Getting weight forward and down.

  • Thread starter Thread starter mike2796
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mike2796

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Hi Folks,
I have a GSA 1150 fitted with Hepco and Becker boxes. These are fine (came with the bike), but I have too much weight back with all the stuff for RTW two up. I have been looking at fitting a couple of flat tool boxes above the cylinders mounted on the crash bars. I run an engineering business so making these to v/high standard is no problem. These would be for spanners etc that are heavy but not heat effected.
Has anyone done this type of mod? Are there problems? I have seen a mod similar on the road here in mid-summer so I assume that engine cooling is ok, any views on this? Is there anything on the market that will get some more weight forward and down?
Regards all, Mike2796
 
We recently did an overland trip of 3 months. It was a 2001 1150. It had two panniers, a top box, two rollbags (on the pannier lids) a tank bag, and we had smallish rcuksacks. I tried to shift weigth forward, but with no real success. I thought of saddle bag type things slung over the, under the tankbag, but never got round to it. In short the bike did fine, although in some bits it was hard work. One thing to remember is that if you fall over, any objects on the crash bars could knacker the side of your tank.
 
The standard way of bringing tools forward and down on most trailes is to attach a box to the bashplate behind the front wheel. I have seen these boxes made from plastics soil pipe (4-5 inch diameter) which is incredibly tough. Not sure where I would put one of these on a boxer though given the 1150/1200 bashplate set up. I haven't mounted my engine bars yet but I'm hoping they'll do.

Let us know if you come up with a solution.
 
In an attempt to get some weight forward on our R100GS I mounted the water tanks over the cylinders. The bike did pretty well 2 up with 90kg of baggage at the back plus tank bag and 12kg or so of water when they were full. We bush camped a fair bit so carrying a decent amount of water was important. We also had a couple of goatskin water bags so we had some cold water as well.
 

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Thanks Warthog,
I have a second project for a hard (secure) tank bag with attachments for bags off the side of the tank. This should put a good amount of weight forward in addition to the tool boxes. I guess I will only get it sorted by trial and error! Regards, Mike
 
Thanks Barney, I have a little project for that area using some aluminium tube to hold the tyre levers and bead breaker. Every little helps! Regards, Mike
 
Hey French Tom, souinds interesting. How did you mount the water tanks? Were they bolted up to the engine bars or suspended from the tank? Mike
 
barneydinosaur said:
The standard way of bringing tools forward and down on most trailes is to attach a box to the bashplate behind the front wheel. I have seen these boxes made from plastics soil pipe (4-5 inch diameter) which is incredibly tough. Not sure where I would put one of these on a boxer though given the 1150/1200 bashplate set up. I haven't mounted my engine bars yet but I'm hoping they'll do.

Let us know if you come up with a solution.
Click to expand...

I saw this on a 1150 during the trip. The guy had mounted it under the front wishbone linkage. Seemed to work.
 
mike2796 said:
Hi Folks,
I have a GSA 1150 fitted with Hepco and Becker boxes. These are fine (came with the bike), but I have too much weight back with all the stuff for RTW two up. I have been looking at fitting a couple of flat tool boxes above the cylinders mounted on the crash bars. I run an engineering business so making these to v/high standard is no problem. These would be for spanners etc that are heavy but not heat effected.
Has anyone done this type of mod? Are there problems? I have seen a mod similar on the road here in mid-summer so I assume that engine cooling is ok, any views on this? Is there anything on the market that will get some more weight forward and down?
Regards all, Mike2796
Click to expand...


in what way do you experience that you have too much weight in the back?

have you played with your suspension settings?

not sure how to say this in english but try to slacken your outgoing dampening.

by this i mean you should turn the small screw situated at the bottom side of your rearshock (not your pre-loadadjuster which is the ring on top of the shock and the knob at the left hand side of the bike) anti-clockwise.

this should result in an rearshock which springs outwards a lot quicker and with this you can put the preload adjuster heavier for riding 2up+luggage..


best of luck!!

if its not the handling you mean than forget i even mentioned this :augie
 
Thanks MA, the handling is ok, but we have a lot of weight and from much past experience the better you can balance the weight on the bike the better it rides. Unfortunately, the Beemer doesn't have any of the little storage spots I have become used to on my old Kawasaki. These allowed a lot of the heavy items to go forward to good effect. Regards, Mike
 
Mike, you use to ...

be able to buy "Pot Racks" for my old Air cooled R80. I toured 1000s of Aust. Hot Tours no problems. Oh sorry, Pot Racks are small racks fitted over the cylinders. Mate it was years ago and can't remember where I got them. But am surprised they haven't surfaced on the newer oil cooled Models. You can carry anything on them? BIGJim Tasmania. :rob
 
Thanks Jim, in the end I made a couple of racks myself. They work ok and don't seem to overheat the engine. I am now having a couple of small boxes made to take sockets, spanner and other heat proof items. I will post a photo when I get them sorted. Regards, Mike
 
Goodone Mike...

I must learn how to post pics. Yes there is a spot here to learn Buy as my Days are Running Low with the BM? Ast having too many troubles with this Beemer so a new bike is called for. Here I go again... set-up a Bike time.
I have a classic Photo of a Sizzling Bangers in the pan on the Pot Rack? Hot Motor? No off the fire, but a good pic none the less.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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