I have taken the leap into the BMW world with hopes of expanding my experience opportunities. I recently purchased a 2018 R1200 GSA Rallye. It has some goodies on it, but I am looking for some of your insight on farkles as they relate to making this a long distance and rally-ready steed.
My initial impressions are very positive. Without adding an aux tank, I have roughly the same fuel range as my Harley did with a 5 gallon Aux tank. I have added a set of pegs to the crash bars for additional riding positions. I have switched my phone to a quad lock case and charger set-up, and that seems to be working well. I have ordered a bar riser to give me some lift there.
I am getting a little more wind on my ever-dwindling pectoral muscles. I suspect I will need a wider windshield. @Greg Rice lists a FJR windshield on his list of farkles on his 1250, so I hope he chimes in here, or I will have to stalk him at an event.
I had a RTIC 1 gallon cooler in a Yeti bracket on the HD. The cleanest looking mounting option on the GSA looks like it involves drilling the pannier. I'm not sure I'm ready to do that yet, so I may purchase a MotoJug cloth carrier to see if I can make that work.
I am working on a mounting solution for two GPS units and my radar detector. This will replace the Nav Prep mount above the display. The wiring will be an experiment with the CANBUS system. I know what I could get away with on the HD, but this is all new.
I also have to figure out a tire set-up. It came with new tires (Dunlop TrailSmart), but they are being discontinued. I have been reading good things about Dunlop TrailMax Missions, Michelin Anakee Adventures, and I'm also not ruling out a car tire. I'd be interested in hearing what experience you have had with any of these and how they worked out for longevity and versatility.
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Lew
My initial impressions are very positive. Without adding an aux tank, I have roughly the same fuel range as my Harley did with a 5 gallon Aux tank. I have added a set of pegs to the crash bars for additional riding positions. I have switched my phone to a quad lock case and charger set-up, and that seems to be working well. I have ordered a bar riser to give me some lift there.
I am getting a little more wind on my ever-dwindling pectoral muscles. I suspect I will need a wider windshield. @Greg Rice lists a FJR windshield on his list of farkles on his 1250, so I hope he chimes in here, or I will have to stalk him at an event.
I had a RTIC 1 gallon cooler in a Yeti bracket on the HD. The cleanest looking mounting option on the GSA looks like it involves drilling the pannier. I'm not sure I'm ready to do that yet, so I may purchase a MotoJug cloth carrier to see if I can make that work.
I am working on a mounting solution for two GPS units and my radar detector. This will replace the Nav Prep mount above the display. The wiring will be an experiment with the CANBUS system. I know what I could get away with on the HD, but this is all new.
I also have to figure out a tire set-up. It came with new tires (Dunlop TrailSmart), but they are being discontinued. I have been reading good things about Dunlop TrailMax Missions, Michelin Anakee Adventures, and I'm also not ruling out a car tire. I'd be interested in hearing what experience you have had with any of these and how they worked out for longevity and versatility.
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Lew