Preparation and choice of the motorcycle

Cet article est également disponible en : Français

The motorcycle is a BMW R 100 GS of 1991, which I bought for the African road trip of 2003.

At first I’d rather choose an R 80 GS but I could not find any with a low mileage at a reasonable price.

In fact, my initial choice was the Africa Twin or the R 80 GS, so the R100 was an imposed choice.

Anyway these motorcycles are all very heavy for long trips out of ordinary tracks and I must confess that I hesitated to ride it again for the next trip.

The weight is the main enemy for any trip, and for many reasons:

• Some tracks are so impracticable that riding alone with a heavy motorcycle is reckless, unless you weigh more than 100 kg and are a weightlifter
• A big and heavy motorcycle consumes much more gasoline and once the tank is filled the initial problem is amplified.
• The weight causes a faster wear of the tires, hardly replaceable in some parts of the world

So the rule should be to pack light. In my opinion a 250 would suffice for any trip.

Still, I decided to go back on the tracks with the same motorcycle, not always for objective reasons:

• It has a simple and reliable mechanic that I know now
• It is not too difficult to lift it for a man thanks to its cylinders
• I like driving it, although in certain circumstances I rant against its weight. I must say that the time has probably erased from my memory some hard periods it had made me live
• This bike is a real driving comfort as long as you don’t drive in the mud, and whatever the difficulties.
• In the end and above all, it’s totally irrational: I love this bike, I suffered with it and traveled with it. I am very attached to her “chugging” and it is my traveling companion … for better or worse.

 

 

Initial preparation (African trip 2003/2004)

 

For the curious, here are the main points of the preparation done for Africa:

• Complete mechanical overhaul of the bike and replacement of all wearing parts with new ones (including the clutch disc)
• Protection of the electric beam with a waterproof silicone sheath (to be sprayed on the beam)
• Change of original Seat by a single saddle seat.
• Change of front mudgard
• Move the oil cooler in order to protect it from possible falls
• Change of bottom of housing, aluminum one
• Wrist guards
• Welding of a larger plate on the basis of the side stand (in order to Jack up in soft ground)
• Wider feet rests
• Changing the tank for a bigger one – 45 liters (plus fuel filters)
• Reinforced shock absorbers
• Additional removable head light
• Cigarette lighter connected (in order to recharge electrical appliances)
• More powerful horn (siren)
• Changing the rear carrier in order to receive a gas can of 10 liters.
• Installing a new duplicate clutch cable duplicate “ready to assemble”
• Aluminum luggage and reinforced luggage track. The set of bolts provided by the supplier were replaced with larger diameter bolts.
• Tank bag with card holder
• “Washer” allowing to adapt all terrain tire at the back (specific to this bike)

 

After 16 months trip, the conclusion was as follows:

 

What was useless:

• The additional headlight, which broke in the early falls. (I have always respected the golden rule: never ride at night, even if the tent has to be pitched in unlikely places. This avoids express delivery of a rim by airplane … is not it Luc J

 

 

What was useful: everything but especially

• The waterproof protection of the electric beam. I have had no problems despite conditions of extreme humidity in the rainy season in the tropics.
• the plate on the side crutch
• Doubling the clutch cable. When it broke in Tanzania, 10 minutes were enough to trigger the new as it was pre-assembled.

 

What was missing or perfectible:

• The saddle, too hard, poorly shaped, painful after several months of travel.
• The air filter: original part, so I needed to have spare, not heavy but bulky.
• Horn: animals are totally insensitive to the sirens (however, very convenient to break through some very congested capitals :-)). It is necessary to have a horn like “trumpet”.
• No water reserve on the bike
• Aluminum luggage, too fragile, poorly contoured (luckily I had the ratchet straps to fix the bike, since the origins ties were literally torn off during successive falls).
• The seals of the pushrods should have been changed
• The clutch disc should be changed by a ceramic disc and not an original disc.
• Bearings (steering, swingarm) probably should have had been changed before departure

 

Mechanical problems during the trip (excluding breakage and standard wear of the parts – The bike was completely revised in CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA):

• Steering bearings and swing arm
• Disc clutch (changed in South Africa. When I saw it I still don’t understand how I have ridden without problem)
• Shock absorber and gimbal (after about 40 000 km both broke down at about the same time)
• Tumbler stem seals
• The starter (replaced by a second hand Bosch in Ghana, more solid than the original Valéo which did not resist to the vibrations: polar masses, simply glued, were detached)
• Ignition wires
• Fork seal that broke down several times, I think because of a slightly veiled fork

 

What has never been a problem:

• The engine
• The frame and wheels
• The electric beam

 

 

 

Current preparation

 

Thanks to my experience, here is the preparing for the second trip. Basically it remains the same, I have just focused on a refurbishment of the bike done by CASTERA JEAN:

• Change all wearing parts and various oils
• New exhaust pipe
• Second hand front fork
• New brakes stirrups
• Aviation hose
• New side stand
• New housing guard
• Repackaged shock absorber
• Alternator refurbishment
• Carburators refurbishment
• Change of the carbons of starter
• Gasoline filter
• New hoses
• Reboring of the engine
• New timing chain
• Small turning lighting
• Bubble shield
• New saddle (in progress, it will be a separate article soon)
• New aluminium Luggage (the former is unrecoverable)

 

What have not been done for the previous trip::

• Washable and reusable air filter
• Aluminium handlebar
• Ceramic clutch disc
• Electric beam to be replaced
• Water tank attached behind the seat (this is in my opinion the best place: both protected from the sun and from the fall. Right now the reserves were fixed on the front but it does not suit me. Two reasons: too much weight on the front and too exposed to falls)
• Horn supercharged (I think I will fit a Goldwyn horn, I am seeking for a second hand one not too expensive)
• Replacement of the gearbox by a reconditioned model with Kick