Downunder accessories...what have ya got?

[jake]

G'day all,

It's nice to see we are getting a few more posts in Oz. Ian if your reading this, we should meet some time for a cuppa. Anyone else from sunny Melbourne interested.

I was wondering what our members in Australia have in the way of accessories on their bikes and where they were sourced from. I will start with mine and see what else is about.

Dec 04 K1200LT - HID Lights - Best investment for safety
- Baehr Comms unit,purchased from Challenger Motors NZ Partner keeps nagging, but then this keeps her happy
- Running Brigestone tyres

[onions]

G'day Jake,
Great idea to start a topic on what accessories we have on our bikes downunder, my list:
- HID low beam
- Headlight protector
- Bikescreen windscreen
- Driving lights
- BMW Navigator II
- Bug guards
- Bike bra
- Tank bag
- Knee bags
- OEM top case rack
- Smartire pressure system
- Heated seat LED lights
- Bikecomm communications system (CB radio etc)
- Trailer hitch
- BMW K1200G grips
- Alarm
- Thompson air compressor (replaced the position of the charcoal filter)
- Peg lowering kit
- Muth mirrors
- Saddle bag running lights
Almost forgot one of the most important and must haves...the cup holder

Good thing that my wife loves me eh?

[cws]

Not much added to the new beast yet.
- I saved the Autocomm Easy 7 Advanced comms from the last bike, its portable so lives in the pocket till I can get around to hard wiring it and the mobile phone holder.
- Bought a throttle rocker on the weekend, best little piece of plastic for the right hand. Had one for 2 years on the K75, great for trips, and even for commuting.
- Had the BMW top case rack installed at the first service, it was supposed to be there anyway. Like the eyeline brake lights, much more "noticeable".
- Just moved the topcase back that extra 20mm or so today. Took half an hour, if that, being very careful. The Lady should like the extra comfort (I hope).
Many wants... too little time

[Dezrae]

Jake,
I picked up my LT second hand earlier this year and in a few boxes there was a genuine BMW alarm system and a geniune BMW gps system.
I got the dealer to add these.

I have added amber leds to my wings (im going to change these very soon to Luxeon 5 watt leds, dual leds per wing), 3 x 1 watt Luxeon amber leds to underneath each reflector on the saddlebags, 3 x superbright white leds on the inside of each saddlebag so i can see whats going on in my saddlebags at night with out a torch and with out a key in the ignition, 70 Lb fishing leader line attached to each mirror just incase they decide to part company with the bike.

In the near future i plan to add the following Headlight protector (my wife bought this for me for my birthday not long ago, just waiting for it to show up), HID lights low/high beam from www.importdriver.com.au, new front screen from www.bikescreens.com , and going to make my own highway pages (want to visit a machine shop this week and get them to make the peg, i have the rest of what i need to make it with) , a RAM mount to bolt to the crash bar so i can mount my video camera to it from www.ja-gps.com.au/ram-mount1.html, one day get round to cutting out the cat-convertor in the exhaust,

i think i have missed a few but that is the main ones

[barryst1100]

I feel inferior!
All I've done to my 99LT is replace the screen with a 2" higher and much clearer one. The HID conversion for low beam. And I'm currently in the process of adding a pair of Narva driving lights.
I'll try and explain to my wife that I MUST lift my game, and spend more time and money on the bike, as I'm letting other LT owners down with my tardy approach to accessories.

Cheers
Barry
Brisbane

[Spike]

Hello Barry
Nice to hear there is someone with an LT somewhere near by. I'm hoping mine will turn up on Monday. So at this stage I don't have anything in the way of accessories.
Would love a GPS and a back rest for the rider.
I better pay for the bike first.

Nick "Sunshine coast"

[jake]

Forgot to add the additions I have put on my bike;

HID - High and Low Beam
Top Rack
Radiator Bug guards
Baehr Intercom for LT
Comfort Seat
1.5 inch Taller Screen (Bikescreen - Herewini in NZ)

Wish List;

Ohlins Rear Shock & Front Shock
Muth Indicator mirrors
Pannier Indicators

[Dezrae]

Jake said he has got a 1.5 inch Taller Screen (Bikescreen - Herewini in NZ)


How long did it take to get it from N.Z to here and whats the build quality like?


Jake also said he wanted pannier indicators. Jake if you drop me a email i will send you some instructions on how to DIY with 3 luxeon 1 watt leds.

I recon it would look way better with 7 leds per side, but with the leds from jaycar at $14.95 each for the one watters, it gets expensive real quick like!
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ZD0401&CATID=33&keywords=&SPECIAL=&form=CAT&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=766

For the murth mirrors, if you go hunting you can find led bars that will do the trick.in fact you could again do a DIY and save a fortune,and they would look mighty fine as well.

Dez

[jake]

G'day Dez,

Had the screen a while now, Did not take very long. Quality is excellent.

Thanks for the info on LED's. I will look into this a little latter.

[harrowbmw]

Greetings LT people.

After many years of my faithful base K100, I've ascended to a 1999 Champagne coloured LT. The gentleman that sold it to me spent mega on optional extras. CD stacker, radio/cassette, full ascended and interbike intercom, CB, cruise, BMW GPS and topbox rack. All this with only 36,000km and full BMW service history. I'm simply delighted with it. Pity I've just purchased it heading into our winter and not heading into Spring. I can't wait to get the beasty away somewhere. In the meanwhile, I'm enjoying playing the the GPS and the audio system. It's so good.

Cheers to all and kindest regards.

Paul Harrington
corcaigh@internode.on.net

[cws]

[QUOTE=harrowbmw]Greetings LT people.

>Pity I've just purchased it heading into our winter and not heading into Spring. I can't wait to get the beasty away somewhere. In the meanwhile, I'm enjoying playing the the GPS and the audio system. It's so good.

Gday Paul.
Dont worry about winter, thats why you have the LT, it thrives on any weather, especially the cold!!! Just go ENJOY it!!!
Put the grip warmers and heated seat on, put the windscreen up and have a great time!! Its fun watching the temp gauge go up and down, mine's been between 3 c and 43 c in the 7 months I've had it. Nearly 14000 kms on, still loving it everyday.
Welcome, and have fun!

[Daza]

Hi Paul,

Welcome, If you're like me you'll learn to love your bike very quickly . My 03 went in for it's 20K service today at Tom Byrne in Sydney, felt somewhat different (better) when I picked it up this afternoon.

Enjoy....

[onions]

Just added a couple of more goodies to the bike namely a Corbin 'Masters' leather front saddle with back-rest along with a Corbin 'Smuggler' to replace the top-box... Just happened upon the saddle for sale upon NZ eBay site, 'trademe' whilst over there and bought it for a very reasonable price... The Smuggler I purchased from one of the guys on this site in the States and imported it here...not a cheap exercise though...

Now that we have the little one two-up touring is no longer on the agenda so thought I might try the 'solo' look... Just fitted both last night and will finish off with the wiring over the weekend...but so far I like what I see!

The set-up can be seen at the Corbin site here http://www.corbin.com/bmw/k1200lt_smug.shtml and once mine is finished I'll take a couple of pix and post them...

[cws]

Interested to hear what you think of the Corbin seat, Ian. I'm trying to source a riders seat at the moment to get it converted, probably by Rick Mayer (if I can ever get a response from them)...
From what I've read they are supposed to be on the "harder" side.

[onions]

Having just fitted the seat last night, I haven't even been out on the bike yet... But if sitting on it in the garage is anything to go by, then yes...it is certainly on the harder side and it also feels a tad wider too... Will have to road test it before giving you a better opinion. It looks good though :)

[Col H]

Hi Paul,

Like most will tell you, just ride it..
Have moved from 80,000 to 112,000 klm in the past 12 months and enjoyed every moment.
I'm not overdone with accessaries other than a sheep skin and CB/Intercom.

I am also considering purchasing a trailer, so I'm on the lookout for tow-hitch for the 'girl'..

Cheers,
Col :bmw:

[cws]

Added some more "lighting protection" last weekend.
HID's high & low from the US group buy through Fashtek, Motolights - caliper mount, and added an Aux-input for the stereo which I've yet to try to see if it even works.
LOVE the HID's (low beam) even in city traffic. What a difference that makes, definately one of the best investments. Cars seem to have given me a little more room the last 2 nights riding home, so hopefully it will prove to be a good safety feature.
Probably wont really get to try the high beam for a while, maybe it was overkill..... but easier to put them both in together while everything was pulled apart.
I've also ordered a new seat from Rick Mayer in black leather, so hoping that will turn up well in the next month, and give some butt comfort.
cheers

[jake]

G'day Chris,

Lights will make a great difference. Any chance of photo's. Your seat from Rick, did you have to send your old seat over. Would be interested in the process you took to get it. How was the service.

[cws]

Hi Jake.

Pics and description of the lights and install are in the thread here (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=200416&postcount=80).

Re the seat from Rick... its an arduous process, I have to admit.
I sent him details of what I was after via email, and got a written quote back, which was much easier than trying to order from his web form.
Sent him a bunch of money via PayPal, including a holding deposit for the seat pan (US$250). In the meantime I was searching for a 2nd hand heated seat on the web, so I didn't have to ship mine. Beemerboneyard let me know when some became available, so I snapped one up (US$130) and had it shipped direct to Rick's. (He has plenty of non-heated, and wouldn't accept one I picked up off Ebay a lot cheaper... luckily the Ebay seller was very understanding and refunded for me!)

At this point in time, I'm still waiting on confirmation from Rick that he's received the spare seat, and that he'll return my deposit. I'm not overly comfortable with the process, and I've read a few posts here and there that communication isn't his forte. But then many have sworn by his seat, and that he's a good bloke who knows what he's doing. So I've placed a bit of trust in the "LT family" and keeping my fingers crossed. I guess if it all turns out OK, I can probably put my current seat up for sale.. but that will be down the track someway. Downside at the moment is the exchange rate is working against me... our AU$ has just kept going up against the US$ of late... so with PayPal fees I will probably have done an extra few bucks on the deposit. But in the end, I'm just thinking about my BUTT!!! :p

[jake]

G'day Chris,

Nice job, Lights look good. Do you know what kelvin your globes are. My HID'd seem a little to blue.

The moto lights look very impressive, I may have to look at these for the future. I still find even with HID lights that I would like a bit more lighting especially on wet nights. My next project is to start looking at upgrading the rear shock. Finding that it tends to bottom easily after a few k's of riding.

Ride safe

[cws]

4300K for the HID's. I believe thats about the "whitest" colour temperature in HID lamps. They are the GTEC brand (I think, at work at the moment so don't have packaging handy) from the recent Fashtek buy. Apparently the CQ lights aren't available below 5000K, so they will be a little more blue. I personally don't like the bluer headlights, so wanted to make sure they weren't tinted.

[cws]

Added the newest "comfort" option on Monday night... a Rick Mayer Cycles rebuilt heated seat in black leather.
Opinion after 2 days riding to/from work....
Major difference in butt comfort, feels much more like I'm sitting in a seat, rather than "over" the seat.. the extra width at the back is much better for support.
It does feel slightly more uncomfortable coming to a stop, because its just a little bit harder to get my feet straight down to the road without having to almost slide forward a touch, but I'm sure I'll get used to that, and as the new leather and foam padding breaks in its likely to become more supple. I'd love to have an option to dip the front of the seat down just a touch, maybe 5-10mm would do it.....
Cost - ridiculous (at the moment) Hopefully I wont feel that way after the Snowy Ride, and will better appreciate the craftsmanship and knowledge that has gone into building it.
I think the only way to get a truly comfortable result would be the ride-in option for a "fitting", of course thats a little hard for us.
I still have my old seat, and will keep it for a while in case I change my mind or want to try a different (perhaps local) build, now that they'd have something to compare it to.
Still.... I'll give it a 7.5/10 so far!
If anyone wants to know what I think about the process of buying a seat from OS, PM me ;)

NEW
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p196/cws127/K1200LT%20new%20seat/seat_RickMayerCycles_mod.jpg

OLD
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p196/cws127/K1200LT%20new%20seat/seat_OEM.jpg

[integritynumber1]

Not much added to the new beast yet.
- I saved the Autocomm Easy 7 Advanced comms from the last bike, its portable so lives in the pocket till I can get around to hard wiring it and the mobile phone holder.
- Bought a throttle rocker on the weekend, best little piece of plastic for the right hand. Had one for 2 years on the K75, great for trips, and even for commuting.
- Had the BMW top case rack installed at the first service, it was supposed to be there anyway. Like the eyeline brake lights, much more "noticeable".
- Just moved the topcase back that extra 20mm or so today. Took half an hour, if that, being very careful. The Lady should like the extra comfort (I hope).
Many wants... too little time
Hi Chris,

Just saw your mention of a "throttle rocker" in your post. Not sure what these are.

Is this some sort of device that is used to give your throttle hand a rest?

Excuse my ignorance but I have have seen adds for similar devices but i have no idea how they work. You seem to be happy with yours.

Thanks for any advice you might have, Simon.

[BrianD]

Hi Chris,

Just saw your mention of a "throttle rocker" in your post. Not sure what these are.

Is this some sort of device that is used to give your throttle hand a rest?

Excuse my ignorance but I have have seen adds for similar devices but i have no idea how they work. You seem to be happy with yours.

Thanks for any advice you might have, Simon.
Hi Simon
A throttle rocker is the best $3.00 I think I have spent for the bike yet. Just a simple plastic lever that fits over the throttle grip and if positioned right, you can rest the heel of your hand on it to hold the trottle open and give your fingers a rest for a moment or two.
See here for an ad http://www.bluerim.com.au/Throttle%20Rocker.htm

[cws]

Hi Simon, yep, what Brian said. They've gone down in price though... mine were $18.00 when I bought them! Most bike accessory shops should have them, however Dave at Bluerim is a very helpful bloke, so I recommend buying anything off him!
Believe they also make a left hand one too, but I've only seen those in US ads.
Best cheap accessory you can get!
cheers