Are you sure lubing the cables is recommended ?? On the 1200 GS's it is not, because the cables are nylon lined.IIRC.
On my R80G/S the cables were nylon coated and you NEVER lubed them because then they would stick. Does BMW still do that? I haven't looked at that yet.
ooh, I don't know about that. Teflon lined? Quality bicycle cables are lined and that is why you use Tri-flow. it works with teflon lining. Just to be safe, lube just the pivot points and the fork sliders.
After riding in a giant dust cloud for most of the weekend I decided to take a look at the filter. Surprisingly clean, probably owing to some good German engineering on the air intake. At any rate, is there a good way to clean the stock filter? Or maybe its too soon to worry about it? Would you guys recommend just swapping over to a K&N? What about the foam Touratech one? All of my other offroad bikes used foam and oil and conventional wisdom is that foam is better for dust...
I haven't researched any of it yet, but the tech at BMW told me that the dust goes right through the OEM filter. He said clean it often, if you ride in dusty conditions off-road. Or better yet, replace it with foam and oil.
The K&N is not so good in high dust environments, the best balance between filtration and flow rate is the Unifilter foam oil filter. (Higher flow rate and better filtering than paper) The TT filter is a rebadged (and no doubt marked up) Unifilter see http://www.uniflow.com.au/ Fore really dusty environments there are also prefilters available but they are normally only used on the bigger GS twins
er..I guess thats why it looked so clean:eek1 Sounds like the Uni is the way to go. Unfortunately the TT version is quite pricey...will look for another source for the Uni. Thanks guys
I believe you can order from Unifliter Australia, correct me if I am wrong but they do have a currency selection on their web site http://www.uniflow.com.au/contents/en-us/p5528.html We have been dealing with them here since the 70's and their reputation is great so I would expect you will get great service, and no I am not associated with the Co, I just use their filters I am assuming the Sertao uses the same filter as our older models
So I ordered the foam one, but its back-ordered a few weeks. If I wanted to clean the OEM one, what would I do? I am new to paper filters.
Swamp - you just want to see pics of the Siberian women! They are insanely beautiful, but I'm caked in mud, smell like a tramp, am living cheaply and don't speak the language. Given that, and the fact that my zoom lens is only 300mm, I've more chance getting a clear pic of an endangered Siberian tiger. I'll take a shower and see what I can rustle up!
Hello Sertao owners, I've been seeking my new bike out for a while now and just had a few questions on this one. Do you guys typically maintain the bike yourself or take it to a bmw tech? How much are the services for the bike? What are the weak points in the bike? (Bad seat, poor stock tires, etc?) Any regrets with the sertao? Thanks for the help, new bike time is quickly approaching
I have only brought my bike to the dealer for a couple of warranty repairs. I got the 650 for the simplicity and reliablility. I change the oil myself. Super easy. Get a service manual DVD Then you can check your own valves, etc. They say you should bring the bike in for a check-up at 6,000 miles. I might have them check mine out before next season but I'm not 100% on that. If your'e around 5'10" and up you'll want to get the Dakar High Seat and 34mm bar risers. Progressive fork springs even if you only ride the roads. It keeps the front end from diving when you brake hard into corners. Wider footpegs. If you are trying to save $$$ and will only be touring around on mostly paved roads with some dirt roads, then the stock bike will be fine. I would highly recommend doing the above mods at least. And get rid of the stock battery. I got a Scorpion Maintenance free battery for $65 I think. Just piece of mind. I don't think any of us stopped at that. Right Swamp? Great bike. I rode mine stock with only Conti TKC80's for a few months and I liked it. Now I have it dialed and I love it! Taking a short camping trip with some guys I have met (not in person yet) over in the Northeast Regional Forums this weekend. Can't wait.
My 600 miles "breakin service" (oil and oil filter change, checkup) cost $275 -- welcome to the world of expensive BMW bikes! My Sertao had a leaking battery right from the day I bought it and the acid damaged the wiring/fuses, so that was a bummer. If you buy one, I strongly suggest to replace the OEM battery with a sealed acid-free MotoBatt or Scorpion battery. Other than that, great bike!
I don't do any self maintenance... yet. This is my first bike so I let BMW handle it. One day I'll learn how to do it since Ive always done my own cars... can't be that much different. I forget what my first service cost, but my second, the 6k mile one cost me $237 (military discount always helps ). Absolutely no regrets. The seat hurts after a while, but doesn't keep me from going farther.. no other complaints.
Re battery, why not move to the Lithiums, take a look at the AntiGravity, take 3 kgs out of the weight of the top of the machine and have a larger capacity battery as well. It makes a big difference in how the machine feels