I've at last got round to moving my oil cooler. Instead of using a Touratech kit I did it myself. I got a bracket from BMW which is used for the oil cooler on an R100RS which was A$38. I then got a mobile hydraulic pipe service to come round and make it on the spot. One of the guys I phoned didn't want to do such a small job. I was charged A$120 for the work. At least I could get them the exact length to suit the job. I believe the Touratech pipes are a bit short. It seems to work just fine and has it much better protected. For the hot weather I've also fitted a sump extension which increases capacity by about 1 litre although there is some discussion about it's relevance. Any ideas?

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Tim ('91 R100GSPD)

The only baggage you carry should be in the panniers

Nice!
The Touratech pipes have smaller diameter and should be avoided! You could also have used BMW pipes but I don’t remember from which bike..


When it comes to sump extensions I would say:

Pro:
Slightly lower oil temperature
More oil, increased service interval

Cons:
Decreased ground clearance
Longer warm up time for the engine

For my kind of driving I don’t see any point in installing a sump extension. For my R100 I use oilcooler with a thermostat and for the R80 I don’t use a cooler.

I'm just about to fit an old /7 sump to my R65 monoshock for extra ground clearance. This obviously reduces the sump capacity, so i've also ordered an oil cooler to keep the oil cooler, and a temp gauge dipstick to monitor the difference. Can anyone think of any major problems that i haven't thought of? I'll be setting off for a 6 month trip to Africa next week, so hopefully it works.
Sean

If the height on the pan differs you might run into problems with:
-Pickup (different part numbers, not sure if the block is ok)
-Dipstick

….and there will probably don’t be holes to attach a bash plate.

SeanH,

With the reduction in oil capacity on the R65 you'll probably need to change oil more frequently than the recommended interval so be sure to take extra filters and such.

If it were me I wouldn't be making any major changes to my bike a week before heading off on a six month journey through Africa. Unless your R65 has been lowered you probably won't have any ground clearance issues that a bash plate couldn't solve. If you really, really need to increase the ground clearance then you would be better off increasing the suspension travel rather than modifying the engine.

My 2 cents...

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Ekke Kok

'84 R100RT 141,000 km (Dad's!)
'89 R100GS 240,000 km (and ready for another continent)
'07 R1200GS Adventure (sitting in Germany waiting to go RTW in 2012)


www.ekke-audrey.ca

I have to add my support to Ekke's comments. I think you have better options around increasing ground clearence or guarding the engine. I wouldn't consider that to be the weak link in the R65's capabilities - I think that tires and suspension will limit the bike's abilities in rough terrain more then the extra 3-6 cm's will address.

Far simpler to guard the sump with a substantial rock guard, and skip the possible complications from this modification. One issue with oil pickup will cook the engine pretty quick.....