5 Most Common Mods?

[Heelander]

What are generally thought to be the top 5 most common mods on the TRX in a bang-for-buck order? They could be suspensions settings to airbox / carb tweaks. This bike obviously has loads of fettling potential but I don't know where to start! I'm not super mechanically minded but confident / competent enough to try out things.

I know on my last bike (Aprilia Falco) there were a few well known quick fixes including an airbox mod (at zero cost!). Followed by more costly things all of which escape me.

If this sort of thing has been asked before, sorry! I've had a brief look around but nothing immediately crops up.

[trixynut]

Providing that all the bearings / chain / sprockets / tyres / oil change / filters / fork oil / pads / etc are checked and ok....

....If I got a bog standard TRX right now, the first things I would do are:

1. Set of decent cans (worth a few BHP)
2. Braided lines
3. YZF rear dogbones to improve turn in (along with checking front forks drop through on yokes)
4. Blue spot calipers
5. Double bubble screen

This gives you a sorted bike for not much ££ outlay and a days work tops to do it all.

BUT if its over say 25000 miles, I would be looking at new shock and front springs in this list too.

Theres no quick "cut off this or tighten that or remove the other" fix on a TRX to give you some more free bhp though.

Dave.

Oh, and top 5 most common Mods?

1. Suggs
2. Busta Bloodvessel
3. Paul Weller
4. Ray Davies
5. Roger Daltrey

[Heelander]

Perfect!

Got 1 and 2 so think 3 and 4 are next up.

Double bubble makes sense but I think spoils the lines - is it just me or do most Yamahas have a slightly lower profile to their screens which makes them look a bit meaner?

Liked your bottom 5 list too

[fung]

Kayla does dogbones and rearset plates

[ricr378]

+1 for the double bubble spoiling the lines. I got mine with a double bubble so I don't know if it makes a difference to rider comfort. I am going to fit up a standard screen to see the difference but I think it generally looks better with a lower screen.

You could just drop the forks through the yolks an extra 10-15mm instead of the dogbones to give better turn in. Should have a similar effect and its free!

Blue spots and braided lines are not expensive and would be a big improvement over stock. Depending on age then just a change of fork oil and some time spent setting the suspension up properly would get your ride pretty well sorted.

Lets be honest though, you are never going to stop there. With the TRX there is always something you can be doing to make it that bit better. I think that's why we like them so much.

[QuickDraw]

The bubble screen is probably a personal preference thing.. The most common #5 mod would be a 41-42 tooth rear sprocket to get better drive out of corners.

One the first things I did too was change to a 70 series front tyre (the original 60 series Macadam was a horrible thing that used to skip under hard braking). 70' improves turn-in and some say it corrects a factory speedo error too.

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

Personally I'd start with suspension... new springs (and/or emulators in the forks) to suit your weight either rebuild/respring the rear or find an aftermarket one to suit..depends on budjet.
The brakes works quite fine from std but all the rest isn't worth much if your suspension lets you down.
Even when you change gearing by going down one tooth your only placing more stress on the overworked suspension to start.
The std front spring rate is .7kg/mm and the rear is .9kg/mm so fine for a 70kg rider.
(I weigh 85kg and have .9kg/mm in the front and 1kg/mm on the rear as a bit of a benchmark)
Be aware it may be a quick fix by changing the dogbones but once again you start to play with the suspension and the damping/valving ratios in the shock.
(be aware also an R6 rear shock conversion is still another quick fix but ultimately not designed as the damping,valving ,stroke are not set for a trx)so weigh up the money spent there or just a rebuild of std or money put towards a decent aftermarket unit.
So if you choose to spend a few hundred dollars as just purchasing cans,brakes n lines ..
Personally that could easily finance upgrades to the suspension improving corner speed, braking and handling right from the start.
If you want further improvements after that this will easily work within the tollerence of the suspension you have inplace if upgraded first.
my 10c
cheers Brian

http://racetech.com/ProductSearch/2/Yam ... 50/1996-98

[Heelander]

Thanks all. Plenty to get me started there. I especially like zero cost mods but I suspect the old wallet will get a bit of a hammering this winter too since it's like eating Pringles - hard to stop once you start!

Need to check out the suspensions settings although to date the bike seems reasonable if a tad slow on the turn in but nothing that a little weight thrown about can't deal with. Interested to read about switching to a 70 profile tyre on the front. Anyone tried changing rear size?

[Skybone]

Some other popular mods:

120/70 front tyre
Blue spot calipers (though the standard calipers with HH/sintered compound pads are really good too as fitted to your bike)
K&N air filter (one fitted already)
R6 shock (with Kayla's adapter)
Ride height dogbones

Another popular mod is fitting the twin projector light unit from a grey import FZR400R.

[jim280885]

I have been doing mine over the last year since I got it and have to agree that bluespots/braided lines and suspension mods are the gear. Now I'm saving up for some lightweight wheels, so in about 15 years I should be able to afford the 4 grand they cost

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

Interested to read about switching to a 70 profile tyre on the front. Anyone tried changing rear size?

just be aware also a 70 profile on the front is taller and will also affect your speedo reading by around 6km per 100km.. so 94kph=100kph in actual speed.
You can comfortable accomidate upto a 170 rear profile (tho not many options available Michelin pilot powers or dunlops GPR 200) on the std 5" rim but a 180 pulls the carcass of the tyre around too much and it maty look good but really your not using all the contact patch and quite often can make the bike understeer coming out of corners..

[tz8nnx]

Well - I got round the 180 by fitting a FZR1000 rear wheel. To keep the TRX rear spindle you need to machine the bearing holder "slots" and fit TRX bearings but it works just fine as the clearance in the swing arm is fine and the cush drive and chain-wheel carrier are identical. It might need a new spacer as well (its been a few years since I did this)... The 120/70 front then works perfectly and you get the same special offers on pairs of tyres that everyone else gets. I played with a Bridgestone 120/65 on the front for a while but it wasn't happy with the 180/55 when the bike was pitched right over... I am currently using Bridgestone BT023s front and rear and they are a revelation - better than the BT016s I had on before and the BT014s before that - who would have thought...
As for power the simplest way is to go out to 878cc with a kit add a Dynojet with a freer flowing filter and go for slightly less restricter cans (mine are Overs - street spec - but they aren't available any more).
The comment about using cartridges in the forks was interesting..I looked into that have never found a conversion that was cost effective.. I am now simply using Ohlins springs and oil. As my Trixie is now 15 years old I forked out and put a fully adjustable Ohlins rear shock in when the original was knackered.
The absolute best value for money mod though is the Bluespot or goldspot callipers (easy to come by on ebay) on the front.. sooooo smooth and controllable - but use an r6 brake lever as it has more span control.
The longer you own a TRX the more you will tune it to fit your needs - replacement isn't an option as there isn't anything quite like it out there...

[tz8nnx]

Providing that all the bearings / chain / sprockets / tyres / oil change / filters / fork oil / pads / etc are checked and ok....

....If I got a bog standard TRX right now, the first things I would do are:

1. Set of decent cans (worth a few BHP)
2. Braided lines
3. YZF rear dogbones to improve turn in (along with checking front forks drop through on yokes)
4. Blue spot calipers
5. Double bubble screen

This gives you a sorted bike for not much ££ outlay and a days work tops to do it all.

BUT if its over say 25000 miles, I would be looking at new shock and front springs in this list too.

Theres no quick "cut off this or tighten that or remove the other" fix on a TRX to give you some more free bhp though.

Dave.

Oh, and top 5 most common Mods?

1. Suggs
2. Busta Bloodvessel
3. Paul Weller
4. Ray Davies
5. Roger Daltrey

.. I'd have swapped Steve Marriott for Ray Davies.. you can't get more original than the Small faces