New to the CTX with questions

cruisinTx

New member
Greetings from the far side all. Just wanted to say thanks for letting me in. I just rode a 700CTX (std trans) for the first time. I must say I am thoroughly impressed. I did not get to ride it far as it belongs to a friend of mine and he just got it himself. It's a 2014 that looks to be in near perfect condition. I 'd like to learn more about these little critters as I am well into retirement and thinking seriously about down-sizing from the world of BMWs I now have in the stable. This 700 seems like it might be an ideal choice for me. My biggest problem with the beemers has always been the height. All of the ones I currently own have been modified to allow me to be somewhat secure at stops with my 27" inseam. Riding is no problem but if I don't have good footing when coming to stop, things can get away from me pretty easily. A few things I am wondering about on the CTX are:

1. can the foot controls be moved back some?

2. Are different windscreens available?

3. Are there different saddlebags and top-cases available?


Even after the short test ride, I'm pretty sure the foot controls will prove to be way too far reach for my inseam. If moving the shifter and floorboards back three to four inches is simply not possible, I will likely not pursue a purchase or trade. I do plan to get a longer test ride in the near future because I want to give this bike a real chance in my stable that needs to change dramatically. My main concerns on that are to get away from the tall & heavy R1100RT and possibly get the R1100S out as well just so I don't get into trouble with it.
 

burdicda

Member
It is tall I have an inseam of 32" and have to do the Chuck Norris one leg split to get on....
There are floorboards available that help a whole lot but not with the height
There are generic steel brackets for sale made and available right here or on the other forum that will let you hang anything you want to use for bags on this bike.
There are many windscreens available in many different configurations...

http://www.greenknights36.com/gallery3/index.php/My-CTX-So-Far
http://www.greenknights36.com/gallery3/index.php/CTX-Mods-Found-on-the-Internet


https://www.ctx700forum.com/forum/#

These should get your appetite going....
and before you even think about buying one....try to find the DCT (automatic) model to test ride....

Danny
 
Last edited:

MJC

Super Moderator
can the foot controls be moved back some?
No, But the seat on the 2014 does sit you back further then the 2015 to 2018 models. A Corbin LOW seat will move you lower and closer to the bars/foot pegs.

BobWitte here on this forum can get you the info on saddlebag brackets. Bob also makes a toe/heel sifter which helps with the reach.

The DCT makes the CTX700 a hole different bike- you should check that out.

Fox Raisers can also move the handlebars back some too.

The bike can also be lowered if you change the dog-bones.

good luck to you in finding the right bike for you.
 

cruisinTx

New member
Appreciate the response and links. I failed to mention, the CTX I rode yesterday has floor boards. I really didn't have that much of a problem getting on and off; just had to be careful about hitting the top of the right saddlebag as I swung my leg over. The foot controls being so far out front were the only issue; they cause me to have to stretch pretty far to use them properly and quickly. As for the seat height, I can almost flat-foot the bike with the standard seat. That's something I haven't done since my Honda 90 in 1968 and since I have built my own low seats for all of my beemers, doing the same on a CTX won't be a problem if I ever get my own. I think if I could just figure out a way to move the shifter, brake and floor boards back about 4 inches the problem would be solved and I could get really serious about this. Meanwhile, I'll keep up the research; surely, I'm not the only one in the world attempting to make this mod. Other than that; I really liked everything else about the 700.
 

Steven

Member
I have the DCT automatic and I rarely use the foot brake, mostly only when I'm on gravel or when I think the road might be slippery. I am the kind of driver that lets the bike's motor do most of the braking. There are CTX owners that have replaced the foot brake with a right hand brake on the DCT model. (where the clutch lever would normally be.)
 

cruisinTx

New member
I have the DCT automatic and I rarely use the foot brake, mostly only when I'm on gravel or when I think the road might be slippery. I am the kind of driver that lets the bike's motor do most of the braking. There are CTX owners that have replaced the foot brake with a right hand brake on the DCT model. (where the clutch lever would normally be.)

Yeah, that was suggested on one of the Facebook pages and I am certainly entertaining that idea. As I get older (now 65) I am not so gung-ho on the whole riding hard and "having" to shift on my own terms. I've been studying the possibility of adding a mechanism for moving the foot brake back a few inches and just going with that on a DCT model with floor boards. If I can work that out; a DCT could very well be in my future. The other good part of getting a DCT is that my wife would be more likely to ride it since she never really got the hang of manual shifting on bikes. The next step would be to sell off part of the BMW herd to buy a CTX OR see if anyone might be in the mood for a trade. :rolleyes:
 

cruisinTx

New member
While the subject is at hand; are there good years vs. bad years for the DCT and/or the 700CTX in general and how reliable are the DCT transmissions? I want to make the best informed decision possible as this will likely be the last bike purchase I make.
 

Steven

Member
I have the DCT automatic and I rarely use the foot brake, mostly only when I'm on gravel or when I think the road might be slippery. I am the kind of driver that lets the bike's motor do most of the braking. There are CTX owners that have replaced the foot brake with a right hand brake on the DCT model. (where the clutch lever would normally be.)


My mistake... the left hand brake
 

Steven

Member
Yeah, that was suggested on one of the Facebook pages and I am certainly entertaining that idea. As I get older (now 65) I am not so gung-ho on the whole riding hard and "having" to shift on my own terms. I've been studying the possibility of adding a mechanism for moving the foot brake back a few inches and just going with that on a DCT model with floor boards. If I can work that out; a DCT could very well be in my future. The other good part of getting a DCT is that my wife would be more likely to ride it since she never really got the hang of manual shifting on bikes. The next step would be to sell off part of the BMW herd to buy a CTX OR see if anyone might be in the mood for a trade. :rolleyes:

I had changed my front brake lever with an adjustable one (moving it closer) but it created problems. When trying to brake hard, it would touch the handgrip and I couldn't stop as quickly. I went back to stock and got used to that. A shorter one might work, but then you have to squeeze harder. How about moving the handle bars back a little?

I love my DCT on the bike, just don't try and rev your engine at a red light... the bike is always in gear. ;-). What's odd is that my car is a stick and I love the car for that...
 

cruisinTx

New member
I had changed my front brake lever with an adjustable one (moving it closer) but it created problems. When trying to brake hard, it would touch the handgrip and I couldn't stop as quickly. I went back to stock and got used to that. A shorter one might work, but then you have to squeeze harder. How about moving the handle bars back a little?

I love my DCT on the bike, just don't try and rev your engine at a red light... the bike is always in gear. ;-). What's odd is that my car is a stick and I love the car for that...

The hand controls are not the problem. The shifter and foot brake are what give me problems because I have to reach to far with my short legs to feel comfortable. I've already started some planning on how to add a secondary brake lever to solve that problem though.
 

BobWitte

Member
Wecome from Sunny Florida. I only have a 30" inseam so I have similar issues. I have the manual shift and love it, especially with my heel shift arm, but I think the DCT might suite your situation better. There are good deals out there, so Cycle Trader & eBay are your friends. I've been on a CTX for about 4 years now and I've read 99% of every post on both Forums. I can report that there is not enough fruit to make even a glass of lemonaide out there regarding the DCT (any year), or for the CTX itself for that matter. Like anything, there are quirks that are now well known, but all in all, the DTC owners love it.

I have the ROX risers on the hand bar which lifted it up and back with no issues with the cables. Much more relaxed position for me. I have a fairing style, 18" MadStad and love it. I also have the lowers and recommend them as well. BTW, my CTX is a Trike with a no-longer-available Yelvington 3.0 conversion I installed myself (as well it should be inasmuch as I was involved in the early stages of development!). All of the things I've done over the last 4 years are documented in exhausting detail in my construction thread on the other Forum. Not just Trike specific, virtually all of the mods & fixes are in the 588 posts included therein. About 75% of the posts are mine and there are many hundreds of pictures to go along with the how-to's:

https://www.ctx700forum.com/forum/c...inga-ma-bob-ii-fixes-mods-customizations.html

I didn't have to do much about the shifter and brake pedals since my size 12.5 shoes are handy in that department. But I just looked the pedals over and if I wanted them moved back, say 2 or 3" I would dismount them, cut at angles and have them re-welded to move them back. With the extension bar available from Kuryakyn, moving the foot boards back as well is not hard.

Here's the details of what I did for a heel shift arm:

https://www.ctx700forum.com/forum/h...60482-custom-made-ctx700-heel-shift-kits.html

Finally, here is one of my favorite and most used comfort additions:

https://www.ctx700forum.com/forum/h...ensive-mid-position-foot-pegs.html#post913843

Again, welcome & good luck in your shopping.:cool:
 
Last edited:
Top