F 650 Dakar weak spots???
 

Leon and I will be starting a ride from Capetown to Cairo in a couple weeks. I'm on an '02 Dakar, Leon is on an '03 Dakar. We'd like to know what has stopped other '02 '03 model Dakars in their tracks. What has actually failed on these bikes? We'd appreciate answers along the line of...."my '02 Dakar suffered a broken clutch cable at 15k, 30k and 45k..." Our hopes are to carry the right kind of parts to keep us on the move. Both our bikes have the "usual" upgrades. If this thread can keep on topic, it'll be a boon of info. Many thanks in advance, H.

Hook,

There was a very recent thread here that 'kinda' addressed what you're looking for.
Rene and Happy had some good links to problems they'd experienced.

Hey LR, moments after I posted this thread I saw that post. I'd still like to know what specific parts might spare us some grief- by knowing what has caused others the same- without travelling with a support vehicle! We are carrying plenty of tools and parts; but as we used to say, "there's alway one more thing." Thanks for the heads-up on that post. H.

I posted f650.com on the other site.
They truly love their toys....

Rene Comier has a list of spare parts he considers essential see renedian.com .

Here y'go....

Clutch cables, I've got through three in 52000 miles
Fuel injector pump (take a spare, just the Bosch part instead of the whole assembly)
Fork seals, blew at 35000 & 42000 miles
Suspension linkage bearings & bushes stuffed within 40000 miles
Water pump shaft & seals (apparently these can go 'anytime' so take a spare)
Fuel pressure regulator/filter, easily killed by dirty fuel
Fuel injector
Timing chain tensioner (mine fell to bits around 25000 miles)
Frame bolts (they shear, replace with hardened steel instead of stainless)
Rear shock, gas leaked out (45000 miles)
Steering bearings, now on my third set, originals were made of chocolate (use SKF)
Battery died around 35000 miles, replaced with a reinforced 12Ah one & so far so good

Good things to do :-

Re-usable K&N air filter
NGK Iridium spark plugs last for ages & the motor runs better
Put *lots* of dielectric grease in every connector so stop corrosion (wish I'd done that!)

Hope that helps,

Bob

Thanks loads guys. Christ Bob, I just might fly instead! Thanks again, and keep the info coming. I feel lucky with my horse; I have some 27,000kms south of the US border without a problem- not even a flat. Again, we're looking for specific parts to carry that might enable a road-side repair. H.

An Argentino rode two horses (Mancha & Gato) from Buenos Aires to the World Fair a long time ago....four 'hoof' drive, good suspension & gas mileage. Dont know if touratech do boxes of racks for them. ;-)

Getting parts has been an issue in S.America so I'd expect Africa to be more challenging. Luckily I've had lots of help from BMW London when I've needed to order stuff, I'd recommend taking a few cases of beer to your nearest dealer and asking nicely if they would do the same for you.

Other things that spring to mind :-
- chain tension adjusters on the swing arm work loose & fall off
- take some shims so you can check/reset the valve clearances
- ignition lead can easily rub against things & that screws it up
- stones get caught between the radiator & frame making a hole (plug it with foam)
- oil sump plug is made of chocolate, very easy to round off the head (take a spare & 22mm 6-point socket)
- copper grease the fork brace bolts or they'll seize & shear when you need to change fork seals
- fork bushes last around 50000 miles & mine are on the way out

My bike has had a hard life so its no surprise I've broken stuff, but I'd still rather eat worms than ride a Honda.

Funny....:)

...message too short...

Another info source might be the Strikin' Viking. His breakdowns were filtered thoughout his RTW trip. He has a huge thread on ADVrider that would take you months to search. But I think in a couple places he out lines maintenance, spare parts commonly needed and things he liked and didn't.

I wish I could direct you to link that would summarize this. Maybe contact him. Overall, considering the load and the beating the bike took, it did "OK".

Seems to me his biggest problems were related to broken chassis parts: rear subframes, pannier hardware, shock mount and similar stuff. Lots of stops at
welding shops IIRC. He's a big guy (maybe 230 lbs.) and carries quite a big load. He also IS NOT mechanical and seems to miss a lot of stuff that is trying to give warning signs of needing service. So these issues may not be strickly the bikes fault. Hope this helps.

Sounds to me like Bob (Happy Hacker) has this bike well in hand and has really
sussed all the iffy areas. I'd go with everything he suggests.

Sounds like a great trip. Have fun.

Patrick

Well...I have to confess I'm good at breaking things.

Dont be put off by my list of mechanical woes, the F650GS is a great bike and mine has taken a hell of a beating.

Enjoy your trip !

Bob

There were also some 'unknown' elec and FI problems.

Bob and Patrick, thanks for more input. I do alot of what is called ¨preventive maintenence¨ in the aviation world. This means replacing parts before they fail. This can be a costly approach to riding, we'll see how it pans out over the years. Ride safe everyone.

I'm not sure the year that they switched, but I know my 06 Dakar has a 24mm or 15/16 sump plug. I purchased a 6 point 15/16 socket and ground the bevel off. It works much better for removing the thing, and no danger of rounding the corners. That socket goes with me on any trips long enough to warrant an oil change.