I've still been plugging away on this little by little. There aren't a bunch of updates, but a few small ones.
I pulled the trigger on a pair of 4 piston calipers from a s1000rr. I now have a complete spare right side caliper and rotor set that I should be able to sell for enough to offset a big chunk of this cost.
I also ordered a custom brake line from Speigler in Dayton. It should be in my hands by Wednesday. Along with a fresh cable in my possession, this will finalize the parts needed for this upgrade.
I also decided to go with a set of shinko 705 tires. They aren't the most aggressive off-road tread, but I've had good experiences with them on mild off-road on the dr650, and the price is right at just north of $120 for the spare shipped to my door. I'm running a 110/80-19 on the front and a 120/80-18 on the back. It clears the front fender mount, but literally by a hair. I will be fabricating a front brace that mounts outside of the fender on a future post.
I've begun to work out mounting the Tusk Panniers that were traded for between
@Kanticoy and I. The Wixom's have proven very handy, and in my opinion are a great looking set of hard bags, but in the event of a tip over (which is "when" scenario, not "if" when riding on dirt) the fiberglass Wixom's would be destroyed. I purchased a set of "factory used" pannier racks from rocky mountain atv. They are built for a Husqvarna 701, but will be cut up and modified to fit the airhead. These are nice because they have the correct gate pin to attach the Tusk Brackets that came with the boxes from Kiley.
Along with luggage work, I fabricated up this rear rack that will mount right behind the solo seat, as I never ride with a passenger anyhow. I still have to finish up the mounts, but I will wait until I finish the pannier racks.
I also fit up the ZRX shocks, and while they fit, I'm afraid that it lifts the rear end a bit to much and may cause pre mature universal joint wear. I may try them out, but will likely be throwing the stock konis back on. If I save up enough, I may eventually spring for some custom built shocks to match the riding style, my weight etc.