate, crash bars, ventura rack.
- Plus a bunch of other bits and pieces, machined spacers, longer front brake line etc. to pull it all together.
The end result is an absolute weapon off road and more fun than my stock MT07 was on road. It weighs in at 190kg wet, so about 10kg (22 pound) more than stock although that includes all the bolt on protection and the rack, so works out about the same. The bike sits about 75mm taller than stock at the sump with a bit more than that from the front end and a bit less from the rear so is canted back slightly giving it a more upright riding position. At 173cm (5'9) it's probably sitting at the limit of height that I can still manage off road although I have been riding dirt bikes for many years so am somewhat used to it.
The suspension is dialed perfectly for myself at 73kg with the stock KLR fork springs and standard YSS SV650 spring and hits just the right balance of on/off road mix. Smooth enough when it gets rough, but firm enough for spirited road riding and preventing it from bottoming out. And with the altered ergos it wheelies like there's no tomorrow.
I couldn't be happier with how this bike turned out. It's hands down the most fun bike I've owned over the years. My days of seeking out the perfect Scrambler are done as this is exactly the bike I was after. There's only one change potentially in the works. It might be about to become an XSR700!
