Extra Fuel tank thingy and whatever was strapped alongside the seat are missing
Gael warning in the Congo
- Thread starter simondippenhall
- Start date
Extra Fuel tank thingy and whatever was strapped alongside the seat are missing
Welcome home the weary traveller....! (the bike, not Simon) 
Great to see the Yellow Peril back home..... and to think you considered selling her in Africa... Hope she's forgiven you for that..
Apart from the lack of panniers I'm stumped as to what else may be missing...
R
Apart from the lack of panniers I'm stumped as to what else may be missing...
R
Sounds like the best move, be able to leave with confidence in the bike, also have the winter (plus whatever) to play around and change as you feel.
Nice to have it home I'm sure, minus red fuel tank.
Nice to have it home I'm sure, minus red fuel tank.
Thanks all for your comments, and so glad I got to meet some of you either at Lymington, Leenane or Portsoy, my three biker events of the year.
These photos may show the problem better:
The ‘baggage rack’ has broken into two!
When I think of the loads it has carried (it’s only rated for 5kg!) and the ‘roads’ it has ridden its 100,000 miles on, plus its use as a push point by Congolese porters onto a pirogue, and no doubt onto lorry transport when I abandoned it in the bush between Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville- I am only surprised it lasted so long
.
Without it the bike looks a bit sorry
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These photos may show the problem better:
The ‘baggage rack’ has broken into two!
When I think of the loads it has carried (it’s only rated for 5kg!) and the ‘roads’ it has ridden its 100,000 miles on, plus its use as a push point by Congolese porters onto a pirogue, and no doubt onto lorry transport when I abandoned it in the bush between Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville- I am only surprised it lasted so long
.Without it the bike looks a bit sorry
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Fortunately Motoworks are able to supply a used replacement, due to arrive later this week.
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So having removed the heavy Topbox drooping off the back, the next task was to empty the tank bag and Topbox.
It was a strange experience to go through stuff which I accumulated over three winters travelling, since the bike left Hampshire in 2017, and which has sat in a (secure and dry) shed in Motocamp Bulgaria.
Stuff like a bag of teabags (still flavoursome
), toothbrush and toothpaste….and my head torch, still working well
.
Amazingly to me the Varta battery, fitted IIRC In Cameroon, still was strong (having been on a tender in Bulgaria) and got the thumbs up from my Ctek diagnostic charger, despite having been brutally handled during various mechanical incidents in Congo and Angola.
Unfortunately the negative terminal post has become putty like making it hard to secure the leads so an Exide gel battery is on its way (In fact it arrived at 9.06 this morning when, very unusually no one was at home to sign for it….thought this ‘signing for’ lark had been seen off by the pandemic.). Hey ho, let’s try again tomorrow
.
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It was a strange experience to go through stuff which I accumulated over three winters travelling, since the bike left Hampshire in 2017, and which has sat in a (secure and dry) shed in Motocamp Bulgaria.
Stuff like a bag of teabags (still flavoursome
), toothbrush and toothpaste….and my head torch, still working well
.Amazingly to me the Varta battery, fitted IIRC In Cameroon, still was strong (having been on a tender in Bulgaria) and got the thumbs up from my Ctek diagnostic charger, despite having been brutally handled during various mechanical incidents in Congo and Angola.
Unfortunately the negative terminal post has become putty like making it hard to secure the leads so an Exide gel battery is on its way (In fact it arrived at 9.06 this morning when, very unusually no one was at home to sign for it….thought this ‘signing for’ lark had been seen off by the pandemic.). Hey ho, let’s try again tomorrow
.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
As I worked my way around tidying up the bike, I found some stowaways in the air filter (and a lot of sand
).
The next step was to see if I could start the engine.
I began by squirting a little oil in each cylinder head, as suggested on internet, and let it sit. Only me, being me, squirted a lot of oil in and then went back to discover it should only have been a couple of drops
Then after putting the bike into 6th gear I was relieved that, plugs removed, I could turn over the engine.
After replacing the plugs with the spare set I carried (more of that later), I grabbed a massive battery and used heavy duty jump leads (it’s all I had) to power the bike.
All the right lights came on - hurrah.
The fuel pump primed- even better!
The starter motor turned (I had it rebuilt in Windhoek, Namibia and was glad of that) without a problem.
But the bike wouldn’t
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).
The next step was to see if I could start the engine.
I began by squirting a little oil in each cylinder head, as suggested on internet, and let it sit. Only me, being me, squirted a lot of oil in and then went back to discover it should only have been a couple of drops
Then after putting the bike into 6th gear I was relieved that, plugs removed, I could turn over the engine.
After replacing the plugs with the spare set I carried (more of that later), I grabbed a massive battery and used heavy duty jump leads (it’s all I had) to power the bike.
All the right lights came on - hurrah.
The fuel pump primed- even better!
The starter motor turned (I had it rebuilt in Windhoek, Namibia and was glad of that) without a problem.
But the bike wouldn’t
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Too much oil on the plugs?
I wondered if that were the case, so after a break for a cuppa I took the plugs out and admired how wet they looked
. So I changed the plugs and tried again, still without success 
.I went off and pottered on some other stuff, then came back and had another go. A hesitant firing sound suddenly became a continuous one and a thick oily cloud emitted from the exhaust- so I think Northern Jock you are quite right!
Wary of running it stationary, I cut the ignition and got on with some cleaning
…
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I would perhaps try some of this stuff to stick on a length of inner tube rubber over the break
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stormsure-...ocphy=9046851&hvtargid=pla-701996199268&psc=1
Or lots of duck tape
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stormsure-...ocphy=9046851&hvtargid=pla-701996199268&psc=1
Or lots of duck tape
I mentioned earlier the collection of spare parts I accumulated:
On the left, The Motronic ECU that was repaired in Dolisie, Congo Brazzaville by Mwana, the Steptoe of central Africa, by soldering in diodes from an Opel car unit.
Above it the spare alternator belt purchased in the market in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on the advice of the real Steptoe - not used because Dieter the Motorrad mechanic in Windhoek told me the existing belt was in good shape.
To the right, variously,
-used Hall Effect Sensor replaced in Namibia
- spare injectors provided by Albert (Albatross of this parish)
- the very expensive u tube for the petroleum pump which I think I will have fitted when the filter is done by Neil.
- a spare key, one of a set I had to turn back to have made in Maun, Botswana when my only BMW key stuck in the ignition preventing me refuelling before traversing a long road inhabited, the locals said, by elephants (which I subsequently verified with the missus
) but also lions - which fortunately I didn’t know when we sat there picnicking 
.
Also odd bolts for battery terminals or other purposes I have forgotten during my mechanicals-strewn circuit of Africa.
I threw away the Sudanese string used to try to bind the leaking oil filler cap!
So although it may be against the rufty tufty UKGSer code to speak of emotions, this has been an emotional week.
As I work my way around the bike, each scratch or bump or mechanical adaptation is a vivid reminder of an adventure on the road, some kind person who has helped me either in Africa or through the medium of UKGSer, even if I have shocked some like the good Dr Farkoff by my literal interpretation of their mechanical advice (like the application of duck tape to a leaking oil filler in Sudan
).
And the return of my bike to my garage has been bittersweet. Whilst it’s great to be able to work on it here, whilst it was in Bulgaria it (or the idea of ‘it’) held the promise of future travel- which inevitably seems further away with its return here.
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On the left, The Motronic ECU that was repaired in Dolisie, Congo Brazzaville by Mwana, the Steptoe of central Africa, by soldering in diodes from an Opel car unit.
Above it the spare alternator belt purchased in the market in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on the advice of the real Steptoe - not used because Dieter the Motorrad mechanic in Windhoek told me the existing belt was in good shape.
To the right, variously,
-used Hall Effect Sensor replaced in Namibia
- spare injectors provided by Albert (Albatross of this parish)
- the very expensive u tube for the petroleum pump which I think I will have fitted when the filter is done by Neil.
- a spare key, one of a set I had to turn back to have made in Maun, Botswana when my only BMW key stuck in the ignition preventing me refuelling before traversing a long road inhabited, the locals said, by elephants (which I subsequently verified with the missus
) but also lions - which fortunately I didn’t know when we sat there picnicking 
.
Also odd bolts for battery terminals or other purposes I have forgotten during my mechanicals-strewn circuit of Africa.
I threw away the Sudanese string used to try to bind the leaking oil filler cap!
So although it may be against the rufty tufty UKGSer code to speak of emotions, this has been an emotional week.
As I work my way around the bike, each scratch or bump or mechanical adaptation is a vivid reminder of an adventure on the road, some kind person who has helped me either in Africa or through the medium of UKGSer, even if I have shocked some like the good Dr Farkoff by my literal interpretation of their mechanical advice (like the application of duck tape to a leaking oil filler in Sudan
).And the return of my bike to my garage has been bittersweet. Whilst it’s great to be able to work on it here, whilst it was in Bulgaria it (or the idea of ‘it’) held the promise of future travel- which inevitably seems further away with its return here.
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Thanks for that Simon, best of luck and hopefully you'll get back out to somewhere nice, before you know it!
Simon
Think of this as a well earned, and possibly essential, pit stop for the Yellow Peril that will enable even greater adventuring for the future.... getting her back to Bulgaria is only a few days ... I think its the right thing to do...
Think of this as a well earned, and possibly essential, pit stop for the Yellow Peril that will enable even greater adventuring for the future.... getting her back to Bulgaria is only a few days ... I think its the right thing to do...
Thanks all for your good thoughts and practical tips!
The new battery arrived today.
Unfortunately, although it’s a recommended unit for the GS, it’s so tall and the terminals so close to the petrol tank that there’s not really room to attach the leads and auxiliary cables to it without risking a short - so that’s gone back and I have ordered a ‘like for like’ replacement for the old guy
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The new battery arrived today.
Unfortunately, although it’s a recommended unit for the GS, it’s so tall and the terminals so close to the petrol tank that there’s not really room to attach the leads and auxiliary cables to it without risking a short - so that’s gone back and I have ordered a ‘like for like’ replacement for the old guy
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However on a more encouraging note, this arrived from Motorworks this afternoon
Although badly in need of a wash (which it got) it looks structurally sound so hopefully will last me the next 50-100,000 miles. Not yet sure what I will do in respect of a top box as this seems under engineered for the job, given the leverage of a top box hung out back…
I also confided my trust in Duck tape and did a provisional repair on the saddle.
I feel like it’s looking a lot better with those simple steps, although still need to fit the new battery and get it to Steptoe for a thorough service/examination before MoT
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Although badly in need of a wash (which it got) it looks structurally sound so hopefully will last me the next 50-100,000 miles. Not yet sure what I will do in respect of a top box as this seems under engineered for the job, given the leverage of a top box hung out back…
I also confided my trust in Duck tape and did a provisional repair on the saddle.
I feel like it’s looking a lot better with those simple steps, although still need to fit the new battery and get it to Steptoe for a thorough service/examination before MoT
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Simon,
If you can still get them, Givi do a rack reinforcing kit for the rear carrier. Picks up on the pannier mounting points
If you can still get them, Givi do a rack reinforcing kit for the rear carrier. Picks up on the pannier mounting points
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