I am prepping an 1150 Adventure for a S.American / African trip. I am concerned about the subframe. I have read too much about frame fractures on the road. I will be riding solo, and don't plan on carrying a ton, but while I have the time and resources, I would like to do as much prevention as possible. Question: where are the points on the frame that commonly need reinforcement? Also, is there any reason not to weld on the Touratech pannier frame- at the bolted attachment points, to the frame? Thanks a bunch

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Left Seattle March '09 for RTW trip.
'02 BMW 1150 GSA

For solo and not carrying a ton - you don't need to IMHO. I'm currently adding additional welds on my 1100s subframe (same as 1150), but only because I'm two up and loads of luggage. I wouldn't do it if I was going solo, they're very strong - see the carrying capacity of R11xxGSes, which is over 200kg. Of course, this is measured w/o long term potholes and vibrations in mind. If you go around half as that, it'll keep up even with the worst of road conditions IMHO.

Just DO NOT use any top box. Leave it home. Shaking-vibrating solid top boxers are one of the main reasons of broken subframes.

If pannier's aren't enough then use a waterproof luggage roll instead, and place it on pillon's seat - more close to the centre of mass, less stress on the rear subframe, better maneuverability of the bike too.

Happy travels!

Thanks, definitely no top box. I have heard that when adding the pannier frames, that you have altered the integrity of the original design in the way the subframe is meant to flex, thus redirecting the forces to weaker spots on the frame (?) Maybe I am overthinking things. At the very least, this will keep me from over packing. Thanks.

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Left Seattle March '09 for RTW trip.
'02 BMW 1150 GSA

Yes, better not to overthink things.

I reckon decent rebuildable suspension, decent hand guards, maybe light cylinder protection and Hard Parts (for telelever only on 1150) are higher priority than the rear subframe in your case

Ride safe, Margus

anyway if you want to reinforce the rear subframe, I recomend this and will be bombproof:

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http://viajarenbmw.blogspot.com/

Now that is tough

But maybe a bit of an overkill from the sideframes side, since if you reinforce the sideframes, the "weak spot" of the chain in comparison will be the suspension upper support in the center of the frame. "A strong chain is no good when it has even only one weak link".

I'm using an analogy from Hame's blog: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tst...em/2007_12.php

They're 2 up full of luggage and taking loads of dirt roads. They've reinforced their subrframe on the road, but then the upper suspension support gave up. Here's their cracked suspension support:



Looking at their blog indeed they take LOADS of dirt roads. More than any average 2 upper would ever risk IMHO, and that 1100 takes huge beating with all that mass and the bad roads below. But that's a proper adventure IMHO too.

I'll try to post the pics when I've got my frame done and repainted. I'm reinforcing a more minimalistic compared to that. Going as light as I can - also replacing stock exhaust with aftermarket, which will give me about 6-7kg weight saving compared to stock. And IF it does brake even with those mods, I'll reinforce it more massively (probably something close as the pics you posted), but then also I'd need to reinforce the suspension upper support, so that there's no weak spot in the "chain".

Ride safe, Margus

I think there are better ways to spend money on prepping you bike, or putting the cash toward the trip itslef. We were two up on an 1150GS. We also had two panniers, two roll-bags, a tank bank, a topbox (I know there are some who dislike them but, if you are two up, 15 kg in a rollbag across the backrack and 15 kg in a topbox are not that different in my book, except one is secure!) and a rucksack!!

Yes we did over pack, and got rid of stuff on the way, but the bottom line is the bike was weighing in at 450kg with us on board. The back wheel was trasnferring 300kg to the road!! We had not problems.

Admittedly, we did not do as much off-road as you are likely to find in Africa, but if you even manage to pack 50kg, which is a lot for one person, that is still the equlivalent of a light pillion and no luggage at all!! I reckon you'll be OK.

Enjoy the trip!

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)