New Owners - Stupid Questions Thread

So, sometimes when I am comming to a stop, at a stop sign for example, I notice a slight vibration in the bars right before I come to a complete stop. feels like something is lose and moving back a forth...

Any ideas?

Do you have the 20mm tt bar raiser blocks??????

No, suspension, bars, and brakes are completely stock. 2010 with 7k miles....

What tires are you running?

Ryan

Stock Rims
D606 up front and Kenda Big Block on rear.

Is it kosher to by fork seals off ebay?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRONT-FORK-SEALS-2009-BMW-F800GS-F800-GS-/250740001163?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a6144c98b&vxp=mtr

Ryan

I did.

My bike has been vibrating horribly lately. The dealer said it's a result of a faulty exhaust gasket. First, what's an exhaust gasket? I don't see such a thing in the Hayne's manual. And the exhaust is horribly loose, rotating about where the springs are. I checked the subframe and engine mounts, and they seem okay. Thanks for the advice.

I'm guessing they are referring to the flange gasket between the header pipe(s) and the cylinder. Sounds like you ought to remove the exhaust and inspect (everything). Then reinstall and tighten up from the front working toward the back end.

Is the header pipe loose, or the muffler? Which part wiggles the most? There are only a few attachment points, so it shouldn't be hard to debug it. Are the springs holding the muffler still tightly stretched?

HF

I have new GSA. Once buddy told me if you are going to ride the dirt, drop front and rear pressure to 20 psi for better traction. just looking for feedback, does this make sense to others??

lowering tire pressure gives a bigger footprint for better traction and allows the tires to absorb some of the bumps instead of transmittiing them to you.

Too little air can result in a damaged rim if a solid object is hit at speed.

I question the need to go to extremes on bikes as heavy as the F800 or 1200 bikes. In the first place, riders are really less likely to ride them in extreme conditions and secondly the heavy bikes are already applying more downward force on the tires, compared to a light bike.

I do not know just how strong your rims are, but I have dented my F800gs rims running at 22lbs and now keep them above 28lb because of it.

What works is going to depend on the terrain and how fast you ride.

I run 25 front and 20 rear with the K60's and 25 front with the TKC 80.

Have been through plenty of nasty rock gardens and never bent a wheel. (other than small dents and dings, none of the huge bends that seems like alot of people post)

I ran lower on the front a few times, but hitting rocks a high speed felt like it would "jar" the bike a bit, running 25 lbs helped a bit (in my head anyway!!!)

It is noticeable better traction on the front running at 25 vs 36 though. And the street feels lots better running 36 instead of 25.

So yea it is typical to change pressure depending on where you are riding.

Ryan

I was very surprised while attending a RawHyde event that Jim mentioned the same 20lb advice.

On a F800GS I run 27 psi, not only to save the rim but also avoid pinched flats or a tear in the tire.

No - it does not make any sense to me on these larger, front heavy bikes.

Figured this was the quintessential noob question....

I have a new 2012 800GS Trophe with stock scorpion tires - will I discover tubes in the tires? :huh

The sidewall is marked "Tubeless". Just bought a set of conti knobbies to swap over but not sure if I'll also need a new set of inner tubes...

Thanks in advance.

You have Tubes...

+1

Thanks lads!

O.k, here it goes. should I be using the kill switch or the key to turn off my engine? On my older bikes I have always used the kill switch but when I read BMW manual it seems that the state for use on an emergency. Help!

You should turn the key off. Hitting the kill switch still keeps the rest of the system active. You can run your battery down if you leave the bike with the ignition switch on.

I've ridden with a guy that always used the kill switch on an older bike that kept the light on. I've had to push start him several times when his battery ran down.

Yep, it was the same with my other bikes. So no harm done I guess if i turn key off right after?