Yup I got that with all the gear, the speeds were down a little bit compared to other competitions Craig has had. Jack McCornack had higher than usual mileage and thought he under filled his tank. I over filled mine and still got good results. I rowed the gears to keep RPM in the 4500 to shift point at 5000rpm. After the event on the hwy with the heat I went a bit faster than the limit to get where I had to go. Mileage went down to the mid to upper 50’s at the speed you would like to go, stopping every 150ish miles for fuel and to soak my riding gear in water for airconditionin effect. A local friend has noticed she gets better mpg on pure gas than when she runs 10% ethanol. I just run whatever the fuel station has and usually get mid to upper 60’s where she gets closer to the 73mpg.
I have seen the Madstad screen online but not in person. Like I said my riding time has suffered from some issues.
The F650 forum will have some heads up on maintenance issues. Like wires to fuel pump inside the tank are too short and might break loose leaving you stopped. Inspect your pivot bearings-BMW is stingy on the grease. AGM battery is preferred over the wet cell as the liquid acid will dribble out. Depending on your year, watch for cracks on the front forks close to the axle bolt. After my bike sat for a while, the fuel hose loosened on the clamps somewhere above the engine. Gas dripped all over, I turned the bike off, hosed it down. When I got it apart to troubleshoot where the leak was, it no longer leaked. General thought was the hose expanded again after soaking in fuel. Old gas in the tank might not let the bike idle correctly. If you ride it regular, not an issue on either count.
If you ride in mud, watch out getting the front fender too close to the tire or it may cake with mud. The beak does work when riding through water to cut down the spray that gets launched off the top of the tire that you will ride back into. Imagine a spitting into the wind effect. Be careful blocking the air flow to the radiator in that area. There are a few stories on the chain gang forum about overheating from putting farkles down there. During summer rides I have found myself splaying my knees way wide to get out of the hot air blast from the radiator. So keep the idea of how to route that air out too. I usually wear mesh riding pants for some abrasion protection, but they do allow both hot and cold air to flow through.
Your thoughts on the subject are pretty close to what I considered. Form meets function. I was thinking to make the panniers out of Kevlar and high density core composite. I knew the bike will meet the ground, trees, rocks, etc. and wanted the impact resistance on easily formed cores for a one off. Also make the front crash bars as supports for the front side fairing.
Good luck with the project and I hope life doesn’t get in the way of you getting it done.
