Project Incognito

[Smoker]

Not sure if any of you guys would be interested in this one, but it has 2 wheels and a motor.

In my Daily Supermoto thread, I documented a bad crash, from May of 2019- and the revival of the WR250X. Got a lawyer, and all charges were dropped by the court. So, in February of this year, I get a surprise notice (almost 4 years later) from the DMV that my licence is now suspended, related to that crash. While this legal shit is being handled, I still need to get food, and like going to the welding shop.

Bought this bike, sold as a street-legal Class 2 electric bicycle. That means 750 watts and 20 mph max. Has pedals, but I've never tried them- I just use the throttle.

So, this bike has a code that can be entered into the digital dash to unlock hidden power. 2,000 watts peak power, and 34 mph on flat land. Of course, I wouldn't do anything illegal.

Surprisingly, this bike is a hoot to ride, and I've been doing mods as fast as I can. Never had a bike that draws so much attention. Here are a couple of pics, so you can see what the stock bike looks like.





I'll post my mods, if there's any intetest. Working on the rear shock, today. Best thing about this bike is, it's got me back into riding and modding bikes daily.

[JonW]

OMG Pete, that DMV shit is mental. I hope that gets sorted out soon.

I reckon this is a great project, Im keen to read if you post :)

[MK]

They always say beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
So If I close them really really tight, and imagine some nice downhill mountain bike, I can agree

Reminds a bit to the lyrics of Whole lotta Rosie.
But if it brings you from a to b and you have fun - who cares how it looks or what others think of it?

[Smoker]

Hope this sticker gets me out of trouble, if I need it.



The finish is nice on most of the parts. Didn't want to scratch up the lower triple with the stamped fender brackets. Bent a dogleg in the longer bracket to make room for rubber grommets.



Needed a rack immediately for mexican food & beer.

[Smoker]

Ordered a carbon handlebar, too long, so I can cut it to size.



Ordered a horn and mirrors. Scary as shit riding without them.



Horn is rechargeable.



Mirror dimensions:



First time using clamp-on grips.

[Smoker]

Needs lots of mods. Has potential, though.



Ordered a carbon bar extender, so I can try to center the dash. Never seen one of these before.

[Smoker]

The bike has a weird throttle. The right grip will need to be modified, if it's going to work. I'll have plenty more to say about the damn throttle.

[MK]

BTW: There's actually one thing I'm really jealous about.
In the US the speed limit is 20mph (32 kph) for electrically assisted bikes. Here in Germany it's a ridiculous 25kph (15mph).
So you need some additional boxes to cheat the restriction which brings you in constant peril of being screwed by the police.
(Yes, instead of doing drug dealers they rather focus on tuned cars & bikes - that's an easier target group)

This is what I recently bought for riding around the woods
https://archiv.cube.eu/2020/337102

[Smoker]

That's a nice e-mtb.

According to my Owner's Manual, any kind of fun will void the warranty.

[JonW]

Is the throttle a thumb press on these or a twist grip?

Is it weird to ride with so little (no tank) between the knees? I remember the odd rode of scooters over the years frightened me a bit with nothing to knee-grip to. :/

Oh and looks like the ferrari need a machine polish to get those micro scratches out lol
(and... pleased to see youve still got the S2k, for some reason I thought you were selling)

[Smoker]

Is the throttle a thumb press on these or a twist grip?

Is it weird to ride with so little (no tank) between the knees? I remember the odd rode of scooters over the years frightened me a bit with nothing to knee-grip to. :/

Oh and looks like the ferrari need a machine polish to get those micro scratches out lol
(and... pleased to see youve still got the S2k, for some reason I thought you were selling)

The throttle is crap. I'll get into it more, but it's a half-twist. Not sure what else to call it.

No tank is no problem. I actually have a factory storage bag that's shaped like a fuel tank and fits on the top rail. I haven't used it, but I've read that some don't like it because it can rub your knees when pedaling, or rub the upper triple when turning.

That Ferrari is one of the most beautiful and best functioning machines I've ever bought. Too bad they don't make them anymore. It's taken quite a beating.

Been hoping to get enough energy to get the S2000 back on the road. Need to re-install the OEM airbox and emissions parts, and replace the clutch slave cylinder. Lots of clean-up and maintenance, too. Has less than 35,000 miles. Hopefully, it will be one of the last things to go.

[Smoker]

This bike came with ergonomic grips. Thick faux leather, maybe some thin padding underneath. Never could have imagined grips could be so comfortable.





I'm guessing that these super comfortable grips would never be used for racing or competition.

I can get a good grip with my index finger, and an okay grip with my middle finger. Can't get a strong grip with my ring finger and pinky, because of the thickness in that area.

Sometimes, I brake with one finger, but when I need to brake hard, I use 2 fingers. Not for more strength, but for better control. When potholes or rough terrain are coming fast, I'm either braking, or covering the brakes. Because I'm only holding on with my ring finger and pinky on both hands, I could definitely lose control of the bars.

Even the new clamp-on grips are fatter than regular moto grips. Not too bad, though. Just worried about a screw coming loose.

[Smoker]

My original plan was to use gold anodized handlebar and pedals. Then, I saw this carbon handlebar, and had to have it.



Almost ordered these carbon pedals, until I saw the reviews. The gold nitriding is only in the ad, not on the pedals, and the quality of the carbon is crap. Haven't found another good option.

[Smoker]

Had to cut down the throttle side grip. These grips have locking tabs for the clamps.



Was hoping to cut it and replicate the locking tabs. Found out the cutting jig works great on human skin.



Bad news is, the plastic is much thinner where I made the cut. Cut down to the black plastic, raised the blade 1/8" and made another cut. Chopped it with a hacksaw above that. Stripped off the 1/8" of rubber, and cut and filed the tabs out of the thinner plastic. Other end of the grip has normal tabs. Working well, so far.

[Smoker]

Chopped an inch off each side of the handlebar, and put the new parts on.



Before:


Now: