New XChallenge :-)

[Gaz]

While you are standing on the left of the bike, take it off the side stand, lean it towards you and get on.
Start with the rear shock much lower than what BMW suggest and gradually pump it up over the weeks until you can cope with the height (which feels worse if you are coming from non-diving front end i.e. GS). If you are offroading the rear will get higher over a few hours continual use and so you will need to be aware of that, this is especially noticeable on cold (i.e. freezing or just above) mornings when the shock deflates until as Timpo kindly pointed out, you look like something off Easy Rider at the start of the day.

 

[Captain GSA]

While you are standing on the left of the bike, take it off the side stand, lean it towards you and get on.
Start with the rear shock much lower than what BMW suggest and gradually pump it up over the weeks until you can cope with the height (which feels worse if you are coming from non-diving front end i.e. GS). If you are offroading the rear will get higher over a few hours continual use and so you will need to be aware of that, this is especially noticeable on cold (i.e. freezing or just above) mornings when the shock deflates until as Timpo kindly pointed out, you look like something off Easy Rider at the start of the day.

Thanks for the warning!

Might consider Wilbers in the future then ...

but for now I have an idea ...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I could never get on it with the side stand down

I always flick the stand up, step back 3 paces (whilst holding the left hand grip) - and approach the bike with a bit of a run up.
Then a little jump and i'm swinging my right leg over the saddle and hey presto..................we're on and away

 

[Captain GSA]

I could never get on it with the side stand down

I always flick the stand up, step back 3 paces (whilst holding the left hand grip) - and approach the bike with a bit of a run up.
Then a little jump and i'm swinging my right leg over the saddle and hey presto..................we're on and away

Me too!

What about the getting off then?

 

[Wreford Miles]

Me too!

What about the getting off then?

That's OK because the suspension is down but if your slow it will flick you off

 

[Mav]

Me too!

What about the getting off then?

Skip forward to 1:34 for a demonstration

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[Captain GSA]

That's OK because the suspension is down but if your slow it will flick you off

Will all this be solved if I put Wilbers on at the back? And would the rear be better for it- the air thing certainlt takes some getting used to and I'm not sure if I am yet....

It bucked me off when I was trying to get off and nearly dropped the fckr - I was slow because I was tired .... ...

The bike is fantastic but worrying about getting on and off is doing my head in ...

I think I need to do some exercises to get that leg moving quicker... it's harder when you are off road which with this bike is 90% of the time for me...

 

[Wreford Miles]

Skip forward to 1:34 for a demonstration

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When you've momentum that's the way to do it...

And is also a fine for getting on with a little practice

 

[Captain GSA]

When you've momentum that's the way to do it...

And is also a fine for getting on with a little practice

......if I attempted that then I'd fall off or drop the bike or crash into something or all of them ....

 

[Mav]

......if I attempted that then I'd fall off or drop the bike or crash into something or all of them ....

You'd be surprised how easy it is. Give it a try next time you're on a gentle track where falling off isn't really going to hurt you or the bike. Before you know it, you'll be doing it on your fully loaded Adv in Sainsburys car park

 

[Wreford Miles]

There are some things in life you just have to do...

When revesing your lambo you sit on the sill with the door up

Whe unmounting/mounting your GS you do as Mav demonstrates

It's my chossen method for getting off the Airhead and XC and occasionally for getting going on the Airhead.

I'll practice on the 1150 tomorrow

 

[ONYERBIKE]

I picked up my 08 X challenge last Saturday, I bought it with 500kms on the clock, the previous owner didn't give the handbook etc to the dealer, so waiting for the dealer to get it and send it to me (yeah right!), in the meantime what sort of pressure should it be on the rear shock, I checked it the other day and it was showing about 92 psi cold. What are you all running the rear shock at?

 

[ncpierce]

.......err no- you lot are almost too late for that deal.

STOP PRESS ......... all but one of the school's X Challenges have been sold

One's got my name on it

 

[Wreford Miles]

I picked up my 08 X challenge last Saturday, I bought it with 500kms on the clock, the previous owner didn't give the handbook etc to the dealer, so waiting for the dealer to get it and send it to me (yeah right!), in the meantime what sort of pressure should it be on the rear shock, I checked it the other day and it was showing about 92 psi cold. What are you all running the rear shock at?

Don't know it feels right so I've not changed it since buying from Trippy... I thought you are suppose to go by the spirt level thingy

 

[Losttheplot]

I picked up my 08 X challenge last Saturday, I bought it with 500kms on the clock, the previous owner didn't give the handbook etc to the dealer, so waiting for the dealer to get it and send it to me (yeah right!), in the meantime what sort of pressure should it be on the rear shock, I checked it the other day and it was showing about 92 psi cold. What are you all running the rear shock at?

Sit on the bike in your riding kit, and by your left knee, mounted on the frame is little spirit level. Pump the shock up until the bubble is in the middle when you sit on the bike.

 

[DavidJames]

One's got my name on it

As you can see I cancelled my order to get this one They are coming pretty soon aren't they? Duncan told me they were looking at them early next week.

You won't be dissapointed

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I picked up my 08 X challenge last Saturday, I bought it with 500kms on the clock, the previous owner didn't give the handbook etc to the dealer, so waiting for the dealer to get it and send it to me (yeah right!), in the meantime what sort of pressure should it be on the rear shock, I checked it the other day and it was showing about 92 psi cold. What are you all running the rear shock at?

100-110psi

 

[Captain GSA]

As you can see I cancelled my order to get this one They are coming pretty soon aren't they? Duncan told me they were looking at them early next week.

You won't be dissapointed

Duncan went yesterday and did the deal.....

 

[steve g]

Personal preferance I suppose, Im 14stone and set the shock to 100psi.
Picked this up from Adv rider (not tried it):
Just to make things clear, Max has it right. Do not use the air bubble.
BMW has said in an internal document that the bubble is not placed well.
Instead, get on your bike (in riding gear) and put full weigth on the bike on the position you ride it (some on the rear end of the saddle, some more to the steer etc.). Then ask a buddy to measure the distance between the top of the rear axle and the most rear bolt for the luggage rack. It should be between 55 and 56 cm. This is the ideal static sag according to BMW.

Happy riding

Steve G

 

[ncpierce]

Duncan went yesterday and did the deal.....

That sounds promising. Thanks for the original heads-up David