This wee beauty deserves her own category. No nonsense, terribly reliable, lightweight and grunty. There are not too many of us 650X owners here in NZ (and even less who own the xchallenge instead of the more whale-like xcountry or the hyperactive xmoto for the road), so loud and proud owners! Pics and info here, plus we started up a FB page for just 650x owners in NZ. Don’t hate, appreciate!
‘@Pablo Sosa (@pampa_nz) has a very nicely sorted X Challenge with dakar style fairing, different forks etc. Hopefully he’ll join in and show some pics.
Cool, I was trying to track him down! Not sure if he uses fb, but hopefully can join our small X owners group there. I’ve seen a picture of his rally raid on a ride maybe last year? He as the tall rally fairing right? Lives in Palmy or the lower north island?
Hi mate don’t use fb have adv http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664876 and here of course . Good idea about forum i recently meet two other guys that Park near my work that own them.
Btw i live indeed NI and have tall screen made by Mindaugas from Slovenia. I built the bracket which survived the dusty but challenge section. I’m still planning to make it better.
Nice to finally find you Pablo. Hope one day we can ride together. There’s a guy who has a really nice carbon-wrapped xchallenge in welly. He’s new but nice, named Stefan. Think he’s german? Shame you don’t use fb, as that is where the NZ 650x challenge page is. But I know about the ADVrider one, all 530pages and counting!
As for the Mindaugas fairing, I have one of those! But I decided to go a different direction. Would be cool if you had the templates for your tower etc. I might sell the fairing as I’ve decided to go with a Britannia. I wanted something less heavy and less expensive (Mindegaus fairing is not too expensive but add lights and tower etc and it adds up). I paid $800NZD for the complete Lynx R fairing, 12v and usb socket, HID lights etc
So if u know anyone who wants a cheap rally fairing…i got it. Hope u don’t ever damage yours, but I have a spare if u do 🙂
haven’t met him, nor the bike interesting
I did the whole think for ~500 dollars. I didn’t want Hid as don’t really do lots of night riding and plain lights are good enough for my riding (albeit two 60w ones they were around $100). I bought a sheet of aluminum and built it from there (after doing lots of cardboard drafts :D). Well ultimately perhaps spent more than that trying stuff out of ineptitude and wasting materials. Next planned step is to take a mold of the fairing and make some mods to it, I’d like it lower, further forward and more vertical.
Regarding the Britannia, I haven’t seen one on the flesh but they look nice. In my case I don’t want any extra weight on the handlebars plus like the idea of having a bigger instrument panel plus aesthetically I always liked the Dakar style faring. I think I may have the templates, at least do have some copies of some parts (did several cuts of the alloy in case it bent)
BTW whereabouts r u based? NI?
I don’t want to drag this off topic too much but while FB has a lot of members there’s also a lot who aren’t on there. I think at least 30-40% of the site members here are not on Facebook, and there’s 100 or so members more on here than the FB group, so confining yourself to FB does limit your audience a bit.
He’s right up North Pablo, 90 mile beach. Pablo is in Wellington. There are options in your profile to update that. Click on your name on the right, then on profile and you can update your bike and location.
I recognise that fairing! looks good mate and glad you have the same one in case the spare fairing in my shed ever gets used 🙂
I will let u know about the britannia when it arrives, but smaller and lighter than the Mindegaus and can drop the clear screen when I want. Seems good, but time will tell. Keep in touch even tho I’m at the opposite end of the North Island from you! I plan on doing a summer trip in the south island with the X, so watch this space…
hey guys,stefan the german here;)good to see a XC blog going on.
Ian Reed and Darren Godden both have X challenges. They make me want to get one. Much faster than my bike. They are on the FB site adv ride nz.
cheers scott,darren is already in that group,…could you send ian a link from that group,can
t msg him since were not friends… https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603387323208524/‘@Ian Reed & @facebook-bantaboy (Darren Godden) are both members here.
Hi Scott, i just happen to know of an xchallenge in good knick for lowest price ive ever seen one for at 6500. 29000km, shop serviced at boyds, hamilton. Ive ridden it and motor/trans/brake system is strong and solid. Just needs new tyres and bath unless i sell him mine. Anyone else interested just contact me here or fb.
hey Stefan! nice looking X … mine is not looking so nice with all the mud 😀
Short Skill Drill on The X (or lack of it)
Is it possibly top embed u tube here?
Hey Pablo, I’ve tried by clicking the ‘link’ button and entering the hyperlink but didn’t work. Then I just cut and pasted the link right here and it seems to work fine! So try that perhaps? Curious what u want to show…
nothing much, a short vid I made. The link worked if I tried it but sometimes is nicer to have it embedded. Alternatively you can copy and past the following URL https://youtu.be/yIwejYRgkmQ
Yes, in Youtube click on Share, then Embed and copy the code supplied and paste it in here.
Noice! Great looking bikes those.
Hi guys, I’ve just sold my Dakar and am keen to look at an xchallenge…does anyone know of any out there in the $6-7k range?
Cheers Dave
I’m in ChCh and the Hamilton one above is long gone by the sounds….
there was a XChallange and XCountry combo on Tardme, not sure if still there today
The Xcountry was gone but he was still listing a XChallenge, DR650, and KTM 620 Adventure.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-898736004.htm
Awesome, thanks guys…
Sorry for late reply, im out of the country on a waka but there’s a guy i know in Northland selling an xchallenge. Its about 30k and in ok shape. needed new tyres but ran well and strong. He was after 7grand. I live up there so happy to help out if i can.
My x is my go-to bike for anything other than road. Hope the winter riding is good, missing the bikes!
Jef
Hi guys.
Bought yesterday a G650 X-challenge as well. Nice bike. Hope i will not repent it.
Is everyone happy about the rear air shock?
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Nice, but remember not pics it didn’t happen 😀
The air shock was Ok, I’ve used it for 60K+, then changed it to Hyperpro which I like more. However I wouldn’t say its must change item then again its a personal opinion. For instance most people change the seat and for me the seat is just fine (I stand most of the time, except on the road :D)
Love the.look if these bikes. Maybe one-day ah.
Ok, guys that’s my new toy. Compared to the Dakar, which i had before….. a different bike. I guessing i will love it.
a Dakar was also my previous bike 😀 right away I could ride bit harder and with more confidence. The Dakar wasn’t bad but has rubbish ground clearance compared with X.
Back in the country! Nice to hear u got a new X, daniel, welcome to the X-clusive club. I have a new rally fairing from Britannia waiting for me to install, so will post pics when I get around to it. Got a mate who just shifted to NZ and is also looking for an X or a 690E…anyhow, I hope everyone is having some good fun winter riding 🙂
Cool. Let us see how it looks, after you install it. I will jump now in my biker gear and go out for a ride. Want to discover the upper mangatawhiri reservoir. Some gravel roads are waiting me.
Take your GPS
Back in Auckland. Been at Hunua Rangers. But no access to the forest. All entrance are closed with a massive iron gate. Tried on two different spots. No chance.
Gday Scott and fellow X owners…
I got a solid line on a decent 650x, 2007, 30000kms, with a few extras for the whizz-bang price of 6000NZD! I’ve ridden the bike already, and can vouch for the motor/trans/brakes etc. It’s going to need tyres and rego, plus likely new indicators in the rear for next wof. But its a good runner and I can help with transaction. Please let your coveting mates know, as these bikes don’t come up often, especially not for this kind price!!
Good to be back in the country and ready to ride! Jef
G
Giving my boss a nudge as well, as he bought one (challenge) late last year and now doesn’t ride it as he decided he still doesn’t like gravel (after buying an XR250 then the X… sigh).
Once he gets his arse into gear and gives me details I’ll list it here.
Please do that Gremlin, I’m always holding a few guys who are interested in an Xchallenge…please make sure to list any extras and kms 🙂
Visit Odlins Rd on Monday, and its always fun. I have changed my front light with high power LED light and was wondering whether the aim was right
Haha, when’s the video due out?
working on it … takes a while cause its quite few minutes
Odlins Rd
Video (couldn’t get embed to work, it shows HTML instead)
Odlins
(Edited by Admin: On your video page in youtube click on ‘Share’ then ‘Embed’ and copy the code presented and paste it in here)
thanks. BTW that’s what I did, however when submitting it escapes the tags.
Pretty nice ride. Respect!!!
Just want to say that it’s cool to have such a busy thread for only 10bikes or so in the country guys, well done! I just returned from overseas to find that I didn’t quite smudge my GST numbers right, and instead of coming in just under the threshold of $400ZD, I came in just over DAMMIT! So instead of waiving the $60 of GST on my new Britannia Lynx fairing (complete with HID, 12v, usb, adjustable screen), I was charged $60.35 GST…plus $28 transaction, plus MAF, plus more GST on those services for a total of $108 owed 🙁 🙁
I’m annoyed because the fairing is actually worth over $800NZD, and I should have asked the guy to make the value smaller, like $300CAD! At least I wasn’t charged GST on $800…
Anyhow, I’m about to head off again to ride the Himalayas for 5wks! Excited, nervous, and totally not prepared, but all good as 3rd time in India (first time riding tho). I’ll do a ride or two before I head off, but keep those posts coming. Enjoy those X’s over winter!
great weekend ride from wellington up to taranaki,forgotten world highway over to tongariro,and desert road back down to welli,…1000k`s in 2 days,but my airhawk seat cushion saved the day;)
OK…for those of you X owners who have lots of bike admirers…can you please direct them my way if they want one? I didn’t want to sell, and would only swap out my x for one other bike which appeared a few weeks ago. So I’m off to Tasmania to collect it, ride it, and ship it home. Hell, its a mission, but an ADV ready 2012 570fe Husaberg is a dream bike. I think it will do what the X can, and lighter and faster. The new 701 Husqvarna will be grunty as hell but expensive and heavy compared with the x and certainly the 115kg 570. Hope I’m making the right choice, but please help sell my X if you know anyone. Its a 2009, its got only 12000 certified kms, full Remus Freeride exhaust, a Renazco seat, lots of manuals, service history, some other spares (oem can/exhaust manifold, etc).
If the 570 proves not so comfy…I’ll keep the X but can’t justify both really. thanks in advance
Any bites yet @octopusenvy?
I had a little nibble from a girl in whangarei, but she’s only got money for xmas now. Still very keen to sell now that my 570 is floating over from Oz….know anyone Eddie?