The Bike - The Gear

ZIGGY - 2006 BMW R1200GS Adventure

Purchased with 17,000kms in July 2012.

Tested around Australia for a year to refine gear and improve skills on the bike.

Ready to leave for a round the world trip in February 2014 with 48,000kms.

MODIFICATIONS:
Headlight and Oil Cooler guards
Removed pillion seat and GSAdventure rear rack and replaced with Alt Rider aluminium plates
Rear shock protection -  MudSling
Akropovic Muffler
Lightweight Lithium Ion Battery
LED Spotlights
Heidenau K60 Scout tyres front and rear

GEAR:
Giant Loop Great Basin 50L soft bag
Ortlieb 49L Waterproof Rack Pack
Ortlieb 24L Waterproof Rack Pack
ZPacks Hexamid Solo-Plus Tent
ZPacks 900 Fill Power Down Sleeping Bag (Rated -1C)
Exped Ergo Hammock Combi
Exped Synmat UL 7 LW - Sleeping Mat
Helinox Chair One Camping Chair
Whisperlite International Stove (runs on Unleaded Fuel)
900mL and 1.4L Titanium pots
First Aid Kit (Lightweight, Waterproof)
Toolkit (1.5kg Total)
Cycle Pump Motorcycle Compressor
Clothing - Light travel clothes
               - Layers of warm clothing
Merrell Trail Glove Barefoot Shoes
Merrell Sandals

RIDING GEAR:
BMW Ralleye 3 Jacket and Pants
BMW Motorrad Protector Jacket
Forma Adventure Boots
BMW Motorrad Rainlock 2 Rain Jacket
Lightweight Overpants
BMW Enduro Helmet
BMW GS Summer Gloves


8 months in - How is the gear going?

Tyres: 
Heidenaus lasted 20,000kms and never let me down. I bought a new set in Guatemala City for a good price. I could have gone further on the originals but unsure where I would find the next set. I plan to ride a bit more gently and get 25,000kms out of this set!

Camping Gear:
I've camped probably four nights a month on average. Everything is performing as expected and no breakdowns with gear. My sleeping bag at 0C degrees had me shivering. Need to get one rated at -10 or -15. I'm a cold fish!

Riding Gear:
My Protector Jacket is falling apart in the mesh arms. After nearly 60,000kms on this bike and a bunch of dirt riding on another bike, it has completely protected me when I've fallen - a few times now!
It is critical in above 40C degree riding where no jacket is suitable. Coupled with an evaporative vest I rode all day in up to 47C in Australia. Shame they don't make them any more!

Likewise my gloves covered the same territory as the jacket and finally formed a couple of small holes. I replaced them in Guatemala City but still keep the originals as spares.

THE BIKE:
At 73,000kms is running like a dream. I have had a few lighting problems. I replaced the brakelight globe in Australia and again in the US. Finally found a faulty switch near the front brake lever and that was replaced. The globe blew twice more and I now have discovered that the plastic mudguard on the rear wheel - that broke off in Australia (a common issue) - actually allows water to fly up into an opening below the globe terminals and foul them, causing the brake light not to operate. Repaired with duct tape!

The headlight blew twice. First time the adjuster mechanism - a ball and socket - popped apart causing the headlight to flap up and down, blowing the globe. I good thorough mechanic found and fixed the problem but replaced the globe with 100W instead of the standard 55W. This eventually blew and melted the wiring terminals connecting it. All replaced easily and now no problems.

OILS AINT OILS!!
Mineral oil (the natural stuff) is used in Mexico and Central America. I had the oil changed at a BMW dealer in Mexico and he put mineral oil in. I had been running synthetic for 40,000kms.
Now the synthetic oil is modified so the molecules are all the same size and it forms a protective layer over the metallic parts of the engine. When mineral oil was put in it scored/scratched the protective layer. Mineral oil has large and small molecules, all different sizes. When I replaced the oils with synthetic again the bike started using oil, at one stage 1L in 4000kms. I was told this is not unusual for a boxer engine but for MY boxer engine it was panic stations. I had never used a drop between oil changes before - every 10,000kms.
So the microscopic story I was told is that the smaller synthetic molecules were escaping through the scores from the mineral oil and over time the protective layer will build up again and get back to normal. That's EXACTLY what happened. No more oil use at all between changes now.

BATTERY:
To my knowledge I still had the original battery in the bike when I was preparing for the RTW trip. I didn't want to take any chances so I bought a new Lithium Ion battery. Eight months later it died, leaving me stranded in dodgy-town, El Salvador. Not impressed. I'm still chasing up warranty but I lost the battery, that I had strapped to the bike, along a rough dirt road in Nicaragua!