Most important changes for a long journey?

[Yahoo]

Just wandering what are the most important stuff to change/modify/swap/upgrade (if any) on a 650 GS/dakar?

Got a bit of a long journey brewing in my head and nothing else to do at work so I thought I'd bother the online community for anything GS related .co.uk to see if I can get some ideas.

 

[ovenpaa]

What sort of distance/period and terrain? Are you going to be slumming it or stopping in hotels and hostels?

 

[G.C.]

Screen

 

[Decster]

seat...

get an airhawk or a sheep skin or modifiy your seat..

do a search on here

oh yeah and the screen

 

[Yahoo]

What sort of distance/period and terrain? Are you going to be slumming it or stopping in hotels and hostels?

It'll be a massively budgeted trip so slumming, wild camping, sleeping with the locals etc.
I would think mostly on road, but there will be some off roading and bad roading involved.
Will probably be gone for about 2 months.

 

[Loiq]

they had a 650 on display at my dealers, of a bloke who'd gone London to South Africa the bike looked standard enough, he changed airfilters to ones he could clean on route. strapped on the back was a 20 litre jerry can and very small amount of soft luggage. Front panniers had water and tools that was about it...

best of luck

 

[Flipfly]

For me it would be

TT pegs (wider and mor comfy IMHO

Bar Risers

Decent Panniers

and go

Expect to cruise at 70-75, anymore and you'll get tired quickly as it feels like your thrashing the poor little bugger. You should get 68-70mpg.

Take a filter or two and you can pretty much do all it needs for a service on the road I prefer Conti escapes as a tyre for soft off road and brill on road performance. Got 3500 miles on mine and they've got another 3000+ left in em easily.

 

[Jon]

If it's the older style Dakar, the screens fine. If it's the older or newer, do something about the seat, a Sheepskin or whatever.

Christ, my bum is going numb just thinking about the 3000 miles I did in 6 days on mine

 

[ovenpaa]

I have run the 650 for a couple of hundred miles (1 week!) So I am not what I would call an expert on them, however Adventure riding is just a state of mind really and low key low cost journeys are often the best (My favourite memory is Scandinavia two up on an ill prepared T595)

I reckon the 650 is all but bomb proof and should be the least of your worries

As the others say, screen and seat are hugely important, I would not go too high with a screen as it is easier to break in a spill, but it is essential for keeping the elements off you. I always use a sheepskin cover for long journeys, my choice is a cheapy rug from eBlag cut to size and held on with elastic cord, it is worth an extra 200 miles a day and just works.

The bike needs to be mechanically sound and carry some essential spares such as bulbs, oil a couple of plugs and spare chain links, more if you are away from sources of BMW spares. Carry a puncture repair kit, pump (CO2 is good as well) and tyre irons. Tourances are good for a lot of things and last for ages however if you are doing big distances think about what you will do when they need replacing.

Engine bars are handy but I always think DFC!

Panniers - TT are good but pricey however the add mechanical protection to legs and bike and you can gets loads of gear in them. Fit locks. I always use a tankbag, good for carry away stuff and spares socks, gloves, some cash, MP3 player and maps.

BTW - panniers make great tables and chairs.

Then it is just down to what you carry, a small tent keeps the bugs away and the rain off your head. Camping - keep it light, I use a 1/2 season down bag as I have no plans to camp at the base of Everest, a self inflating mattress and repair kit is well worth taking and as a luxury take a travel pillow.

I always cook on petrol using an MST Dragonfly, handy because the fuel is always in your petrol tank and it also means you carry a couple of litres spare in the cans. Carry lots of water and assume the shops will be shut at some point so carry some food, I like MRE's but that is just me, I also carry UK teabags

Take a couple of small LED torches, the Inova X5 is very expensive, but indestructible I also have a small LED leadlight I made up and keep in the tank bag just in case.

Two pairs of gloves are essential and in heavy rain waterproof over trousers are handy even if your gear is waterproof.

Just get out there and enjoy yourself

 

[Jaws100]

F 650GS Dakar

Have a look at this website:http://www.kilkennytocapetown.com/Equipment/Equipment.html
Its about a bloke from my area that travelled overland to Capetown on a 650GS Dakar and his preparation etc.

 

[Yahoo]

Awesome Thanks for that guys! You really do care!
While were on it, does anybody know anything about filters for petrol, so that when you fill up with dodgy fuel it doesnt ruin your engine.
Or will the standard fuel filter sort that out?

 

[Loiq]

I was talking with Adrian my mate about this very same thing, if you suspect the fuel is shite let it stand for a couple of hours in a jerry can the crap will settle (then throw the last bit away or make a fire) when filling directly from pump or other similar 3rd world delivery system to be safe make a simple filter from a lemonade bottle and muslin bit of cloth you can get very fine wire nets to put into funnels as well. It'll filter most of the bits of crap out. (That's what we did)

Whats also very important before you go out there into the wilds... take a moment and have a go at removing wheels, spark plugs etc. identifiy what the key bits look like and have a go at changing the valves in the wheels or getting the tyres off and on. Nothing worse that having all the tools and no idea what the first step in the repair process is.

(1986 stuck in spain on my CB250 superdream with a no spark/ electrics and no idea how to get it going let alone fix the mysterious problem)

 

[snoopy]

Bomb proof apart from when the water cooling fails as I found out.

But then it could happen on any bike these days.

Get a good set of tyre levers and make sure you can get both wheels of the bike yourself even if it means lying the bike on it's side. Ensure you know how to break the bead ... for the rear tyre take the wheel off and rock the centre stand to put the weight of the bike on the tyre.

Standard screen is crap but then it's never going to be a GSA so leave it - I tried all manors of after markets and they were all crap in some way.

Front indicators take weight of bike in a fall ... consider changing them.

 

[Loiq]

won't happen to an air cooled bike...

 

[Yahoo]

So if youre a cheapskate bodger like me, and i'm talking diy pannier racks, thingemy guards, storage on the bike etc., is it worth having a go or should I just leave it to the big boys (TT and co)?

 

[Loiq]

build it yerself

best fun i've ever had...

find my welding thread or my couple of mates who did the hardknott pass on a bike made from bits and pieces..

if you can't weld cable ties and gaffa tape...

 

[talltony]

So if youre a cheapskate bodger like me, and i'm talking diy pannier racks, thingemy guards, storage on the bike etc., is it worth having a go or should I just leave it to the big boys (TT and co)?

I made my own racks and use HG soft bags and a cheap Rickman topbox.The bags were under thirty quid and bought for one trip - they've now been on for 50,000 miles on two bikes, so have a go!

Tony

 

[Fanum]

Take a pocket full of the little mirror stem collets if you've got that sort of mirror fitted- they're a sacrificial item in a drop and do protect the mirror well, but once it's snapped, you either have to weld the stem up or fit another (they are changeable side-to side though)

very cheap very small but big PITA if left without one

 

[rc mad]

the fuel system is a high pressure one and bmw want around £65 for the filter, becasue it also has the pressure regulator in it.

Might be an idea to purchase a cheaper high pressure inline filter and fit that before the expensive bmw one, Don't have to worry about crap in the fuel then as you can just replace the cheaper inline filter as needed. Plus in a pinch you can remove the inline and use the oem bmw filter

For gods sake do some long runs before hand, i've done 2 330 mile days this weekend. (and last weekend ) And found I can just about do a tank of fuel (180 miles) before i need a break to walk around for a bit. Seriously considering a replacement seat.

 

[Timolgra]

you need a nice comfy seat like the expensive Touratech one, which with a couple of modifications.......is still crap