The Big Red Bus

[Rockburner]

Strapped the panniers on and the Big Red Bus became the Big Red Sleigh, delivering Crimbo presents this morning.

I must be getting more RS shaped because it felt comfortable today, even at lower speeds. It tipped it down on the way home and I didn't get wet, the fairing works really well... and I put the screen up.

There is one slight odd thing. I can feel everything through the soles of my feet. There's little feed back through the grips and none through the seat. I can feel the quality of the tarmac through the pegs, it's quite an odd sensation. I guess normally you'd not notice because you'd be getting that feedback from the bars too... I guess it must be a telelever thing?

The cheap Maxxis tyres on it feel much better than I hoped, even on the salty and then wet roads.

I'm still struggling with those frickin' indicators!

You do feel 'less' feedback through the Telelever - there IS feedback, it's just a lot more subtle (the best analogy is a string quartet compared to a Metallica gig imho). Also - do you have adjustable handlebars on that? If so - they'll be rubber mounted, which will deaden the feedback even more.

you'll get used to the indicators.

[KungFooBob]

Yes, you can move the clip-ons backwards or forwards on toothed adjusters. It's got the massive OEM BMW grips on it too. It'll be getting some aftermarket heated grips soon.

[Rockburner]

Yes, you can move the clip-ons backwards or forwards on toothed adjusters. It's got the massive OEM BMW grips on it too. It'll be getting some aftermarket heated grips soon.

Yeah - they'll be rubber mounted then.

[the_priest]

Indicators are a piece of piss to get used to. having had to get used to DCT, I found it easy enough to get used to the BMW indicators. The road feels is what I am still trying to get tuned into though. Bike tips in easily and holds the line, it is just that my body is not feeling it like before. A bit odd. But summer will bring more opportunity to get the hang of it all.

[Bigjawa]

BMW indicators are easy enough, it's only when you swap between bikes that you end up hitting the horn or starter to indicate.

[Horse]

BMW indicators are easy enough

They work the way thumbs can easily move, and with minimal travel from the usual riding locationunder the grip. It's a wonder of how dextrous most of us are that we cope with side to side indicator switches.

[KungFooBob]

Topboxtastic!

The wife has a giant (two helmet size) Givi Trekker topbox on her F700GS... she never uses it so I've stolen it.

But how to fit it to the bike, I obviously need a Givi plate, but how to mount it?

BMW did make a rack that bolted to the existing grab handle, my bike didn't have it fitted, but I found one for £40 on t'bay with the little side supports, just like the black bit of this...



I'd then have to some how bolt the Givi plate to it. Then I read that BMW only made a soft bag to fit it and it only had a weight rating of 5kg!!!!

So the decision was made to use the proper Givi mounting arms too, they bolt to the bike at two points and fit with the OEM BMW pannier racks.

So £94 later I was the proud owner of a plate and the rack arms.

The instructions make it look really easy, but you have to take half the bike to bits and two of the nuts to hold the arms on are almost impossible to get a spanner too, meaning 1/32 of a turn every pull.

When I finally got to fitting the top plate to the arms one screw for the plate just wouldn't go in. Then noticed some flashing on the ally casting, knocked it off with a screwdriver and hammer and the bolt went straight in.



All ready to tour, if we're ever allowed out!

[Taipan]

Lovely, proper garage doors!

[Horse]

Lovely, proper garage doors!

Hi-tech lock mechanism too

[KungFooBob]

Time for a new ticket...



A nice clean pass.

It's the first time I've ridden it for a couple of months, last time I laid a spanner on it was to remove the front wheel and remount the discs to see if I could get rid of the slow speed pulse at the lever and it hadn't been ridden since. Happy to report that cleaning the disc and mounts with a wire brush and refitting seems to have fixed it, thats £180 I don't need to spend on new discs!

I'm tempted to rename it The Gentleman's Express, It's very rapid, very comfortable and generally relaxing to ride at speed.

It won't hold a line like a proper sports bikes will and you can feel the bulk of the thing when braking, but it's still fun to hustle it about a bit.

Still owes me less than £2k and I'm still very happy with it.

The wife has mentioned selling her bike to put towards buying a newer tourer, but I'd be sad to see the Old Bus go.

[Taipan]

Need to rename the thread big pink bus or start colour correcting!

[KungFooBob]

I have an auld Tomtom 400 I'd like to use. The fitting kit that came with it has worked for the last three bikes (cos they had mandle bars, not clips-ons), but I can't see anywhere the default u-bolt ram mount could fit to the BRB.

I've found this on the internets. quite clever using the the res screws to mount a plate. I might buy one if I can't work out a better way to do it.

[Skub]

Time for a new ticket...

Does that wheelie bin have a red/pink lid?

Ready made topbox right there.

[KungFooBob]

Ready made topbox right there.

Indeed, it's a shame I've already stolen the Givi Trekker top box off the wife's 700GS.



EDIT:

I'd already posted that pic, but for some reason it isn't showing now on one of my previous posts.

[KungFooBob]

The dust seals on the forks were looking a bit nasty, easy job I thought.

The forks don't have springs in them, they're just empty tubes with a bit of oil in to keep everything lubed. In theory you can undo the top clamps and slide the chrome parts down far enough to clear the top joke.

I decided that was too easy, so fully removed the forks.



I'd bought some cheap dust seals, but they were utter shite. Couldn't get them in and ended up mashing them. Need to buy some that cost more than £6 a pair delivered I think.

Once I'd got the forks off I could see grease pissing out the steering damper. It's help on with a torx bolt... on which I mullered the thread

So off came the lower telelever ball joint mounting plate.



You can see where the steering damper mounts.

Once I'd got it off I tried drilling the hear off... then my drill went flat, so I hammered a bigger torx bit in to the head of the bolt and got it off... after a good hour of trying.



The steering damper looks like it might be rebuildable...



There's a circlip, so I guess you can open it up, change the seals an repack it with grease?

For now it can stay a hover bike...



...and yes, I've supported the callipers now, not left them hanging.

[Rockburner]

Worth getting some gaiters on those forks?

I bought mine from Unit Garage.
https://www.unitgarage.com/fork_gaiters

[KungFooBob]

BMW say the Steering Damper isn't serviceable. Dozens of youtube and forum users say it is.

I need 2x 10x20x7 r23 seals (assuming the shaft isn't too damaged) and a tiny amount of 5wt fork oil.

I work two doors down from a bearing company, who list the 10x20x7 r23 seals on their webshite for 90p each, I'll stop by on Tuesday and pick some up.

I've order some different dust seals. I really can't recommend the Showe branded one, they were shite.


...Gaiters? No way!

[KungFooBob]

Had a play with the steering damper. Got it open, cleaned up the shafts, emptied out a pitiful amount of horrid looking oil.

Decided to refill it anyway and see if i'd cleaned the seals up enough for it to hold fluid.

I only had 15wt fork oil on the shelf. It's supposed to take 5wt. It feels a bit firm, but then there's no forks or handle bars to provide leverage, might be better once it's all back together.

If not then there's a nice new allen bolt holding it to the lower paralever mount now, so easy enough to remove if needed.

I've also completely stripped the forks, cleaned them and rubbed down with some wet and dry to key them, smooth silver hammerite from a rattle can tomorrow

The front speed sensor was totally seized into the fork lower, no idea how plastic seizes in alloy, but it's totally fucked now. £80 for a 2nd hand one from Motorworks, bugger.

[KungFooBob]

Ebay lesson.

The Speed Sensor is used by quite a few models of BMW of that vintage.

To be sure, I was searching the full part number, as used by Motoworks, Motobins and the parts fiche on realoem. None in the UK, loads in the US and a few in Germany, including P+P anything ranging from £50-100 and god know how long delivery times.

I decided to have a look at the buggered sensor. It uses a cut down version of the part number on the casing. 2 331 289 rather than 34522331289 on the fiche.

It turns out if you're a motorcycle breaker, you don't use a parts fiche, you just list it with the numbers that are written on it!

Got one winging it's way from Boston (Lancashire) for £24.

[KungFooBob]

I'm always impressed at how little prep and skill is required to make stuff look half decent with a rattle can of Hammerite. Any other paint I use always goes to shit.

The lowers got a bit of a rub with some 800 wet and dry just to smooth out a few marks in the existing paint, then a wash in the sink to get the grease and oil off them. I left the lowers leaned against the radiator all night and let the tin soak in a sink of hot water for ten mins before spraying.

Only had a bit of paint left in a tin I found in the garage from god know when, so they only got three coats, but iirc the finish is pretty durable anyway with Hammerite.