The 650 Dakar Thread

Reinstalled the fork brace correctly by removing the brake hose/ABS sensor cable guide. The tracking to the right got nearly eliminated by this. However, I could not find the nut that goes under the guide for these cables and decided to go for a ride to test if the tracking to the right is gone. About 10 miles later the ABS light comes on. I stop at a parking lot to check if the brakes are working alright. And then I spot this. Looks like securing the cables to the fork leg with zipties wasn't the best idea. Somehow the ABS cable came in contact with the tire and damaged it.

Would soldering the wires be sufficient to fix it?

You change coolant twice a year? I thought once every two years is enough.

Cut, solder and cover the individual wires with heat-shrink, apply a little sealant (not cheap RTV as it gives off corrosive fumes) then slide one or more bigger heat shrink tubes over the whole lot (those who've done this before will probably remember to put that tube in place BEFORE joining any other wires, otherwise you have to cut it all apart again). Normally, solder joints are prone to fail from vibration. This should be ok if you make that part of the wire fairly rigid. Worst case: This doesn't work and you end up buying a used sensor and wire - might not hurt to start looking for one anyway.

I've never changed coolant more often than about every 4 years and THAT was on on my KTM. The "old" coolant came out looking EXACTLY like the new stuff that went in - same color, clarity, etc. My truck is 25 years old and I only replaced some of the original coolant when I hit a deer and damaged the radiator.

Figured I’d post this up in here. Coming off of a 990 Adv, I picked this thing up a couple weeks ago and am really digging it. Planning on doing a few BDR’s in the near future with it.

Welcome n00b to the BMW 650 single world! What year is the Dakar?

Lots of good stuff here, on the Sertao thread and also the G650GS thread. Also over on WayneC's website http://www.f650gs.crossroadz.com.au/

Stay safe and stay healthy!

As my dad always said "If it's broke, you don't got much to lose." You can certainly give it a try to solder the breaks. I'd insulate them with liquid electrical tape. Worked on mine (rear sensor) for about 5 years before it died about 2 months ago. I had the replacement on hand for the past many years, sitting in a box.
Any M8x1.25 nut would work if you Loctite it on. On my Sertao, the ABS sensor line is Ty-Rap'd to the brake hose and not the fork leg.

I change coolant about every two years, or before a major expedition (like heading to the Arctic Ocean, etc.). Seems often enough.

If you will be doing anything aggressive on tarmac, look for some decent upper crash bars like Heed, Happy Trails, or SWMotec. For sure dump the OEM crash cage 'anchor' and put a real skid plate on. Happy Trails has theirs on sale for close to $100 right now I believe. Looks like you are set up to mount the OEM panniers, but I imagine you'll want something a little more robust for a BDM...

Do you use the liquid electrical tape under the heat shrink? I was thinking of going with double heat shrinking but if putting liquid electrical tape between the heya shrink can make it stronger then i will do it.

The recommended coolant change schedule is every 2 years I believe. Though I agree, do it before any big trip.

In my opinion if you've got both the oil and coolant out of the bike at once say like before a big trip, if you have any suspicions about the water pump seals/shaft then get at those too, since about half the work of doing so is dropping the fluids.

Look up "moisture-seal heat shrink" - it has a coating of thermoplastic adhesive (AKA hot glue) inside the tubing, so when you heat it up, it both shrinks and seals.

I have the hot glue type heat shrink. But I was thinking of using heat shrink with solder for fixing the two individual wires and then wrapping both in another large heat shrink. And possibly the liquid electrical tape between them?

However you like. In my case, about 50% of the jacket was intact so I just soldered the wire carefully and slathered them with a few layers of liquid electrical tape. One of my favorite goos. I've also found that it is excellent at curing rattles also.

Not sure if this is what MSM meant, is there a thought to put solder on the wires as is (without cutting) and liquid electrical tape around that? I'm thinking you might have to splice in a length of wire if you cut it to maintain the length...

Folks, I need to drill four holes on the Happy Trails skid plate to mount it to my customized lower frame. I tried to mark the hole with a punch drift and hammer prior to drilling (as shown on some YouTube videos) but it barely left any indentation. The drill bit just doesn't want to stay in that indentation. I could use some suggestions.

Additionally, is there any way to stabilize large windshields on our bikes? The top gets pretty wobbly at speed and I think stabilizing it with some brace could create calmer air around the helmet.

I have a pretty large Madstad windshield for inclimate weather (16" I believe, custom because they don't normally go that large) and never had a problem with wobbling...

Start with a really small bit, like 3/32". Then enlarge it a few steps at a time.

I have the Cee Bailey windshield and the wobble is very pronounced. I held it with one hand to stabilize it while riding last week and the air around the helmet go much smoother/quieter. I know that the GS folks use some brace to stabilize their large windshields. Wonder if something like that exists for our bikes.

You could probably make a pair of braces out of 3/4" x 3/4" angle aluminum or 3/4" x 1/2" U-channel aluminum and attach it using the mounting screws to the fairing and adding another screw higher up on the windscreen. Mounted behind the windscreen of course.

The Madstad design is a kind of airfoil, hence the stability. From what I recall of seeing the Ceebaily, it seals at the base and forms a vacuum behind the shield, so you will have 'dirty' air striking you regardless of how much the shield is braced. You can fab an intermediate bracket at the bottom to allow more of an airfoil effect, but I doubt it would turn out as well as something designed that way like a Madstad...

I have a 3-bolt Cee Bailey and it mounts to the same points as the stock screen with the U-shaped bracket underneath, so air can flow under it. I replaced it with a stock Dakar screen because I kept hitting my helmet/chin bar on it while on a really rough road. I figured if I planted the front in a bad rut I could actually break my windpipe on the edge since it stuck up so far.

The stock screen honestly doesn't seem that much difference in terms of protection or wind noise. Either of them are noisier than when I stand up and get totally clean air over my helmet. If the bike didn't look fugly without a screen I'd just leave it off entirely.

No experience with the 3 point windshields from the single sparks. The Madstad is by no means as smooth as no screen, but in extremely cold weather I can find a sweet spot behind it with a bit of a tuck that makes all the difference. Regular upright riding is okay, but if I stand on the pegs going 80-90MPH, my Schuberth E1 becomes almost completely silent despite the peak that catches any hint of dirty air from the stock or Madstad shields...