Gremlin's Tall Stories

After being told not to effectively not try to take the tank off, it kind of translates into saying, don’t touch the bike, please take to your local Motorrad dealer to fix the problem for you.

However… I am thicker than most. This means, see what else you can touch, without involving the dealer. If the tank is out of bounds (and holding 33L of fuel, it’s a massive tank I really don’t think I should try removing) what else can you get at?

Before I had even collected the bike a couple of weekends ago, I was starting to order parts or email suppliers asking if they could remove tax for export orders. From Touratech in Germany, their fantastic website automatically removed tax when shipping overseas, so I ordered frame protectors for the frame’s paint near your boots, a crash bung for the drive shaft and an oil cooler protector.

All easily fitted for a muppet like myself, except the oil cooler protector. Instead of calling in the experts (GiJoe) or taking to the dealer (this line is getting old) I figured I may as well know how some of the bike comes apart, and ideally figure out how to get it back together?

As the pics below show, I was actually successful, and didn’t even look in the manual as the installation guide suggested. I didn’t have anything left over afterwards either. The pics also show the extra height pieces of handguard.

The parts have continued to arrive (4 packages so far) and I’m waiting for the final 2 (both shipped on Thursday from USA). From Touratech USA a rear splash guard (sort of like a hugger), a front fender extender (less crud onto the bike) and a cockpit surround with power outlets. I’ve installed both fender bits, but the surround has power lines, which have to go under the tank, so I’ll have to get the dealer to install.

My extra spotlights from Twisted Throttle have also arrived, again, a dealer install, and I’ve got some LED strips for the handguards again, so I’ll get the dealer to install all 3 pieces of electrical stuff, as I want the spots on its provided switch, but won’t be on if the high beam isn’t (ie, for oncoming cars I can dip the high beam and turn off the spots with a single flick of a switch).

Then all I have to do is get the bike from its present 4800km to 10,000km before end of February, so she can have a service and then she’ll be all ready for the trip south.