Hello from Portugal

Pete Rock

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Sep 26, 2018
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Portugal
Hello,

My name is Pedro, and I live in Portugal, during the week near Porto, and during most weekends near Lisbon.

I own an R1200GSA that I got new at the beginning of 2016, been to Morocco on it twice with my girlfriend, and am quite happy with it. It´s done 35000km now, it was such a revelation touring on it after my previous R1150GS. I bought it as a tourer scrambler to go two up on, and it's proved great at that. Never missed a beat, never used a drop of oil, and made everything easier for me and my passenger.

Now that the warranty is over, I'm thinking of maybe fixing a couple of things that annoy me a little on it, so decided to join here looking to find answers. I´ve never had biking friends and am not one to ride in groups or go to hangouts, so don´t really know many people with bikes.

What annoys me the most on this bike is how my right foot gets hot at constant sedate motorway speeds or slow offroading. I would like to fix it without making it way noisier as I do like a quiet understated ride.

Ran it almost since new with K60s (loved them for sedate touring without punctures and Morocco), and just now decided to try TKC70s, am really happy that the bike now feels so smooth and quiet on tarmac because of the new rubber, and road cornering is quite enjoyable now. Doesn't feel so planted on dirt roads, but you can´t have everything. However, somehow the bike now feels a couple of inches lower despite being on max ride height, I wonder if the tires are substantially smaller. Feels weird, but I could swear it was taller before. I have thought of measuring it against other bikes but mine has got a standard suspension and i think all other bikes I see on the road are ESA equipped.

Also, that space between fuel tank and seat gets on my nerves, water gets a nice clean stream to the ecu box. Doesn´t seem right. Will have to find some kind of rubber seal but can´t imagine it not looking like a botch. One of the things needing correcting is the puny stock horn, when passing trucks or tractors on very narrow country roads it's good to know your warnings are heard.

I have thought about fitting a smaller screen because of head buffeting with the stock screen, and to improve airflow to the helmet, but I do ride a lot of motorway and cannot stand it when I put the standard screen lower than highest setting. I keep taking the screen off entirely when just going for slow rides that include dirt roads, but it's too much air force on the head and shoulders once speed gets to motorway levels (not fast, 120/130kmh). In hot weather it gets so still behind that screen that I am pondering buying an open faced helmet and ditching my C3Pro during summer months.

Anyway, happy to be here, and will search around to see what people have been doing to fix these niggles.
 
Hi Pedro

Welcome to the site. You'll find plenty of good advice here.

In respect to the different screen, I have fitted the Wunderlich 'Flowjet' screen to my GS, and found it great in the warmer weather. Virtually no buffeting, but there is an increase in noise at high speeds, athlough I can still easily use my intercom system, even with earplugs in. Below is a link to the Wunderlich page. Nowadays I have seen them cheeper on ebay etc.
Ah, just noticed that you have a GSA, so not sure if the screen will fit:nenau.

https://www.wunderlich.de/shop/de/wunderlich-windschild-flowjet-42730-002-1.html

As regards a louder horn, I've a Nautilus Stebel fitted. Sounds like a huge truck horn.
 


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