OK the trip ended abruptly in northern Pakistan, but we had done some 7,500 miles on crap roads and no roads to get there
In any case the F800GS has now done 36,000 miles
36,000 great miles I might add
So how did the bikes and the equipment fare? Wunderlich helped me no end by giving me stuff to test and evaluate... no holds barred, saying nothing here that I haven't already told them
Throttle lock ... great piece of equipment
Seat ... slopes forward and so uncomfortable when braking downhill. A pre production test piece, I hope they listen
Engine protection guard/oil filter/heat exchanger ... Fiddly to fit, over the top and takes twice as many mounting screws, some small and fiddly, to mount, in comparison with the BMW piece. Having said all that it doesn't even protect as well as the BMW one, leaving the lower engine nearside and offside, the lower exhaust, unprotected
Trax Panniers ... They leaked from the outset, the frames are flimsy and bend oh so easy. Held together by Zuz quick release fasteners the frames and panniers bent at a drop from standstill and for the rest of the trip were out of alignment. Sue dropped her bike several times in the Gobi desert four years ago and the Hepco Becker panniers/frames never flinched! I guess you get what you pay for! The locks could easily be 'sprung' ... not impressed
Rear hugger ... a bit of a fiddle to fit, but it certainly kept the rear suspension unit clean
Wilbers suspension ... supplied by Wilbers and a revelation. Bloody fantastic. The front springs and oil, and rear unit, made soooo much difference
Pivot Pegz ... great piece o' kit. They made standing on the pegs sure footed. Beautifully made they should be mounted on a wooden plinth and displayed in your dining room
Tank Bag ... the Wunderlich tank bag is the tops. No reservations 10 out of 10. Does what it says on the tin
Peli camera case ... fitted as a 'top box' was the tops too. No dust, grime or grit got in there. Wired with a 12v car cig lighter outlet I was able to charge the mobile phones, iPods and Samsung NC10 lap top while in there
The DID chains fitted to both bikes never even needed adjusting
Samsung NC10 laptop ... top piece of equipment. WiFi in several hotels, able to download and re-size photographs, and compose updates even when camping, to send later
I must load it with more games than Mahjong for the next adventure
GPS - BMW Navigator III+ ... Maps of Europe down to street level, otherwise the track logs were downloaded on a regular basis for the website.
GPS - Garmin Quest ... Great piece o' kit, had the World map installed and otherwise used as a compass to the days end destination
Sue's TTR 250R
Larger 22L petrol tank
Home made pannier frames to keep the Australian 'AndyStrapz' throwover panniers in place. Worked a treat, were more waterproof, sandproof and crashproof than the Trax panniers I totally agree here with Timolgra that maybe soft throwover panniers are much better for the real rufty tufty overlanding adventurer than hard cases could ever be
GPS - Garmin Zumo 550 with maps of Europe installed and the World Map on an SD card
Two bits of equipment neither of us would do without?
1) a pair of Crox
2) an iPod
Maybe nothing to do with the engine protection plate, probably just a 'one off' but after many miles in roadworks a small stone had been thrown up in to the radiator fan housing. When later, riding in to Quetta, the fan was asked to come on, it couldn't, and the engine overheated and spewed boiling water all over the instruments and inside of the windscreen. It's a testement to the strength of the engine that no lasting damage was done, but for a moment is was touch and go
Riding together, a Yamaha TT250R and an F800GS we averaged the same mpg, about 80 ish. We were able to wave and smile to people, stop and talk. At greater speed we would have missed soooo much.
Couldn't miss the fecker that turned in to Sue's path though. Even Houdini couldn't have got out of that one
1) Pannier frames
2) Twisted pannier frames
3) Well they leaked before
4) Hugger keeps the Wilbers clean for sure
5) Pivot Pegz
In any case the F800GS has now done 36,000 miles
36,000 great miles I might add
So how did the bikes and the equipment fare? Wunderlich helped me no end by giving me stuff to test and evaluate... no holds barred, saying nothing here that I haven't already told them
Throttle lock ... great piece of equipment
Seat ... slopes forward and so uncomfortable when braking downhill. A pre production test piece, I hope they listen
Engine protection guard/oil filter/heat exchanger ... Fiddly to fit, over the top and takes twice as many mounting screws, some small and fiddly, to mount, in comparison with the BMW piece. Having said all that it doesn't even protect as well as the BMW one, leaving the lower engine nearside and offside, the lower exhaust, unprotected
Trax Panniers ... They leaked from the outset, the frames are flimsy and bend oh so easy. Held together by Zuz quick release fasteners the frames and panniers bent at a drop from standstill and for the rest of the trip were out of alignment. Sue dropped her bike several times in the Gobi desert four years ago and the Hepco Becker panniers/frames never flinched! I guess you get what you pay for! The locks could easily be 'sprung' ... not impressed
Rear hugger ... a bit of a fiddle to fit, but it certainly kept the rear suspension unit clean
Wilbers suspension ... supplied by Wilbers and a revelation. Bloody fantastic. The front springs and oil, and rear unit, made soooo much difference
Pivot Pegz ... great piece o' kit. They made standing on the pegs sure footed. Beautifully made they should be mounted on a wooden plinth and displayed in your dining room
Tank Bag ... the Wunderlich tank bag is the tops. No reservations 10 out of 10. Does what it says on the tin
Peli camera case ... fitted as a 'top box' was the tops too. No dust, grime or grit got in there. Wired with a 12v car cig lighter outlet I was able to charge the mobile phones, iPods and Samsung NC10 lap top while in there
The DID chains fitted to both bikes never even needed adjusting
Samsung NC10 laptop ... top piece of equipment. WiFi in several hotels, able to download and re-size photographs, and compose updates even when camping, to send later
I must load it with more games than Mahjong for the next adventure
GPS - BMW Navigator III+ ... Maps of Europe down to street level, otherwise the track logs were downloaded on a regular basis for the website.
GPS - Garmin Quest ... Great piece o' kit, had the World map installed and otherwise used as a compass to the days end destination
Sue's TTR 250R
Larger 22L petrol tank
Home made pannier frames to keep the Australian 'AndyStrapz' throwover panniers in place. Worked a treat, were more waterproof, sandproof and crashproof than the Trax panniers I totally agree here with Timolgra that maybe soft throwover panniers are much better for the real rufty tufty overlanding adventurer than hard cases could ever be
GPS - Garmin Zumo 550 with maps of Europe installed and the World Map on an SD card
Two bits of equipment neither of us would do without?
1) a pair of Crox
2) an iPod
Maybe nothing to do with the engine protection plate, probably just a 'one off' but after many miles in roadworks a small stone had been thrown up in to the radiator fan housing. When later, riding in to Quetta, the fan was asked to come on, it couldn't, and the engine overheated and spewed boiling water all over the instruments and inside of the windscreen. It's a testement to the strength of the engine that no lasting damage was done, but for a moment is was touch and go
Riding together, a Yamaha TT250R and an F800GS we averaged the same mpg, about 80 ish. We were able to wave and smile to people, stop and talk. At greater speed we would have missed soooo much.
Couldn't miss the fecker that turned in to Sue's path though. Even Houdini couldn't have got out of that one
1) Pannier frames
2) Twisted pannier frames
3) Well they leaked before
4) Hugger keeps the Wilbers clean for sure
5) Pivot Pegz