R1200RT, List of little things / solutions / ideas etc.

[cjmkerns]

I thought a thread of little problem solvers, nifty ideas and so forth would be kinda interesting and would maybe shake out some things for us all to share. The model is new and certainly differs from the previous one.

 

I'll try to start.

 

Clean RAM mount for MyFy. I'm going to check the clutch reservoir cover to see if it is substantial enough to drill the middle to mount a #RAM-Socket (uses a screw from the back side and only $11 from Cycle Gadgets)

 

Ty-Wrap garage door opener to back side of radio button holes on non radio equiped bikes. Then drill a hole in the snap in cover to rig a floating button that pushes against the one on the garage door opener. A black nylon screw with a nylon nut on the back side and trimmed to the proper length should work. The snap in cover will flex when you push on it.

 

Mount a cigarette lighter socket for your cell phone charger under the snap in cover (use the same Ty-Wraps holding the garage door opener) and tap the power outlet for switched power. Route the power lead to wherever it is needed for the cell phone.

 

I'm thinking of drilling my tank bag rack and fashioning some mounts for my Big Mak Tank Bag's platen. That way the bag mount won't have to be unscrewed from the gas filler in order to start removing panels.

Big Mak, I know you can do this better than I.

 

Anyone found a fender extender for the front fender?

 

Come on Guys & Gals. These are all new bikes an' we need to do stuff to 'em.

 

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[Isettanut]

My door opener is velcrowed inside the top flap of the bmw tank bag. Push the aft end of the flap and its done. But then I always carry the bag. LEON

[pigtrotters]

Anyone found a fender extender for the front fender?

 

I wanted one badly and couldn't find one. I couldn't wait either (for the road grime to sandblast my pipes), so made one. The instructions are here. -->>> http://www.geocities.com/regan_in_oz_2/FenExten.html

 

Or try this link http://www.bmwscruz.com/w_catalog/R1200RTEngl.pdf

(Curtesy of Spiro)

 

R

[cjmkerns]

Saddle bag reflectors on a red R1200RT.

I found the Round 3M peel & stick film reflectors typically found at Walmart for about $2.50 almost disapear into the red paint but when lit from behind let following traffic know how wide you are. I set mine in the rounded area at the top & at the widest points. See attachment for normal light viewing.

[cjmkerns]

And now the reflectors lit from behind. With headlights on them these are as bright as any you've seen!

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[cjmkerns]

Mirror Retaining Loops.

 

9" 30 lb test stainless fishing leaders from Wally World. Clip on one end, swivel on other. See Attached picture for how I routed it.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[cjmkerns]

Ram mount on clutch reservoir cover. Used a SS screw and brass washer on both sides. Have about 3,400 miles on no problems. Keeps MiFi out of mirror view and it doesn't hit my Big Mak tank bag. See Attachment.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[cjmkerns]

Here is the Big Mak Platen mount mentioned in the first post. When the tank rack is removed to remove panels for service the platen goes with it. Used 1"x1" aluminum angle up front and 3/8" aluminum rod for the aft support bar. Nothing is in the way of the filler cap when fueling.

 

See Attachment.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[cjmkerns]

Here is another shot showing the platen in place.

 

Ya, I know. I had to resurect my own dead thread , but I thought there might be someone interested in these.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[cjmkerns]

Garage door opener tywrapped under snap in radio button cover. A black screw trimmed to the correct length serves as the button that can be located by feel by my clutch hand as I slow in front of the house.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[cjmkerns]

THIRD power socket on right rear of tail section and wired via weather protected in-line fuse to the battery. The undrilled right side location was drilled with a 3/8" bit then carefully open up to fit the Powerlet socket with a Dremel. I used the backing washer and a felt tip pen to mark the hole size for my Dremel use.

 

With the Battery Tender plugged in.

http://bmwsporttouring.com/files/601967-DCP_2915.JPG

 

From the inside.

http://bmwsporttouring.com/files/601970-DCP_2914.JPG

 

At the battery.

http://bmwsporttouring.com/files/601973-DCP_2921.JPG

 

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[lawnchairboy]

thanks for the pics...and assisting the "renching" challenged...

 

chris

[lawnchairboy]

no wiring for actual battery connection included with the powerlet itself from cycle gadgets? Guess I will be off to the old radio shack for that stuff.

[cjmkerns]

Chris,

 

I would go to the hardware store. I used 2 conductor 18 ga appliance cord. The kind you can peel the 2 insulated conductors apart on, aka lamp cord. It is tough and easy to route and tywrap in place. AutoZone had the inline weather protected fuse holder. You will need 2 crimp on female spade connectors for the Powerlet connections. At the other end you will need a splice connector (or solder & shrink tubing) to connect the inline fuse holder to one side of the lamp cord, and ring connectors for the other side of the lamp cord (goes to - side of battery) and the inline fuse holder (goes to + side of battery). The center conductor on the Powerlet should be +, the outer conductor -.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[BobsST]

FYI - the 'kits' that come from powerlets use #14 wire and have a 15 amp fuse. However I used #18 and a 5 amp fuse on another bike and have never had any problems with the largest load being a 3.5 amp vest.

[lawnchairboy]

many thanks Carl, VERY helpful for the technologically challenged like myself.

 

chris

[TEWKS]

I have not done this yet, but I may have the plastic oil cooler grill painted to match the main color of the bike. Also I would like to make a mesh screen to attach to the back side of the plastic grill. The oil cooler is open to road crud.

[dancogan]

Thanks for all the neat ideas, especially since winter seems to have arrived today! Many projects for the months ahead.

 

[Warren_H]

I'm thinking about having the grill painted and top case painted. There is a mesh screen in the Wunderlich 1200RT catalog Part No': 8500149 no price listed. I checked the BMW of Santa Cruz web site that normally have Wunderlich parts but couldn't find this one.

[BOOCH]

Regarding the front fender,Sprint Manufacturing in England makes a replacement rear front fender ( Carbon Fiber ) for the R1200RT,it's expensive-$128.73 which includes delivery to the USA.

Steve

BMW of Santa Cruz,the Wunderlich folks told me that they have the fenda extenda on order,but no idea on delivery.

[Richard G]

Thanks for the photos.

The plug you added is a regular cigarette lighter size outlet,correct? If I do this, I can use a regular battery tender for the bike?

I have one already but it is an older version.

Do I still need a newer one to be gel cell compatible?

Doing it this way just lets me off the hook of buying BMW's

Can-Bus compatible one, right?

 

Thanks, Rich

[cjmkerns]

Rich,

 

No, same as BMW Socket.

Yes.

Not in my opinion. Do you HAVE a Gel battery?

No, it also allows the the use of more High current devices without tripping the CANBUS, or use of devices with the engine off.

 

Regards,

 

Carl

[Richard G]

Thank you for the replies.

I havent had the battery out of the bike but I am sure the dealer told me it was a gel type.

I thought all the new R12RT had gel batterys.

 

Rich

[Chunky]

After reading all the little fixes I didn't notice one that's been talked about & done. That would be the addition of handlebar mirrors so you can actually see behind you. I've got a set of round GS mirrors on my RT and as a result my hands aren't in the picture anymore. The fairing mounted ones that come with the bike are only good if you're worried if the sidebags have fallen off. IMHO

[jakfrost]

Finally found 'Sprint Manufacturing in England' but could only find reference to Triumph bits. Nothing for BMW...are there 2 'Sprint Manufacturing' sites??

I am keen to get a form of fenda extenda on the bike before I venture out on the VERY dirty roads around here this time of year. The bike has only 1 km on it now and I would like to have the protection in place before I sandblast the lower bits...

 

Jim

[John Bentall]

Correct - they show nothing for BMW. You will have to e-mail or call them.

 

Regards,

 

John

[Mainuh]

Carl, good thread... Keep the ideas coming guys! I'm picking up an 05 RT Saturday, trading a GT. I had the Big Mak on the GT, but was able to sell it for $200 on the IBMWR marketplace. I figured for $75 difference, why not just have a new matching bag for my RT?

 

I'm curious how you guys are mounting GPS units? I have the Garmin 276C. Was able to use a handlebar mount on the GT, but look like a reservoir cover for the RT? Any other options? Have seen the RCU shelf, but that's quite high with the additional 3" or so sitting on a ram mount. Any ideas or photos on GPS mounting would be appreciated.

[Brimoon]

Don said....I'm curious how you guys are mounting GPS units? I have the Garmin 276C. Was able to use a handlebar mount on the GT, but look like a reservoir cover for the RT? Any other options? Have seen the RCU shelf, but that's quite high with the additional 3" or so sitting on a ram mount. Any ideas or photos on GPS mounting would be appreciated.

Don -

I also have a 276C or my 12RT. I first had it mounted on an RCU shelf but wasn't satisfied with that arrangement because the GPS would vibrate or bounce with every bump in the road. (Also, I just don't like the look of shelves on a bike.) So, I am now using a mount specifically made for the new RT by Motorrad Concepts in Scotland - see the photo below. This mount is made of machined aluminum and was designed with the Garmin 26xx and Quest series in mind, but it works very well with the 176/276/376 series.

 

The Motorrad Concepts (MC) mount uses the cradle that is part of the Garmin marine mount that comes with the 267/376 GPSs. The holes in the cradle line up perfectly with tapped holes in the MC mount, so it's a very simple matter to attach the cradle; it's also very simple to attach the mount to 12RT - no need even to remove the windshield. This arrangement works very well for me - it's solid and it puts the GPS where I can see it without taking my eyes away from the road, yet it does not obstruct my view of the road ahead. It also looks like it was made for the bike - which it is!

 

Ping me back if you would like to see more photos or if you have any questions.

Brian

[Brimoon]

Sorry, I see that the photo included in the above postwill no longer show up in it, so I'm sending it with this post as an attachment. Please click "Attachment" above to view. Thanks!

 

Brian

[Mainuh]

Brian, That looks pretty nice! It looks like you still need the shelf as a base though? Where did the shelf come from... RCU? Thanks for the photo! Wish I had known that when I was over in Scotland in July, maybe I could have visited their shop! Anyway, thanks for the info. I'll check into that today. My buddy and I are both picking up new R1200RT's Saturday and looking forward to accessorizing them over the long Maine winter...

[Brimoon]

Don - No, there is no shelf required. The Motorrad Concepts mount is only one piece. It has a center section (where the GPS cradle is attached) and two "wings" that sit on top of the R12RT instrument panel. The wings attach to the bike by removing the two screws above the panel and replacing them with two, slightly longer, screws that go through each wing and hold them in place. All of the shelves that I've seen, including the RCU, extend out over the instruments; the MC mount does not. It is flush with the lip of the panel above the instruments. This is what gives it a much more "built-in" appearance and also what keeps it from bouncing over every bump in the road.

 

I have a few more photos which you should be able to see here.

 

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

And congratulations on the new bike - you're gonna love it!

 

Brian

[eruff]

Bob,

 

Could we see a photo of your mirror additions?

 

-Eric

[BoxerChief]

I ordered and received the MC GPS mount for the 12RT and it is a beautiful piece, very high quality and matches the dash finish perfectly. I decided to dynamically test the setup before I went thru the trouble of wiring it all up. After mounted up the NavII cradle and unit installed it looks even better...but...I didn't make it out of the neighborhood before I realized it was not going to work for me. Although it is securely mounted, the additional load on the dash allows too much movement and shake on anything but a very smooth road. So I decided to return it, would you believe what the folks at Adventurers Workshop told me? ..."No problem Sir, we are happy to refund your money". No problems, no questions asked, just plain polite! What the hell is up with that? Seriously, those people are top notch. I had bought a Kaoko throttle lock (very nice piece) from them for a 12GS and got the same great service.

 

Jody

[dyvking]

This is what gives it a much more "built-in" appearance and also what keeps it from bouncing over every bump in the road.

 

Brian

Brian.. do you notice the vibration in the instruments mentioned by Jody? I'm considering this piece as well, but not if it tweaks and vibrates.

Thanks,

[BOOCH]

On 11-22-05,I got an e-mail from Sprint.The Fender is 55( pound sterling ) and post to the USA is 25 pounds.

Steve

[Brimoon]

Brian.. do you notice the vibration in the instruments mentioned by Jody? I'm considering this piece as well, but not if it tweaks and vibrates.

Thanks,

 

No, I do not. I'm not sure why Jody had a problem unless the Navagator II weight and cradle design affected his installation - mine is a 276C. It could also be that the screws that attach the MC mount to instrument fairing were not completely tightened; they can feel tight before they're fully tightened down.

 

Because of its "wings" the MC mount spreads its load over a large area of the fairing above the instrument panel compared to something like the shelf designs and unlike those, it's not cantilevered out over the instrument panel, so there's much less strain and vibration transmitted to the panel. I used a shelf before getting the MC mount and I can tell you there is a world of difference!

 

I can't think of a way to mount a GPS above the instrment panel (where I want it) that would be more stable and secure than the MC mount.

 

Brian