Tight Budget commuter/ adventure TBR7

[pugg330]

So I have had a 2020 TBR7 for a few months and i want to look into modding it to commute on the highway and go off road on the cheap but i dont know where to start on mods and some ergonomics. I spend a lot of time on pavement but i still want to be offroad ready for when funds open up to got explore.

[JerryHawk250]

Welcome aboard! One of the first mods would be to change the gear ratio by swapping out the rear sprocket to a smaller sprocket to bring down the rpm's at higher speeds. Maybe a 40-42 tooth. I'm not sure what the TBR7 has on the front but a 17 tooth would be an improvement over a 15 or 16 tooth.

[kingofqueenz]

Front is stock 15... swapping to a 17 is almost like circumcision, should be done at birth as it makes the gearing much taller.

With the 15 tooth stock I'm in 2nd gear before I leave my driveway

If you swap the rear, I suppose you may need to make adjustment to your chain (remove links etc. )

15 swap to 17 required no chain alteration or replacement, stock chain worked fine ...for now ( cue in suspenseful music )

[culcune]

Originally Posted by kingofqueenz

Front is stock 15... swapping to a 17 is almost like circumcision, should be done at birth as it makes the gearing much taller.

With the 15 tooth stock I'm in 2nd gear before I leave my driveway

If you swap the rear, I suppose you may need to make adjustment to your chain (remove links etc. )

15 swap to 17 required no chain alteration or replacement, stock chain worked fine ...for now ( cue in suspenseful music )

Ahhhhhhhh! Hurt reading about circumcision!!! 😂😂😂😂
I bought a chain cutter from Harbor Freight a few years back. It worked well...crude, but effective. I think most Chinese sweet street-spot gearing is 17/44, although I recall people here and on youtube mentioning going as high as 17/39.

[kingofqueenz]

Originally Posted by culcune

Ahhhhhhhh! Hurt reading about circumcision!!! 😂😂😂😂
I bought a chain cutter from Harbor Freight a few years back. It worked well...crude, but effective. I think most Chinese sweet street-spot gearing is 17/44, although I recall people here and on youtube mentioning going as high as 17/39.

17/39 would probably be dead sexy for street commuting ... I likey

[pugg330]

Ok so gearing sounds like a 17/40 sounds like a great idea. Any recommendations on tires and luggage options?

[Goob]

Pugg330...my bike (CSC TT250) is strictly street, so the tires may not apply.

* Continental GO! tires 90/90/21 front, 120/90/18 rear.
* Coleman-Maddog panniers, these are discontinued, but still available on ebay or Amazon for $50-$75. Nice size 15Lx10Hx6D . Don't worry about hot exhaust...at least on the TT250 it is just warm to the touch..not enough to melt a bag. I put a steel bar straight down from the left rear turn signal to hold that side off the wheel/spokes.
* BigAnt collapsible milk crate mounted to the 4 bolt holes behind the rear seat...at least on the TT250. I took the covers from the panniers and use them to cover this when collapsed. Open, it is 17Wx13Dx13H...big enough for 2 12-packs and some more stuff. The photo is groceries for 3 for a week. I now distribute between heavy stuff pannier, lighter stuff milk-crate.

[Goob]

Here is another inexpensive one that looks nice. I like the top load type. Mine has a top flap, so if you get too much stuff in it you can leave it open....or use a large zipper top nylon grocery bags like I got just to drop in to the pannier opening...with the top 4" sticking out.


I found that putting much heavy stuff in the milk crate (like I did in the photos) creates a real top heavy handling situation....like it tries to pull you over on turns. So I put the heavy stuff in the panniers and the lighter stuff...like veggies and eggs and maybe 1 12-pack in the crate (2 if I have nothing else).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pair-Motorcycle-Scooter-Pannier-Saddlebag-Luggage-Storage-Bag-with-Rain-Cover/283704425334?hash=item420e19fb76:g:g-0AAOSwBTld7cfJ

[JerryHawk250]

That's one hell of a grocery getter. Your setup looks like it's working well for you.

[pugg330]

Originally Posted by Goob

Pugg330...my bike (CSC TT250) is strictly street, so the tires may not apply.

* Continental GO! tires 90/90/21 front, 120/90/18 rear.
* Coleman-Maddog panniers, these are discontinued, but still available on ebay or Amazon for $50-$75. Nice size 15Lx10Hx6D . Don't worry about hot exhaust...at least on the TT250 it is just warm to the touch..not enough to melt a bag. I put a steel bar straight down from the left rear turn signal to hold that side off the wheel/spokes.
* BigAnt collapsible milk crate mounted to the 4 bolt holes behind the rear seat...at least on the TT250. I took the covers from the panniers and use them to cover this when collapsed. Open, it is 17Wx13Dx13H...big enough for 2 12-packs and some more stuff. The photo is groceries for 3 for a week. I now distribute between heavy stuff pannier, lighter stuff milk-crate.

So how did you mount the milk crate? is there a plate in the bottom to hold the bolts? Or did you just bolt it straight on? and as for the panniers, i have an exposed tailpipe and a good highway trip to do to get to the groceries would that hurt the bags? Im also curious on tank bags aswell just to keep some tools on hand. I should also mention my tailpipe sits up under my rear fender closer than the TT250's more like the hawk 250's, so would that change my options at all?

[JerryHawk250]

Goob has some pictures posted in this thread. http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=25099

[pugg330]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

Goob has some pictures posted in this thread. http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=25099

I'm also visiting your youtube channel. Im curious about your setup as well on your hawk. I think i'll subscribe aswell.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by pugg330

I'm also visiting your youtube channel. Im curious about your setup as well on your hawk. I think i'll subscribe aswell.

Thanks he did a thread on it. http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=22247

[pugg330]

Ok so where do I go to source a 17 tooth front sprocket and 40 tooth rear sprocket?