I like to build motorcycles. In this channel I post my building process. The first bike I've built uses a basis of a Yamaha XV 750 Virago. It finally became a Scrambler which I call the 'Chiefpep Scrambler'. Currently I am building another bike which is more of a caféracer. I am from Holland that's why some of my video's are in Dutch. Since I notice I have a lot of international bike building friends I do all my current video's in English. I posted my video's on a weekly basis which takes some time but therefore my video's are kind of step by step video's now.
If you want to ask me further questions, or if these video's are just valuable enough for you to thank me in a different way than the usual 'thumbs up', consider to become a Patron of me. You find the link here: www.patreon.com/chiefpep All my Patrons get a very quick and detailed answer to all their questions.
Always thought the adventure bikes were ugly. Some of them are looking better now. Still not as flowing as touring bikes. I know they weigh less are more versatile. I'm getting a concours tomorrow. My roommate has the vstrom.
Hello sir, how are you? I wanted to thank you for your videos, very educational. I had the following question ❓ What type of AWG wire did you use? thank you
@@chiefpepdesign Hahaha. That makes total sense. I'm American but his accent is so strongly Scottish that I was confused. Anyway, it was a good video... I bought one last night. If I had more time, honestly, I would have ordered one from Fortamoto.
No. The main power is given by the key as very first. Main power to Regulator Rectifier 'on or off'. And, it also sends power to the fuse box (on or off) and the fuse box gives the power tot the coils... Follow this step by step video very closely as I explain this.
I have the Travel version. You nailed all the points. Fabulous and quirky but handles and feels to drive better than any of the hundreds of motorcycles I've owned over the years including many modern GS's, Multi Strada's, KTM Adventures etc.... This bike is special. Do yourself a favor and test ride one. Do not look at the spec sheet and compare to others. You would be doing yourself a disservice. Oh the switches are so stupid and the warning lights but the feel of riding is so great and it's why I ride. I need feel and character. It's playful and fun. Serious but playful. The suspension soaks up horrible pavement better than the Semi Active suspensions.
I loved my first ST1300, a 2003 with 40K on the clock, for the way I could take off in the morning for a day ride and go from Shreveport to the Missouri/Arkansas border and back in an easy day. I kept it for six years ending with 185k. I traded it in for Peanuts and got a gorgeous red 2009 that had no miles on it in 2011. I kept it until 2016 and sold it with 85k. At 70, it was just too too heavy. It sat on the floor where I traded it in for three years for sale at $8k. A steal. Huge bags, big Givi top box. Honda’s fairing deflection kit that is remarkably good at quieting the air noise. Lovely mile eaters that never needed valve adjustments, timing belts, new plugs, nothing. Always happy to go to the store or head to Washington DC for a weekend.
Great review. I love the handling and speed and i think that is what sport bikes are all about. Its big enough to pound out the miles and handles amazing in the corners.
Thank you for the informative content! In the States we have an annual celebration called the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Would the V85 TT Travel perform well on a solitary/annual 3800 - 4k miles (6k - 6.5k km), 10 day tour? For that matter, anyone believe the Triumph T120 would be capable of the same? Thanks
hiiii greeting from hong kong, your video will never be too long. I watched them all and did not find it enough. as long as you are interested in, you will finish watching it . please do more , appreciate your great effort!!!!
Just bought a used 2005 st1300 with 30k miles in July...it's my 12th bike(been riding since the 80's) and it is the best bike that i have owned. Handling/power/brakes/comfort. Awesome!
It was great! If you watch the video on my BMW RT, which came first after my last V85 video, I start the video why I switched. But the V85 was simply great. Also very interested in the Stelvio.
I like this video, especially how open, honest you are. I also like the companies you mention. I want to buy this bike and thanks to your videos I can be more confident in who does what to my bike and how. Thank you so much for such videos.
Lovely video! Thank you! I have driven the Ring in my '87 230E, I know how scary it is when you want to make sure you can ride/drive home with your car/bike and you still in 1 piece.. Personally I think it is overrated. I have done a few driving lessons for fun in big trucks and I like that a lot more, obviously very personal. My current GS may end up at the Ring, yet only on the outside 😊.
Hi, I am just in the middle of making a decision, Honda ST1300 Pan European 2004 or BMW R1200RT 2013. I am it guy, so, technology is very interesting to me, but, a cost of ownership too, reliability vs. technology, maintenance costs... I am 175cm toll, and really do not know which i should buy. Can you advise based on your experience?
@@sfejes best is to look both my video's of the ST 1300 and the R 1200 RT. Listen to what I say and make your decision. RT is more advanced with gadgets. ST has a way better engine
Hello There Chief Pep, Looks like you really had fun but I’m kind of disappointed that you didn’t put how fast you were going on the screen in mph from start to finish .
@@GarysnewYT yeah sorry. A lot of things I had to consider and do at the same time. This was the best I could do for now. Next time will be better since I now know what to take into account.
Hi There, it's a great video. Although i'm not agreeing with you about the lack of the Boxer character of this DOHC one particulary, that i just bough again for this reason ! i have to make my voice heard , friendly :). oh i'm French rider, 33, maybe i wont be agreeing because of that ? jokes asides let me explain By the way I'am waiting my next motorcycle, my 11th vehicule owned so far a second hand 2012 BMW R1200RT with 66000 km on the clock, like yours, with RT2 packs, don't have every pack because RT3 pack include the radio with the physical buttons on the left, antenna , the left handlebar grip 0 ring clics and bmw satnav preparation, all i don't care on a motorcycle. i previously owned 5 years and ride 55000 km the 2014 R1200R from 60000 km to 116500 km with 0 issues. With the same engine, the very last "true" BMW with old turn signals buttons and the last air/oil cooled DOHC engine associated with the Telever. It was my only vehicule so no car, been 3 weedings, racetracks in Germany ( hi there ! ) where i reached 240km/h on the gauge and about 223 kph GPS on Autobahn on the Nordschleife for my first racetrack experience ( crazy good ! ) and Circuit Carole in France, one of the shortest racetrack top speed 0 hard case luggages this time, not bad for a air oil cooled roadster ! Oh boy it have a character this engine ! it came from the BMW HP2 engine in it's core i have tested Liquid cooled 1200 boxer and the 1250 on GS, RS and R and i missed that lower grunt good vibration, subtle but there. The new engine to me erase the boxer character, keep just the performance. they are more powerfull but they lost the magic on this engine that only drive them explain. after have tested dozens of motorcycle, owned a Harley, 2 Suzuki SV 650, test ride a lot of two cylinders motorcycles from Almost all Panigale, KTM 1290 and lot of Harleys. I instantly felt in love with the BMW R1200R and it's boxer and the telelever feel on the road in 2018, in fact i've been the second and fourth owner of the R1200R succed to rebuy it from a owner that kept it 1 month ! after sold in 2023 i recently try a R 1250 RS, the new Honta NT1100 DCT and i wasn't convinced for both. price wise they were triple and double the price asked from the 2012 BMW R1200RT i bough test riding the RT i have eyes on ? it was the last Family of the R Engine i never tested, just been passenger on the past. oh i was like home again, with that fantastic engine that have it's little low rpm character but easiness. combined with the magic telelever, i never felt the miss of front info bothering but always put top Michelin tyres. i was surprised to that resistance on the angle that was not there on the R1200R, a set of new tyres will correct that perhaps. The clutch lever and gear operation seems smoother on the RT vs the one of my R1200R. it's the ultimate update i needed for the only vehicule and riding all year long distance, cold, rain, to visit familly and a yearly road trip in a different european country. All the "default" of the R1200R are resolved, more confort seats ( the comfort BMW seat is magnicient ) less angle on the legs that hurted me long time due to knee problem on the R1200R, more easy clutch and gear footlever. and the Duo was not plaisant on the R1200R, well with a custome comfort seats that made the passenger fall on the rider like a sportbike. the ESA have real difference between present and so convenient to change on the go instead of the manual hub under the seats and the screwdriver on the dark to set the preload on rear shock, All the protection added and... a Cruise control finaly ! as i loose a more beautiful bike for a weekend blast ride i will gain a do it all but with the unique character of this engine that to me is the best engine for road use, a perfect combination of easiness, power and still a character, low consumption and it's reliable as never the new boxter would be. i missed so much the DOHC Boxer and this RT i will keep for a very long time, maybe forever. oh i was 8 when my father an i did a 2500KM + Tour de France on a r1100 RT, it was mean to be owned by me as a legacy maybe ;) cheers !
Smart buy. That is a lot of bike for the money. I test rode one when they were released at an out if town dealer and was really impressed with the open road performance and I rode it again from a London city center dealer to try its city manners and was very surprised how good it was. No wonder the police buy them.
Dat ziet er nog een mooi exemplaar uit. Ik was in hetzelfde bedje ziek en kocht vaak meerdere motorfietsen per jaar. Maar mijn 1200RT is nu al meer dan 2 jaar in mijn bezit, hetgeen ongeveer een record moet zijn. Bovendien ben ik niet van plan hem snel te vervangen, al loer ik wel steeds naar koopjes.. Wat je zegt van alles vanaf 2010 is misschien wel wat kort door de bocht. In de loop van 2006 kregen alle RT's, volgens mij, dezelfde remmen als wat jouw 2012 model heeft. Daarvoor was het nog hetzelfde remsysteem met bekrachtiging zoals ook de R1150 had. Het tanklint is eventueel wel een dingetje, ook vroege 2010 modellen (zoals de mijne) hebben die nog, al heeft het mijne meer dan 12j dienst gedaan. Voor minder dan 200€ zit er weer een nieuwe in. Pré 2010 modellen hebben dan weer het voordeel dat de kleppen makkelijk te stellen zijn met schroefjes, dat mist de DOHC. Ik heb de ophanging laten reviseren op 70k, ESA werkte nog prima, maar er was wel een keerring lek in de achterste demper. Verder loopt hij nog steeds als een trein en ik kan pijnloos zomer en winter doorrijden op dat ding. Oh ja, rammelende koffers hoort niet, wellicht zijn je rubbers aan vervanging toe, net zoals de topkoffer die me ook nogal losjes lijkt te zitten. En de zithoogte met of zonder zadelverwarming is identiek. Tot slot het koppel.. het meeste verschil met R en GS boxers merk je door de langere eindoverbrenging. Dat maakt de RT inderdaad wat minder speels, maar past wel bij het tour karakter als je op hogere snelheid over de snelweg wil knallen.. Ik wens je nog veel plezier op je suffe BMW :)
Here’s what happened. Everyone wanted a sports tourer. Companies made lots of excellent sports tourers. Customers bought them. The market crapped out because the bikes were so good and last 150k+ miles. Basically the bikes weren’t going obsolete where they could sell more!! Limited customer base too. Market saturation….
@@MarcPuyn Zeker ik zag het! Heb hem nog niet gereden maar ben wel heel benieuwd! De knoppen op het stuur en dashboard zouden wat mij betreft een van de eerste zaken zijn die een heel positieve verbetering zouden zijn.
What would be great is a dash dimmer. Do you know what controller is being used for the backlights. Very likely a TI part if it has a string of LEDs. There’s usually an input to these devices where you can change the PWM (either by s/w or by and external pin). A simple microcontroller and a rotary encoder could do this. ATTINY85 for example.
You can definitely add a dimmer to control the SMD LEDs. A simple way to do this is indeed by using a microcontroller like the ATTINY85 and a rotary encoder. The ATTINY85 can adjust the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signals to dim the LEDs. There are usually inputs on the LED controller for this purpose, which can be adjusted via software or an external pin. For the software, you would need to read the rotary encoder's input and adjust the PWM output accordingly. Libraries for handling PWM and rotary encoders are widely available for the ATTINY85, making the coding part manageable. This setup allows for smooth brightness control and is relatively easy to implement yourself.
Suggestion. If you work on pulling off the speedo dial indicator, put a plastic bag under the spoons/lever devices. This stops surface scratches. This is what watch makers do. I’d also suggest wearing cotton gloves as these atop sweat and oils.
@@JoseSilva-sh2oe to be honost... The ST was more fun, had a more powerfull engine and was better in cornoring... The RT is more modern with the 'bells 'n wistles' and way lighter. If I had the choice, I would rather go for the ST.
Hi ive got a 2002 honda cb250 nighthawk that was disassembled. I also have a trike that was fabricated by someone that had a Chinese 250cc engine on it that burnt the valve and knocked a hole in the piston. I took the engine off of the cb250 and mounted it to the trike and it seems like the wireing harnesses are similar except the cdi has 1 more pin on the cb250 then the Chinese 250 and the cb 250 has 2 spark plugs and the Chinese has 1 spark plug. Would you be able to talk me through this engine swap just to double check myself? If you don't have time, then no worries. Im sure i will figure it out
@@JeremyRebel no I'm sorry. I'm no motorcycle dealer that operates from a distance. The reason I made these video's is so everyone can try to repair their bikes themselves step by step.
Wow , dude! Splitting lanes and going between vehicles like that is way dangerous, ILLEGAL here, if it rode like that I would be dead. Plus the car drivers would be PISSED! Don’t need any road rage provocation. Be careful !
I did add a dash shelf and put a garmin navigation unit, a phone holder, a radar detector , and a gear indicator on it. Added a Givi Trunk, might be a bit large, but never had a handling problem at speed, and love the extra storage for long trips. Like the way you wiped around on that Uturn, nice. On the wind screen, love the adjustability, have tried larger wind screen, but went back to stock, it’s the best fit, also did add on the rubber deflectors on the fairing and cowling, and that is great in rain. That is something to talk about, I have been caught in heavy storming rain, and just rode right on through, as long as I am moving, I don’t get much wet, except in heavy downpour. Oh, and the 7 gallons of fuel is awesome for long drives, I can ride 4 hours at a shot this is a comfortable bike . On the engine heat, I did cut holes in the inner plastic for venting the heat off, but in winter that heat is nice! I wonder, due to your riding experience on fast bikes, how fast have you wound out your ST, 100mph is as fast as I’ve ever gone but not for long, bug hit my windscreen and scare the shit out of me!!!😅 But 80 is a common speed for me on highway and it rides nice at that speed. Also yes the ST shifts like a dream, don’t even need the clutch, even down, and the shaft is just awesome, never and slack like a chain might have, solid all the time
You ST is just like mine, maybe cleaner though. Enjoy your videos, thanks. For me Sport Touring bikes are the best ride for what I do. Long country rides, as well as short trips to the grocery store. Been enjoying mine since 2008, it’s a 2007, silver like yours, bought it new in 2008, made several long rides across central usa and southern usa. It handles turbulence from trucks on the interstates, and eats up the highway.
please stop skipping the step where you show people who to put those stupid cheekpads back in. I struggled with that for A FREAKIN HOUR yesterday and one side still keeps popping out.
@@jdeveraux1027 The helmet is definitely not easy to put together. Same goes for takint the screen on and off... When all set, it feels great on your head.
I have a 2003 one with 25000 km since 2008. It is now on 125000 km with no problem whatsoever. When serviced it only needed oil and filters, no adjusting of the valves or anything else needed. When driving it is a bit nervous around 110 km/h, but that was solved with Hyperpro springs front and back, with the correct damperoil. It will be my last motorcycle, being 62 now. I do drive not enough, but selling is at this point no option.
