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So my girlfriend wanted to get a bike...
- Thread starter Ocho
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- Friday
There are lots of people making crash bars for the GSA. AltRider, SWMotech, Touratech, BMW, etc...
My GF put a hold on my spending so I’ve yet to get anything else but I’ve got something planned soon. My priority right now is to protect the bike from further get offs.
My main concern is that for the GSA the only two compatible engine crash bars (as of right now) are BMWs and Alt Rider’s. Alt Riders has a different color tint (they’re not metallic) so I’m thinking they would look weird with the upper stock bars.
Since I don’t have the tools to bend my bars back to their original state, I was thinking of buying another set of BMW engine bars but this time add this extra support to prevent them from bending easily. However, this is not cheap. I’m also not sure if they will work as expected with the reinforcement bar. As luck would have it, it looks like some guy in Adv Rider wants to give me his bars. If he does I will proceed with this plan.
The second step will be to add the MAM valve protectors.
Lastly I want to buy the pieces of plastic Touratech sells to protect the final drive/swing arm.
I have decided I want soft bags but have yet to come to come to a decision. Might need to wait for those, all are so expensive.
Not gonna lie, every time I see some adv/dual sport video I get sweaty palms every time I see mud or water lol. I’m still trying to get this out of my head.
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I have the Touratech covers for my 1200 because they were on the bike when I bought it. They suck. They are basically disposable after one good hit. I had a parking lot drop at 0 mph. The left cover bent inward pretty good and the outer metallic cover snapped off. It did protect the head though. Another thing is that dirt and small bits of gravel get down between the head covers and the protectors. If you don't get this cleaned out, it will start scuffing the head covers. So while the head covers may be mechanically intact, the finish on them will get pretty scuffed. I think I am going to replace the Touratechs with these MAM protectors.
My swing arm was fine when I dropped it, but that plastic ring around the center hole in the final drive got gouged a bit, so maybe a better protector there might be good. What I really need is something to protect the side of the swing arm from the heel of my left boot when I ride with the ball of my feet on the pegs.
I have the Giant Loop Round the World pannier bags. They came with the bike. I used them recently for a two up DS trip with my son for six days of riding in the Smoky Mountains. They hold a lot. They come with inner dry bag liners that worked well in the rain. The main bags are also supposed to be dry bags and they stayed dry as well. They are easy to mount and dismount if needed each day. They do require some kind of mounting bracket frame though. I think my bike has the Touratech frames.
I have the same problem...
Dahveed
0
Congrats (I think). I did not realize you got married.
While water and mud can be slippery, its the moss that is the ultimate evil. And after the strom-a-rama thing in Kerrville, I'm a little shy of moisture on the road.
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Strom A Rama.....!
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Sent from my LML212VL using Tapatalk
Yeah, it might be the way to go,
Bought some new parts to install, hopefully get them next week. Most of them will cover up the scratches haha.
Regarding the bars, I talked to Alt Rider and the 2019 GSA compatible engine bars aren't even out.
I talked to CznBob and he'll take a look at straightening out the bars to fit Touratech's reinforcement bar (when he's back later in the month). Went with the cheaper option.
Regarding the bars, I talked to Alt Rider and the 2019 GSA compatible engine bars aren't even out.
I talked to CznBob and he'll take a look at straightening out the bars to fit Touratech's reinforcement bar (when he's back later in the month). Went with the cheaper option.
I received the parts this past Thursday and I installed most of them Saturday.
What I didn't tell when I crashed couple of months ago, was that my Touratech Side Stand enlarger had actually popped two of the three screws. When I got home I noticed it was hanging by its life, fortunately I didn't lose it all. It did get scratched so I assume it touched the pavement when the bike went down. I called in to ask if I could get a replacement sent with my pending order and they complied! They sent the pieces missing to install it again, free of charge.
Fixed again. You can see the scratches, that side is pretty much all scratched. I also think I may have it installed it wrong the first time. Yes, I suck wrenching. I messed up something this simple.
@Tourmeister was right and the seat can become uncomfortable after some time. I usually wear my Moto Skeevies and it's manageable but I remembered I had this back when my Versys had the stock seat. It's been working great and I even feel I have better posture on the bike now.
I've been scouring ADV Rider (etc) to see what parts I should add. The consensus on these two ones seems favorable (side stand switch & front abs protectors).
Finally, what I should have had before I dumped the bike. At least it covers some of the scratches. However, no matter what I tried, I could never get it to align. I even checked a Youtube video and the guy couldn't either. Maybe it's not perfect but it fits a bunch of years models?
Closeup
I noticed mid installation that I had somehow cracked the plastic. I was simply trying to screw it in all the way per the instructions. I suspect something might be wrong with my setup but I couldn't figure it out. It seems solid, though. I rode around maybe 50 miles and nothing seems to be falling. Sucks if I messed up a $250 dollar piece of plastic...
Not pictured the Touratech reinforcement bars. I will take the bike to CznBob (when he gets back from his trip) to see if he's able to bend the crash bars and install the reinforcement. It's either that or $700 of new crash bars.
I'm now at $1,448.33 (plus some taxes) in parts (and possibly up to $2000 in unrepaired damage).
I also have a list with $3,995.27 of things I want haha
. Moto life huh?
Bonus pic:
My girlfriend and I doing parking lot drills on our one year anniversary some weeks back.
What I didn't tell when I crashed couple of months ago, was that my Touratech Side Stand enlarger had actually popped two of the three screws. When I got home I noticed it was hanging by its life, fortunately I didn't lose it all. It did get scratched so I assume it touched the pavement when the bike went down. I called in to ask if I could get a replacement sent with my pending order and they complied! They sent the pieces missing to install it again, free of charge.
Fixed again. You can see the scratches, that side is pretty much all scratched. I also think I may have it installed it wrong the first time. Yes, I suck wrenching. I messed up something this simple.
@Tourmeister was right and the seat can become uncomfortable after some time. I usually wear my Moto Skeevies and it's manageable but I remembered I had this back when my Versys had the stock seat. It's been working great and I even feel I have better posture on the bike now.
I've been scouring ADV Rider (etc) to see what parts I should add. The consensus on these two ones seems favorable (side stand switch & front abs protectors).
Finally, what I should have had before I dumped the bike. At least it covers some of the scratches. However, no matter what I tried, I could never get it to align. I even checked a Youtube video and the guy couldn't either. Maybe it's not perfect but it fits a bunch of years models?
Closeup
I noticed mid installation that I had somehow cracked the plastic. I was simply trying to screw it in all the way per the instructions. I suspect something might be wrong with my setup but I couldn't figure it out. It seems solid, though. I rode around maybe 50 miles and nothing seems to be falling. Sucks if I messed up a $250 dollar piece of plastic...
Not pictured the Touratech reinforcement bars. I will take the bike to CznBob (when he gets back from his trip) to see if he's able to bend the crash bars and install the reinforcement. It's either that or $700 of new crash bars.
I'm now at $1,448.33 (plus some taxes) in parts (and possibly up to $2000 in unrepaired damage).
I also have a list with $3,995.27 of things I want haha
. Moto life huh?Bonus pic:
My girlfriend and I doing parking lot drills on our one year anniversary some weeks back.
what a cute couple
StromXTc
0
Ocho, don't worry about that bike so much. Most of that stuff you probably would have to point out to someone for them to even notice. I understand the new bike thing , however, My point is that the bike is yours to serve you, not for you to serve the bike.
Yeah, I'm not worried. I'm not planning to replace anything, I bought the bike to ADV. I assume it will get scratched again at some other point.
I do want to reinforce the bars for when I drop it again. I'm still somewhat nervous of sliding out in slick crossings. I guess I got to try again and conquer my fears.
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You can always walk it across, or even turn around. No shame in either.
In my view, one of the most underrated and least appreciated adventure riding skills is knowing when to turn around and having the fortitutde to do it even under pressure from other riders to continue onward. This is why we see so many riders get injured, especially in group events where they don't want to be "that guy". Riding beyond your abilities does stretch your abilities and help you grow in skill as a rider. It can also result in serious injury to the rider and/or bike. The trick is to stretch that envelope in small steps and under circumstances where an error is less likely to lead to dire consequences. It is those big steps that get you. Being able to discern when the steps are comfortably small or dangerously large is a vital survival skill, one that more of us should encourage rather than ridicule when a less skilled rider can't "keep up".
Got a new box today. To make this work with the Alt Rider rack + Givi adapter required adding a piece of foam to stop it from rattling around. Got the backrest pad for 2up and the net on the lid.
Thanks to @Cuznbob and his superb services I got the Touratech reinforcement installed and the bars are back to the stock position.
The Machineartmoto xhead covers should ship next week, might need to remove the bars again but hopefully install will be easier than when Bob fixed them.
Next purchase will probably be some side bags. I'm thinking about the Lone Rider semi rigid soft bags.
Thanks to @Cuznbob and his superb services I got the Touratech reinforcement installed and the bars are back to the stock position.
The Machineartmoto xhead covers should ship next week, might need to remove the bars again but hopefully install will be easier than when Bob fixed them.
Next purchase will probably be some side bags. I'm thinking about the Lone Rider semi rigid soft bags.
StromXTc
0
You will be ready for Starbucks in no time
viffer07
0
the surprise is yet to come!! wait till she gets tired of the "beginner girl's bike"
viffer07
0
good luck!! have you looked at the super sherpa??
Aren't the Himalayan and the Versys 300x similar in size? I've sat on both. Or are you talking about a Versys 650?
this thread, regarding the new rider - not the extensive farkeling going on-- reminds me of an old thread, wonder if anyone remembers it. a woman, new to riding AND had never learned to ride a bicycle. wonder what she's doing now?
Nope, 300. I’ve sat in both and the Himalayan definitely feels lighter plus it’s not as tall.
The Himalayan is actually about 40lbs heavier. However, it does indeed have a low seat height. Regardless it's a cool bike. Don't know how soon you are looking to buy but I'm interested in the supposed KTM 390 Adventure. Hopefully it actually makes it stateside.
SwampFox
0
I haven't ridden one past a parking lot, but the Himi does carry it's weight well. Also, the long stroke engine with torque at lower rpm's should be easier for a novice rider. I suspect I'd like it as well.
