The 650 Dakar Thread

[LoJack]

While using my Gerbings jacket and gloves I lost heat on a cold rainy day using my accessory socket. I go off the battery now and don't seem to have a problem. Now if I could just find my gloves...

[tomatoe333]

Originally Posted by Don Coyote

BTW, does anyone have a good idea of how much of an extra electrical load a stock F650 system could take in terms of heating accessories? A mechanic at the dealer said he would be worried about using two different heated clothing articles at once...

I run heated jacket and heated gloves together on mine. Not a problem at all keeping up with the load. I've got an LED voltage monitor attached, and it never dips down into the danger zone.

IIRC, the alternator is 400 watts at higher RPMs, so quite a bit of extra juice available.

[Don Coyote]

Originally Posted by tomatoe333

I run heated jacket and heated gloves together on mine. Not a problem at all keeping up with the load. I've got an LED voltage monitor attached, and it never dips down into the danger zone.

IIRC, the alternator is 400 watts at higher RPMs, so quite a bit of extra juice available.

But are you running the grips with the gloves? Hippo Hands and grip warmers work well to as cold as i've ever rode, I'd be thinking about a vest along with the boots, and maybe leggings.

What is the average draw with all the lights and grip warmers going?

[gspdbill]

Well, the last bike was the (opposed twin) R100GS/PD and those heated jugs just in front of my feet made any type of foot warmers unnecessary , as for this trip I have thick socks and tennis shoes (just kidding!) good BMW riding boots and several pairs of Hand/Foot Warmers packets.

Do wish I had the Hippo Hands but haven't had much time to prep for this, besides it'll be near 60 and sunny for the afternoon portion of the ride. Also bringing Thinsolate (sp?) Winter Gloves, glove liners and other riding gloves for when it warms up (in addition to the fore-mentioned Hand Warmer packets). If extra protection is needed I have the AeroStich lobster claw rain covers I can add to the ensemble.

Thanks again.

[Don Coyote]

Originally Posted by gspdbill

Do wish I had the Hippo Hands

I've used the product made by the current owner of the official trademark and, while they get the job done, other designs i've seen online look more robust. As the velcro on these seem on their way out i'll be looking into those more soon. Unfortunately, the common American ego is apparently a little too effete to support much a market for quality products along these lines and most info on them comes from Europe...

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by WayneC1

Yes watching some in dealers navigate the fiche can be painful at times, years ago we had a top notch spares manager who knew his way around the old mechanical fiche & could match up parts between models he was a marvel

Later when I first purchased the Dakar a spares person ordered in a pile of parts including centre stand only to find they were for the GS not Dakar and had to do a return to sort it out

We have them everywhere. When BMW had a proper BMW only dealer in Oslo (up until 10 years or so ago) they had a great spares dept, but then they moved some people around and we were stuck with a car guy who didn't know forks from mufflers.... always had to come behind the counter and find the stuff I needed on his computer myself.

When I needed a new waterpump for the first time I was in Melbourne and Suthbank BMW, awsome as they were to us, didn't have one complete set of waterpump seals in stock and had to order in from Germany. Took two weeks. Later on when I was in Sydney I got to know Andy at Moto Hansa and he told me always stocked 10 F650 waterpump kits since they were a very common replacement... wish I knew about Moto Hansa a little sooner...

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by Pootrol

Hi, I have a 2004 twinspark Dakar.

I have searched long and hard for months trying to find an answer all over the web. The chain gang doesnt have an answer.

Basically I have narrowed it down to the inductive sensor?

The symptoms.
- it stalls on idle
- when sitting at the lights in fluctuates between 1100-1500 rpm
- when doing a lazy gear down it will cut out
- it doesn't always happen, but usually about 75% of the time

- it usually stalls after about 5 seconds after the first start then runs fine or it begins the symptoms above

I tried in plugging the lambda sensor and running it.. No help.
If these problems occur and I hold the revs at 1550/1600 it runs fine, it performs fine riding it as well.
Some more checks I have conducted is holding the clutch in whilst rolling with the unusual revving and then stopping, result is that it seems to go back to normal revving.

So from all my research it sounds to me as the inductive sensor as this is what governs the idle rpm? Please some one shed light on this!!!

Sincerely Dominic.

I still have a few pages to read before Im at the end, but I'll chime in regardless

Check that the throttle is all the way off, meaning there is nothing pinching the wire or crud stuck in the groove at the throttle body causing the cable to run longer. If the throttle is not all the way off you will get a false idle setting and it will stall on idle. Never touch the throttle when starting and make sure the dash lights cycle through before starting (just wait a few seconds 'till one of the red lights die)

[WayneC1]

Gravel Seeker, Andy is a mate of a mate and has moved on to the latest BMW dealership in Sydney, Fraser Motorcycles. He was hired to get the spares system up and running when they were appointed as a dealer. He is a good guy and would be a good contact to give OS travellers but there are times dry Australian humour is a little beyond him, especially mine when out in the bush with a flat tyre. Motohansa is still a good place to go as well.

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by WayneC1

Gravel Seeker, Andy is a mate of a mate and has moved on to the latest BMW dealership in Sydney, Fraser Motorcycles. He was hired to get the spares system up and running when they were appointed as a dealer. He is a good guy and would be a good contact to give OS travellers but there are times dry Australian humour is a little beyond him, especially mine when out in the bush with a flat tyre. Motohansa is still a good place to go as well.

Yeah, I know. Andy's a great guy which I've kept in contact with. He was on a trip back home to the UK and popped over to Norway for a weekend visit the year after came back from Australia. I'm guessing Hansa is still mainly oriented towards boxer bikes ?

[WayneC1]

Hansa is importing and retailing , GS911 and service equipt amongst other things plus the service side and they have been racing an S1000RR, they still get the thumbs up from people in the Oz advrider section and elsewhere, always done the right thing by me. Good to see Andy move up the chain, hope he does well

[dwayne]

Originally Posted by bkwags

Where's the best aftermarket place to order a set of levers for my Dakar. Broke the brake lever on an off road ride last week and want to get a new one and a spare of each.

Does anyone have a spare brake lever they want to sell ASAP as I have another ride this weekend. I really don't want to have to drive to the dealer 70 miles away. Since they are not open any evenings and would need to take 1/2 of vacation to get there.

Also, who makes a sturdy Bark Buster that won't allow my levers to break during a slow drop. The OEM version are not very robust.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Dennis Kirk

Parts Unlimited Alloy Clutch Lever 06130101 - $7.95
Parts Unlimited Black Brake Lever 06140080 - $6.95

https://www.denniskirk.com/parts-unl...prd/573294.sku

make sure you search for a 2005 or 2006 bike (in the dirt bike section) they will fit the 2001 and up bikes...I have 2002 and they fit, and they are cheap, like less than $10...at that price buy a few to give away on the trail, I have. It make you a hero and you get enough beer to cover the cost of the lever.

[dwayne]

Originally Posted by yatman

am a 'curious fellow'...when I key my '07 Dak I've notice a four click sequence, for twenty "revolutions" or times...they're a "tick, tock, tick, tick"--a half second pause, "tick, tock, tick, tick"...20 x...just curious...what is it?
I noticed it as I keyed my bike to on position (without starting)..then keyed it off...
Am trying to figure out my failed HID headlight and noticed this.

Much appreciate all the knowledge here.

Ride safe

yatman

i suspect it's the fuel pump relay doing it's thing...I have noticed it on my bike as well

[dwayne]

Originally Posted by Pootrol

Hi, I have a 2004 twinspark Dakar.

I have searched long and hard for months trying to find an answer all over the web. The chain gang doesnt have an answer.

Basically I have narrowed it down to the inductive sensor?

The symptoms.
- it stalls on idle
- when sitting at the lights in fluctuates between 1100-1500 rpm
- when doing a lazy gear down it will cut out
- it doesn't always happen, but usually about 75% of the time

- it usually stalls after about 5 seconds after the first start then runs fine or it begins the symptoms above

I tried in plugging the lambda sensor and running it.. No help.
If these problems occur and I hold the revs at 1550/1600 it runs fine, it performs fine riding it as well.
Some more checks I have conducted is holding the clutch in whilst rolling with the unusual revving and then stopping, result is that it seems to go back to normal revving.

So from all my research it sounds to me as the inductive sensor as this is what governs the idle rpm? Please some one shed light on this!!!

Sincerely Dominic.

As someone else mentioned the throttle NEEDS to be in the full closed position when turning the key on. Any reason that the butterfly (as opposed to the position of the grip) is not as zero will cause the computer to think that where ever the sensor is when the key is turned on is all the way closed.

As previously mentioned check your cable condition, but your cable routing and adjustment can also play a role, especially if you have the same tendency as me to unlock the steering and turn the key to power on when the handle bars are still fully turned.

[dwayne]

Originally Posted by WayneC1

The dual spark is rated for synthetic, the single spark is not. The difference is in the clutch. Dual spark has one less clutch plate

The differences are documented here: http://www.f650gs.crossroadz.com.au/ClutchRepair.html

I have been using synthetic in my 2001 for years and about 35 000 km in my 2001 with no issues. I use either Mobil One 15W50 or Shell Rotella T. The reason being is I don't want to pay the motorcycle oil premium, and those two oils do not have friction reducers that most car oils do. The API seal should not include the letters "EC" (energy conserving), the theory being that the friction reducers is what cause issues with wet clutches.

I don't know why BMW has issues with synthetic oil, but the big GS was also not approved for it. I half wonder if synthetic will leak more easily, and BMW doesn't want that reputation.

Anyway, despite the what the owners manual says, this is what I have done. I have been happy with the results especially because my riding style ,and the terrain that I ride the clutch get slipped ALLOT.

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by WayneC1

Hansa is importing and retailing , GS911 and service equipt amongst other things plus the service side and they have been racing an S1000RR, they still get the thumbs up from people in the Oz advrider section and elsewhere, always done the right thing by me. Good to see Andy move up the chain, hope he does well

Yeah, they did the brakes on one of the bikes in my "gang" on the fly, just dropped in one afternoon, no appointment, no complaints.