Argh! The forum ate my post.
I noticed he had leading-axle forks flipped backward, am I seeing that right?. Wondered about that, or else fitting UCE inline-axle forks as a way to tighten the steering a bit on my bike. However, at the moment I don't see a single reason to rethink the front suspension.
I had a GREAT shakedown ride in the mountains this weekend. A bit scrambly at work right now so I don't have time to post all the details. But the TL:DR version: I trucked the bike over the Cascades to a spot I've long loved above Rosly, WA, and plonked this little street bike up Fortune Creek Trail, a pretty gnarly jeep road (stock SUVs can make it, but only with skilled drivers--not single track gnar, but no cakewalk). 32 miles out and back. Tops out around 5800' and there was some two-day-old snow on the ground.
The 50 tooth sprocket against a stock countershaft was the perfect ratio for this trail. I'll want to go lower for the next iteration, where I plan to tackle real single track, but that will be after the shifting is switched to the right and the center stand is gone and the battery and starter are all sitting in a Rubbermaid tub in my storage.
I love this bike! It was PERFECTLY suited to this road. The low CG and easy power just made it SO fun to get up that trail. I was just grinning my ass off all day. I rode away from my buddy on a KDX220 (a real dirt bike) really easily. I'm a bit better rider, but not THAT much better. SO HAPPY with the way this thing goes up the road. I didn't bottom the suspension or clonk the case or snag on anything... well except one thing that I didn't even notice until a stop--at some point something grabbed the rear brake lever and pulled it out about 4". I just pushed it back in (soft!) and happily remembered I have a new one back home that'll mount on the proper side. Also noticed that one of my coil mount bolts fell out.
I did run into some electrical problems. Bike wouldn't start on the day of departure. Traced it to a plug (Bosch, India), which the proper NGK replacement solved. But the morning following the trail ride, Monday, I set out from camp to ride down the valley to get cell reception to check on work. The ride started with a 40' wide, foot-deep creed ford, and I took it real slow.
About ten miles down the road, the bike just lost spark. My first thought was, oh shit, there went my other coil bolt, but it was there, unmoved since yesterday. Ammeter wouldn't dip when the points made contact, nothing. Took the points cover off, was a bit wet inside. WD40, dried it off, still no love. And that's the state it sits in now.
I'll be rewiring the bike anyhow, as I plan to fit a Boyer Bransden Power Box (or equivalent) to ditch the battery and reg/rect gubbins, so it'll probably stay that way for a minute, until I get some shop time.
All in all, I consider Mission: Proof of Concept to be a SUCCESS!
ACR: I think I will try some folding pegs aft in the pillion brackets, for more comfortable standing. My thighs recall that ride even better than my brain right now.