800GS Care Package

[Douf]

Are there a set of spares that folks normally carry with them to replace parts that have a habit of breaking?
The 950 Adv for instance merely requires a careful owner to carry: a spare fuel pump, spare clutch slave cylinder rebuild kit and a water pump rebuild kit (maybe a spare battery too if you're really paranoid!).
Hopefully the beemer isn't that fickle.

Douf

[Surfdog]

"They" called it part of the charm of owning an ADV. I called it a pain in the ass when the bike left me stranded & missed a trip of a life w/ my buds !!
I'm looking into a F800GS for that reason...

[Dieselboy]

Douf, that's a good question. I haven't seen it answered here. As I am setting up for a Key West to Alaska run in 2010 I'm interested too. Can anyone with experience pony up? My list starts with:

Spare Tubes

[ericb67]

Originally Posted by Dieselboy

Douf, that's a good question. I haven't seen it answered here. As I am setting up for a Key West to Alaska run in 2010 I'm interested too. Can anyone with experience pony up? My list starts with:

Spare Tubes

Spare spokes. I never would have thought about that until I broke some spokes on the Dalton Highway. Not a common problem, but one that can end the trip in a hurry. They're cheap and if you bring them with you, you'll never need them!

Plus they can double as a short hot dog stick.

[jessehere]

I would add spare brake pedal and shifter

[Douf]

[quote=Dieselboy]Douf, that's a good question. I haven't seen it answered here. As I am setting up for a Key West to Alaska run in 2010 I'm interested too. Can anyone with experience pony up? My list starts with:

Spare Tubes

...and if the wheels are anything like the 950's (features that stop the tire spinning on the rim make removal a real p.i.t.a) you'll need a set of manly 15" tire irons too.

Douf

[Douf]

Originally Posted by Surfdog

"They" called it part of the charm of owning an ADV. I called it a pain in the ass when the bike left me stranded & missed a trip of a life w/ my buds !!
I'm looking into a F800GS for that reason...

Yeah, I hear that: I bought my 950 for just that reason (Alaska) and although it got the mileage done (well most of it anyway), starting the thing became increasingly difficult due to the infamous starter clutch torque limiter + marginal battery combination.
I'm doing a lap of South Africa on the GS next month, so should soon be in a position to give a fairly objective assessment of the pro and cons.

Douf

[Bucko]

I've heard of some problems with the ring antenna on the ignition in early GS12's, but nothing yet on the GS8's. It's only a $40 part, and you can't start the bike without it. Two masterlinks and a few links of chain will let you fix a broken drive chain.

[tmex]

I've put 2500 off road miles on my F8, and nothing has failed or fallen off yet. I carry spare tubes (tube patch kit, pump, tire irons), a master link, and a complete tool kit, but have not needed to touch the bike so far.

I would recommend application of safety wire to the caliper bolts, radiator cap, and oil drain/fill plugs. A brake snake on the rear brake pedal, and a folding shifter should help preserve those parts, so I do not carry spares. The BMW handguards seem to do a good job of protecting the the clutch and brake levers, so I do not carry spares of those either.

[Dieselboy]

Originally Posted by tmex

...
I would recommend application of safety wire to the caliper bolts, radiator cap, and oil drain/fill plugs...

Tmex, I am trying to balance weight against level of need. I've got 12000 miles on mine (99% road miles) and have only had three non-critical bolts vibrate out. As I plan my spares and weight managment, I want to understand your concern for the radiator cap and fill plug. I get the drain plug, but the other two?

[tmex]

Originally Posted by Dieselboy

Tmex, I am trying to balance weight against level of need. I've got 12000 miles on mine (99% road miles) and have only had three non-critical bolts vibrate out. As I plan my spares and weight managment, I want to understand your concern for the radiator cap and fill plug. I get the drain plug, but the other two?

Safety wire is almost weightless. The oil fill plug seems to vibrate out with some regularity if you don't give it a final 30 degree twist with a pliers. So I just put a D-Clip through a 3/32" hole drilled in the tab, and safety wire the clip to the the closest point. Then I just need to unclip it to put in oil and I never have to worry about it. The radiator cap is just being anal on my part. I have never had one come loose, but if you take your bike to a track most tech inspectors will insist on it. I don't bother with exhaust system bolts, but I have had a few come out over the years. I just safety wire the catastrophic stuff.

Kurveygirl.com (I think that is the spelling) sells a nice assortment of d-clips for $10 or so.

[spoof]

There have been Antenna Ring problems on GS8s. Probably remedied now, but at this early stage i would travel with a spare if I were leaving civilization for long or heading south of the border.

[Desert Dave]

Originally Posted by spoof

There have been Antenna Ring problems on GS8s. Probably remedied now, but at this early stage i would travel with a spare if I were leaving civilization for long or heading south of the border.

I bought one an carry it all the time. Looks like the problem has been solved with the newer antenna, but any part can fail at any time and for thirty somthing bucks it's good insurance so I don't get stranded by a part I wish the bike didn't have in the first place. If I could purchase a new CPU for $30 I'd carry one of those as well

[JRWooden]

Originally Posted by tmex

I've put 2500 off road miles on my F8, and nothing has failed or fallen off yet. I carry spare tubes (tube patch kit, pump, tire irons), a master link ...

tmex:
Are you still running the BMW chain?
If so, how'd you get a master link for it?
Do you have a part number?

I want one too!

Jim

[tmex]

Originally Posted by JRWooden

tmex:
Are you still running the BMW chain?
If so, how'd you get a master link for it?
Do you have a part number?

I want one too!

Jim

JR, I still have the OEM chain on the bike. I am carrying a master link from a DID chain, not a BMW specific master link. Is there some reason that it would not work? I never tried it.