Hi..

Planning the 'Big Trip' and feel my 89 GS may need a little TLC.

Had WP front and rear fitted 3 yrs ago plus a few other cosmetic bits from Wunderlich.

Would really appreciate a few tips as to what to check, replace, upgrade etc. Or - if it sounds good leave it?... Also puncture sealant..? And do I really need a 41 litre tank?....Recommendations please!

Thanks, Si

If you haven't already, do a search (upper right corner top of page) for 'R100 GS' or similar. Most of your questions have been discussed at some point earlier in the forum. Also, knowing the mileage of your bike would help us address some of the overhaul issues...

Your bike is now 15 years old, and even if it has been stored/ maintained perfectly many of the rubber seals and such will be in need of replacement. A full major service would be a start, followed by a carb rebuild and checking the clutch for wear, depending on how long ago these were attended to, if ever.

It might not be a bad idea to send the shock back to the manufacturer for an overhaul (I know some manufacturers insist on this within the first year to keep your warrenty valid) as well and replace the fork seals. There is also the driveshaft issue (discussed at length earlier in the forum).

As to the tank, that depends mainly on where you are going on your trip - again, lots of good discussion on this and several of the other bike forums.

And dont forget the Drive Shaft, Gearbox..seals and bearings, Steering head bearings and anything else that may require a "special tool" to repair.

My experience so far is GSs are, easy to service but extremely difficult to repair.

Timo is right the info is all here.

alec

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Close to Antarctica and a long way from reality

Worth pulling the cylinders off & replacing the pushrod tube rubbers grommets. Nothing worse than oil pumping out of a perished grommet & leaving a slick wherever you go.

Did this on my girlfriends R80GS recently, took about 2 hours per side inc. cleaning everything properly.

May be worth swapping the (rusty?) pushrod tubes themselves for stainless items if renewing the grommets themselves?

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

Thanks for the tips - I feel a long winter ahead with oily workshop manual...

Interesting about the shock. Will look into that and all the other suggested mods.

With regarding larger tank I hope to be going through the 'Stans to the Karakoram Highway and on... Does the 35l tank with locking compartment fit the 89 GS. If so, any ideas as to how to get hold of one? New or second hand.

Thanks in advance for any more advice...and Great Website!



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Simon

35litres is heaps for most of the Stans, you should be able to make the PD tank fit. You could also put "pot racks" on that can carry small gerry cans.

Take some medium Loctite to do up your forkcaps with, mine kept unscrewing and spraying me with oil..at least the forkseals didnt leak! But it made for some very bouncy rides on some pretty rough roads with a soft springer front end.

Take an output shaft puller tool with you so you can attend to the seal if nead be( easy to make out of Aluminium with a nut welded on the top through which you thread a bolt), as well as a set of Gbox bearings and selector spring. Take a steel version of the exhaust tool with a couple of holes drilled into the end of the handle either side of a cut out, this allows you to get enough pressure on the nut to undo it and do it up. The long tool is braced against the floor holding the fange still.

Every mechanic has a socket set none seemed to have these!

I've no idea how you would repair a broken selector spring without pulling the Gearbox apart.

If you want to change steering head bearings you will want to take a small tool that will let you pull the cones out of the stem...Smal plate that fits over the stem with a long bolt and nut in the middle. The bolt head grabs the base of three semi circular thingimies that grip between head stem and cone pulling out the cone as you tighten the bolt, the pressure forces them into the gap...the cone on the shaft is another matter!

Take a spare exhaust valve..the fuel can be very bad and both mine stretched, one valve seat receeded heaps requiring daily adjustment. In Uzbekistan i was getting 10 litres per 100kms at 90kph.

Check the oil pump seal...behind the clutch and the rear main seal. Mine were both leaking like crazy by the end.

I didnt take a spare diode board but had an extra earth put on..HUBB advice..it was fine.

BMW dealers are not worth visiting unless you are in Nizny Novgorod, from my experience, and then it was mechanics being mechanics as I didnt need any parts...very helpful though!

As its a paralever..a couple of freinds have had the bolt..small..that holds the rear shock onto the final drive rip out or break...resulting in collapsed suspension and a very difficult repair.


alec

http://users.netlink.com.au/~asimpson

[This message has been edited by simmo (edited 15 August 2004).]

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Close to Antarctica and a long way from reality

Keep in mind the Acerbis 41 liter tank as well; your seat will have to be modified (the tank is made to fit the older G/S, with a longer tank, so the seat on the GS has to be shortened where it meets the tank). They are availible from a few suppliers in the EU - Touratech and HPN being two. Used 35 liter PD tanks come up for sale on the Internet BMW riders marketplace now and then as well (links in the links page), but you have to check the site frequently to nab one. Good luck!

Thanks once again for these very comprehensive tips. I'll work slowly through these as and when time and funds allow.

Will check out links as well - ta.

Simon

Don't forget to check out the stuff done to my G/S. See menu on left just under home - "Our Trip" and follow the links to the bike story.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Hi

checkout my prep-list at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tst...eparation.html

Worked for me!

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Sean

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Sean

Cheers for the links,chaps.

Loved your bike mods, Grant. Have BMW approached you about developing those forward panniers? Er, 'Unique' design - but they obviously work for you...!

And thanks Sean..Have printed your list out already for my file and started reading your 'log' ..Nice One. What's next? A contented life in Suburbia?