Modifications

I consider every motorcycle as just a starting point and modifications are required for optimal performance. Rather than “ride around” imperfections, I prefer to bend the motorcycle to my will.

I knew some modifications would improve the Dragonfly for my wife even before receiving the bike. Besides typical adjustments made to positioning of the controls, several parts were replaced or modified prior to the first outing.

Normally, footpegs would be one of my first upgrades, but the Dragonfly's are excellent and will remain.
Installed 30mm handlebar risers. Discovered this is probably still not high enough, something more like 40mm will be better for the elderly.
Installed Progrip 699 handgrips. These have a diameter of 30mm as opposed to the 27mm standard ones, and are much more compliant.
Installed handlebar end-plugs. This is fairly typical for trials bikes.
Shortened rear brake pushrod ~2mm. This was needed to move the pedal lower than what’s allowed as the standard range.
Moved the adjustable footpegs fully rearward. There are two 2.3mm washers that can be relocated from standard to move the footpegs forward or aft.
Manufactured a rear brake pedal extension. This moves the pedal outboard about 20mm which is good for small feet.
Removed front mask and headlight which are just unnecessary weight and battery drain (although honestly both of which are insignificant).
Set spring preload to minimal and damping at mid-point.

Preliminary Findings

Brakes are excellent, bike turns well, low weight is very noticeable. Clutch is super-light. Suspension and power delivery (original 3-map controller firmware) are sub-optimal.

We both preferred our current rides (EM Race and EM 5.7). But those bikes have been extensively modified and the Dragonfly exhibits great potential. The Dragonfly’s suspension can definitely be improved for lightweight riders and I’ll reserve judgment on the power delivery until U-Mapp is available.

By all accounts, the optional “seat” is a joke. It only exists because men find it very uncomfortable to sit in that narrow vee. Cindy says it’s not so bad for a woman.

I also want to reiterate that the Dragonfly is super-easy to work on – more so than any other motorcycle I've owned.

Handlebar Risers

The adjacent photo shows some $14 Chinese handlebar riders I found on eBay. Unfortunately, I can't recommend them.

Although the 30mm rise may work for many riders, we found it insufficient.

But even worse is that only a 28mm semicircle was allowed for the handlebar, whereas “fat bars” actually measure an inch and an eight (28.6mm). This causes the bars to wedge very tightly into the clamps and makes it impossible to rotate the bars once they are locked into position.

Finally, the included 60mm fasteners were too short for the Dragonfly. Something more like 95mm was needed.

$14 Neverland 30mm handlebar risers

Homemade bar risers, testing at 48mm

Homemade Bar Risers

The adjacent photo shows a set of homemade bar risers following the pattern I have used on other trials bikes. They are simply long M8 socket head cap screws with 5/8-inch diameter aluminum spacers.

Typically, I've made the spacers about 15mm tall. But for the Dragonfly, I made them 48mm and used 100mm screws. This is about the maximum addition the cables and hoses would accept. It certainly does look goofy.

I expect to end up more in the region of a 40mm height increase after further testing.

Mecatecno I-D Project #2 Spreadsheet

The adjacent spreadsheet contains information published by Mecatecno under the heading Project I-D #2 (one of their special Dragonfly builds). It lists all the lightweight parts that were substituted for normal Dragonfly parts along with the weight savings and price. I reformatted it and changed some of the part names to be more easily understood by Americans. I also added a “Value” column that shows weight reduction in grams per euro of cost and preformed a sort on that field.

MECATECNO I-D PROJECT #2.ods

Typically, it costs about one euro to lose one gram. The most notable exception is the TPU front inner tube which offers a value of 10 grams per euro. I had not heard of TPU (short for thermoplastic polyurethane) tubes previously, but they are popular in bicycling.

There is an eBay seller in Japan offering 21-inch tubes for trials bikes. The price is $20 for the tube plus $15 shipping. The listing mentions a couple notable caveats. The tubes have a maximum inflation pressure of 1 kg/cm² (1 atmosphere, or 14.7 psi). The tube's “expiration date” is 18 months from the date of manufacture. So it might be difficult to seat the bead using only the permitted pressure. And, it would seem, they only have a lifespan of 18 months. There is no free lunch.

The next best “bang for the buck” is the lightweight battery which reduces amp-hour capacity only slightly for a 2 kg reduction in weight. The battery is clearly a substitution and it adds 500 euros to the cost of the build.

But what about the other parts that are upgraded? For example, the adjustable footpeg supports can be purchased outright for the same cost they add to the price of the custom build. Is there no credit for the original footpeg supports? The same question could be asked about each part that is upgraded.