My life aboard a BMW R80ST

[Suruppak]

Awesome, gutsy video!!

How does the steering with the WP forks compare to stock? Does is still have a huge turning radius like it did with the DR forks?

[hardwaregrrl]

Originally Posted by Suruppak

Awesome, gutsy video!!

How does the steering with the WP forks compare to stock? Does is still have a huge turning radius like it did with the DR forks?

Nope...it's back to stock. 36mm I believe. Dr was something like 22. Thanks!

[ontic]

38mm offset for our triples,
btw, what did you do for steering stop bolts that screw into the triples? I have some big head allen bolts in there with some nuts screwed on to space the bolt up far enough to hit the steering stop... looks like it could do with being turned down a little to get the most out of the turning circle.

I like your rear brake mod. Visually I am not too sure of the adjustable cable ferules, but they seem to do the job very well.
I was trying to think of a downside to doing a cable instead of a rod-
I suppose if you get a large rock fly up and hit it it might more easily apply the rear brake locking up the rear wheel... briefly... but being a cable it will just bounce back out rather than bend in, and it would have to be at a very awkward moment for the rear wheel braking to actually do too much damage.
Well done!

[hardwaregrrl]

Originally Posted by ontic

38mm offset for our triples,
btw, what did you do for steering stop bolts that screw into the triples? I have some big head allen bolts in there with some nuts screwed on to space the bolt up far enough to hit the steering stop... looks like it could do with being turned down a little to get the most out of the turning circle.

I like your rear brake mod. Visually I am not too sure of the adjustable cable ferules, but they seem to do the job very well.
I was trying to think of a downside to doing a cable instead of a rod-
I suppose if you get a large rock fly up and hit it it might more easily apply the rear brake locking up the rear wheel... briefly... but being a cable it will just bounce back out rather than bend in, and it would have to be at a very awkward moment for the rear wheel braking to actually do too much damage.
Well done!

Ah-ha! thanks Hans.....I can barely ride this POS let alone nerd out and remember all the stuff I've changed. I'm glad somone is keeping a tally.!! Hope to see you and the G/S in action soon.

Brake mod has worked well so far, I'm already used to it. I hated using the cable ferrules, but didn't want a permanent mod, guess I could weld them together.

I just used hex head bolts and locked them in with nuts on top and underneath. At full lock, the flat bit of the hex is against the stop, I got a few mm's more doing that VS. an allen head. But who's counting?

[hardwaregrrl]

Just for giggles....

[ontic]

Originally Posted by hardwaregrrl

Ah-ha! thanks Hans.....I can barely ride this POS let alone nerd out and remember all the stuff I've changed. I'm glad somone is keeping a tally.!! Hope to see you and the G/S in action soon.

I just used hex head bolts and locked them in with nuts on top and underneath. At full lock, the flat bit of the hex is against the stop, I got a few mm's more doing that VS. an allen head. But who's counting?

Barely ride the POS?
You ride the pants off that thing

Don't worry, I can't wait to get some more G/S action happening too. I just read these threads to keep my spirits up. Unfortunately time is at a premium with study right now (yes I am procrastinating as we speak and 'taking a break from' avoiding work as I type). That snap decision to go back to full time study again really had some consequences... with all the stuff due right now I haven't been able to do paid work for quite a while. Dollars are a little short. Moving house with all our tonnes of 'possesions' a month ago was almost the end of me. New shed is going to be a puzzle to figure out where everything ended up...

I might be heading over to SE asia for the summer for some work very soon, which will theoretically delay the G/S even further, but if that doesn't happen it is going to be a very serious G/S summer for me. If SE Asia does happen, I'll be getting serious on the G/S when I get back early next year.

With the arrival of the Mikuni's and a bunch of other stuff (Thanks Solo!), and one last box to arrive from Germany soon, I've pretty much got everything I need to do the rough build and testing before I pull it apart again and send the frame off and whatnot for the prettier more final build...

In the mean time, I'll just have to occasionally clog up other peoples threads

Cheers,

[bpeckm]

dam... jenna... that was fun!!. For a road-rider like me, I can appreciate the back woods, but man, I would want a lighter bike than my ST... good on ya!

...and ever thankful for my nice tank, which will be metamorphed (?) this winter into something un-blue....!!

[_anatic]

Originally Posted by hardwaregrrl

Just for giggles....

That was GREAT!! Really liked the first one too.
Let the locals know next time y'all are up.

[hardwaregrrl]

The Dobber....

[bpeckm]

I am a sailor-type, and you might want to look into the various ways of using sailboat rigging.... Easiest to use would be the Nicopress, which can be done really cheaply and quickly. I'd bet that there is a sailing/rigging outfit somewhere in Hotlanta.. If not, you could probably make it work with some big vice-grips, or even a bench-vise? .... or just sweet talk those sailorboys into letting you borrow the tool....!



Awesomeness in those rides, for sure!

[hardwaregrrl]

yeah, you're right. I was held at bay by a sweet 5 year old, his dad and his uncle. It was a temporary fix, just haven't gotten a chance to change to the compression ferruels. You paint the tank? Pics?

Originally Posted by bpeckm

I am a sailor-type, and you might want to look into the various ways of using sailboat rigging.... Easiest to use would be the Nicopress, which can be done really cheaply and quickly. I'd bet that there is a sailing/rigging outfit somewhere in Hotlanta.. If not, you could probably make it work with some big vice-grips, or even a bench-vise? .... or just sweet talk those sailorboys into letting you borrow the tool....!



Awesomeness in those rides, for sure!

[chollo9]

Hurricane Creek was great, I loved following lines, but Cochran Mill looking backwards makes me wanna puuuuke.

[bpeckm]

Originally Posted by hardwaregrrl

yeah, you're right. I was held at bay by a sweet 5 year old, his dad and his uncle. It was a temporary fix, just haven't gotten a chance to change to the compression ferruels. You paint the tank? Pics?

....mmmmm....nope... not yet.... still getting my son's XS650 put together, and just enjoying riding the ST. This wintah....

[hardwaregrrl]

Oh my god.....replacing a timing chain is a GIANT pain in the arse.

So yesterday I disassembled everything and shipped my starter off to Rick, as I've never serviced it. Cleaned the starter cavity up nicely and removed the rest of the timing cover gasket off the block. I had broken my 3 jaw puller and planned on going to Napa in the morn for the steering/H20 pump puller wirewrk had suggested. Well, using that puller I had to remove the bearing and the sprocket seperate. And it worked, but stripped out, so it's going back to Napa. Mike came by to swap in his new rear wheel, and I love having company in the shop but I was really having to think on this one.

Sprocket in the oven, a couple of times before I got it to budge on the crank...what I planned on using to drive it home didn't work. So I waited till mike left then ran to Lowes to get a big ass socket to fit. Sent the sprocket home and then got to work on heating the bearing. Put it in some motor oil on to the stove, as I was googling how long to heat it.....my house began to smell kinda funny. Oh shit....yep that oil smelled like fookin dog shite!!! I'm an asshole, and hoping I didn't toast the bearing. I ran outside with a smoking, shit pan full of oil..... It feels and looks fine, so I'm a gonna run with it. Lost my cam and crank marks so rockers and pushrods OUT.! Got everything all lined up then installed the new tensioner and spring and chain. It was a bitch getting the master link on, another airhead project I'd rather farm out....way more fiddly than anything else I've ever done. Patience was wearing thin...... Got it!!!! I will say it was easier with the guide off, and the tensioner tied back....wrapped the link with some wire and used a long flathead behind that....I even had problems getting the old link in from the front!!!!

So, chain on, time to put the pushrods and rockers back on. Last time I had the heads out to Carl I noticed that my top, right front stud is proud maybe 1/2". Brad was helping me out and we didn't think anything of it, but we did discuss it......well that mother fucker is stripped.!!!! I tried to tighten it into the case, but it wouldn't budge, but I can only torque it to about 15 ft/lbs. Not sure what to do. Wondering if I can ride it till I can get it to the shop for helicoil.?

What say you?

[Airhead Wrangler]

Don't forget the little gasket doughnuts that go on the upper studs which hold your timing cover on. Forget those and your new gasket won't seal right