► Hand Guards, handlebars, risers and levers

Oklahoma said:
Tim, could you please update us on your 1200 handguard fitting. Is it still fitting properly? My biggest concern is the plastic vs. steel bar to protect your levers, has the plastic ever broken on anyones 1200?

The 800 handlebars are a little thicker than the 650 thanks to its tapered design, but arent as wide as the 1200. Would you recommend doing the swap, or do you regret your decision?
Click to expand...

Handguards are just fine.

Narrower handlebars are an advantage when filtering through traffic. The problem with the 650 bars (and probably the 800 bars as well) is that the mirrors are not set wide enough to get a clear view behind. It's possible to get mirror bar extensions but then they would suffer in offroad tumbles.

Tim
 
Tim Cullis said:
Handguards are just fine.

Narrower handlebars are an advantage when filtering through traffic. The problem with the 650 bars (and probably the 800 bars as well) is that the mirrors are not set wide enough to get a clear view behind. It's possible to get mirror bar extensions but then they would suffer in offroad tumbles.

Tim
Click to expand...

Surprised to hear that Tim.... the mirrors on my 800GS are without a doubt the best mirrors on a motorcycle I've ever ridden on :eek:

Clear and vibration free up to errr mmmm aaaagh 100 plus speeds... der Nürburgring of course ;)

:beerjug:
 
samuelsnow said:
Has anyone fitted the Touratech 20mm Handlebar Risers yet? I have just ordered them together with some other bits. Im not 100% sure wether I will fit them yet but the handlebars seem slightly low to stand up comfortably for any length of time.
Click to expand...

They definitely improve the stand-up ergos, especially used together with Fastway footpegs mounted in the low position. Short report and more pics here.

372529158_Hfyn8-XL.jpg
 
Brake lever

hi

how do you like the break lever for the aft brake?In my opinion to soft and the travel is to long,yes you can adjust,but not enough.(I tried)

If I want to break hard I have to use the heel of my boot,in my opinon the standard break lever is not to good and non funciton if your not using swiming fins,or you can curl your feet and the sole of your boot 45 degrees the wrong way.
fishburger
 
Indicator swithces!

Ok guys and girls, having ridden for many years, two strokes, four strokes, singles, twins, triples, fours (desparate to find a six!) British, French, Austrian, Italian and Japenese... last week i collect my first BMW, a 800GS and damn pleased i am with it too. Fantastic all round motorcycle that i should be using for an overland trip, London to Cape Town in December, however, i am slightly emabarrassd to admit to struggling with the bloody indicator switches!!

Its the cancel button mainly, i seem to find it difficult to keep a steady throttle when hitting the cancel button... especially coming out of slow to medium fast corners where i am accellerating and trying to cancel the indicators at the same time.

Admittedly, i am only up to about 350 miles on the bike, collected it last Saturday, but it doesnt seem to be getting much easier.

Is it just me? is it a man thing? (cant do two things at the same time!) is there a knack/trick to doing properly? am i a cack handed fool? is there a conversion to convention swithchgear?

Why on earth do they position the cancel button throttle side!!!

Any advice, suggestions or abuse would be appreciated.

Many thanks
Will
 
This is something you will get used to. I actually prefer this system to the "norm" now. As a tip though while you are in training.. :)
Don't cancel the indicators whilst in a corner or still on the round about, if you need to indicate a different direction just press that side, no need to cancel. Do the cancelling whilst upright and moving away from the turning or round about. You will get used to it though, eventually :rob
:beerjug:
 
I have finally got used to them after nearly 5000 miles, having been used to the single dakar switch. They do auto cancel though but after quite a long time.
 
never got used to the bmw system, crap, put a kissan indicator unit on, this helped greatly, adjustable cancel, brake light connection, same button cancel
 
The one I drove had self-cancelling turn signals. They will cancel themselves after some distance/time. Try it.

Brgds
 
fishburger said:
hi

how do you like the break lever for the aft brake?In my opinion to soft and the travel is to long,yes you can adjust,but not enough.(I tried)

If I want to break hard I have to use the heel of my boot,in my opinon the standard break lever is not to good and non funciton if your not using swiming fins,or you can curl your feet and the sole of your boot 45 degrees the wrong way.
fishburger
Click to expand...

You shouldn't/mustn't adjust the rear brake pedal position by means of the short operating rod between the lever and the rear brake master cylinder :eek: If you do the rear brake will be partially on, bind, overheat and be none existant. There must be a small amount of play between the rear brake operating arm and the piston of the master cylinder ie the piston must be at rest in the fully relaxed position when the rear brake is off.

My rear brake pedal travel is small, and I can lock up the rear brake at will with not a lot of depression/pressure :thumb

:beerjug:
 
My rear brake pedal travel is small, and I can lock up the rear brake at will with not a lot of depression/pressure :thumb

:beerjug:[/QUOTE]

Hi
Any clue to why mine have a long travel,before the brakes "bite",the pedal feels swampy,might be air in the system,bled the brakes but still the same:confused:
fishburger
 
I had the same problem until I realised I only have to press the very tip of the switch. It's tempting to go for the middle which has a nice finger shaped curve to it but that's too much of a stretchand as you've found does nasty things to the throttle.
 
My thoughts exactly ZZ, why put it on the throttle side... you could quite easilly move the switchgear around a bit so that the cancel button is on the left side, the clutch hand, which would be great especially as the gearbox is so sweet on the GS you so rarely need to use the clutch lever anyway!

The problem of waiting for the indicators to self cancel, which i was aware of, is that i live in London and spend to much time going from one turn to the next and you could not leave an indicator signaling one way even on a straight road as someone would pull out on you expecting you to be pulling over or turning left.

I think aiming just for the tip of the switch sounds a great idea, as yes, i do try to hit the whole button with my finger, so will try that, thanks.
 
As above Fishburger... the first movement of the brake pedal must take up some slack before starting to move the piston in the rear brake master cylinder :eek:

Press the brake pedal down with ya fingers, watch the movement of the connecting rod up in to the master cylinder rubber bellows, free play then resistance when the rod meets the piston and starts to move it upwards to do its job! Got this free play?

:beerjug:
 
I was worried about the indicators when I got the bike - I found myself trying to cancel them and accellerating wildly out of roundabouts :eek:

It took a few hundred miles, but I finally developed a technique similar to Elvie's and now I don't have any problems. Give it time - you'll get used to it.
 
Maybe you have a defective pump or the bleed screw isn't tightened correctly, or there is still air in the system... something is definetly wrong. My rear brake pedal also has short travel, brakes well and locks up easily (with the abs off!).
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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