Grizz's African Ofdysey - The ride of a lifetime.

[grizz]

Greetings from Cape Town where I am at the moment.

I am on my iPhone so cannot post pics but thought a link to click on would help to share this.

My brother and I are doing a 5000+ km memorial motorbike ride for our parents who both died quite a few years ago.

CLICKY LINKY.

http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=106063.0

I will updatehttp://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/i ... c=106063.0 this thread with mostly photos once I have a normal PC in front of me.

Today will be spent trying to sort out the old airhead BMW R100GS that is my steed for this ride.
It is idling at 3500rpm when hot

[Vedette]

Good Luck with your Ride Rian.
Got your e-mail ......will respond when I have a minute.
Good Roads
Brian

[rmef27]

this should be cool to follow along with

[grizz]

Thanks all.

Spent today with a bright young 21 year old trying to find out why bike was idling at 3500rpm when warmed up.

Some of the findings includes gunk in both carbs
Half the Namib desert under the tank, in every hole.
Bike has Fiat Uno distributor. VW CDI units and one coil was dead. Now has Suzuki coil........
Every electrical contact opened, cleaned and then WD40'd
Also made up a frame to keep the soft pannier bags out the spokes and off the Zorst

[CliffinGA]

Great story Rian but let me guess, you wrecked the trials bile and hit your head?

Cliff

[Bogo]

Today will be spent trying to sort out the old airhead BMW R100GS that is my steed for this ride.
It is idling at 3500rpm when hot

If you have mechanical timing advance, check for sticky spark timing advance parts, and weak centrifugal advance springs. I think the test for the springs is to get it warmed up and idling fast, then shut off the engine via the key, and when it winds down below 800 RPMs, turn it on again. It should fire up and idle normal or just slowly creep up to the faster idle if the springs are the issue. It may also be simply that the carb was last tuned when cold. Of course if yours is new enough to have electronics, then ignore this. I used to have an R-90 S that had been given full RT fairings.

[grizz]

Long story short.....

XT600's do not like deep river crossings, but BMW GS's seem to be OK with it.

Some updates and photos main thread, linked above.

My brother towed Jupiters XT some distance, then we pushed it through knee deep water... Then towed it further to a farm where it was dumped for recovery in two weeks time.
After this, Deon and Jupiter were two up on his 1150GS.
We had some serious dirt road and then tar roads to do.

Doing 120km/hr on the dirt roads at times.

[grizz]

Back in Cape Town since two days ago.

Done about 6200km and taking the Whale back today.

I am so thankfull to have been able to do this ride with my brother and because Nicola my wife encouraged me to go.

Full report when I get back to the UK.