The BMW GS boxer twin thread

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 20:16

Seems theres a fair bit of interest in the BMW GS series bikes So I thought I'd start a thread devoted to them so that owners can post pics, ask questions and offer me advice to help me fix mine when they are broken

Plus all those others who haven't owned up to coveting one yet can jealously drool over them.

My input will focus towards the airheads obviously but oilheads and Hexheads are welcome to join in.

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 20:19

So to start the ball rolling, I think most people here are familiar with my 2.

1982 R80G/S

1994 R100GS Paris Dakar

**Padmei** · 23rd March 2009, 20:27

greedy bastard.

Is that the original colour - brown?

**Phreaky Phil** · 23rd March 2009, 20:37

Glad we've finally got a thread of our own. I had been planning to start one but hadn't quite got there. !! Here's a pic of my 92 R80GS. Evolution model or "work in progress". I has many mods and still more to come. The latest project is a rear disc conversion because the rear brake is crap ! Almost all of the parts have been aquired but the conversion will have to wait till after our Sth Island trip. As I get the time I will show what else has been done.

**Taz** · 23rd March 2009, 20:39

Are oil heads allowed?

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 20:42

So I took the PD on the Ngawi - White Rock ride in the weekend and rode home in near torrential rain. Half way down the Wellington motorway I realised I had no brake light, indicators or horn. Suspecting water had got in somewhere and nearing home I wasn't too worried aobut it.

But now that the bike has dried out they are still not going.

My electrics are complicated by the fact that sometime in the past a Touratech IMO100 Rallye Computer & idiot lights kit, headlight & small windscreen have been installed.
This means under my tank and behind the headlight is a mass of wires which bear no resemblance to the original setup. There's plugs and wires everywhere that have no mate and just hang around doing nothing.

I've just spent about 2 hours in the garage stripping the tank and headlight off and trying to find anything unusual, in a setup that is unusual to start with.
I've not had any joy so far, I didn't find anything that appear to be newly broken, at least whoever installed the Touratech gear taped up all the excess wires so it's obvious they haven't just disconnected themselves, there's no bare ends handing around except for one plug which wasn't taped, but for which I can't find a mate.

One thing that has confused me, there are 2 wires running up the inside of the handlebars, they enter through a hole just above the steering head and as far as I can tell one goes up each side of the bars. I don't have heated grips so I'm confused as to what they are for, the controls on each side have a large cable that runs down the outside of the bars the same way most bikes do.
One of the wires appears to be attached to something, there is resistance when pressure is applied, but the other set isn't and pulled out of the bars with no resistance. The ends are bare, but don't look like a new break as the wire is very oxidised.

One other item of note is that the only idiot light that seems to be working is the highbeam. The oil light doesn't come up when you switch it on, and the neutral light isn't working either.

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 20:45

Originally Posted by Anthrax

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Are oil heads allowed?

Yup, read the intro. Oilheads and hexheads welcome, though you need to understand they are all pretenders to the throne and the one true GS is the airhead

I don't think little old NZ has a big enough base to sustain seperate active threads on each generation. You'r all welcome to prove me wrong though.

**Waihou Thumper** · 23rd March 2009, 20:49

We are going to NOW have to add the Orange Crush thread like ADV, then we can all be happy, not to mention the Big Thumpers too....

The brown one looks nice, I could go one of them, it is close to orange as you can get with BMW...

**Phreaky Phil** · 23rd March 2009, 20:49

Originally Posted by Eddieb

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So I took the PD on the Ngawi - White Rock ride in the weekend and rode home in near torrential rain. Half way down the Wellington motorway I realised I had no brake light, indicators or horn. Suspecting water had got in somewhere and nearing home I wasn't too worried aobut it.

But now that the bike has dried out they are still not going.

My electrics are compicated by the fact that sometime in the past a Touratech IMO100 Rallye Computer & idiot lights kit, headlight & small windscreen have been installed.
This means under my tank and behind the headlight is a mass of wires which bear no resemblance to the original setup. There's plugs and wires everywhere that have no mate and just hang around doing nothing.

I've just spent about 2 hours in the garage stripping the tank and headlight off and trying to find anything unusual, in a setup that is unusual to start with.
I've not had any joy so far, I didn't find anything that appear to be newly broken, at least whoever installed the Touratech gear taped up all the excess wires so it's obvious they haven't just disconnected themselves, they're no bare ends handing around except for one plug which wasn't taped, but for which I can't find a mate.

One thing that has confused me, there are 2 wires running up the inside of the handlebars, they enter through a hole just above the sterring head and as far as I can tell one goes up each side of the bars. I don't have heated grips so I'm confused as to what they are for, the controls on each side have a large cable that runs down teh outside of the bars the same way most bikes do.
One of the wires appear to be attahced to something, there is resistance when pressure is applied, but the other set isn't and pulled out of the bars with no resistance. The ends are bare, but don't lokolike a new break as the wire is very oxidised.

The wires up the bars are for the heated grips or whats left of them. I'll get my manual and have a study of the wiring diagram ( sparky by trade and have spent a fair bit of time with the electrics on mine )

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 20:54

Originally Posted by Phreaky Phil

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The wires up the bars are for the heated grips or whats left of them. I'll get my manual and have a study of the wiring diagram ( sparky by trade and have spent a fair bit of time with the electrics on mine )

Ohhh, you shouldn't have told me that. You might be my new best mate

**Taz** · 23rd March 2009, 20:58

My 98 R1100GS on the rainbow road. Just clicked over 121,000kms and still going strong.

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 20:59

Originally Posted by Padmei

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greedy bastard.

Is that the original colour - brown?

I don't believe so. I've never seen or heard of a brown one before.

**Eddieb** · 23rd March 2009, 21:06

Originally Posted by Anthrax

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My 98 R1100GS on the rainbow road. Just clicked over 121,000kms and still going strong.

I SO want to do those roads. It looks like you are having fun. The Black Forest, Rainbow, Molesworth are all on my must do list.

I've done Danseys a couple of times on sportbikes, once in the snow and wouldn't mind revisiting that also.

**Phreaky Phil** · 23rd March 2009, 21:10

Originally Posted by Eddieb

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So I took the PD on the Ngawi - White Rock ride in the weekend and rode home in near torrential rain. Half way down the Wellington motorway I realised I had no brake light, indicators or horn. Suspecting water had got in somewhere and nearing home I wasn't too worried aobut it.

But now that the bike has dried out they are still not going.

My electrics are complicated by the fact that sometime in the past a Touratech IMO100 Rallye Computer & idiot lights kit, headlight & small windscreen have been installed.
This means under my tank and behind the headlight is a mass of wires which bear no resemblance to the original setup. There's plugs and wires everywhere that have no mate and just hang around doing nothing.

I've just spent about 2 hours in the garage stripping the tank and headlight off and trying to find anything unusual, in a setup that is unusual to start with.
I've not had any joy so far, I didn't find anything that appear to be newly broken, at least whoever installed the Touratech gear taped up all the excess wires so it's obvious they haven't just disconnected themselves, there's no bare ends handing around except for one plug which wasn't taped, but for which I can't find a mate.

One thing that has confused me, there are 2 wires running up the inside of the handlebars, they enter through a hole just above the steering head and as far as I can tell one goes up each side of the bars. I don't have heated grips so I'm confused as to what they are for, the controls on each side have a large cable that runs down the outside of the bars the same way most bikes do.
One of the wires appears to be attached to something, there is resistance when pressure is applied, but the other set isn't and pulled out of the bars with no resistance. The ends are bare, but don't look like a new break as the wire is very oxidised.

One other item of note is that the only idiot light that seems to be working is the highbeam. The oil light doesn't come up when you switch it on, and the neutral light isn't working either.

After a quick look it appears the horn and indicators are feed from the same fuse (F4 on the fuse block) The brake light is from F1 so thats a bit weird. Are you sure all fuses OK ?

**Paladin** · 23rd March 2009, 21:14

Originally Posted by Eddieb

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I SO want to do those roads. It looks like you are having fun. The Black Forest, Rainbow, Molesworth are all on my must do list.

I've done Danseys a couple of times on sportbikes, once in the snow and wouldn't mind revisiting that also.

Junkmanjoe & I are starting to formulate a SI tour plan mate, you'd be very welcome to join us!!!!!!