Greetings all!

I bought a new Zforce 800 Trail Friday 8/12/22, will be delivered after dealer installs heater. It will be made street legal in Michigan - Alpha glass windshield, 27" Motohammer tires, etc.

I'm seeking suggestions for optimal clutch tune on a machine loaded to max weight. My eyes got blurry reading all the posts about re-clocking, springs, sliders, etc. Losing some top end speed is fine if it makes the machine pull better loaded.

Any opinions on the stage 3 clutch kit from Main Street Cycle for my application?

I will be installing Bandit heavy rate springs also.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Greetings all!

I bought a new Zforce 800 Trail Friday 8/12/22, will be delivered after dealer installs heater. It will be made street legal in Michigan - Alpha glass windshield, 27" Motohammer tires, etc.

I'm seeking suggestions for optimal clutch tune on a machine loaded to max weight. My eyes got blurry reading all the posts about re-clocking, springs, sliders, etc. Losing some top end speed is fine if it makes the machine pull better loaded.

Any opinions on the stage 3 clutch kit from Main Street Cycle for my application?

I will be installing Bandit heavy rate springs also.

Gota ask...why load...anything to it's maximum capacity and use it on roads? For one of these it will not only handle and ride terrible but also tax the little 800 into a much shorter lifespan. Or was that just a figure of speech. For more road use I would go with C1 and 24 gram Dr Pulley sliders. That's it. You can always go to B2 if needed later. You will also find heavy road use will cause the belt temps to increase so I would also put a temp gauge on it and an Aux blower so you can help it only when needed. Some of my highest belt temps were on the road traveling at 40mph or so...and I'm not loaded-up.   

NMK's recommendations are as usual, spot-on.

Gota ask...why load...anything to it's maximum capacity and use it on roads? For one of these it will not only handle and ride terrible but also tax the little 800 into a much shorter lifespan. Or was that just a figure of speech. For more road use I would go with C1 and 24 gram Dr Pulley sliders. That's it. You can always go to B2 if needed later. You will also find heavy road use will cause the belt temps to increase so I would also put a temp gauge on it and an Aux blower so you can help it only when needed. Some of my highest belt temps were on the road traveling at 40mph or so...and I'm not loaded-up.

Thank you for the suggestions!

Eventually I hope to go cross country overlanding, avoiding pavement as much as possible - Backroads Discovery Routes, Trans America Trail, Great Western Trail, Arizona Peace Trail, etc.  I chose the Zforce 800 so I can get to more remote places with a 50" machine. There is a facebook group called " Loop Around the USA in a SxS ". They started in Arizona 17 days ago, currently in Michigan.

I plan on snorkeling all the intakes, with blower on belt air as you suggested.

I made a spreadsheet to calculate total weight of everything - aftermarket accessories (windshield, bumpers & stuff), gear, food, extra fuel / water, empty container weights for everything, and driver. Currently I'm 67lbs over max weight.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

I wish you luck. Not sure I would have picked a CF Moto for overland adventures.. but prep along with a splash of common sense is everything. Be sure to keep us posted.

I wish you luck. Not sure I would have picked a CF Moto for overland adventures.. but prep along with a splash of common sense is everything. Be sure to keep us posted.

Thanx. The primary selling point for the Zforce is the factory parking brake, which is mandatory to make a machine street legal in Michigan. If my overlanding dream becomes reality, it would be next year, so I have plenty of time to refine gear loadout. Since Michigan has over 4,000 miles of trails (many 50" max), I can practice in my home state. 

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Sounds like a plan...and a lot of fun.

Do you ride up in Atlanta?

I wish you luck. Not sure I would have picked a CF Moto for overland adventures.. but prep along with a splash of common sense is everything. Be sure to keep us posted.

Thanx. The primary selling point for the Zforce is the factory parking brake, which is mandatory to make a machine street legal in Michigan. If my overlanding dream becomes reality, it would be next year, so I have plenty of time to refine gear loadout. Since Michigan has over 4,000 miles of trails (many 50" max), I can practice in my home state.