Spares ?

Hi just wondering what spares to carry for my 05 1200GS. I plan on some back country trips this summer [ trans Labrador hwy] and am thinking about putting together a repair kit including tools and spares/breakables.

Extra tire repair parts, headlamp bulb, some wire, and lots of cable ties. GS specific parts I may carry include a set of the rubber bash plate mounting pieces and a set of the break-away hand guard mounts. Since BMW changed the hand guards you can no longer order the break away part for your bike... but the parts for the HP2 are exactly the same even though they have a different part number.

i always carry a set of tie-downs, just in case i might need an unexpected ride in the back of a truck.

Other than a spare Hall Effect sensor for my 1150, I bought one of those small plastic fishing lure boxes and made up a kit full of tire repair tools, spare nuts, bolts, washers, fuses, bulbs, valve stems, duct tape, electric tape, JB Weld, safety wire, zip ties, and a 12mm hex wrench for my rear drive.

i have a pic of this somewhere, will post later if i can find.

I also carry a BestRest CyclePump...



ian

ps => if you missed Dr. Dave's article in "Always an Adventure, don't forget your First Aid kit... and water.

Rope;

I good length of hardy rope is a must! My plug in tire compressor is another with lots of tire snakes. Cable ties, the HEAVY duty ones, I mean big duty type sold at most hardwares. FIRST Aide KIT of some good quality items inside. Adventure MedKITS is one type brand. Read recent BMWON article. Another really great item: JBWELD of some type, mix or sticks are always a welcome carry along for me. Electrcal tape, a couple rolls of this stuff and some 12-14 gauge wire. Voltmeter, tester. Water carrying capacity, anywhere on the bike is a must! Smaller items I throw in are valve stems for the tires, fuses,razor blades,hand cream/cleaner, some gas hose,clamps,etc....This list can get crazy and go on and on. Even though I go really prepared, I rarely need most of the items and many can be bought on the trail, within reason. My most used items are probably the tire items, compressor and water to drink. The rest are kinda secondary, as you must survive FIRST. Happy Trails Randy

I think the two common parts that can strand you are the fuel pump controller and the antenna key ring. I have the RT but I think the GS is the same. You can get a bypass cable or carry the FPC. I usually don't worry about "luxuries" like light bulbs. Will you be riding off road in the dark? If not, who cares, buy one when you are back on the street.

I do like the heavy duty wire ties, duct tape, JB weld, and rope or tow strap. If a bike breaks down, a tow strap will help.

Tire plugs as mentioned.

I also carry a crash bag. If a crash occurs, there is often a bunch of broken little stuff to carry home with the bike.

RoboRider said:

I usually don't worry about "luxuries" like light bulbs. Will you be riding off road in the dark? If not, who cares, buy one when you are back on the street.

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Might depend upon local conditions. It is often 40+ miles to the nearest place to buy a bulb once I hit the street. That's a bit more than I want to ride sans headlamp if I get delayed past sundown.

RoboRider said:

I do like the heavy duty wire ties, duct tape, JB weld, and rope or tow strap. If a bike breaks down, a tow strap will help.

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Good suggestions. I keep a tube of JB Stik on the bike. It's been there so long I forgot about it. Might be time to replace it. I've also some electrical tape and spare fuses for my accessories as part of the kit.

RoboRider said:

I also carry a crash bag. If a crash occurs, there is often a bunch of broken little stuff to carry home with the bike.

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Another good suggestion.

Yeah, the light is very dependent on the situation and bike. The RT has two low beams and a high beam, and I have two PIAAs, so whenever I drop a light, it is no major catastrophe for me. I'm not sure about the GS.

I also did the HID light upgrade which gives a ton of light even with one low beam out, now that I've adjusted the aim. I hear HID lights last a LONG time, which would be nice, as changing bulbs in the field is not my favorite task.


On a recent LA to Vegas off road ride, my buddy seized the engine on the Husqvarna. That's why I thought of the tow strap. We really needed that to get him out of the desert.

One final thought is that if you are group riding, you can share the load like we do backpacking. Not every rider needs to carry every spare if the group stays reasonably together.


I don't think it applies to the off-road trip, but I carry 4 feet of coiled 3/8 ID clear hose as a siphon. SO MANY of my fuel tank challenged buddies have run out of gas!

My RT is like an AWACS bike for them....

Thanks good suggestions. I'm about to mount my first set of karoos any suggestions about air pressure I'm about 260 and pack about 80 lbs of gear when camping . Anyone carry tubes to get the bike home with a damaged tire, Changed a few of them 30 years ago on dirt bikes I grew up on. Is their anything a person can do about the antenna key ring or does it have to go to a bmw dealer? I will be making up a fpc jumper.

You can field replace the antenna ring. But you can't jury rig it like you can the jumper. If a group is going, at least one of you should have one. Replacing is pretty easy. You can break the cover off the broken one, remove the cable, plug into the new one, then just hold it near the key to start up. It can dangle after start up.

You can remove the screws and do a proper repair at home. There was a recall on the rings, and I guess if you have a "good one" you should be OK, but since it is a catastrophic failure that is easy to fix, I carry one.

shooter55520 said:

Anyone carry tubes to get the bike home with a damaged tire, ...

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I haven't carried a tube in a long, long time. I do, however, carry 3 kinds of plugs and a couple of tubes of the RTV goop that goes with some of the plugs. Doing that must be excellent karma as in the last 7 or 8 years I've only had to use my gear to help out fellow riders, never on my own bike.

Now I've probably jinxed myself and will get a flat on the way to the dealer to replenish my goop supply since it's been a long time since I've done so and the old stuff is probably hardened with age.

shooter55520 said:

Hi just wondering what spares to carry for my 05 1200GS. I plan on some back country trips this summer [ trans Labrador hwy] and am thinking about putting together a repair kit including tools and spares/breakables.

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For me this varies depending on where I am riding. The more remote the ride the more spares I carry. There are some other parts which I stock and have packaged at home then those can be sent out UPS/FEDEX/etc as needed.

But in general I carry the following spares with me most of the time.

Tire repair items, (tube f/r, patches of various size, tire plugs of various size, valve caps, valve core, valve core tool)

Electrical Repair items, various connectors, electrical wire about 12 feet, electrical tape, tiewraps, 2 spark plugs, and spark plug helicoil, duct tape, solder.

Liquids- distilled water about 3oz, oil 1 quart, brake fluid 4 oz

Adhesives - JB weld, Superglue.

A good but light weight tool kit, feeler gauges for valves and sparkplugs, foot pump to inflate tires, good set of tire irons.

Bikes wiring diagram.

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure I missed some things.

Backroad ADV

PS----If I'm really remote I might carry and extra shifter lever, some extra cables for clutch/brake/tires/etc -depending on type of bike and length of trip.

But today the cell phone can cut down on a lot of this stuff especially with a good towing plan.

if you are running tubeless tires and bend a rim - easy to do on the trans lab - carrying a tube will get you down the road till you can find a new rim.

Polarbear said:

I good length of hardy rope is a must! My plug in tire compressor is another with lots of tire snakes. Cable ties, the HEAVY duty ones, I mean big duty type sold at most hardwares. FIRST Aide KIT of some good quality items inside. Adventure MedKITS is one type brand. Read recent BMWON article. Another really great item: JBWELD of some type, mix or sticks are always a welcome carry along for me. Electrcal tape, a couple rolls of this stuff and some 12-14 gauge wire. Voltmeter, tester. Water carrying capacity, anywhere on the bike is a must! Smaller items I throw in are valve stems for the tires, fuses,razor blades,hand cream/cleaner, some gas hose,clamps,etc....This list can get crazy and go on and on. Even though I go really prepared, I rarely need most of the items and many can be bought on the trail, within reason. My most used items are probably the tire items, compressor and water to drink. The rest are kinda secondary, as you must survive FIRST. Happy Trails Randy

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All good stuff! I have some smaller zip-ties + a couple of the HUGE ones that are used to secure HVAC flex duct - these are about two sizes beefier than the ones the police use for handcuffs

For a voltmeter I use the $3 Freight Harbor Salvage unit. I marked the date the battery was installed then bubble-wraped & shrink-wrapped it twice with the office shrink-wrapper. One of those vacuum baggers for food would keep moisture out of it as well. Also ... a cliff bar is handy from time to time

I think a spare kit is good for any bike regardless of dirt or asphalt as you never know what can happen. I keep the goods on the bike at all times.

Wrap up -

I mean wrap, pack and secure items you carry to prevent them from damage due to vibration and bounce while packed away. No point in carrying new tubes if the foot pump packed next to them rubs a hole in them. Loose bolts and nuts in a container polish nicely just like in a rock tumbler. Light bulbs should be in foam...Carry a headlight and tail light bulb - If you are off by yourself, for what ever reason, where ever you are at night when the headlight bulb goes out, that is where you'll be come sunrise.

Slime

Nobody mentioned Slime, but it has saved me a few times and I know it works. I still carry all my tire snakes and kit, but those pesky leaks can sometimes be hard to find and Slime stops them great. I do not run it in the tire regualarly, but carry a bottle for emergencies. Works. Randy

Hi Mike

Not sure if anyone mentioned it but if you have plastic fuel quick disconnects I would suggest getting the metal ones installed before you leave or get some clamps, hose and connectors where you can at least repair it on the road. My 2004 has the plastic and they will break , just give them time. Have a good trip.
dwb