Here is a pic of mine. Made a plate out of aluminum as a heat sheild behind the VR with some spacers around the wires. I mounted it with the wires pointed up and curled around the front to take up some slack also.
I tucked the wiring towards the rear, keep it up off the motor to minimise heating. Good to see someone tried using the BMW bracket I was considering using some silicon sealant as a strain relief where the wiring comes out of the VR but have never actually done it
Mine is mounted on the bracket that came with the Touratech Oryx and Rally Kits. The bracket is mounted using the original mounting holes. Resulting in this: BTW: I got one of those brackets left over....
Mounting the VR behind the engine is not so good on airflow and it will overheat as they do in both the BMW mounting locations of behind the engine and behind the sump guard
This is what I use: http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/F650GSDAKAR/8500037.html and works well, but the hockey puck is cheaper....didn't think of using a hockey puck when I got mine.
Hi all, About 8 months ago I bought an '02 F650GS that was converted to a Dakar. I'm really loving the bike and this thread has been a goldmine. The bike came with Jesse hard bags and mounts and for multiple reasons I'm going to try, at least for now, a rackless soft luggage system. I've narrowed my choices down to either a GL Coyote or Wolfman E-12 saddlebags. I know they'll both fit my 650, but specific info particular to these bikes has been hard to find. I KNOW I've seen pics on this thread showing the bags fitted on bikes, but have no idea where they're posted or who posted them. So, if anyone has any experience with either of the bags your opinions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance, kilted
I have had good success with the hockey puck. I used a single bolt up from the bottom with a locking nut on it. Its been on for almost 30,000km with no issues. I recessed the bolt head in the bottom so as not to scratch if I parked on a delicate surface like a tiled floor for example
I am doing a YZ fork swap. I was able to buy the forks for song from someone here in the Flea Market, and the local shop is excellent for suspension work. We talked numbers and he wants to order a custom spring rate, higher than is available for the YZ (not by much) and shorten the forks so that the bike sits better. If you could have shortened your front forks, can you guess how many inches it would have been? 1"? 2"? Also, let's say I have the newly rebuilt fork (seals were pissing oil in the package) and YZ front wheel and front brake-- I think all I need are bearings, correct? Can you tell me what bearings I need or a link to the thread which spells it out? I have read for hours and I know that the bearings are same size OD and different ID or vice versa, but I never saw something that said "Order bearing XXXX" Aside from the ignition, what else is left to handle? I'm ditching the BMW bars and I'll run straight MX bars with Cycra or Acerbis barkbusters. I don't have heated grips. a New Ohlins rear shock is on order as well.
I found every answer I needed here. (May take a while at the computer) Most of the other stuff you'll need to do is fitment - filing the headlight/instrument cluster under frame to clear the larger diameter fork tubes; drilling and tapping out the lower triple and putting in some screws with lock nuts for steering stops; dealing with the front fender/horn (if you shorten the forks enough you can probably reuse the BMW fender). I didn't shorten my forks and ended up with an Acerbis motard fender ($28) and put the horn inside the plastic headlight shell beneath the headlight. It actually has a louder "HONK" now than it had before. Also, if you use conventional bars with the BMW controls keep a dremel tool or better a finger sander to remove some from the left and right controls as the BMW bars were just enough smaller to require some reaming out to fit the ProTaper bars I installed. Mine last fall:
One source stated the YZ forks are 935 mm from axle centre to top of yoke, another indicated 925mm, and the BMW are 890 mm so you have between 35 to 45 mm to shorten and maintain the stock length without considering any sag changes
Let's see. I had my forks done by House of Horsepower, and they were lowered 1 inch, and I set them about 3/8" up in the triples, so about 1-3/8" lowered from full height. They have progressive springs in them. I don't remember the rate, but it was what he recommended for my weight (180 pounds). I'm still running the stock rear shock. If you ordered your Ohlins a different length from stock, you might need less or more lowering. For the steering head bearings, order a standard set of YZ bearings. They are the correct size to fit in the BMW steering head tube. You probably also want to order a KTM upper bearing cover (I can look up the P/N later, same part for all KTM dirt bikes all the way back to 2000). I made a simple ignition adapter out of a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum plate, using a friend's milling machine, drill press, and belt sander. Depending on which triples you have (03-older, or 04-later), the shape and dimensions will be different. Mine is just held in place by a screw right now, but I'll have a welder TIG-weld it later in the winter. If your bike is an 04-later, with the 4-screw windscreen attachment, standard barkbusters will not work. They'll smack into the windscreen and gauge cluster at full lock. I'm running a Renthal Jimmy Button bar with the Barkbusters F650 kit. I had to bend the barkbusters a little to match the bend of the bar, but they work, and don't hit the windscreen/gauge cluster.
As some of you may know, in November I purchased a Dakar for my son to use. Here is a video of his first lessons and a couple of shots of a ride around Puget Sound, Wa. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zgEwjn03MUg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Hopefully, after taking the Motorcycle Safety class, he will be riding with his 'ol man this summer Maybe even a trip up to the interior of British Columbia. Many thanks to you folks for answering my questions. Enjoy.
Well, now is the time for that story, i have time to kill in this Russian hotel so why not Yes the bike will start without the instruments It will also start after 12 days underwater if you remove all of the water from the oil and the fuel tanks, that i did not expect :huh:eek1 Rode the bike to work one Monday morning and got caught up in a flood, i ended up swimming in full bike gear, defiantly not an experience i would recommend to anyone, I'm pretty lucky to have got out of that one :eek1 The bike on the other hand did a rather grand impression of a German u boat and spend 12 days sat at the bottom of a ditch covered in water and debris from the flood :huh i swear i heard it shout 'dive, dive, dive' as it went down the road was impassible for 6 days afterwards to give you some idea of the amount of water involved, there was lots and lots of ice cold water We eventually found and pulled it out, took it home and set about draining the oil, i say oil but what i actually means is brown water Refilled it with oil turned it over by hand a few times and let it sit for a bit. After a couple of days drying the other half's father came round with a tin of 'start ya bastard' a set of jump leads and a car battery :huh It did what it said on the tin The bloody thing fired up, on the button after 12 days underwater, could not believe it Next job was draining the water / fuel from the tank and filling up with fuel, did that and it started on the button again idled at about 2 - 3 k tho, don't know exactly as the clocks didn't really enjoy their prolonged bath guessing a couple of sensors didn't like the bath either. It was about this time that the insurance rang and said due to the amount of time underwater the bike would have to be written off, not just written off tho, oh no. I did a proper job on the bike. Cat A write off = has to be crushed :eek1 A real shame to loose the dak after putting so much effort into getting it just the way i wanted Ah well, i will be buying another 650 single, well 660 cc single in the form of a Yamaha mt-03, ought to be fun i think A word to the wise, the 650 Dakar was the best bike i have ever owned, it's got me through some horrendous stuff, never let me down no matter what and started first time every time, even after 12 days under water. That should be the bmw marketing campaign if they ever make them again, I'd buy one Anyone who sells a 650 bmw is completely mad in my opinion.
Nice story! But over time the gremlins will show up in the form of electrical shorts, etc. still most of the parts are still good.
I thought I posted this but maybe lost it. What is the largest tire you were able to put on a Dakar 17" Wheel w/no problems. Just looking because other than upgrading to an 18" Wheel I am curious what's out there. Some of the tires I've gotten in the 130 range are drastically different in width visually.
Did you tell the insurance company to stuff it? Can't you buy it back from them or something? That sucks!
i ran a 140 on the rear no problems. i actually have a 180 on the rear now but thats a whole other story!
Hidenau K60 140 works well as an intermediate tyre for those times dirt is scarce, Have also run a full dunlop dirt 140 and it was very good, but very soft, cant recall exactly which one but concluded in general a 140 rear was better than 130. The conti TKC 140 block spacing looks too wide though