NH/VT Central Riders

happy new year fellow cental riders! looking forward to 2018 rides!!

Well said.......Happy New Year! My New Years resolution is to ride more and work less!

Did you sell the XR? What's your 2018 primary ride going to be?

Continuing my 2018 planning and bike modifications. Things are going well but now I have to switch gears ( and money) to spring house projects and padding in case Uncle Sam has some bad news for me...we'll see.

Bike is going to Max BMW on their truck in a few days. Software updates, fixing some cross-threaded frame holes (i'm an idiot) and fixing a recall item.

Then bike parts are going to a local powder-coating place in February. Going to powder coat exhaust headers, crash bars and luggage racks a matte black for aesthetics (knowing it's all going to be scratched up off-road

Finally, I continuing modifications for mostly off-road riding. Shorter windscreen, beefier crash protection, knobbies, bar-risers, soft luggage, beefier seat w/ some touring comforts and I hope to get some brighter off-road lights but that might be a late-2018 project.


I do hope I get to join many of you on some adventures this summer. Nova Scotia, Trans-lab, Puppy Dog, BDR, BAyley Hazen and maybe a weekend of maine forest roads.

Getting back to one bike, A new GSA

Awesome. Now it'll be two of us slowing everyone else down :)

I always seem to keep a small thumper around too, nothing at the moment.

I'm going to be doing a lower crash bar install on my R1200GS on Saturday or Sunday. Anyone with experience with that mind swinging by my place in Enfield, drinking some beer (or champagne, cider, ice cider, mead, scotch, whiskey) and helping me?

Caveat, 2 of the 4 central frame bolts are cross-threaded from a screw-up installing the AltRider skid-plate last month. I have fresh screws from BMW and a tap-kit for the size I need to re-tap. I'd like to wrap up the AltRider skid plate install & lower crash bars and need a buddy for emotional and practical support.

I've never re-tapped a cross threaded screw hole and certainly not one as important as a motorcycle frame. That's definitely the most critical step of this hole shebang. Would rather not pay BMW 2 hours of labor to fix it for me.

I've not installed these bars before but I'm willing to give you a hand if needed either Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Thank you so much for the offer. I'm going to PM you!

I have the lower Alt Rider bars on my GS. Though I wouldn't be able to assist this weekend. Available to answer questions though.

It may bleed into later weekends depending on what we get done. I'm guessing you saw my GS boxer post? Basically I need someone who has successfully fixed a cross threaded hole before. If we can fix 2 of these holes, it's going to be a pretty easy install.

Depends how bad the cross threading was....sometimes you can retap the correct path and still have enough meat left on the threads. I'm not sure where the holes are that are screwed, but if there is good access you could always install heli-coils as a last resort??

Basically those are the two options available.

There’s one more option,.......get a new bike and you’ll get new threads for free!

True... Though I think that is the less desireable or financially ideal option.

To do this the bar in front will need to be removed and out of the way.

Anyone go out riding this weekend? It hit 45F in central NH!

Nope, bikes are still slumbering. I will wait for the rains to wash the roads of the brine and salt first. Also, still need to finish the painting of walls in the house and finally getting my shop put together. Well, fixing the previous owners DIY wire work...

Glad to find this thread, I'm a 'new' resident to Alton Bay, NH (despite going up there my whole life to visit family) but interested in meeting up for some rides with others in the area. I'm looking for both big bike rides and little bike rides :)

No riding, but the thought crossed my mind!