2001 Dakar

[akbeemer]

IÔÇÖm about to purchase a 2001 Dakar with 7000 miles on it. I decided I have to have one of these bikes after riding my wifeÔÇÖs 07 GS650. The bike appears to be the stereotypical ÔÇ£only ridden on dry roads on weekendsÔÇØ bike.

Any tips from ownerÔÇÖs of this model/year on what to look out for or farkles that must be added?

 

[sgborgstrom]

Let's start with the obligatory "Surf over to f650.com and all your questions will be answered".

I have a 2001 Dakar too. Fun bike, but you knew that. I'd ride it for a bit, visit the chaingang site and see what strikes your fancy. At 6'-0" tall I found that a set of TT adjustable footpegs and bar risers has made the bike fit better both sitting and standing. The BMW solo-seat option is not as comfortable as the stock Dakar seat, though it is a bit lower and has that nifty storage compartment.

The Jesse bags on mine are great, others swear by Happy Trails. With the exhaust already making the back end a bit beamy, it's easy to get your luggage wider than the bars.

Some kind of fork boot. The accordions work on mine, others have had issues.

That ought to get you started. What is your intended use for this bike? That might help narrow the suggestions down a bit.

 

[akbeemer]

I'll be using the bike almost exclusively for trips on dirt roads. While there will be some asphalt driving to get to the dirt, most of the trips will be on unpaved roads such as the haul road, Denali Highway and the Taylor Highway here in Alaska.

I was just trying to determine if the 01 Dakar had any particular quirk I should be aware of.

 

[railbender]

Some of the early bikes had problems with stalling & surging. There have been several computer remaps to correct this. The quick & easy way is run regular gas and an iridium plug. I put the plug in my '01 GS, which I got in '06, before I even rode it and have run nothing but regular with no problems.

 

[TheRoss]

Some of the problems with poor running stem from not following the starting proceedure. After turning on the key you must wait for the temp light to go out, then hit the start button and hold it down a second longer than you think you need to. At least following that corrected all surging and stalling on my 2001 Dakar.

Fork boots.... I really like the ones from Dirt Skins. I got a pair of long ones (for the Dakar) and a pair of shorts ones (I put on my RT) as a package deal for like $25. They also sent a free T-Shirt. Let me know if you need the website.

I LOVE my Wolfman Denali tank bag on this bike, and I use the Caribou Storm cases. I wanted metal panniers because I like the look, but when it came time for dropping the coin, the Caribou system was the thing for me. And I have been very happy with the product and the service from Roger.

 

[AKThumper]

are you sure?

perhaps the F800 would be more your style?