New Owners - Stupid Questions Thread

I thought our fuel gauges were provided for entertainment purposes only

Howdy Inmates, I have a few questions for ya all.....

2013 F800GS with 2,000 miles on it, 65% + off road (New Mexico rocky / dusty dirt roads / some recent water crossings). I weigh 175 with no gear and sort of ride it like a dirt bike that weighs 500 lbs....

CHAIN GUARD
My chain guard fell off on my last ride. Luckily I heard it and stopped in time before it was destroyed or lost. QUESTIONS:
1. Should I just get new bolts from Ace Hardware and bolt it on with loctite (blue) or should I bring it to the dealer and ask for warranty?

2. Is there anything else I might want to consider locktiting before I loose it?

3. Could the falling off of the chain guard have caused damage to me or my bike? (in other words, how often does the guard get caught in the wheel or chain sprocket?)

COOLANT
What kind of coolant should I use to top up the coolant? I am on the min level and would like to top up to max.

OIL CHANGE
I am used to dirt bikes and changing oil every few hundred miles. When might I want to consider my next oil change? (Did the 600 mile change) I believe the manual states 10,000 KM....for a dirt bike rider, that seems insane....am I being too cautious at say 2,500 miles?

AIR FILTER
As I ride mostly on dirt, should I be checking and cleaning the air filter often?....again...old dirt bike habit...did it every 1 or 2 rides....do I just need to relax now that I have an F800GS and allow more time between maintenance???

Thanks for your replies!!

Welcome. I just finished several about 13 thousand footers in Silverton,CO. Flew up the steep and loose sections. It is a great bike, and I see grinning in your future.

Sometimes it seems that way.

Oh, they're dead accurate compared to the fuel-strip driven indicators in hexhead R1200s!!

What is the proper way to check engine oil level?

I'm reading the manual of my F700GS, and it says to put it on center stand which I don't have. So the next best thing is to keep the bike in a vertical position. So, am I to understand that I need to be pulling out the dipstick with one hand while holding the bike upright with the other hand or while sitting on the bike??? Seems a bit awkward.

Pete,

You just gotta send a letter or email to BMW customer service on this one. I'd like to see their official response!

You can get a wheel chock for your garage to hold the bike upright for oil checks and maintenance.

Fred

Hahaha......beautiful!

HF oser

Ha! Last time I contacted them with some general bike questions, they sent me right back to my local dealer. Useless bunch...

Uh-oh....Fred is serious. :huh

Shucks, now it's not funny anymore.

HF

Put your kickstand on a short piece of 2x4. The oil level will either meet the max line or maybe slightly above. The bike holds over 3 quarts of oil. Do you really think a few ounces one way or the other really matters much?

All these worries and most people don't even buy a repair manual, instead they rely on some anonymous internet source.

Brilliant! Thank you.

That is correct, easy money. You could stick a 2x4 or something under the kickstand, I did that for a while. Maybe that was the 800R, it will work just the same.

As long as the oil is somewhere above the min mark you are OK. That dipstick is about as accurate as the fuel gauge.

Fixed.

Fred

Sheeeez.....you can't Nuke your post, Freddy.

That upsets the space continuum. We're headed into a black hole.

HF :eek1

Is there no recommended tire pressure placard anywhere on the bike? Or am I blind?

I know the numbers are in the owner's manual, but most vehicles usually have it listed on a label somewhere, too...

Mine is on a sticker on the bottom of the seat - same bike as yours so check there. :)

Thanks. Mine doesn't have that sticker there, even though that's exactly where it's supposed to be according to the owner's manual. Oh well...

Weird.. you could write it on the bottom of the seat with a Sharpie I guess. :)