The so called XC, the story that shifted me in dimensions has now left and it is the time to warm up to something new for the next level.
Not that I know much about it yet but shall know in the times to come.
My beloved G650 XCountry has been dispatched to the new owner and my next lady the G650 XCountry is in the making.
It was a hard decision to part away from one to let the next one come in. Never thought this would be the case that I would let this go but due to the fact that LB07 has left the marks that needs to let me build myself all again. I hate to say but sometimes the memories haunt you that you spend so much time with your objects to create moments with them and then you have to part away. Atleast our objects are better than the most human relationships.
All is well and good, in the world as long as I keep riding. Sometimes I just ride to get rid of what was in the past, like a roadsign that you just crossed and it only deserved to be spotted once and never to be seen again.
I was after a 21″ front and that is where it all began… where it ended – well, that is an unsaid story for now but like my dearest friend Wolf says – rider of the dark cloud*, must live in the dark. So I tried to get rid of one dark cloud to enter into another one.
Transitions from one XCo to the next XCo would take me some getting used, for I have to understand a lots of unknowns, yet to make a bond and then finally get myself in the grips of it under my bum. I welcome you shortly to the next level of where this life goes, MarlenkaZ is coming or call it DarkCloud2.
BMW motorcycles
BMW G650 XCountry – Axle Nuts Upgrade
The never ending tiny little collection of changes one needs and wants to keep doing as long as they have this old lady with them. I have not really thought much about these things but over period of time, these small little things have become a gradual progress and big help in the times of travels.
Not quite sure what the BMW was thinking when they want to put everything on their bikes to the non-standard availability of what is out there in the market. Call it monopoly but I do not like it that each time I want to open something small, it gets restrictive with how much non standard items one has to clear out of the way. Although should be simple but it isn’t if you are out of tools or a proper workshop. Just under a tenner for both these nuts, so quick picks and now over to getting them on.
A bit of reference also, pointed by Matt at his blogs here : I managed to grab the KTM 27mm Axle nuts reference.
I dropped an email to the KTM Vienna and they were lightning fast to reply back that they have axle nuts – 50310099000 (x2) in stock.
Collected the same day, and there I was.
Now I can grab the 27mm wheel nut wrench with an ease, so I am able to adjust my wheel chain whenever far and away from places. Thinking of the lighter T6-Almunium CNC keys, with the functionality of being able to also fix the punctures on the move. I will share that once I grab the pair of keys but lighter is my choice.
BMW G650 XCountry – Rear disk and pads replacement
It so happens that there was an on-going discount on the parts and I managed to find a matching disk to my specifications for this G650 Xcountry and supported by my friend to lend his expert help, this couldn’t get any better. Double whammy, for the perfect timings. Brembo’s were double the price and then alternatively TRW LUCAS has a matching disk as per the retailer, with a part number 10043491.
Being a self-novice at these things, it was good to get my act together getting my hands dirty and self rolled into the grease and grime. Lovely part, if this can turn you happy, even a bonus.
I replaced my both front and rear axle nuts to 27mm after reading lots of other riders comments about how hard it could be to find 26mm when in the middle of nowhere and also the fact that the original 26mm hex nut ends up losing its shape and the grip on its shape not being long enough and rough edges makes it harder over period of time. More on this here.
Loosened up the rear Axle nut and let the side screws on the chain loosened up all the way to the front as in the pic below to allow the Axle block become free. Pushing the axle rod out was easy enough job with gentle push from the right side with gentle boot tap on it.
Keep an eye on the spacers, and keep them separate as both sides differ. You will notice that they are not same and generally I do not see how you mix them up but still, try to keep them separately. Left to the left, and right to the right. Will help you in the later stage to run them back in easily.
When removing the rear sprocket, keep an eye on the rubber grommets holding inside the hub of the wheel and their directional weights. The ligher(smaller) side of the grommet runs in the direction of the wheel while the bigger part of the rubber grommet sits on the back of second block after the lighter one.
Replacing the disk thought was more so triggered by the fact that I was about to replace the rear pads. But then the warp made me re-consider the disk swap too. Previously on my other Fazer, it went on for as far as 70,000miles without a first replacement.
As a precautionary note, take care that the disk side of the wheel is always on the top when working, also when replacing any tubes or punctures as well.
When putting the bolts back on, work on them in the bi-directional channel of tightening them up. That ways, you are sure to not mess up anything and also equal distribution of the tightening before putting the final locking pressure on these bolts.
Note: When replacing the disk pads, the rear metal plate on the side of the inner master cyclinder side, needs to be replaced from the older pad. There is only one, on the inner side of the master cyclinder.
Now the reverse procedure to get the wheel back on and the adjustments of the sliders to adjust the bolts to tighten up the chain slacks. There are markers on the both side of the swing arm base, so you should be able to align them equally, leaving them unequal will put your wheel out of balance.
I had a long ride to get back home so I tried stopping, starting, resetting the bike by nothing changed. It would go away for 2-3seconds when I start riding but as soon as the Picked up the speed, it would come after every 100mtrs. Also, when braking hard, I can instantly feel that there was no ABS in the rear, while the front was untouched and works perfectly fine.
So, the fun part begins, need to get the ABS light and the rear ABS to work again. More on this on my next blog here.
Mileage read out is 37500kms at the time of replacement.
BMW G650 XCountry – Bar Raisers
Story continues….
I acquired the bar raisers while I have been digging them around from the people who still have parts or selling parts from their old ineherited X bikes.
On a recent trip to NL, I was lucky to find a donor and it was very interesting, landing up at someone house at the middle of night and going through their stash of X treasure. Is kind of thing, you won’t do at all in normal cases but there is nothing normal in my case ever.
I managed to grab a bit more than just the bar raisers, in this case a much desired a metal bar for the handlebar, and a sensor, if I may ever need it again, who knows, these parts become more of rare ones to find with time. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I bought this bike but this has been ever increasing investment ever since.
Along the process, of acquiring these parts, I also become friends with the donor, in this case the circle of friendships continue along its journey.
So as my donor(now a new friend), mentioned it to me – I may need adjustment with the routing of the throttle cable, I have not needed it but I plan to do this in future. I was able to add the bar raisers fairly without much struggle.
Photos below: fairly a simply swap, so far
But something that was mentioned above – the re-routing of the throttle cable is required. I realized this only, when the bar was completed turned towards the right side, this increase the throttling on its own. I didn’t experience any issues while riding since, such turns are never possible unless you are in the sad part of unavoidable crash! I leave this to the next time when I will have to completely remove the airbox. I will combine this with the next big work when all plastics needs to come off.
BMW G650 XCountry – Thousands Clock (Live)
Ever since I have started riding, I always enjoyed each time I reached a thousand figure.
The greatest ever was the first 100,000 miles on my blue Fazer before I crashed her but that I think deserves its own post but for now, I am going to keep all my mileage tracker to share with those who want to see how my tracker goes.
I never missed a thousand read on my moto in the good experience of however long I can remember, is a kink! if you may want to say.
Here’s the live ticker for facts and figures. I do not want to share the dates but there is a good 3 weeks between each of those thousands figures.
| Distance | Location | Country |
| 29000 | 47°25’36.3″N 15°18’10.8″E | AT |
| 30000 | 47°25’36.3″N 15°18’10.8″E | AT |
| 31000 | 48°13’02.3″N 15°57’21.9″E | AT |
| 32000 | 48°03’32.9″N 15°50’01.6″E | AT |
| 33000 | 48°05’42.1″N 16°00’28.8″E | AT |
| 34000 | 48°02’54.9″N 15°47’42.1″E | AT |
| 35000 | 48°41’58.5″N 16°48’53.8″E | AT |
| 36000 | 49°05’06.7″N 15°45’09.0″E | CZ |
| 37000 | 47°52’03.8″N 15°47’38.2″E | AT |
| 38000 | 48°06’32.0″N 16°18’40.0″E | AT |
| 38043 | STORY ENDS | AT |
If someone has an app, that automatically allows me to tap my pictures on the map with geo-loc, I would love to share it. My old windows phone used to have it but now, the gmaps doesn’t allow me the same. Please share in the comments if you have one, you know of.I love numbers, so there’s plenty more I can do with the data I have including my fuel mileages and unbelievable little things from time to time 🙂
Enjoy the reads!
FreeBirD 