Just to focus on ONE of many baffling parts of your diatribe, please schedule those 30 lbs (14 kg) of tools. Inquiring minds....
My dakar has trouble getting above 80 but thats most likely due to the 15/49 sprocket combo. Its been absolutely trouble-free the entire time I owned it. Frankly, although I can find merits to both bikes (and I just got back from Alaska on the Dakar), for me it comes down to which one speaks to me. The Dakar is a great, but the airhead really has a personality, a soul. Now if you'll me I have to go chase some windmills.
Still Fucking Going! jeep-bus almighty this thread has legs. So i don't have PhotoShop skillz yet-- i'll race you to the liquor store (or Kinko's, your choice) on my 26-year old 65K daily driver G/S that's still on it's Berlin-issue shaft, gearbox, electrics, rear shock, and forks. It got a 1000cc motor due to a pulled cylinder stud on the orig 800cc motor that would prolly be easier to fix than doing a valve adjustment on an F engine. I wanted more HP so i simply bolted in a later motor. Funny thing, that 30-year interchangeability. It, ummm... how you say?--- rocks. Outside snipers who accuse us of being grouches: let the dude buy what he's feeling best about. He's doing his research the way he's s'posed to. If it turns out airhead is a bad match with him, he'll move on to a bike that better suits. You can't buy every bike at once and then choose-- he has to ask, and i think he's asked the appropriate questions. There are real questions to be asked about each GS incarnation-- homeskillet is just doing his homework, and starting to shop. I find it beyond curious that certain thumper advocates are pushing this as hard as they are. Reminds me of the ass-sniffing and ball-hustling that PhD's perform at conferences. I don't speak for the original poster but it comes off a fraction desperate, lads.
eh? Good times. See you at the bearing house next time i'm getting disposable bearings for the Troy-Bilt (i think the mower and the F are the same ref number!! Score!! The F brgs are cheaper!! )
My F650 GS picked up instantly and flew from 100km/hr. It would do 175 km /hr before hitting the rev limiter , but only when it was two feet from the back of my mates Super Blackbird After one hot Ozzie sommer the plastic on the mirrors softened and they would just blow round at any more than 90 km/hr. Never had any problem with vibration.
I have to admit I was a little suprised to see this thread come up again, but I am happy to announce that I am in the process of having my bank transfer some funds to a very nice gentleman just outside of Chicago who is selling me his original 89 R100GS, yes the blue and white one, with 18k miles. I am really excited and plan on posting some pics when I finally have it. Thanks to everyone who shared there opinions. I'll be in touch. Regards, -Tucker
Good on ya, Tucker. I was hoping this thread would have a happy ending. You'll love the bike, post those pics when you have time. And get out the catalogs and start farkling!
That's a beauty. FYI, Touratech USA and Wunderlich (by way of Santa Cruz BMW) both have R100GS-specific areas in the catalogs. You can spend hours poring over them and figuring out what you like.
more hours and more dollars than I can afford right now. Let me get the thing first before you have me spending more money