xt660z prep for my African trip

[lamoufle]

Hi all !


After years of submarine mode, I decided it was my turn to have some fun So I quit my job, my apartment, buy a new bike and here it is !
I have choosen to cross Africa from Cape town to France by the east road during 4 months, departure should be around february so I have now two months to prepare the bike


So here is my choice of bike


It's a used 2009 xtz with 17000 km on the clock and tons of touratech options, you don't trust me ? ok here we go :


- HID lights
- handguards
- bashplate

- toolbox
- windshield
- light protector
- lot of protectors for frame
- chain guard

- footpegs
- hyperpro progressive front spring
....

I am sure the previous owner had won the lottery when i look at the bill , oh did I mention the akrapovic carbon exhaust ?




If I find time I will do a quick video as you can listen for the sound !

So now the bike is full of crap I have to upgrade it with real equipment.. So in the following weeks, I will fit an hyperpro rear sping, a new DIY toolbox, new panniers (super suprise !), maybe a new handlebar (if santa claus exist), new levers, scottoilers and have a lot of discuss around ball bearings, spare parts, camping parts and a lot of many other stuff

I already read a lot of post and blog from RTWpaul, mrwhite and other people but any advice are more than welcome

Stay tune !

[macrae85]

He obviously threw a Touratat catalogue at it,and some of it stuck
Crackin' looking bike!

[TouratechUSA]

Looking good! Enjoy.

We wish we could have that bike in the US.

[lamoufle]

I had been a nice boy all the year so santa claus is coming earlier for me !!!!

Long short story:

I was looking for hard panniers to suit my needs , robust, secure and cheap So i ask my google friend and work for hours on many many websites, from touratech to konvoi, to metal mule, to hepco and so on and so on ... All were too heavy, too expensive or to cheap to be honest ! And then i was reading a thread here about some guy talking about its poor story and I saw a signature of a guy called bulgaras who seems to be a manufacturer. I went to his webshop (really nice compared to many others ) and ask for a price explaining my trip and my needs. One day after I received a proposal which was the best I have ever had (talking about bike )
The crazy bumot team offers to sponsor me with two boxes to review their stuff and test it on my tenere That sounds so cooooooooooool !

And last friday :


And I have even one more gift :


These are 35L black coated panniers, with two locks by box and a spare gasket, they look really really cool and robust even the lockers seems to be really strong


The only thing that are really not strong as they should are : stickers ! they already gone

So many thanks to the bumot team, the christmas card was so nice it makes me think that this adventure is starting so well

I promess you to let these boxes discover Africa !

Next step : mounting them on bike and customise it

By the way Touratech is not going to disappear I've just placed a big order for crash bars and some stuff

[lamoufle]

My preparation continues slowly but continues ...

This week were a paper week, and it was so much fun to deal with administration
1 new id card
2 new passport
1 new international driving license
1 carnet de passage en douane

I received a lot of parts too, and some christmas gift

I let my girlfriend play with my boxes ..


and test my new camera,


I eventually received a proposal for transporting my bike from france to cape town, 2000 euros by air and 800 by boat .... need to find another company to compare.

Anyway my questions of these days are : do I really need to carry a spare chain and clutch ?? my bike has 17000km and chain is brand new so i really don't know if it's really useful or just a paranoid thing.... if someone has experience here ?

[WIBO]

Good luck on your trip..the moto is coming along nicely .....

If it were I and bearing in mind the distances I'd take a spare chain and sprockets...stash the sprockets low down between the sump guard and frame....(as an aside clip a couple of split links to your cables)......chain in sump tool box....?

Have a read here....they burnt out a clutch and had chain problems....(clutch discs can be stashed in your air box?)

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...hlight=romania

Add a high mud guard?..Polisport make them...it'll stop mud jamming under your front mudguard and stopping the wheel from turning...or have a look here...

http://www.off-the-road.de

Order a spare regulator?....ebay.co.uk about €25 total...Yamaha 600 Fazer and stash it somewhere too?

Read here?

http://www.xt660.com/forumdisplay.ph...ysprune=&f=129

If you want to ask any questions feel free by all means..

All the best...


(If you check my RReport you might find a couple of ideas that could help?)

Morocco XTZ660Z
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841901




.

[lamoufle]

Hi wibo !

many thanks for your reponse, I had already study your post on xt660 concerning your bike preparation and all tools you took during your marocan trip. The ride report and video are awesome whish I can make photo like that !
I discuss with John from intotheworld.eu and yes they had clutch and chain problems but their trips was really really tough and long...
but regulator is a good idea I had forget it !

Anyway that's funny because I grew up just about 15km from you, I really need to introduce you to my dad is a marocan lover and will be there in april for the third times with its 1200 gs, sure you have some tracks to share with

[titbird]

Hi Lamoufle,
About the chain, that's a tough one, my regina chains on the tenere last exactly 20000 km, the distance capetown - France is just a bit less, but if you make some detours, it will go up quickly. I was surprised belgium-capetown was 29000 km for me via the west coast. And then there is the chance of breaking the chain, a chain for big bikes will be very hard to find, if not impossible. So my advise is: carry a spare chain and small sprocket!
Have a look at my blog:
http://tony-roundafrica.blogspot.com

and here you can see what I did to the bike for this trip
http://tony-roundafrica.blogspot.be/p/about-bike.html

Have a safe trip!
Tony

[WIBO]

As an aside......if a chain breaks don't forget to visit any agricultural supply place...they can stock chains that are used in such things as harvesters etc...might not be the correct width but can be the correct distance between the teeth....

[GSMax]

+1 for Bumot

Originally Posted by lamoufle

I had been a nice boy all the year so santa claus is coming earlier for me !!!!

Long short story:

I was looking for hard panniers to suit my needs , robust, secure and cheap So i ask my google friend and work for hours on many many websites, from touratech to konvoi, to metal mule, to hepco and so on and so on ... All were too heavy, too expensive or to cheap to be honest ! And then i was reading a thread here about some guy talking about its poor story and I saw a signature of a guy called bulgaras who seems to be a manufacturer. I went to his webshop (really nice compared to many others ) and ask for a price explaining my trip and my needs. One day after I received a proposal which was the best I have ever had (talking about bike )
The crazy bumot team offers to sponsor me with two boxes to review their stuff and test it on my tenere That sounds so cooooooooooool !

And last friday :


And I have even one more gift :


These are 35L black coated panniers, with two locks by box and a spare gasket, they look really really cool and robust even the lockers seems to be really strong


The only thing that are really not strong as they should are : stickers ! they already gone

So many thanks to the bumot team, the christmas card was so nice it makes me think that this adventure is starting so well

I promess you to let these boxes discover Africa !

Next step : mounting them on bike and customise it

By the way Touratech is not going to disappear I've just placed a big order for crash bars and some stuff

[Tim Cullis]

One of the most important mods on the XT660Z is to improve the sealing and fit of the regulator to prevent arcing. Undo the connection to the wiring loom, fill it with silicon and refit.

(Mine went in Morocco).

[lamoufle]

Happy new year !!!

Thanks tim, i already check my regulator and the wiring seems to be well attached, but you are right I need to fill it with silicon..

This year is starting really fast for me, I quit my job, my apartment, move all my stuff away and work a lot on bike, administrative papers and eventually buy a lot of equipment

So here is pics !

I install touratech mount on bumot cases, first one was stressful to not make a mistake and the second one take only five minutes


I drill a hole in the tank, well known mod on xt to speed up the refilling


I remove the rear sprocket to control and clean all



Remove the rear shock to change its spring


One big surprise was on the airbox, it was never opened and contained 0.5 liter of oil ! so be sure to open the hose before open the airbox if not you will ruin your floor as I do !

Remove the tank and radiator to do valves clearance


All the front of the bike was cover with oil, someone must have add oil and miss his target ! radiator was disgusting with oil and glued bees! I discover that my radiator is from ktm strange ? anyway i clean it with soap, water and air compressor..

And here are valves:
exhaust with 0.15 nothing to do


and intake

out of spec at 17000km they were at 0.15 ... ,normal is 0.09

I double clutch and accelerator cables, fit a new battery, a new unfilter foam filter and usb connectors



and change levers


That was a cool week

Now i have to fit the new shock, connect gps, drain oil and coolant and a lot of others things i already have forget

Departure date is now officially the 18 of february bike transport has been sorted out I have just order a new trouser, pant and helmet but it's a surprise

I have now one week to finish the bike, put it on a crate and help it jump on a boat

Days are too short !!!!!!!

[lamoufle]

Guys it's over !!!!!!!

The race is now finished or maybe has not yet started I don't know Last month was intense with all bike preparation to finish, all equipment to buy and transport to organize but now it's ok, bike is sailing to cape town and I can focus on my preparation, medicine, shoes, t shirt and so on ...

So the weekly sum up !

Rear shock with its hyperpro spring fiited


Headlight protector (coming from spare parts with bike)


Scottoiler installed


I drill a hole in the rear arm to support it, it's invisible and well attached (I hope !)


Touratech mount for garmin zumo install and connect using the spare 12v connector behing the dashboard many thanks to people who help me in the xt660z thread.


On the left, car socket connector


On the right double usb connector and gammatronix led (this gadget is cool )


And front fender re-installed


Spare parts and tools


Tools are dispatch between one big blue box containing all bearings + plus one small box for air compressor, and front toolbox containing tools..

And first box full with spare parts and camping gear.


It works !



and now it's time for crating the bike


Remove the front wheel and handlebar


and that's it



I am now praying for this crate to arrive in cape town without any damage and hope to find an electric screewdriver somewhere in port to uncrate it

Ride report should start in less than 1 month now stay tune!

[betitou]

Any news here?

[lamoufle]

Well, bike is sailing it should arrive on 23rd so next saturday...

I thought the preparation was finished but my f****** b****** zumo 550 gps has died. Just the day I want to install the tracks4africa map on it, it refuses to start, I try all tricks I found on internet but it really dies. So I have buy a new zumo 220 thanks to my wallet, but I will have to change the mount and electrical on bike to fit it correctly....

Anyway I prefer it died here in france, than in botswana or somewhere else ! Hope I will succeed to make it worked with these non garmin maps and it will works till the end

I started a real ride report, it should start by the end of the week on the arrival at joburg !

Stay connected here !