Fitting BMW accessory bracket for Garmin

[Wandering Star]

Apologies in advance if this has been covered. I want to fit the BMW accessory bracket to my GS1200 on which I plan to place my Garmin. However I need to remove the screws that hold the existing bar that connects to the windscreen. Point is I cant reach the screws without removing the speedo/rev counter cluster. It all seemed so simple

Is there an easy way?

 

[sven]

I've played around with various socket extensions and universal joints and come to the conclusion that I need to remove the clocks too

 

[Schtum]

I've played around with various socket extensions and universal joints and come to the conclusion that I need to remove the clocks too

Removing the clocks isn't really a biggie.....

 

[Wandering Star]

Removing the clocks isn't really a biggie.....

That sounds encouraging Sven but could you divuldge how its done? I noticed that there is a small silver phillips screw below the speedo which seems to hold the cluster in place. Not easy to reach it though and I am not sure what happens when its removed. Any info you are able to provide would be great.

 

[Bem]

I've played around with various socket extensions and universal joints and come to the conclusion that I need to remove the clocks too

Err, are these the screws just inside the screen mount, clearly visible but oh so unreachable? If so I removed mine using my 3/8 x 15" extension (cue jokes here) from the opposite side leaving the speedo in place. Still a faff, and on reflection easier to remove speedo giving you room to "see the rabbit".
Apologies if this is complete b.......

 

[jontym]

Err, are these the screws just inside the screen mount, clearly visible but oh so unreachable? If so I removed mine using my 3/8 x 15" extension (cue jokes here) from the opposite side leaving the speedo in place. Still a faff, and on reflection easier to remove speedo giving you room to "see the rabbit".
Apologies if this is complete b.......

Just watch the bloody screews ar'nt siezed ! there tapped into alloy and can sheer off if more than a few years old,DAMHIK !

 

[Cornwallis]

Please, please make sure that you give the torx head a tap before you turn it because the bolt head's been painted. I didn't and after getting three of them out, the forth sheared. That's when things got interesting/tragic........

Whilst fiddling with a pilot drill in preparation for using my thread extractor, I dropped it and it got stuck somewhere around the engine; but I couldn't find it.

I was about to grind off the head of the torx bolt with my Dremel (to help position a second pilot drill) and I was inspired to create a deep slot into which I inserted an engineers square and yes, it turned and I got it out.

I couldn't leave the drill I'd lost rattling around so I started to take off the panels around the tank in the hope of finding it. I removed the petrol filler which released the top plastic moulding but I wasn't expecting some rubbber bushes to be loose so one fell into the petrol tank. I won't repeat the langage used. So, the tank was drained and removed and low and behold, I found the drill bit. And after holding the tank above my head on the hour, every hour (it's quite heavy and a breathe tube makes access difficult) six hours later I got the piece of rubber out with the aid of surgical forceps.

The moral of this tale is: tap your torx!

 

[sven]

Err, are these the screws just inside the screen mount, clearly visible but oh so unreachable? If so I removed mine using my 3/8 x 15" extension (cue jokes here) from the opposite side leaving the speedo in place. Still a faff, and on reflection easier to remove speedo giving you room to "see the rabbit".
Apologies if this is complete b.......

I've only had a little play as my bike has been stuck in the inlaws garage since I bought it and then heading straight out on rideouts

The extension on my 1/4" socket set was too short and using the extensions on my 3/8" socket set meant that I couldn't get the Torx bit into the (painted) screw head properly.

Think I'll take the clocks off next weekend whilst I'm fitting my new Givi Aeroflow screen and fit the GPS bracket at the same time. So, is it the single screw beneath the clocks which releass them?

 

[Wandering Star]

Please, please make sure that you give the torx head a tap before you turn it because the bolt head's been painted. I didn't and after getting three of them out, the forth sheared. That's when things got interesting/tragic........

Whilst fiddling with a pilot drill in preparation for using my thread extractor, I dropped it and it got stuck somewhere around the engine; but I couldn't find it.

I was about to grind off the head of the torx bolt with my Dremel (to help position a second pilot drill) and I was inspired to create a deep slot into which I inserted an engineers square and yes, it turned and I got it out.

I couldn't leave the drill I'd lost rattling around so I started to take off the panels around the tank in the hope of finding it. I removed the petrol filler which released the top plastic moulding but I wasn't expecting some rubbber bushes to be loose so one fell into the petrol tank. I won't repeat the langage used. So, the tank was drained and removed and low and behold, I found the drill bit. And after holding the tank above my head on the hour, every hour (it's quite heavy and a breathe tube makes access difficult) six hours later I got the piece of rubber out with the aid of surgical forceps.

The moral of this tale is: tap your torx!

Cornawallis after that experience I think that the ridiculous labour fee that BMW would charge to do the job looks like excellent value! I think "tap your torx" is a lesson we can all take with us on our life journey and woe betide those that venture out torx untapped!

 

[Kiwirichard]

It's actually really easy

It's actually not as bad as it looks.......... Well sort of.

1. Remove the M6 Capped nuts on the back of the Windscreen adjustment bolts.
2. Remove the windscreen front Cap screws ( Hex head at the front )
3. Remove the Windscreen adjustment Bolts & windscreen completely.
4. Speedo cluster clips can be removed with a small allen key ( L shape )& a little bit of care.
5. Remove the headlight bolt from each side.
6 The dreaded Torx screws are now easily accessable.......TAP First

I then mounted the Touratech cross bracket
Next I reassembled the dash area & mounted the new Touratech Garmin 660 bracket...................

Bugger, It covers the Instruments..............


Any suggestions for the next part of the puzzle??

Richard

 

[Wandering Star]

That makes it just sound too easy - there has to be a catch (that you didnt mention). Yes I noticed that the Touratech bracket kind of comes across the rev counter. Happened to get chatting to a bloke that had it fitted when going across to Calais on the tube. He said he never checks the rev counter so it didnt matter - that seemed to solve his particular puzzle. Hope that helps

 

[les049]

I managed to loosen the headlight and slide it slightly foward, then was able to get a bendy extendable whotsit into the nooks and crannies to allow the mount to be secured, so far seems ok. I looked at the BMW fitting instruction booklet and chickened out of the idea of removing clocks etc.
Have'nt had anything snap or drop off yet !!

 

[Wandering Star]

I managed to loosen the headlight and slide it slightly foward, then was able to get a bendy extendable whotsit into the nooks and crannies to allow the mount to be secured, so far seems ok. I looked at the BMW fitting instruction booklet and chickened out of the idea of removing clocks etc.
Have'nt had anything snap or drop off yet !!

That is the way its done - just managed to get all the bits and pieces together now. I loosened the windscreen nuts and the two screws in the front of the screen that bold it to the silver bracket. I was then able to move the screen forward. I then removed the two screws that hold the headlight in place and slid that assembly forward giving me good access to the dreaded 4 screws (two on either side) holding the silver bracket. Took that off and put the new additional BMW bracket on and re-assembled it all together. Pretty simple in the end

 

[andyclift]

Bugger, It covers the Instruments..............

Yup, it's a really stupid design. I don't look at the tacho much either but found this really irritating so gave up and removed it after about two days. BMW make a bracket that goes OVER the clocks - not in front.

 

[sven]

Yup, it's a really stupid design. I don't look at the tacho much either but found this really irritating so gave up and removed it after about two days. BMW make a bracket that goes OVER the clocks - not in front.

..and it looks like it was styled to match the bike, unlike the Heath Robinson designed aftermarket GPS brackets

 

[sven]

Finally got round to fitting the GPS cross bar today. There is actually a comprehensive fitting manual included in the box for the GPS mounting bracket.

It was simply a case of removing the headlight fixing screws and electrical cables to allow it to be pulled forwards. Then removing the four screws retaining the screen brace, positioning the GPS cross bar, fastening with new loger screws and refitting the headlight. An absolute doddle