[chop_juice]

Hi Everyone,

So i have finally collected my 2017 XSR700

Arguably the bike I have leant to ride for.

For the sake of a story, I rode motocross as a kid and always wanted a bike but never got around to it.

I was living in central London with no need for transport or space to keep a bike but I recently moved to North East Scotland and made sure to find accom with a garage.

A weekend in spring last year I travelled home for my Fathers 60th (who had just purchased an Indian Roadmaster) and during the party I discussed bikes with my Uncle (Ducati Multistrada) and commented on how i one day wanted a bike but thought nothing of it.

Arrived at the airport for flight home at 6am on Monday morning only to find our flight had been cancelled. So my Dad suggested Fowlers motorcycles while we waited for the evening flight.

Now despite a lifelong ambition to own a bike, nothing in store really caught my attention. (Triumph Datoyna and Thruxton r are cool but maybe too expensive and not practical for a first bike? (and my girlfriend complained about no back seat)

..and then i saw the XSR700. Absolutely loved it and it ticks all my boxes.

So a long story short, aged 33 I passed test in November, a long winter wait (for a black radiator with 17 plate) and a Forest Green XSR700

The dealer fit an underslung Akro ti and i’ve a few other mods in the pipeline.

The plan is Scottish touring and Wild camping. Will try to keep this thread up to date with progress and pic’s

In addition to parts in pic i'm planning LSL bars, black vinyl wrap top of forks and i've only today realised i should have ask dealer to fit fork gaiters (they arrived today, doh)

 

[Shadowburn]

Hello! Welcome!!

 

[Neil Atkinson]

Great story! I've got an earlier Forest Green with the silver rad and side guards. I've fitted a black rad guard and plan to get the rad panels powder coated!

 

[Rivski]

Hi
Hope you enjoy the bike and enjoy making it yours with the mods etc

 

[chop_juice]

Hi Guys,

First service is out the way, 940 miles on the clock and bike is now at a state where i thought i’d share some pics. Cheers to the forum for inspiration, info and helping with decisions on which mods to make!

I have really enjoyed riding and modding the bike!

So far….

• Yamaha OEM tracer heated grips & rad side guards
• Akro ti carbon tip underslung exhaust (mt07 version)
• Evotech: shorty levers, tail tidy, rad guard, fork bungs & swing arm bobbins (sharpie’d out the branding)
• LSL Superbike Fat Alu T6 (LSL128AX01D) (ground locating pins off controls & I much prefer position & handling! (for me the best mod by far))
• Pyramid rear hugger (it makes a huge difference in wet!)
• Rizoma: crash bungs (PM213a), Spy R 80mm (LP200 adapters) and I will soon fit the CT025b rear brake fluid pot (& pot bracket CT455)
• Motogadget blaze pin indicators (front & rear) with relay change
• 8x6 number plate with black back (smaller but still looks legal)
• Ebay mirror hole plugs

**(Excuse the model numbers I’m an IT techie by trade)

At this point its worth noting that I fell in love with the classic forest ‘british racing’ green look hence unless i decide to get radical in a few years i’ll be sticking with stock colour.

Also love the shape of the stock bike and with the exception of the custom yard builts (for which I don’t have the budget or mechanical know how) I’m not into the stock short seat variants of the XSR (although are still cool!!). Plus girlfriend enjoys riding pillion and we’ve some touring planned hence the long seat and pillion pegs will stay

Philosophy of build so far has been practicality and attention to detail. Really just trying to make an awesome bike better.

With the exception of a black Givi Trekker Outback box for when touring, at this point i think I’m about done (while i let the bank balance recover)

Possible ideas for the future include:

• Black Pillion Pegs, or sliver and Alu Side panels?
• Fork gaiters and black vinyl wrap top of forks? (would have done this but means dropping out forks and dealer had already built up bike by the time gaiters arrived ) plus in the right light i like the silver forks.
• Upgraded headlamp bulb?
• Forest Green paint on headlamp surround front ring?
• Billet sprocket cover (has anyone fit this?)
• Acquire a second seat and re-trim with cafe inspired shape (colour ideas? - guys at dealership thought grey/silver seat?) - anyone have a second seat they’d sell cheap?
• Stripes on mudguards to match tank?
• Remove DB killer, DNA air filter, stage 2 airbox cover and ecu re-flash

Any questions, comments or idea’s welcome.

Thanks

Geoff

 

[chop_juice]

Pics...

 

[PazzoTazzo75]

Looking great Geoff! A lot of quality mods on show. I've got my stock seat booked in to be reshaped and styled in a couple of weeks so will let you know how it turns out. Getting the stock seat reshaped with a hump at the back and a more retro style in general.

 

[chop_juice]

Looking great Geoff! A lot of quality mods on show. I've got my stock seat booked in to be reshaped and styled in a couple of weeks so will let you know how it turns out. Getting the stock seat reshaped with a hump at the back and a more retro style in general.

Cheers Steve, sound great, yeah please do let us know how it turns out. Have seen a few custom seat pics and always interested to see more. Which place are you using? Are you thinking a different trim or colour?

I quite like the flat seat but possibly with a different trim and small hump on back.

 

[PazzoTazzo75]

Cheers Steve, sound great, yeah please do let us know how it turns out. Have seen a few custom seat pics and always interested to see more. Which place are you using? Are you thinking a different trim or colour?

I quite like the flat seat but possibly with a different trim and small hump on back.

I'm going to Saddle Craft in South Shields which is only 15 minutes from me.

http://www.saddlecraft.co.uk

They have some nice seat designs in their gallery section. I'm thinking of black / grey, subtle, but with stitching and a decent sized hump at the rear! I'll make decisions once I take the stock seat in. :smile2:

 

[PazzoTazzo75]

...plus they can put a gel insert into the seat design for about £30 so might go for that too!

 

[chop_juice]

Nice, yeah they have some good looking seats. For the sake of £30, I'd go for a gel insert.


Thinking I may struggle to find somewhere this far north, but am sensing the need for a custom seat and cowl thread.

 

[chop_juice]

Just fit some black MT07 gilles tooling pillion pegs and rizoma rear reservoir.

Hopefully i can sleep easy now

Performance mods coming soon