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By the way, one reason I got the HP2 (apart from being such a wicked machine) is that I get to keep the Cat even though I've replaced the exhaust with and Akrapovic, something I could not do with the Dakar without losing the Cat. I do have an environmental bent. The main by-products of combustion are:Nitrogen gas (N2): Our atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen gas, and most of this passes right through your engine.Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A harmless, odourless gas composed of carbon and oxygen. It is also a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.Water vapour (H2O): Another by-product of combustion. The hydrogen in the fuel bonds with the oxygen in the air. These three emissions are mostly harmless, although carbon dioxide emissions are believed to contribute to global warming. However since the combustion process is never perfect, other more harmful emissions are produced in the process.The three main regulated emissions, and also the ones that catalytic converters are designed to reduce, are:Carbon monoxide (CO): A colourless, odourless gas. It is poisonous and extremely dangerous in confined areas, building up slowly to toxic levels without warning if adequate ventilation is not available.Hydrocarbons or volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Any chemical compound made up of hydrogen and carbon.Oxides of nitrogen (NOx): Chemical compounds of nitrogen, they combine with hydrocarbons to produce smog.In order to reduce emissions, modern engines carefully control the amount of fuel they burn. They try to keep the air-to-fuel ratio very close to what is called the stoichiometric point, which is the calculated ideal ratio of air to fuel.Theoretically, at this ratio, all of the fuel will be burned using all of the oxygen in the air. For petrol engines the stoichiometric ratio is about 14.7:1. This means that for every litre of petrol, 14.7 litres of air will be burned. As engine and driving conditions change, this ratio changes as well. Sometimes it will run richer or leaner than the ideal 14.7:1.You can work it out if you have loads of spare time but the short answer is that if alll of the fuel is burned using all of the available oxygen in the air/fule mix then your bike's catalytic converter does a very good job of removing most of the regulated emissions, BMW claim up to 95% reduction in total emmisons with the use of a converter against an engine without one.Have a great weekend, I'm going riding 😀
in reply to: New BMW?????? #7110I can just imagine all the “leaky bike” claims coming in 😀
in reply to: R1100R Steering #7058Thanks Andrew I removed the steering damper and have run the bike without it, no problems. The front shock absorber needs replaced and I am thinking about getting Ohlins front and back. The price is hard to swallow but I like the bike and the handling needs sorting out. I will let you know how I get on. If I decide to refit the steering damper I will give you a call.RegardsJim
Good result then 😀CheersGarry
The left exhaust pipe is a dummy and contains the cat.
Oh. So what do folk do to get rid of the little blighter? Aside from going the rote of an aftermarket system??CheersTracy
The 650 is the only bike in BMW range that has the Cat inside the exhaust canister itself (and it's on the left hand side of the bike as you sit on it). For the rest of the range, the Cat sits between the header pipes and the exhaust system so replacing the exhaust with an aftermaket pipe like a Remus or Akrapovic is not going to be a problem environmentally speaking. I've done this with my HP2 and geez it sounds good.On my Dakar, I've taken the OME exhausts off and replaced with a single Staintune unit. I did this for two reasons; a) it reduces wieght, by about 5kgs; and b) mid range performance is a bit better, which is what you want for adventure riding.If your not looking at replacing with an aftermarket exhaust then the only other option is to rip open the OEM and remove the Cat (not a recommended move and probably not a very good look I'd have thought, but each to their own).You do need to decide though why you are doing it. A catalytic converter is just a device that treats the exhaust before it leaves the engine and removes a lot of the pollutants now being attributed to global warming etc. etc. (different debate so let's not go there). Legislation in Europe is primarily responsible for all BMW (and other Euro brand) motorcycles being equipped at manufacture with catalytic converters these days. The GS is equipped with a three-way catalytic converter. "Three-way" refers to the three regulated emissions it helps to reduce -- carbon monoxide, VOCs and NOx molecules. The converter uses two different types of catalysts, a reduction catalyst and an oxidation catalyst. Both types consist of a ceramic structure coated with a metal catalyst, usually platinum, rhodium and/or palladium. The idea is to create a structure that exposes the maximum surface area of catalyst to the exhaust stream, while also minimizing the amount of catalyst required (they are very expensive).The reduction catalyst is the first stage of the catalytic converter. It uses platinum and rhodium to help reduce the NOx emissions. When an NO or NO2 molecule contacts the catalyst, the catalyst rips the nitrogen atom out of the molecule and holds on to it, freeing the oxygen in the form of O2. The nitrogen atoms bond with other nitrogen atoms that are also stuck to the catalyst, forming N2. The oxidation catalyst is the second stage of the catalytic converter. It reduces the unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide by burning (oxidizing) them over a platinum and palladium catalyst. This catalyst aids the reaction of the CO and hydrocarbons with the remaining oxygen in the exhaust gas. The third stage is a control system that monitors the exhaust stream, and uses this information to control the fuel injection system. There is an oxygen sensor mounted upstream of the catalytic converter, meaning it is closer to the engine than the converter is. This sensor tells the engine computer how much oxygen is in the exhaust. The engine computer can increase or decrease the amount of oxygen in the exhaust by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio. This control scheme allows the engine computer to make sure that the engine is running at close to the stoichiometric point, and also to make sure that there is enough oxygen in the exhaust to allow the oxidization catalyst to burn the unburned hydrocarbons and CO.So, if the environment is not your primary concern, unbolt your exhaust and part with it - the catalytic converter is inside. The amount of noise you get will depend on the pipe your replace the original with, most manufacturers of aftermarket pipes give you a dB rating – usually around 88 or thereabouts with some for of restictor so as to keep you legal on the road.Fuel consumption should not change a lot as the oxygen sensor mounted further forward on the header system is still using information to control the fuel injection system and the amount you burn.Hope this heplsGarry
in reply to: 07 Cromwell adventure ride photos #7109Noice!! Gutted I missed this one Dean but not bitter and twisted about it………much 😡Still, 6 day trip up North, taking in the KR Mangawhai ride on 14 April, coming up soon so still get a chance to play 😀
in reply to: Moving down South. #7098Guys, it happened to us. Got promotion after a year in the job. 😀 We are moving from Lower Hutt to Mosgiel at Dunedin.Thank you to all for the rides and coffee.Hope to see you all at the next AGM.
Congratulations Tharon, all the best for the move. Mosgiel is not so bad, just cold 😀 I spent three months on secondment to Dunedin and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Some great riding close by and loads of variety in terrain, you're going to love it 😎
in reply to: GS1200 or GS650 ? #6981New bike, no photos 😕 😕 😕
Been posted previously, recall saying then I'd buy it if I could fine the chequebook - well I did, best thing I've ever done 😀http://forum.bmwor.org.nz/index.php?topic=323.0
in reply to: GS1200 or GS650 ? #6979Thanks Gary, but i am after a new one (dont tell the Mrs).
On ya 😀
Garry, bike still not sold 😕
Not yet, and no rush really - it's cleaning up nicely 🙂 I thought I was going to miss it, but it hasn't left the garage since I picked up the new bike 😀 😀 😀
in reply to: GS1200 or GS650 ? #6977Thanks Gary, but i am after a new one (dont tell the Mrs).
On ya 😀
in reply to: What optional xtras are essential? #7067Mostly road 😕 Each to his.her own then 😀 Heated grips, ABS and hand protectors are the must haves IMHO, then think about the on-board computer and alarm system before worrying too much about the other trick stuff you can get as options.Photos when you pick it up 😀
in reply to: GS1200 or GS650 ? #6973Thanks for your replies. Does anyone have any recommendations as far as dealers go in New Zealand. Am i likely to get any discount on a new bike?Thanks.
Love the 1200GS but the 650 is perfect for commuting, dealing with wide open stretches of SI gravel, handling gnarlier bits of sides of mountains and all that other wonderful terrain you get down there (I used to live in Canterbury, so I know), and your not going to lose your licence on one. Funnily enough, unless you really want to buy a new one, I have one for sale - http://forum.bmwor.org.nz/index.php?topic=476.0Call me 021 220 6104 or 04 526 3417 if you're interested.Garry
in reply to: Accessories?????? #6945I have ordered of them once and that took some time with emails to get them to reply. The last time they never replied and I sent three emails. So now I use BMW Santa Cruz and they have been great.
This what I got back from Santa Cruz - "We regularly send our products throughout the world and we'll be happy to process your order. Our systems however do not allow us to accept international orders through our web site, nor can we accept credit cards as a method of payment for orders shipped outside of North America. If you are a registered PayPal user, we can accept payment in that way, otherwise payment must be carried out by Bank Transfer. If you wish to proceed with an order, please let me know which item(s) you are interested in and which method of payment that you prefer. I will then send you an invoice containing a price quote including shipping charges. We recommend shipping with UPS because of proven reliability and ease of tracking. The cost for a package containing the items you are interested in will cost roughly $210.00 to ship. We can also send it with the mail however I must caution you that if the package is lost or damaged in any way, we can assume no responsibility. There is no mechanism in place to track international shipments with the mail and there's no practical recourse if there's a problem. Chances are excellent that everything will go well. As long as you agree that our responsibility ends with delivering the package to the post office, we can go that route. The cost will be about 1/2 of the UPS charge."This from Motohansa - "We keep some HP2 wunderlich bits, but as there are not many HP2's in Australia so some of the parts are "order in". All parts in A$ incl 10% gst, which we'll remove for export no problem sending to NZ, we charge aussie post + $3 packing and credit card is fine, no problem with Amex but charge 3% extra, Visa is 0%"I went with the Aussies 😀
in reply to: Accessories?????? #6943Motohansa in Australia are very good and stock many brands of accessory parts.
I,ve found them not very good.
Really? I found Motohansa really good to deal with. Email an order, what you ask for arrives in 4 days if they have it in stock, if not they get it and keep you posted as to where it's at, more than some do in NZ.
in reply to: R1100R Steering #7055The R1100R comes with a steering damper. Mine didn't have it fitted when I bought it and although I sourced one off Ebay I never fitted it because I found the bike to handle very well without. The only other difference with mine was that it had spoked wheels which were slightly bigger than the alloys (I think). Does your bike have a damper and if so is it in good condition? Good luck. Malcolm
That's right Malcolm, a few 1100R owners got to about 18K and the damper was either leaking or seized up altogether. Advice coming in from UK owners was to take it off and bin it. Unless you're mad or out racing the thing (or both) you probably wouldn't need it anyway. I don't think that the type or size of the wheels would make a huge difference in the handling that Jim describes if tyres, damper and suspension were all okay.CheersGarry
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