As I near my departure for my trip (Alaska to Argentina), I'm trying to compile the most important list of items I will bring on the road. –ESSENTIAL SPARE PARTS- I will be on a BMW R1150 GS Adventure. I'm not sure how I will haul all this gear (like spare clutch cable etc). What is absolutely essential and what is not? What should be shipped and awaiting me at different locations? What can I get by w/o until I get to the next shop? What can I be sure to find in Central and South America?

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Preparing for the journey was like living a paradox.
-Ted Simon

I wish you luck in fitting a clutch cable to an 1150........

Spare throttle cables, clutch & brake levers, brake pedal & gearchange lever, puncture repair kit. Familiarise yourself with fitting all of the above & the bike in general. Take a colour copy of the bikes wiring circuit. Learn to repair punctures (easy on the tubeless 1150)but prepared to replace tyres, so carry tyre levers.

I have a list of stuff on my PC at home, can e-mail it to you this evening if required. I don't necessarily take everything on the list, I choose according to the bike I'm taking, destination & trip duration.

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Thanks for your advice. Honestly, I have so little experience with bike mechanics that I'm more or less going to do this trip on a preyer.

Where do I get this color wiring chart you speak of?

Would love your list. If you can email it to be, I'd be grateful!!

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Preparing for the journey was like living a paradox.
-Ted Simon

Just a thought, you might find a interested mechanic and offer to pay him for his time to show you how to do a few things on your bike.Also have him tutor you on interpeting a wiring harness diagram for your bike. Not everyone on the road will know how to fix your bike and some that do will charge you a lot. Like the shop in Dawson creek CND that quoted me $140.00 to change the back tire on my old honda.That was just the labor charge. The only time I have to change tires is usally in the dark or surrounded by wild goats or swarmed with mosquitoes never when a cycle shop is close. If you wander thru montana on your way north stop in helena Mt. at the yamaha/honda shop and say hello.

I guess I have a different idea. Two years ago I did a trip from the US mid Atlantic area to Costa Rica and back. I took no spares !! My thinking is that no matter what breaks you will not have the correct parts. I did have two break downs. Fried ignition switch. I simply removed the wiring and twisted them into a bundle until I could get to a hardware store and buy a simple on/off switch. Front wheel bearings--replaced at small repair shop on the roadside and back on the road in one hour and ten minuets.
All of that said I think if I where doing the trip again I would take spare brake and clutch levers.
I did have a spare front and rear tire stashed at my dealer at home with the ubderstanding that he would ship overnight if needed

Just finished a RTW trip on a GS. Like you I had very little "hands on" experience of how to fix the bike. Before setting off I attended a basic 6 week, 1 evening per week course on motorcycle mechanics at my local college which was useful.

I took a big bag of tools, carted them all around the world and didn't really use them. The basic BMW kit on the bike was always good enough for what I needed and was capable of repairing. Some people suggest taking more than the basic tool kit as even if you aren't capable of using them someone else will be. Well, after doing the trip my view is that if there is someone capable of using them they will probably have their own tools.

A few things I would take:-

Oil filter remover, so you can drop the oil when you get the chance.

Alternator belt (known in the manual as a Poly V belt). I think the service book states that it should be checked at 36,000 miles. Mine went at 29,000 and ive seen loads of comments on the web that suggest changing them around 30,000. Its really easy to fit but if lets go and you cant get hold of one you could be stuck.

Enjoy your trip

Thank you all. This is incredibly helpful.

I think I'll probably end up going with some middle of the line decision on tools and parts.

I love the idea of having my local mechanic hold on to things for overnight delivery. Great idea!

__________________
Preparing for the journey was like living a paradox.
-Ted Simon

Howdy, It is my opinion that if you need more tools than is in the bike's kit, then you also need parts. If you need BMW parts in Central and South America, HA, Good Luck. All the locals ride small single cylinder Jap bikes.
Just take filters, fuel line clamps, JB Weld, plan where to replace tires, and RIDE!!


j

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I just want to ride

stuff I picked up along the way, in addition to the standard bikes toolkit...

superglue, instant gasket, JB Weld, adjustable spanner, cable ties, thread lock

used all of the above for emergency repairs, and the standard toolkit is good for all the minor servicing. Only thing I would add is copper grease. All of the gooey stuff above I've found in small tubes, so easy to carry.

Make sure you can change your own oil. Does the BM suffer with sump plug overtightening? Check, and understand it. Otherwise, waiting for stuff to arrive is part of the fun.

cheers,

marine epoxi putty, comes in a litle tube with the hardner on the outside and the exoxi on the inside, just pinch off some much is togeather and smack it on, I have a freind who crashed his bike in the midle on no where and ground through the engine cove and the bike started dumping oil! he turnind off the gas layed the bike on it's side so no more oil came off, cleaned off the gash and coved it with the putty, the next moring it was good to go.. leaked a tiny bit but lasted for 3 months or so...

Advice is a very personal opinion that is influenced by experience. And now matter who you ask, generally the experience is very varied.
I have just finished two very long trips last week.
The first was from Australia to the UK. As for spares I took very little. If you have a problem with a R1150GS, trust in DHL, they will become your friends and you will have wished you had bought shares in the company. You can take as many “bog-it-up” glues and as you can pack into you bike, but generally, I would advise you take two lightweight ratchet straps so you can tie your bike onto a pick-up truck, which you just payed a small fee to deliver you to the nearest mechanic. ROPE DOES NOT WORK!!!!!
They generally can get if they don’t have anything you need to get you going. Most third world countries are unbelievable resourceful if there is no BMW within a days drive.
As for South, Central and North America. You will categorically find a BMW Centre in just about every Country. South America is the hardest but you will have no problem in Central. I have no idea what one Mr Willie is taking about with the advice “If you need BMW parts in Central and South America, HA, Good Luck.”
There are more service centres than you can poke a stick at so if you can’t get there you can ring them.
Columbia has a wonderful centre that is worth just popping in to say hi.
Guatemala also super and worth an oil-change just to see the receptionist.
There is also a service centre on the bottom of the Baja, which is run by an American. He will give you a discount if you and your bike are dusty.
Other spare I would recommend is a credit card for when the first breaks down.

Good luck.

PS. I have had two flat tires due to nails in 65,000 km. So don’t bother with tire levers.
Take a small tubeless tire repair kit and pop it in your pocket.

Hey mate I am planning a Brisbane - London departing late 09. Do you mind sharing your route / itinerary, budget, tips etc on this? email is dajg1 <at> hotmail.com thanks for your time.

I've stolen this from Steptoe on UKGSer. Its what he recommends me and the other riders doing Scotland -> Gambia take.

Hope that gives you some idea. Try to carry stuff that would stop the bike rolling if it broke. Everything else can wait for.

Essential spare part (IMHO) is the part that keeps you going..

fuses, puncture repair kit,light bulb for brake and around 10 mt.long rope (of course with knowledge of how to tie it )

Other things? ...even with spare parts and mechanical knowledge 1150 is quite hard to fix on the road side...