TR650 Strada modifications

[Mike Friend]

I've been fiddling around with my TR650 Strada in an attempt to make it the ultimate city street thumper. So far:

* Swapped out black body panels for red.
* Removed rear fender, replace with RG fender tidy.
* Installed Givi top box - good for shopping, but my wife wonders why it takes me two hours to go to the Safeway for a gallon of milk.
* Installed SW Motec centerstand.
* Installed AltRider bash plate for no good reason, since I rarely ride off road .
* Painted white fender and headlight cowl black.
* Relocated horn and voltage regulator to front of bash plate, and tidied up the ugly wiring mess on the right side of engine. By the way, it turns out that the black plastic cover that sits over the voltage regulator as it comes from the factory was never meant to be used that way. When I relocated the voltage regulator to were it can get some cool air, I realized that the cover matches the engine shape exactly when bolted directly into the bosses on the side of the engine, and hides the wiring bundle. I looked at some pictures of the TR650 prototype and it also had the voltage regulator located somewhere else.
* Replaced the clunky looking countershaft cover with one from a BMW X-country.
*I'm still looking for a good replacement for the flimsy standard rear rack. With the load of the topbox I'm sure its going to break one of these days.

After all of this, I am pretty pleased with the bike. It really is a fabulous urban assault vehicle. The only things I don't like are the stupid auto-retracting side stand and the forward slope of the seat that puts my knickers in a twist...

 

[nev..]

The only things I don't like are the stupid auto-retracting side stand.

I think this was an issue on some of the first shipment of bikes. If you search way back to the early days of the TR650 part of this forum you'll find discussion on how to make a simple bend in the sprint tab on the stand which will stop it from doing that.

View attachment 40432

I am pretty sure that's where BMW mounted the regulator on some of their models. The downside to this location is that the regulator can get covered in mud, which anyone who has ever watched the movie "Predator" will know is a very good insulator of heat and therefore a very bad thing for the front wheel to be throwing all over a heatsink. I'm sure if you mount the reg high enough, and stay out of the mud you won't have any problems with it in that location.

 

[Jesper]

Looks ok.
Now it just need a 17" front wheel.
As for rear rack
http://www.nomadic-racks.com/store#!/~/product/category=976078&id=27910902

 

[Clete]

Looks good Mike.
Is the BMW X-Country countershaft cover, just a cover, or more like a case saver? Plastic or metal?
Don't forget to protect that oil line where the top of the skid plate looks like it could touch it. Just slit a piece of rubber hose, and zip-ty over the oil line.
Did you happen to have the parts you painted black installed before changing to the red side covers. Curious to how all black looks.

 

[Mike Friend]

Jesper, thanks for the rack info. I have ordered one up.

Clete, the X-Country countershaft cover is just a plastic cover. It's better than the standard cover in that you can take off the oil filter cover without removing it.

Here's what the bike looks like in black before some of the other mods. A bit too dark for my tastes. Swapping it back to this from red only takes a few minutes!

 

[TERRA-STORM]

G'day Mike,
Nomadic Racks are tough, I'm very happy with mine.

 

[Dutchgit]

The cover from the G650 X series is just a piece of plastic that looks better than the stock one.
The voltage regulator on the earlier F beemers (2000 onwards) sits more or less behind the engine. On the first F series it was located under the seat. Can't say we've ever had problems with any of them.

 

[nwrider1]

Mike,

I really like the black fender + red side panels. I really don't care for the white fender on my strada. Did you paint the fender yourself? If so, what did you use to prep the surface and what paint did you use?

 

[Mike Friend]

I took it to the local bike painters in Seattle, Sik Paintworks, and they sprayed it along with some other black parts they happened to be doing. They were a little skeptical about paint adhesion but it seems to hold up just fine. They use a prime coat that helps adhesion, but sorry I don't know what brand they use. I painted the headlight cowl with a rattle can after sanding and it also seems to work fine.

 

[nwrider1]

Thanks, Mike.

I just checked with Bill's in Salem, they have 3 sets of red side panels in stock! I'll be down that way next week so will pick up a set. I also have to stop at an auto paint shop to match some white from another item, so will check out $$ to paint the front fender.

 

[Mark_H]

........

* Relocated horn and voltage regulator to front of bash plate, and tidied up the ugly wiring mess on the right side of engine. By the way, it turns out that the black plastic cover that sits over the voltage regulator as it comes from the factory was never meant to be used that way. When I relocated the voltage regulator to were it can get some cool air, I realized that the cover matches the engine shape exactly when bolted directly into the bosses on the side of the engine, and hides the wiring bundle. I looked at some pictures of the TR650 prototype and it also had the voltage regulator located somewhere else.
View attachment 40432

After performing the removal and replacement of my Horn (http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/be-seen-and-be-heard.68057/) and following the Cannisterectomy I began looking for a place to relocate the Voltage Regulator.
As you say the Black Plastic cover was never meant to be fitted in the way Mr Husky has it, but I do I agree BMW got it more or less right. I also fail to understand how Husky could go to the trouble of having a separate bracket made up for the VR and Horn, yet still end up with an ugly poor fitting POS.

After removing all the wire ties and associated 'stuff' I found the VR wiring to be quite long and ample for relocation somewhere near the front of the bike. Where to put it is the issue as I really do not want it to become covered in mud or cause any other problems, but it still does need to be have some airflow over it to perform correctly.

At last I found what I think could be the perfect position.....

Fitting is temporary at the moment, however there is a very nice unused bracket hole at the base of the radiator to which I will probably attach a more substantial bracket to hold the VR in place.



Picture of my VR in it's new position, up under the panels but still in airflow. The original Black Plastic Cover is now fitted how it was meant to be and hides the connectors.
I have my 'spoils' - The large VR Bracket is pretty useless but I have plans for the Horn Brackets which fortunately are in three seperate pieces.
(Next project = with a 90 degree bend put into two of the pieces, they will fit perfectly onto the front indicator mounts and be used to support small LED driving lights)

Incidentally, whilst relocating the VR I came across this unused connector in the wiring under the bracket.



At this point I have no idea what it is for, but further investigation using the wiring diagrams may reveal something. There is also another similar one located up under the covers just above the spark plugs.

Cheers, MH

 

[VFORCEJOHN]

While installing my Tail Tidy I also noticed a resistor plug on a dead end lead under the tail light area. Unplug it and it's just a resistor inside there? I ran it with it on and off, no difference either way?? I also reconfigured the lock and tail light mount bracket for that tail tidy, whoever designed that lock mount had to be cross-eyed??

I believe this picture above is for a accessory connection?

Sure looks similar to what BMW puts on the G450x to switch between maps (std or performance)

I've not had the courage to installa jumper.

That MAP 2 that comes on at the dash is certainly a hidden feature on this machine....If it's available??? the Timing on these machines is extremely retarded. Having a more aggressive timing map would work wonders!!

 

[Mark_H]

While installing my Tail Tidy I also noticed a resistor plug on a dead end lead under the tail light area. Unplug it and it's just a resistor inside there? I ran it with it on and off, no difference either way?? I also reconfigured the lock and tail light mount bracket for that tail tidy, whoever designed that lock mount had to be cross-eyed??

I believe this picture above is for a accessory connection?

Sure looks similar to what BMW puts on the G450x to switch between maps (std or performance)

I've not had the courage to installa jumper.

That MAP 2 that comes on at the dash is certainly a hidden feature on this machine....If it's available??? the Timing on these machines is extremely retarded. Having a more aggressive timing map would work wonders!!

Agreed it must be for some other accessory or fitting that BMW had as they used the same wiring loom etc.
The only official Husky electrical accessories available are the Alarm System and the Heated Grips.

In the tail section there is an unused plug which is for the Husqvarna (BMW) Alarm System - which may be the one you have discovered.

I have further investigated the two plugs I found -

The one pictured has two small wires (Green and White) and I can find nothing in the Wiring Diagram to indicate what it is for.
The only Green wire depicted is the feed to Fuse 1 and 7 from the Main Switch.
The only White wire depicted is the Headlight Main Beam feed.

It is clearly nothing to do with either of these.

The other plug I found above the Spark Plugs has two wires Green/Black and Black/White and from the Wiring Diagram I find it is described as X9092B - Pull Up Resistor -Neutral.

Following your suggestion of possible secondary mapping availability I also note that there are several 'spare' or unused connections on the ECU.
Namely, E1, J1, M1, E2, A3, E3, J3, E4, G4 and H4. however until we get to know more about the MM ECU and its mapping, I have no idea if a second map would be possible.

IMHO secondary mapping would have been the perfect way for Husqvarna to achieve the de-tuned 'learner' engine output, but for some reason they chose to do it via a more complicated means. (Program and Mechanical)
This leads me to believe secondary mapping may not be possible with this particular ECU.