Guidance needed on my BMW Xchallenge project

Hello all ukgsers and Xchallengers!!!
I plan to replace my current beemer, a 2010 G650GS with a BMW G650 Xchallenge. Before I do so I have to sort out how to lower the bike. It will be done by customizing the seat and by fitting a hyperpro or wilbers rear shock.
So I need your guidance on some accessories for the part after the bike is lowered and ready to go.

1. X tank or Touratech auxiliary tank?
Does the X tank on the right side of the bike affect the handling? generally how has the auxiliary tank affected the handling of the bike?
Does the Touratech tank have to be removed for maintanance work (engine oil change, oil filter change etc)?
Does the rider have to fill both tanks seperately?
I guess the X tank is compatible only with soft panniers on the side, right?
Anything important one should notice before installing or choosing each tank?

2. Engine protection (skid plate and crashbars)
Which of the following solutions do you rate the most effective?
a. Bash plate with sw- motech crashbars (I think the SW-motech crashbars are not compatible with the TT auxiliary tank)


b. BMW crashbar


c. Touratech Skidplate (I think it's not compatible with any kind of crashbars)


3. Luggage...soft panniers or aluminum cases?
Magadan soft panniers vs Touratech hard cases.
Can the Xchallenge handle the hard cases from Touratech or other brands (actually are there any other option beside TT as far as hard panniers is concerned)?
Is the handling of the bike affected too much with the hard panniers?
What are the limitations of the soft magadan panniers?

Thank you all in advance. Any opinion from actual users is appreciated.
Any Do's or Don'ts are welcome...

Hi mate I'm having the same dilemma as you I'm tweaking an x challenge myself , I've had lots of good advice on here,
I'm going for a x tank I personally did not want all that weight up front, I believe the bike handles ok with the rear tank as for engine protection I've got tt bash plate and bars that come with the bike, I'm changing the rear subframe to steel so I won't have to worry about the extra weight of luggage cracking the frame although you can beef the subframe up also if you stick with the original you should think about replacing the threads with steel inserts as apparently they are easy to srip, I emailed Erik at hotrod welding a very helpfull guy, I'm going for soft panniers myself, there are a few must dos there is loads of info on these bikes on this site and adv rider, good luck with it mate !!

1: I've been using the large X-Tank for 3 years now and the handling with it is just fine. I have customised an H&B rear rack to fit over the large tank (not necessary to customise for the small 1 I believe) so the tank also has protection that way.

2. Bars are not necessary. I have crashed mine on all sorts of terrain when touring and everything has been fine. Particularly with side luggage that keeps the bike well off the floor. Get the bash plate from Sheffelmeier Metal in Germany. Its 4mm aircraft grade aluminium and is wide enough to act as engine case protection. I've knocked the hell out of mine and its still fine.

3. With the H&B rack, you can fit soft or hard luggage, but I strongly recommend you go for the soft Magadan panniers from ADVSpec. These are well made and tested. The only thing I (and most people I know) have done is to replace the supplied inner bags with the Big River 35litre oval dry bags. Much better than the supplied inners. I believe ADVSpec are now supplying those as too.

Some important additional items....

Also from Stephan in Germany that you can get at the same time; (www.bashplates.de)
Aluminium case saver (front sprocket cover)
Stainless wheel spacers

From Hotrod (ERik Bok) at same time as X-Tank +31 235 849 506
Hard-parts to protect your brake and clutch levers from hits underneath. I've lost count on the number of hits on these that were hard enough to smash the levers.
Erik also does a rear rack and front fairing mount set-up which may be worth you looking at.

For suspension mods, talk to Bas at Hyperpro Alphen aan de Rijn in The Netherlands. +31 172 417 171
(I live not far away and paying him a visit is the best thing. I can help with accommodation if needed.)

Lastly, replace your gear change lever for the F650 variant (there are 2 so watch out as its the curved one you want). This lever, as stock, is too strong and can bend the shaft after a crash. That means splitting the case and its so easy to avoid. From personal experience, its good to get a bendable brake lever too.

Good luck
Mike

Sheffelmeier Metal products are of excellent quality, I recommend the bashplate.
I use a TT fuel cell, it is very robust, carries the 16ltrs of extra fuel in between the two wheels so weight is hardly noticed when full (330+ miles range), the plumbing was easy. The shape of the tank protects the radiator.
Other mods include ohlins rear shock, WP 48mm forks, Talon/Excel wheels, Pace rally radiator, Brittania cockpit, Oxford heated grips (you may laugh).... OEM rear rack kit, which I use with a Giantloop Kayote bag.

Timpo a quick question you have the tt fuel cell excuse my ignorance what actually is a fuel cell do you mean the tt tank
Also the forks what bike are the wp 48mm forks from and did you have to alter anything to make them fit ?

Thank you all for your valuable advice.
I was kind worried a bit on the safety of the auxiliary tanks in case of a crash or an accident. I think I can cope with a 10l tank from hot rot welding although the TT has 6 more litres at the same price.

for the engine protection I want to see if I can combine the big plate from Touratech or Scheffelmeier metall combined with the SW-motech crash bars.

Do you think the foldable brake and gear change levers from TT will do the trick? I will go for the hot rod wielding hard parts if they fit.

Hot rod wielding has a special rack to fit the x tank as well but I was wondering if the H&B is more versatile. I'm going to use the bike for everyday commute as well so a hard top case will be needed. Is there any option for top case for this bike?

@mikecbrxx
thank you very much for the offer. unfortunately I am far away (greece) and it is difficult to pay a visit (trying to save money for the project). I have already contacted Bas and waiting for his reply. I have an inclination towards the hyperpro rear shock and front springs but the situation with the authorised dealers and service points will play its role...

r1d3rg652gs said:

Thank you all for your valuable advice.
I was kind worried a bit on the safety of the auxiliary tanks in case of a crash or an accident. I think I can cope with a 10l tank from hot rot welding although the TT has 6 more litres at the same price.

for the engine protection I want to see if I can combine the big plate from Touratech or Scheffelmeier metall combined with the SW-motech crash bars.

Do you think the foldable brake and gear change levers from TT will do the trick? I will go for the hot rod wielding hard parts if they fit.

Hot rod wielding has a special rack to fit the x tank as well but I was wondering if the H&B is more versatile. I'm going to use the bike for everyday commute as well so a hard top case will be needed. Is there any option for top case for this bike?

@mikecbrxx
thank you very much for the offer. unfortunately I am far away (greece) and it is difficult to pay a visit (trying to save money for the project). I have already contacted Bas and waiting for his reply. I have an inclination towards the hyperpro rear shock and front springs but the situation with the authorised dealers and service points will play its role...

Click to expand...

IMHO You really don't need the crash bars so don't select based on that.
If you have the money, get the hotrod setup, its really solid.
I have fitted a small Peli-case on the back of mine. Works well but needs padlocks rather than fixed lock.
The TT levers should fit ok but as I said, the F650 gear lever is cheaper and easily adjustable when in MX boots (needs to move up 1 spline which you can't do with the stock lever).

I had the chance to sit on a second-hand Xchallenge and take some measurements.
Tha pressure of the air-shock was 6 bars (~87psi) according to the owner's claim. Important notice: the Fork Tubes stick out about an inch (~2,54cm) through the clamps (see photo 1). They were raised by the bmw dealer as requested by the owner in order to lower the bike a bit.

photo1

Then I measured the distance between the rear right axle and the rear right screw in the middle (see photo 2) without the rider on. Distance was 64cm. Then I tried to lower the bike (by pushing the rear part down) to a comfortable position with me sitting on it and measured again the same distance. The output of the measurement was 54cm (~4 inches lower).

r1d3rg652gs said:

Hello all ukgsers and Xchallengers!!!
I plan to replace my current beemer, a 2010 G650GS with a BMW G650 Xchallenge. Before I do so I have to sort out how to lower the bike. It will be done by customizing the seat and by fitting a hyperpro or wilbers rear shock.
So I need your guidance on some accessories for the part after the bike is lowered and ready to go.

1. X tank or Touratech auxiliary tank?
Does the X tank on the right side of the bike affect the handling? generally how has the auxiliary tank affected the handling of the bike?
Does the Touratech tank have to be removed for maintanance work (engine oil change, oil filter change etc)?
Does the rider have to fill both tanks seperately?
I guess the X tank is compatible only with soft panniers on the side, right?
Anything important one should notice before installing or choosing each tank?

2. Engine protection (skid plate and crashbars)
Which of the following solutions do you rate the most effective?

3. Luggage...soft panniers or aluminum cases?
Magadan soft panniers vs Touratech hard cases.
Can the Xchallenge handle the hard cases from Touratech or other brands (actually are there any other option beside TT as far as hard panniers is concerned)?
Is the handling of the bike affected too much with the hard panniers?
What are the limitations of the soft magadan panniers?

Thank you all in advance. Any opinion from actual users is appreciated.
Any Do's or Don'ts are welcome...

Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about the crash bars, but changing the gear lever is a must do.

My bike has a 48mm WP front end, hyperpro fully adjustable rear shock with remote preload adjuster (invaluable- there is next to no room for access to adjust the shock once on the bike), standard X tank, Pace rally radiator, giant loop coyote bag and a load of other little bits and pieces done to it, one to consider is getting your subframe braced.

I did a long trip during 2013 on it, and one thing i will be changing is the giant loop bag. A friend i was riding with had the magadan panniers fitted to hotrod welding frames, and he seemed to cope much better due to the weight being carried lower in his panniers, and also the extra space was a bonus to.
The magadan's have a second internal liner, so when leaving the bike at night you can just lift all your stuff from the bike by removing the liner, and not have to mess around trying to unstrap the giant loop bag.

Don't get me wrong, the giant loop bag has been good, but if your planning on doing big trips, you may soon find the carrying capacity limiting.

I doubt i'd look at fitting hard cases such as the tourtech boxes, as they don't offer any cushioning if you put the bike down.

If you plan on riding muddy tracks and trails, make sure you cover the vent holes in the back of the front fender- this will help stop your radiator from getting clogged with mud and prevent over heating problems.

IIRC i think stefan also produces hard parts for protecting the lower cast sections of the frame- these are worth fitting to prevent the frame sections from getting cracked.

HTH

Nathan

I changed to a Funduro lever fits like a charm and is very soft 'so to speak'

On the xtank I can't imagine it would affect the handling, at least not if you've still got the OEM beast of an exhaust on the other side.

BTW, if anyone is getting rid of their OEM xChallenge skid plates, please give me as shout.

I have a TT large bash plate with a dent in it if interested. Looking for half money (incl postage)

link to original http://shop.touratech.co.uk/large-engine-guard-bmw-g-650-xchallenge.html

mikedefieslife said:

I changed to a Funduro lever fits like a charm and is very soft 'so to speak'

On the xtank I can't imagine it would affect the handling, at least not if you've still got the OEM beast of an exhaust on the other side.

BTW, if anyone is getting rid of their OEM xChallenge skid plates, please give me as shout.

Click to expand...

I have a used OE XChallenge skid plate doing nothing....PM for details.

@GFJ Thanks but I really want the xChallenge OEM one to use with a hyde racing skin.

@ian640 haven't worked out pm's yet. Got contact info in my profile though.

mikedefieslife said:

@GFJ Thanks but I really want the xChallenge OEM one to use with a hyde racing skin.

@ian640 haven't worked out pm's yet. Got contact info in my profile though.

Click to expand...

I've got a oe one and it's in great condition.. £75 posted if interested.
Cheers R.B