hi all
anyone on the forum done small modifications to their bikes ?
for instance extra bracket or straps to carry spare oil, water bottle , tools ,cash for toll booths ,nothing worse kitted up waterproofs on and cannot find where the wallet is .
i carry a can of liquid rubber attached to frame for punctures ,only had one puncture but it was miles from anywhere and no phone signal .
piston
some days its not worth chewing through the straps and chains in the morning
I think most of us do that. I don't carry oil because the bike doesn't use so much that I couldn't get to some on the road if I needed it. I do carry more tools than come in the stock toolkit, so that I can R&R the wheels if I need to. That requires a Torx bit to unscrew the brake caliper bolts, an adapter to unscrew the front axle, and a socket to remove the clamp fixing the front end of the muffler and its rear mount, as well as a socket wrench or handle long enough (I have a 3/8" socket wrench with an 8" length of 3/4" PVC stored on the handle, which can be pulled out to increase its length) to provide enough leverage for these bolts and the rear wheel lugs.
I also carry a tubeless tire repair kit and electric pump, a bunch of zipties, some duct tape, spare fuses for the accessory harnesses I have connected to the battery, a flashlight, spare tail/brake bulb (no headlight bulb because they don't seem to fail, and the bike has two identical ones, and I almost never ride at night), and probably a few other bits. I made a new shift lever, but just in case, carry the original.
So far, I've been able to keep this stuff out of the saddlebags, and stowed elsewhere. Some (the front axle adapter and socket wrench) fit in the toolbag. The rest lives in bags under the seat. My bike doesn't have TPS or an alarm, and I relocated the rear shock adjuster (part of replacing the stocker with a Wilbers) so there's a little more room in there. A lightwieght set of jumper cables coils around the underseat area.
Because I ride solo 99% of the time, I hard-wired the Gerbing's controller and mounted it on the headstock. Because I had an extra garage door opener, I wired an external pushbutton switch, mounted the switch in the black semicircular cover at the front of the tank, and ziptied the transmitter next to the charcoal cannister.
David Brick
Santa Cruz CA
2007 R1200R
priors: R50, R50, R69, R69S, R65, FJ1200, K75S, R1100RSL
I combined the 3 piece tool kit that came with the R12R with the tool kit from my wrecked R1150R and use the underseat attachment to keep in place. You need to have either an adjustable wrench or a 2nd 14mm to tighten the mirrors if you bump them loose. The first time it happened it was a PITA riding home and pushing the mirror. The next time I had the spare 14mm. When traveling I have a Tire Plugger Kit, Sparrow Airpump, 1st Aid Kit, Siphon Tube, Wunderlich Fuel Bottle, Duct tape, Zip Ties, Oil and paper funnels. Keep a few nitrile gloves on the bike in case another brand has a messy breakdown or to pull on top of leather gloves if you get caught in a frog choker. Put all the traveling stuff and rain gear in the large topcase so its easy on and easy access on the road. Keep a few small squares of Duct Tape (2"x 2") stuck to the inside lid of topcase to put over the helmet air intakes to keep the rain off the brain. My riding mechanic Tom follows on his R1100RT with a full tool kit.
hi all
yes the standard tool kit is rubbish , i was told (THEY DON'T BREAK DOWN) . must be mine then that break down only????.
i kept my old gs 1150 kit . nowadays its about how much more cash they can get from you with a smile .every thing else is extra .
the mirrors do come loose easy , thread lock or a little wrap of ptfe tape will cure that .
i always carry a cheap nasty adjustable spanner and cable ties ,duct tape .oil filler key .phone .
they live permanently under the seat with cheap nasty leggings .
piston
some days its not worth chewing through the straps and chains in the morning
But if you shift to 800GS mirrors you won't need a second 14mm wrench; they have a much more sensible clamp setup than the stock mirrors.
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xprof
Put the K1300R mirrors on my 2010, prefer their shape with the lines of the bike. BMW must feel the same (or the have a warehouse full of them) as they are the same mirrors on the 2011.
