|
I purchased this bike May 28, 2005. The photo does not show the BMW System cases that I also have. This bike is
really sweet. The handling is superb and the power is a big improvement from the R1100R.
Accessories, modifications, and other stuff: I like to be visable, especially from the back. I had a Back-off license plate holder. I added a Kisan tailBlazer brake light modulator. For the EVO braking system, I needed a 100HD-M so the brake light/tail light sensor circuit would not be compromised. To protect the headlight, I bought an Aeroflow headlight protector. I also purchased a "Fender Extender" to keep the mung from the front of the engine as well as a screen to protect the oil cooler. The riding position is fine, but my right carpal tunnel does not like it. As such, I purchased a set of Rapid Dog barbacks. Here are a few shots of the installed product:
I installed a Stainless Steel screw set from DesmoParts BMW's technical description of the braking system. The following is an excerpt from that page: "For the first time and only in motorcycle construction, the state of the art BMW Motorrad Integral ABS also makes use of a brake booster. An electrically operated hydraulic pump supports the brake pressure generated via the brake lever and cylinder. With the part integral brake system, the rider simultaneously activates the brakes of both wheels, with the footbrake lever only taking effect on the rear wheel brake. The fully integral brake system always decelerates both wheels, no matter whether only the hand or foot brake levers are being operated. Both systems provide a clear safety benefit when compared to conventional braking systems, that has been frequently demonstrated in motorcycle tests. In the flat twin Enduros, the partially integral function remains in place even when the ABS is deactivated." Some people love it, some people hate it. I fall somewhere towards the "love" side. The technical description is nice, but does not give you a feel for maintenance. The hydraulic circuit that connects to to the hand lever/foor lever, is *TOTALLY* separate from the circuit that drive the calipers. What this means is bleeding the brake fluid, which is recommended annually, is a whole new ballgame. In order to bleed the brakes, you must access the ABS modulators, which are located under the gas tank. This means removal of the fairing, air intake scoop. You must also move the gas tank, which means removal or moving it out of the way and supporting it during the procedure. Have a look. The stacked spackle buckets are 'da bom.
 A fellow Mac-Pac club member, Dana Hager developed two documents related to bleeding the 'EVO' braking system. Many thanks to Dana for his effort!
I obtained Dana's articles and attempted to construct the Wheel Circuit Reservoir Filling Adapter, but I didn't want to wait to obtain the modulator cap, so I visited my local Pep Boys and created my own solution. The BMW tool is ~ $200, the tool in Dana's procedure is ~$50. Mine came to under $10. I used a micrometer to measure the modulator opening and it was ~0.70". I bought a 3/4 - 7/8 rubber expansion plug and removed the expansion bolt. I inserted a funnel where the bolt was and viola', the solution. Have a look:
 In the Fall of 2005, I installed PIAA 1100X driving lights. These babies ROCK! I had no idea how poor the stock headlight is. I mounted the PIAA's with Martin Fabrication mounting brackets. Here are some photos.
Oh and another thing ... I happened to look at the owners manual regarding the location and value of the fuses, my owners manual indicated I had two fuse boxes, each with four fuses. The fuse boxes were located on the left and right inside of the fairings. The right side contained the fuse for the accessories (heated handgrips). Upon examination of my bike I discovered I had ONE fuse box with two rows of four fuses. The fuse values were different than what was in my manual. I dug this out of my Haynes manual. Now the bike's just over a year and heading towards 6K. I've found the following problems:
August 2006: 6K checkup. The Final Drive seal had to be replaced. Good thing it was under warranty! I also added clear turn signal covers and a clear brake light lens. No photos yet. Also added an iJet remote so I can control my iPod while riding. This is a nice setup.  Fall 2006: I decided to clean up the wiring for the lighting and heated clothing. Have a look at the page I developed to show the design rationale and implementation details. September 2006: I added an auxiliary fuse box to clean up the wiring. Have a look. October, 2006: Running Lights After researching running lights to death, I finally decided to go with a very elegant solution - the Kisan signalMinder, model SM-5. I looked into various configurations of LED lighting, but this was, by far, the easiest to install. Background:
One of the other features is it runs the turn signals at lower intensity as running lights. You can choose off, low, or high. I took a series of night-time photos showing the front and rear of the bike with the lights off and at low/high intensity. I threw in a set of shots with the PIAA's on as well.
I purchased a Garmin Quest GPS and here are some shots of the mountings. I included the RAM part numbers if you are interested.
I drilled and tapped the barbacks for the RAM ball mount. Note, this shows the RAM ball in the right bar back. I later moved it to the left side.
Here is the back of the Quest cradle showing the ball mount. The cradle is a Garmin product that has a cable to supply power and a mini-jack for audio.
Here's the whole setup. I chose the 1.75" RAM arm to connect the cradle to the barbacks.
Here's a side shot.
Here's a shot from the other side.
Here's a shot from the rider's perspective. I decided to put a powerlet outlet on the handlebars for the Quest (and anything else I might decide to use). The student with the keen eye will note the mounting bracket I created in earlier photos. I purchased the parts from Eastern Beaver beacuse Jim gives excellent assembly instructions and he can gets parts here from Japan pretty quickly!
Here's a closer shot from a different angle.
Here's a shot from underneath the upper triple clamp. I found an unused threaded hole and mounted the bracket using a cap head screw and a little blue loctite. There is a threaded hole on both sides of the triple clamp. Sorry, I didn't write down the size, but it is a common thread and cap head screws are available in standard metric sizes from the home supply store.
Here's a side view of the bracket. I made it out of 1" aluminum flat stock obtained at the local home supply place.
I bent it in a vice and included a long 'leg' on the opposite side so I can keep my velcro'd garage door opener handy.
Top view of said bracket. Cut at the angle of the triple clamp.
Here's a side view of the completed socket with the rubber boot.
A rider's view.
A shot with the Quest in place, plugged in. Nice and neat.
Late December 2006/January 2007: Over the holidays, I installed Suburban Machinery per lowering kit. This is a very nice, high quality product. While installing them, I noticed two problems. Two of the three bolts holding the swingarm bearing cover were missing and an oil leak from the shaft/transmission boot. As it turns out, the leak was the rear transmission seal. Fortunately, this was covered under warranty, but not comforting considering the OTHER drive shaft seal was replaced at the 6K servicing in August. Since the battery is *so* easy to get to, I also installed a Jump Start post.
Jan '08: I have a few things brewing for a winter project. I started with a brake bleed, one of my most favorite projects. While doing this, I decided that I was going to install Quick Disconnects on the fuel lines to make removing the tank easier. I purchased some from Omega . Note that you need 2 of each part. The approximate total cost is ~$70 (including shipping). The part numbers are:
Note that there are 2 hoses coming from the pump; a supply and a return. It's important not to cross the two, so I installed the QD's are installed opposing each other so the two can't be confused. Here's a couple of shots of the install:
I decided that I really don't like the Catalytic converter, so I'm going to replace it and possibly the mufflers. While deciding the exact replacement parts, I pulled the headers and set them to be Jet Hot coated. Here's a before and after shot. The cost was ~$150. In the after shot, the keen eye will notice that the Catalytic Converter is no longer with us. I purchased a Laser BC-1 system (2 into 1 into 2), but sold the mufflers. They sounded nice, but I was having problems hearing my music, so I sold them. Next winter, I'll probably jet-hot coat the Laser 'Y' pipe.
Spring/Summer '08: The bike has been running poorly of late. Very rough idle. Poor get off from a stop. The bike almost stalls unless the throttle is cranked. It seemed OK at higher RPM's. The bike has 16K, so I changed the fuel filter, no help. I performed a 0=0, no help. I pulled the air filter and discovered oil in the air box (a common problem, when the crankcase is overfilled). I am very careful about filling the oil, so I suspect it was overfilled when the dealer change the oil at 12K. I cleaned up the mess and replaced the air filter. It did not appear to be impacted, but I had a filter, so I changed it. It seemed to be running a bit better, but it was hard to tell based on a short ride. I had some spare time (ha), so I changed the spark plugs. The old ones looked good, but I had the plugs. What a difference! It's like a new bike. Who'd a thunk? Last updated 30-June-2008
|
