Gaiters like Germans. Not just in the Northern Territory...

[Ross]

Ross, I love the look of gaiters on RS and RT bikes. Also S bikes. Thing is, on my RS, without gaiters it looks like a hugely fat woman with skinny skinny legs. The gaiters fix that.

So, I had gaiters on my RS. Then, the fork wouldn't turn all the way. Then, I put the stock fairing boots on but got discouraged gluing to white painted body work. I drilled small holes and used zip ties, electrical ties, whatever you call them. I still wish I had gaiters and maybe those like you have wouldn't limit my steering lock. I think there's a GS (BMW) version that's somewhat like what you have. I'm going to start looking for them again.

Also, thanks for saying what "mushies" are. I was thinking they were smashed up peas. I dig mushrooms. Peas, not so much. OK, snow peas in my salad, good. Cooked ones, no thanks.

Chuey

I took the fairing boots out a while back. They had started to come to bits.

[Zombie Master]

Riding around without gaiters is like waking around with your zipper down sans underwear.

[Ross]

Riding around without gaiters is like waking around with your zipper down sans underwear.

Is that why I get so cold down there????

[Duane Ausherman]

I am not sure that one main reason for gaitors is understood, at least it doens't show in this thread. They do protect the seals, but they do it by protecting the fork tubes from getting dinged by rocks. A dent in the fork tube will eat up a seal in a few minutes.

Of course Dirt isn't nice on the seals.

[mattcfish]

Those don't look like Genuine BMW gaiters!



Just make sure they are pulled down on the fork slider as far a possible, so you get maximum fork travel.
That is one of the few lessons in life I learned the "easy" way...


photo by Randy ~ wisdom by Duane ~ summit by Ken

edit: Oh wait - never mind - your bike has a fork brace in the way. Mine is beneath the fender. (It's a Type 248-thing)

I've noticed a lot of airheads have there gators clamped below the flange like that for the reason you stated. I disagree with the reasoning though. I keep mine clamped at the intended spot for two reasons. It doesn't stretch the gator (especially when it's on the center stand), which eventially causes it to tare, and the compressed gator itself makes a nice cushy bumper in the event of bottoming. The bumpers at the bottom of the fork are usually hard as a rock or disolved away. My bike never bottoms out anyway because of the stiffer Lufty springs, at least not that I've noticed. The pair of gators I have now have lasted over 20 years.

[esman100]

Those don't look like Genuine BMW gaiters!



Just make sure they are pulled down on the fork slider as far a possible, so you get maximum fork travel.
That is one of the few lessons in life I learned the "easy" way...


photo by Randy ~ wisdom by Duane ~ summit by Ken

edit: Oh wait - never mind - your bike has a fork brace in the way. Mine is beneath the fender. (It's a Type 248-thing)

I've noticed a lot of airheads have there gators clamped below the flange like that for the reason you stated. I disagree with the reasoning though. I keep mine clamped at the intended spot for two reasons. It doesn't stretch the gator (especially when it's on the center stand), which eventially causes it to tare, and the compressed gator itself makes a nice cushy bumper in the event of bottoming. The bumpers at the bottom of the fork are usually hard as a rock or disolved away. My bike never bottoms out anyway because of the stiffer Lufty springs, at least not that I've noticed. The pair of gators I have now have lasted over 20 years.

+1

[vanzen]

What exactly is horribly wrong with that suspension
such that you would choose to compensate for the malady with 10 wt ?

Just asking ...

[Ross]

What exactly is horribly wrong with that suspension
such that you would choose to compensate for the malady with 10 wt ?

Just asking ...

10wt. I should have used 5wt. I used 10wt as last time I did this I weighted 40 kilos more than i do now and found 10wt good. Now that I weigh so much less the front end bonces too much. So will try 5wt.

[Jean]

(1) That looks suspiciously like an R65...
(2) I put Kawasaki gaiters on my R100s about 30 years ago. Still going strong. I wipe them with Armor-all every so often to prevent cracking. I'm sure they have saved me from a lot of extra maintenance.

[Deleted User 287]

(1) That looks suspiciously like an R65...

Nothing suspicious about it! Except that I actually made it to Ken's!

Yes, that is my R65, with Duane learnin' me amongst the ticks.

I'm pretty sure that is the year Stephen & I rode down together, and I pulled a dumb-shit stunt and dumped the bike in a blind left-had curve on a forest road in Southern Illinois on the way down. I hurt my shoulder "a little", but sucked it up like the man that I am ( ) and we continued on our way.
I knew if I turned back Stephen would too, to see me safely home, and I didn't want to spoil his weekend.

I also got us stopped for speeding in Arkansas on day 2. I was leading. The policeman showed no mercy to me, but opted not to give Stephen a ticket (thank god). Maybe the paperwork on a Canadian resident was too much trouble?
It might have been my pleading and telling him if I wasn't leading, we probably wouldn't have been having that conversation...