The 650 Dakar Thread

[Don Coyote]

Originally Posted by Bikenstitches

Yesterday, my '05 Dakar stalled a couple of times and failed to idle. This was after riding for about 35 minutes on back roads on my drive home in 85F weather. I haven't had any surging problems since drilling the snorkel over a year and a half ago. Any suggestions on what might be the culprit?

The only other issue I have with the bike (and I can live with this one), is that occasionally(1 out of 5) when I try to start it, it won't fire. I'll turn off the ignition, wait a few seconds and it will start right up, or alternatively, go WOT three times and it will start right up.

For the fourth year in a row since i bought it, my '06 had it's spring stumbles a few days ago. The engine seems to run normal except it won't idle and stalls if i let off the throttle enough to fall below 1500rpm. The first few years it did this for a few days before clearing up. Now i've discovered that if i power cycle it a few times it clears up after one ride (however, no matter how many times i stopped to power cycle it on the ride this year, it didn't clear up until it sat for a few hours again). I haven't written down dates previously, just know it has been spring each time...

[GSBS]

Originally Posted by Don Coyote

For the fourth year in a row since i bought it, my '06 had it's spring stumbles a few days ago. The engine seems to run normal except it won't idle and stalls if i let off the throttle enough to fall below 1500rpm. The first few years it did this for a few days before clearing up. Now i've discovered that if i power cycle it a few times it clears up after one ride (however, no matter how many times i stopped to power cycle it on the ride this year, it didn't clear up until it sat for a few hours again). I haven't written down dates previously, just know it has been spring each time...

Springtime allergies???

[Parx400]

is the shared green/blue wire to lots of the dash the positive or negative? Anyone have a wiring diagram for the dash lights?

[tomatoe333]

Originally Posted by Bikenstitches

HI,
Yesterday, my '05 Dakar stalled a couple of times and failed to idle. This was after riding for about 35 minutes on back roads on my drive home in 85F weather. I haven't had any surging problems since drilling the snorkel over a year and a half ago. Any suggestions on what might be the culprit?

The only other issue I have with the bike (and I can live with this one), is that occasionally(1 out of 5) when I try to start it, it won't fire. I'll turn off the ignition, wait a few seconds and it will start right up, or alternatively, go WOT three times and it will start right up.

Check with the dealer. There was a service bulletin involving replacing the decompression lever/spring on the camshaft, along with an updated ECU program. I had mine reprogrammed when I took it in for a valve adjustment last year. Fixed the hiccuping/stalling issues I was having. They seem to have had some issues with the early twin-spark ECU firmware versions.

If this just started, check all the connections at the engine sensors, especially the throttle position sensor and the temperature sensors. If you have access to a GS-911 tool, you can use it to pull any error codes out of the ECU without paying the dealer $$$ for diagnosis.

[BMacW650]

Originally Posted by Parx400

is the shared green/blue wire to lots of the dash the positive or negative? Anyone have a wiring diagram for the dash lights?

The blue/green wires are Positive

See this: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...postcount=3887
and http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...postcount=3892

[kubiak]

anyone interested in my cut up shrouds and crash bars i had on my dakar before i put stock ones back on?i can sell them cheap or if you have anything to trade out.

[Pootrol]

My problems! I seem to get the same problems with the stalling as mentioned above, I rang BMW and they said three things:
1) Fuel/pressure regulator
2) Stepper motor
3) Stick it on the computer

Now I have replaced the first, and where I live now, they want crazy prices to look at it, so it's a last resort.

More problems, I feel like some wiring is loose, the back light to my instrument panel keeps flicking off and on. Not all but about a third on the speedo and tachometer.

Also the low beam light doesn't work, yes I have changed the bulb. I think it might be the switch, i might pull it apart an clean it.

Any advice would be much appreciated, these little things are really bothering me!

[Don Coyote]

Originally Posted by Pootrol

Also the low beam light doesn't work, yes I have changed the bulb. I think it might be the switch, i might pull it apart an clean it.

The plastic inside the high beam switch on Dakars has a known history of melting and producing these symptoms. RkyMtnMan did an excellent writeup with pics over at f650.com on how to diagnose and fix this if you are up for a little forum search...

[Aquatic]

[Parx400]

Originally Posted by kubiak

heres a pic of my new polisport headlight with a h4 bulb. i also polished the stock black clutch and brake levers and smaller blinkers.

Is that the Halo Headlight? I'm considering cutting my bike down like yours and ditching the stock front. I tried to make a rally dash and don't like it.

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by kubiak

sorry i feel like a dakar thread hog right now lol!

Thanks for the pic.

When in a forum and there's a yellow upper torso next to the thread, you can hover your cursor over it and the number of posts you have in it appears as a bubble...

[Parx400]

For those of you with a Vapor, did you use any of the stock speedo or Tach wires? Do I need to do anything with them? Can I cut them off and shrink tube them?

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by tmotten

....Testicle battery.....

See, I'm not the only one

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by Renaissanceman

Ha ha ha... found this while mounting a new tire in preperation for a 2 week road trip.






Just serviced the swingarm last fall - no telling how long it's been broke - some times you're just lucky!

I put my dust covers on like that too, but thought it might've been wrong...



....so I moved them to where they were a better fit..... albeit a tad worse for wear

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by goatmeal

Had some excitement on the Dakar today....rear blowout at about 40mph.......keep my cool and slowed the bike down and pulled over and kept her up......felt like I was going to drop it several times.

I had replaced the rear tire myself (PITA) but I had pinched the tube in the process. Frustrated, I took it to a shop and they replaced it with a new tube. When I got home I checked to make sure it was balanced....they didn't even balance the tire. I balanced it and then spun it and it was wobbly....either it needed to be true'd or the rim was bent.

I took it back to the shop and they said it was fine to run if I didn't feel any vibration. I asked if they could true adn they said they couldn't' because they didn't have the special BMW tools. I trusted them and ran it and with probably less than 30 miles it blew. The tube isn't just flat part of the tire was off the rim.

My sense is that the wheel is probably bent - what is the best course of action? Send it to get straightened? Should I take it back to the shop for a 3rd time?

THANKS IN ADVANCE ADV'ERS!!!!

1. Dont think there's much that can be done id the rim is truly bent
2. I haven't balanced a single tire since I bough the bike (including the set that was on it new, that's 9 sets, mounting set no. 10 over the weekend). Never even thought about there being anything wrong. I don't think it's that common to balance dual sport tires