Winner!!! Farkle Contest. Helping new GS owners spend money

THE WHITE IS THE ORIGINAL POST AND THE YELLOW IS THE ANSWERS

WE have a winner....Bartron from Canada. He was the first to correctly identify the 52 farkles/mods includng the manufacturer where applicable...congrats Bartron.

There were inmates that were PMing me from all over the world...mostly cold spots and they had nothing better to do

Bartron will receive this



and this


Now for a breakdown of the farkles/mods..



I have noticed that a number of new GS and GS Adventure owners post threads here asking for recommendations on what they should add to their new ride. Not wanting to be the only one that was poor, I thought I would help them out.


To do that I am having a contest to see who can identify all of the farkles on my bike. The contest is called the "Fastest Yahoo Yet @ Finding Farkles" or in shortened form the FYYFF contest.

The award that I will send to the winner wll be a certificate recognizing the achievement of the eventual winner. A likeness of the certificate is below.




Now to the contest....There are exactly 52 modifications and/or farkles on my bike.....all of them I consider to be either functional or safety related. The winner will be the first to identify the 52 mods/farkles and their manufacturer, (If applicable). I will post a number of pictures of the bike, as well as some additional information which will help you pick them out. Some of the mods or farkles are not actually shown.....or indeed even on the bike...but if you have intimate knowledge of the 1200 GS and farkles generally for this bike, you can deduce what the mod or farkle is. I know it can be done since I tried it out on Ms Beastrider....and she got them.

First some rules:
1. ADV and BMW stickers, although reflective, don't count.
2. If there is more than one of exactly the same farkle, (ie same type, shape, size,etc)...it counts as 1.
3. All decisions by the judge are final....that would be me.
4. No employees, relatives of Beast Rider or JVB or GB are eligible.
5. The first ADV Rider that can identify all 52 Mods and farkles and their
manufacturer, (if applicable)..wins.
6. In the unlikely event that there is no winner in the next 7 days...there will be a shootout between JVB and GB.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

I live in Northern Virginia and have been riding all Winter long....and quite comfortably I might add. There is simply no part of me that gets cold, even when it is just above 0 degrees F. The really nice thing about my bike NOW is that no matter what the temperature is, the Beast starts up every day, even if it has sat there for a few days without being charged...and never so much as even a false ABS failure indication. I can remember the other night when I got home late, all farkles on, and all I did was turn off the ignition, and run into the house....2 days later....she started right up. You know as much as I have added to this bike....and as fast as I sometimes ride....I have never received a traffic citation.

A couple things should leap out at you after reading the above paragraph. If you looked at my profile you would know I ride a 2006 GS Adventure and after 3 years there would be no way this beast would start in near zero degrees F...without being on a charger....and without false ABS failure indications unless I had added this..# 1 farkle


Also in the paragraph above I stated then one night, with all farkles on I came home and only shut off the ignition...nothing else....then a couple days later....she started right up...must have some sort of relay activated fuse box...# 2 farkle...centech fuse box



There are a couple other things in the paragraph but let's go on to the pics in the original post...



Now some pics



It's quite obvious that in the above pic we have....
#3 farkle..exhaust extensions from Excel Cycle Werkes
#4 farkle..Tool Tube...these can be purchased or as many inmates have
done, made their own from PVC pipe etc.
#5 farkle...reflective tape on the panniers
#6 farkle..reflective screws to hold on the plate
#7 farkle..relective plates to the side of the license plate. These are
normally pointing to the side of the bike which makes them useless
when you have panniers on...so take the bracket off and bend them
to point back..works great.
#8 farkle...look carefully and you can see the led BRAKE light thru the lens
#9 farkle..see that blue/black sticker...it's called the thin blue line, and s in
recognition of LEO's who gave their lives in the line of duty. From a
functional perspective it helps in not getting citations..DAMHIK



#10 farkle..side case reflectors....you can either get them from BMW
for about $25 a pair or Autozone for $5 a pair...same ones and fit right
into the little indentation on the side case
#11 farkle...see up front...Hammerhead shifter...great positive shifts..
got it from Adventure Workshop....fully adjustable
#12 farkle...TPM cover...Wunderlich....when you dump the bike, this
is pretty good protection
#13 farkle..Gas lines protection bars from Touratech. Only advice I
would give here is that the instructions to install have you zip
tying the end that goes against the bikes frame...I used a small
screw clamp instead...seemed way stronger
#14 farkle...Lower Crash bar extensions from Adventure Designs.
#15 farkle...Sump bashplate...frrom Twin Headlight Ernie...great products






#16 farkle....obviously Ohlins shocks
#17 farkle...not so obvious...swing arm pivot cover from Wunderlich



#18 farkle....pretty obvious...but it's an LED light to find crap in your top
box at night...lowes hardware..$6...but here is the neat thing about
this little light.if you are stopped at the side of the road fixin
something you leave the lid up and it warns other drivers that
you are there...when you hit the little botton on top it goes
from steady light to flashing...not only that but it has a little
magnet on the bottom that when you slide the light out of it's
bracket....you can stick it on a metal surface to work on
something at night...like this



Also you will notice in the top box lid there appears to be some kind of acrylic around the rivets....yup

#19 farkle....Plumbers Goop...There was a problem with a few of the
Adventure OEM cases in that they sometimes leaked during heavy
downpours...it was around the rivets...I had the problem in one
side case....so did all the rivets in all the cases...no leaky any
more....cost at home depot or the like, $5



#20 farkle..obviously Sargent seat...I love this thing..all I did was ride home
from the dealer when I bought the bike,(about 45miles)...and I
ordered it.
#21 farkle....Autocom intercom
#22 farkle...tank bag....you can see the hook up...great to have on long
trips....dozens of varieties out there...get a waterproof one...I mean
waterproof...not add a cover...it's easier.




Certainly the Ohlins shock is obvious here...but so is the little Gerbings
connector
#23 farkle ..Gerbings set up for gloves, vests etc...you will see the controller in later pics
#24 farkle....new shock....therefore time for the canistectomy..remove
it....now your bike looks just like those in Europe
#25 farkle....Mudslinger....keeps the crap off your beautiful new shocks



#26 farkle....side stand enlargement plate....Wunderlich...really helps when
you are camping and parking on grass, dirt, etc...also hot pavement
so the beast doesn't tip over
#27 farkle...center stand plate...Twin Headlight Ernie
#28 farkle...Moto lights....great product...mostly so you can be seen..I
upgraded the bulbs so they are really nice and bright.
#29 farkle....Ohhhh....look at that little clamp on the upper crashbar
from Excel Cycle Werkes....its where I mount my HID spots..
you'll see those in a later pic
#30 farkle....This one was tricky...you needed to have a good eye..
Look just above the fork brace and you will see my Wunderlich
steering stops...helps keep damage to a minimum when you go down
Here is a better pic on them







Now I know you already picked up on the Centerstand and sump bash plates but did you know what that little piece of crap was on the bash plate ?
#31 farkle..Signal light trigger for tripping lights that don't change cause
they don't sense the bike. Seems to work for me on the lights that did not change before




A bunch in this pic..by the way I upgraded the OEM fog lights with IPF
bulbs....waaaaay brighter
#32 farkle..Trailtech self contained HID spots...no ballasts to hide...you
could buy them with the PIAA logo...but they are Trailtechs and PIAA
marks them up a couple hundred $ These turn night into day
#33 farkle...Touratech oil cooler guard....never heard of anybody having
a problem if they didn't have one of these...but heh...it's cheap
insurance and easy to install
#34 farkle...Touratech headlight guard...get some kind of guard..
you don't want to have to shell out for a new lens if its broken.
#35 farkle..it's hard to see but on top of that headlight guard there is
a small beak that prevents glare back at the driver at night
because you have the headlight guard installed..Touratech
Here is a better pic of it...







If you know the 1200GS you know there are no wires going into the back of the headlights...unless of course you had installed HIDs...and in fact if you look very carefully you can see a bit of one of the ballasts that I installed under the beak

#36 farkle...Headlight HID conversion in both the high and low beam. Got
them from VME and they are fantastic. Snap to install and no more
spending $40-$50 bucks for one extreme what bulb when these
suckers are $40 for both and don't burn out...not to mention
being 3x brighter
#37 farkle...Ignition cover..when I camp, or for that matter when I go to
my families place in Canada in the summer...there is no garage, and
lots of pine trees....that means pine sap...goes everywhere, and if
it rains....all that crap goes into your ignition switch...not sure
that hurts alot...but I didn't like it....so I built a switch cover

Here it is....a perfect fit if you just buy a salt or pepper shaker from Costco
take the lid off...dremel the little flange on the bottom...and it fits perfect..not only does it keep stuff out of the switch when parked, but if somebody trys to steal your bike they can't find the ignition







Now whats in this one...oh ya

#38 farkle...additional power port...easy install and when wired thru my
centech panel I can use my air pump with worrying about being kicked off by the Canbus system....can't do that on the standard port by the seat
Also use this to charge cell phones, camera batteries, etc when
travelling.
#39 farkle...bar risers...got the from Adventure workshop...up and back a
bit....what a difference in comfort. You may have to re-route the brake
line on the right hand side when you install this...easy to do and you
route it behind the triple tree rather than where it is in it's stock position
#40 farkle...Ahhhh see that velcro on the handguards...and remember I
said at the very beginning that no matter what the temp I never get
cold....thats where the Hippo Hands attach to the front of the guards
keeps them from moving around in the wind..what a fantastic
product...ugly...but toasty...have a look





#41 farkle..Ahh you think I am focussed on the power port....but NO...it's
that shiny thing beyond it....a Stebel Air Horn fits and works great
You should get a mounting kit though from somebody like
Excel cycle werkes....makes the job a lot easier...no more
meep meep when you hit the horn button...more like BLAAAAH
BLAAAAAAH....like a train





Lot's in this little pic like
#42 farkle....O Ring kit for handlebars from Excel Cycle werkes....my hands
used to get a little numb after a long trip....bars were too small a
diameter for my hands. These solved the problem...and also tend to kill
some of the viabration in the bars. In case you are concerned that this
might have an impact on the grip heaters, the answer is no...takes
maybe an extra 30 seconds or so to begin feeling the heat but that's it
#43 farkle....spot mirrors on the mirrors...gets rid of blind spots...you
can get them anywhere for a couple bucks
#44 farkle Garmin 60 CSX GPS...I have this one loaded with topographical
maps which show fireroads, creeks etc that normal maps don't,
helps when you want to off the beaten path...and if you want to go
for a hike...just pop it off.
#45 farkle....Medium length Ram mount on the handlebars to attach
garmin handheld to. Wired back into the bike so full intensity screen.
#46 farkle..extra switch installed in the OEM fog light box. I use this to
control my motolights....could have bought the same switch as
was already there but they cost about $80...why not get one that
fits perfectly from a BMW 650 that costs abou$25...and it's lighted



#47 farkle...Kaoko throttle control....think I got this from Adventure
workshop...not sure he sells them anymore....great on long slab trips
#48 farkle...sometimes referred to as a cramp buster or wrist rest,
whatever....it was only a few bucks and helps when you are cruising
along but can't use the throttle lock for whatever reason. I don't
like the big plastic models because they tend to apply uneven pressure
around the grip and can sometimes cause you throttle to bind a
little. This one is rubber and applies even pressure around the grip.




By the way in this pic you can clearly see where I mounted the gerbing heat controller...
#49 farkle...ZUMO GPS....regular maps loaded remember topos in the
little one
#50 farkle..long ram mount attached to windshield brace....this is where
I mounted my GO Pro video camera
#51 farkle....GO Pro video camera...takes about 54 minutes of video or
1940 still shots....show you some pics of that in a bit
#52 farkle...Touratech mount for ZUMO...little, easy to adjust..show
you a bigger pic down below

Touratech mount for Zumo


Go Pro Video camera

Out of the waterproof case



In the waterproof case



Mounted on the bike


So there are all 52...I hope this may help some new owners of 1200 GS or Adventure bikes. Also hope it helps some of the vendors that support this site. Most of the items you saw here, can be installed easily and if you search this forum you will find many "How To " threads to help you.

One last one I thought I would show you for any new owners that have trouble getting the drivers seat off on a 1200 GS....I know I did, so I came up with a penny tech mod. The little lever that rolls onto the latch that releases the seat....has a lot of gap in it prior to making contact with the latch. I bought some hardwood floor protection pads that you would use on your chairs in say your dining room....cut a piece to fit....and Viola....works perfect...

Here is a pic..Bonus farkle..


Once again...thanks to all that participated and congrats to Bartron




And don't even think , since you know my tag numbers, of breaking into my Man Castle....I have an attack dog...




He may not look big in that pic...but have a look here.....you would be surpised how strong that sucker is

Charlie the attack dog..




When the contest is over....I will post a list of the mods/farkles.....and the ADV name of the winner.

Good Luck...may the best Farkler win.

Since I don't own a 1200, I have a few questions,will send you a PM, don't want to give away any hints. Please check your PMs...thanks.

Let me know if you are working on it....so we can keep this alive....or I can let it die....

I'll recuse myself since it would not be fair!

I have seen your bike in person, and I know pretty much ever farkle known to man, second only to GadgetBoy!

Jim

JVB.....Thanks , but if you notice....I already exempted you and GB....you both know waaaaaaaay too much. In the event however, if there is no clear winner at the end of 7 days....you and GB are in a shootout....with me as the final arbiter. Also be careful....there are some sneaky farkles/mods in here....at least the hints/pics to them.

No winner after day 1. Closest that PMd me was 48....pretty good....but not good enough

Upon review of the inmate's submission that had 48 farkles identified.....only 42 count....since there was some double counting. Since then I have received another entry....and while his entry only recognized 40 farkles.....all were named by manufacturer correctly......


Close competition....keep'em coming....don't want GB or JVB to win this..

I notice quite a few vital farkles are missing.
Are you sure you are done with the farkeling?

Starstriker.....it's never done......such as electronic cruise control....as some famous person said .....farkling is not a destination, it's a journey...or something like that I have not seen your input as yet.

I can locate some farkles. Have not counted, and either way Id never be able to tell manufacturer since I guess quite a few bits are only available in the US. Honestly I also have no time trying to find out.

What would I win? Your bike?

Quick update....it's a tight race but just this morning we have an inmate that has correctly identified 50 of the 52 Farkles/mods....couple of tricky ones left. As I said earlier I will list them all when this is over as well as the reasons for them and where I got them. The whole intent of this thread is to show new owners in one thread a bunch of items that they may want for their bikes and where they can get them.

We now have an inmate that has picked out 51 of the 52 farkles/mods....stay tuned.

WE HAVE A WINNER

BARTRON from Canada......will update my original post shortly with a list of the farkles/mods and a bunch of additional info...congrats Bartron. He correctly identified all 52 farkles/mods....and the manufacturer where applicable.

There's got to be a way to make a game show out of this thread. Perhaps you could even lure Vanna White away. 2HE

I thought I was pretty good, but in my quick scan I only got 38.

Are you going to reveal the 52 Farkles?


Can anyone defarkle this machine?





I want to know who makes:
the tinted windshield,
lights above the foglights
the seat manufacturer.
I know the bags are TRAX.

I would have tried harder if Charlie was the prize.

Ok what kind of dog is Charlie? he's kinda cool.

Mostly Jack Russell Terrier....with a bit of Cairn Terrier mixed in....5 months old......he is a cool dog....thx for asking.