+1 And don't forget your AMA card to cover the roadside assistance and towing (while you are still in the USA)!
Chain links. Tube patches. Bulbs. Just have all the "advrider-hyped" weak parts checked and possibly replaced before departure so you don't get paranoid about carrying a hundred-weight of replacements. Fred
A laptop or smart phone to access ADV. Seriously. I carry too many parts for our '09's when we travel and they're just dead weight (so far!) Tire repair equipment, basic tools and contacts along the way. A 20K km trip will require at least one oil change and maybe a tire depending. Chain and sprockets before you go would ease my mind, save the old for later. All depends on where you're going. 20 K asphalt, no prob. You didn't say how many kms are on it now. Preventative maintenance is best. We're here on ADV to help and should you get stuck in Ontario I have a garage full of parts and tools.
I suggest you consider this thread by Walter Colebatch, a master of self-supported LD riding: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=524638. Much of it is G650X specific, but there's abundant info about what has failed, and what has endured. For example, I find his chain/sprocket planning illuminating: REAR: It will complete the trip. FRONT: Carry a replacement. CHAIN: Buy a chain in Russia.
Heres one, i read somewhere that the instant the battery is disconnected, the bike forgets what day it is and puts the service light on. If this is true, how can i put the cable for the junior battery tender on the battery, without making the service light reset itself? Or am i screwed and i have to get it reset by bmw? I dont fancy buying a gs911 right now. F658GS, 2012. Thanks
"the instant the battery is disconnected, the bike forgets what day it is and puts the service light on.". . . You have been mis-informed.
1. My dealer said to only use the front brake lever during normal braking (not panic braking). Since the front and rear brakes are linked, it already applies pressure to the rear. Is this true? This is my first modern bike so I'm used to always pressing both: the hand lever and the foot pedal. 2. My F700GS has the factory low suspension, so no center stand. Can you recommend a simple lift/jack/paddock stand that I could get to elevate the rear wheel for chain lubing/cleaning purposes?
Charger.:. Took me a while to find it, and it was in this very thread, doh! Page 77, mentions the reset when battery is disconnected. Edit, i am guessing you must have a minute at least to get the terminals on without resetting the thing. I'll have a go next weekend and post back.
BC is probably the worst place in the civilized world for cellular reception. His question is valid if travelling in BC. Unless delorme satellite phone is added to the list.
. . Your dealer is a fucking MORON, please tell him that I said so. Additionally, he is mistaken about your motorcycle's braking system, as they are MOST assuredly NOT linked, front to rear. . A proper length stick of wood, 2x2 or bigger wedged under the right side swing arm will suffice as temporary support for chain maintenance.
I made this redneck prop stand for my G650X that worked perfectly for chain oiling/waxing. Insert the carriage bolt (covered by tubing in my example) into the axle hole, grab something solid with your left hand and lift while pressing forward on the right handlebar, and up she goes onto the sidestand and front tire! Steady the stand with your left foot (or just wait for it to stop swinging) and VOILA! you're ready to lube. You could also buy one of these: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=538235
I've disconnected the battery on multiple Canbus and non-Canbus BMWs and the only thing "bad" thing that happens is the trip odometers and other transient data (fuel mileage, etc.) are zeroed-out. (My non-Canbus G650X would also have it's clock zeroed when plugged into a Junior Battery Tender, which never made sense.) Fear not.
It is a 525 O ring type with 116 links. The stock chain is the continuous type with no master link. To install one requires removal of the swing arm and everything attached to it. It is far easier to install one with a master link. There are two types, one with a clip and the other is the swaged type that requires a tool to rivet it in place. I have used both and never had an issue, but there are some simple tricks to the install.
A center stand can be easily modified to fit a lowered 700GS. My dealer did the modification and installed mine for $100. Works great.
I guess this is the place to ask a dumb question. On a recent trip out west, I went past a gas station while my OBC showed 32 miles. (The next "town" was 11 miles away.) The next "town" had a population of 4. I was informed by 25% of the residents that the next gas was either 20 miles ahead or 11 back. Since my OBC showed 23 miles now, I decided nothing in life is as exciting as not knowing if you're going to make it. So on I rode, however at 55 mph where the same OBC displayed 65 mpg or better the whole way. My dumb question is "Does the fuel level indicator actually show the fuel level, or does it display a relative amount of fuel for the distance?" I noticed that even though I was consuming fuel (obviously) the level did not drop, and that the miles to empty number was dropping at a rate that was less than the miles actually travelled, since I was getting a much better mpg at 55 than at 65. I did make it, with 7 miles empty, according to the computer. The tank took 3.9 gal on my 2010 F650GS twin. I know. I'm a dummy. But it was fun.