Road testing my rebuilt R100GS PD

Follow-up to BMW R100GS definitely almost finished soon soon from Transversality - Robert O'Toole

On Friday evening, I got my GS Paris-Dakar back from Nu-Age Kenilworth Motorcycles (thanks to Nick, Bill and all their helpers for lots of hard work). The police-specification electrics are all working well. Only two glitches: the speedo connection from the gearbox to the Acewell digital speedo has stopped working; on my first run, after half-an-hour, the clutch started to scream - I took it back, and Bill adjusted the setting. It's now fine. No, in fact, it's absolutely magnificent - just as an Airhead Gëlande Strasse should be. A bit quicker and more responsive to the throttle than before the rebuild. And without the fairing and screen, it's much smoother, with less air turbulence. And much more fun. Naked bikes feel faster, and more "involved". I did an hour's worth of riding today, getting it up to 70mph on the A46, and testing it out thoroughly on the b-roads. I'll try to use it every day this week, and at some point take onto a green lane to see if being 20KG lighter improves it's handling on dirt.

The rebuild is complete. For a while. I'll have another look at the electrics, to tidy them up and get the speedo working. And then perhaps a bigger front disk will be the next development.

Here's a full tally of the work that i've had done:

Frame, sub-frame and various components powder coated;
Nuts and bolts replaced with a stainless kit;
Downpipes and silencer replaced with a Keihan stainless set;
Fork seals replaced;
Push-rod seals replaced, and stainless steel tubes added;
Tank, mudguards and side panels repainted (fairing removed);
Headlight replaced with twin lights;
Instruments replaced with an Acewell digital system;
Timing chain replaced;
Carbs refurbished;
Pistons and heads de-coked;
1 exhaust valve replaced;
Alternator, diode board, regulator, hall sensor all replaced with improved versions;
Serviced;
Cleaned and polished.

The starter motor was replaced recently with one of the "improved" Valeo starters.

So now, I hope, it will do another 85,000 miles until the next major rebuild.

Robert O'Toole : 11 Jul 2010 20:36 |  Tags: Bmw Gs |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem