Toady I rode my RC51 for the first time in almost a month...it was out of commission while getting the forks revalved by Kyle Racing. The suspension now feels wonderful at both ends, no complaints. On my ride, I almost got pegged by two cages, and it felt so constricting to deal w/ streets, signs, speed limits, cages, etc. I guess the comparison was so vivid mainly b/c I've done so much dirt riding over the last month.

I LOVE my RC51 so much, but while riding all I could think of was what a great day it would be @ the MX track. I hate to admit it, but I've really lost a lot of my enthusiasm for street riding. I could turn the RC into a track bike, but it's too expensive to ride as aggressively as I'd like.

So....if anybody is interested, my '02 RC 51 is available, even though I'll put minimal effort into marketing it until Spring.

I'd be open to returning it to stock (ex. the forks and SS lines), or selling it w/ any combination of parts, and selling the unwanted ones separately:
Akrapovic Ti s/o's
PCIIIR

Dan Kyle exhaust brackets
Goodridge SS lines
flapper mod
soft rev limiter mod (not yet installed)

Penske Racing shock
Dan Kyle fork upgrades
Ohlins damper/Harris bracket
Dan Kyle preload adjusters

Sargent leather seat
LP adj. Pegs (part time)
15/41 sprockets
speedo recal.
gp (reverse) shifter
Yoyodyne frame sliders (not yet installed)
Metzler M1 tires (180 on rear) in good shape

3700 miles, exc. condition. Clear title w/ no liens.

This is my favorite sportbike that I've ever ridden. The only reason I'm considering selling it is b/c it's a lot of $$$ tied up in a toy that gets such minimal use. It's a shame that I came to this conclusion right after completing my "wish list" of every mod I ever contemplated...

 

Chris; Sad to hear man! I had a similar experience some years ago and I got off bikes for 10 years but, came back. How much do you have in that bike? It looks like a bunch!

 

Looks like you've made a new addition to your 2-wheel stable!

How do you like the CRF?

I also find myself rarely doing street rides anymore. Although I am greatly looking forward to a Copper Canyon dual-sport trip in a week and a half, which will have about 700 miles of street riding in addition to many miles of dirt mountian roads and some gnarly two-track.

 

Chipster, I have ~$15K in it...it's very difficult to consider selling it since its such an incredible bike, but the reality is that I have have a strong enough preference for dirt biking that the RC would gather a lot of dust for the amount of money I've invested in it, not to mention the ins. bill.

pfb, I LOVE the CRF! I never would guess I'd like it...I had a YZ 426F a couple of years back, and it was way too much bike for me. Until this, my favorite bike so far has been the YZ250F. I called my dealer/sponsor about the upcoming CRF250, and he got me thinking about the 450 w/ a sweet offer. Rode a friend's 450, and a friend fell in love w/ my DRZ400E, and everything fell into place. The CRF is astounding in that it has power everywhere (power wheelies in every gear!), but is very light and actually easy to ride, unlike the 426. Maint. and starting are also quite a bit easier.

 

What kind of off-road trail bike do you think it might make with a dual-sport kit? Maybe lights and a gear reduction, soften up the damping...

Especially interested in how it compares to the DRZ, realizing that they are designed for pretty different purposes.

I want power wheelies! And I've decided to replace the XR400R with something new in the Spring.

 

It could make a great DS bike, but does not come woods-ready stock.

In addition to the legal stuff, you'd prob. want to consider:
- a heavier flywheel to soften the power delivery (surprisingly, it's not needed to prevent stalling like on the YZF's). Other woods riders like the new auto clutches.
- skid plates
- hand guards
- gearing? Woods riders like to gear it down, but depending on how fast you want to go on the street...
- more fuel/cooling capacity: you can do really cool mods here. There are kits where you can tap the CRF's frame to use separate parts to increase fuel capacity and as an overflow tank, while preserving the slim MX ergos.
- kickstand

The biggest downside, IMO, is that the engine has low engine and gearbox oil capacity (~700cc each), dictating oil changes every 7.5 hrs. May be a bit much if you go on really long rides. OFC, most racy four strokes are like this now, but it's a worthwhile sacrifice IMO. This bike feels like it will pull your arms out of your shoulder sockets!!!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pfb
[B]

What kind of off-road trail bike do you think it might make with a dual-sport kit? Maybe lights and a gear reduction, soften up the damping...

 

Man, I've really started to take some things for granted! I bitch if a bike doesn't come with a built-in centerstand, let alone a kick-stand!

 

Chris,

What are you realistically looking at as far as a price goes? With the mods of course.

 

$12K...it would cost ~$15K+ to replicate, not counting labor but incl. my wholesale parts prices from LP (I did everything ex. the forks myself).

Still under warranty through 4/03.

 

I'll be really surprised if you do sell it for $12K, I've noticed that people only tend to pay more for engine(internal) mods and suspension mods. Since used RCs are relatively cheaper now, example, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=1874803348
Even paying $10K means dishing out $2k extra just for used parts. But you never know, hope you'll get as much as your money back!!