[mogcamper]

Happy Christmas All



I have just signed the paperwork on a 2012 TW

My dub will sit on the back of a Unimog Truck camper and get to see the world.



So, my first question: What would you change to increase reliability on the TW? Parts will be an issue in some places I will visit so I want to swap out anything that can be swapped or at least carry the relevant spares.



Thanks in advance.

 

[xdac]

Put a set of handguards/bark busteres on there so when you fall you wont snap a lever. I carry an extra shift lever incase i bend it, stock foot pegs, duct tape and zip ties for parts that shouldn't move, wd40 for parts that should, and extra gas.

 

[longroof]

15 tooth front sprocket and a rack/panniers to carry your stuff. windshield for l o n g trips makes it less fatiguing too. and what xdac mentioned also are great (needed) farkles. I'm on a tour of Florida on my 200 so i'll post some photos later of my modifications.

 

[r80rt]

Get a good new chain.

 

[Johnywad]

I used to own an ex-Belgian troop carrier 404. What model Mog is your camper built on? You've picked the ideal Unimog accessory in the TW.

 

[mogcamper]

Thanks all for the advice



I am thinking about the Moose Racing handguards. Xdac: Good idea about the spare lever.



The cycleracks rack seems to be the forum favourite. From the pictures, I am not sure it will work with my wife on the back. Anybody ride 2-up with a cycleracks fitted?



longroof: Whats the best chain?





My Unimog is a 1300L so a bit more comfortable than a 404. The TW will allow us to get to places where the Mog is too big and allow us an independent way of getting out if we get stuck many miles from help.



Cheers

 

[Stromper]

I think the stock chain is good for a few thousand miles but should be replaced with an O ring eventually.



The stock jetting is HORRIBLE research around here and replace pilot and main and do the other adjustments.



Lastly look up motoman breakin and change the oil like after the first warm up.



Good luck

 

[bcscammell]

To make it more reliable in the backcountry I'd install a tougher skidplate, an extended mud guard on the front and rear to keep the engine clean and prevent overheating, strong hand guards, a fuel filter for iffy gas and an o-ring chain. A hidden key on the bike might come in handy if you travel far off the beaten path. Because the fuel strainer in the tank may get clogged and cause problems I would filter the gas before it went into the tank as some back areas could have contaminated gas. For hard to get parts for replacement I would think any of the electrical parts which are prone to failure might be good to have on hand. Spare headlight bulb, voltage regulator, cdi, coil, spark plugs etc. and a complete tool kit for the bike. I believe the Tw200 is sold in a lot of areas around the world so parts should be accessible if not readily available. Nice looking rig by the way.

 

[lizrdbrth]

Where ya off to?

 

[retmotor]

...My dub will sit on the back of a Unimog Truck camper and get to see the world...

Where's the smiley for green with envy?



Congrats on the TW (just got a 2012 myself) and welcome to the forum.

 

[goldenhtr]

Thanks all for the advice



I am thinking about the Moose Racing handguards. Xdac: Good idea about the spare lever.



The cycleracks rack seems to be the forum favourite. From the pictures, I am not sure it will work with my wife on the back. Anybody ride 2-up with a cycleracks fitted?



longroof: Whats the best chain?





My Unimog is a 1300L so a bit more comfortable than a 404. The TW will allow us to get to places where the Mog is too big and allow us an independent way of getting out if we get stuck many miles from help.



Cheers

2up is not a problem with the cyclerack a all.

 

[srs713]

A Cyclerack will give a passenger a good place to hold on to. It makes it a lot harder for the passenger to slide off when the going gets rough.

 

[mogcamper]

Picked up my bike and took it for 40 miles in the hills. Smiles all the way apart from the few miles near my house where an extra gear would have come in handy. Hopefully the sprocket change will help that.



Decided to try the Motoman break-in. 40 miles of hard riding and then an oil change. Just a few specs of metal found in the filter. The oil did look more milky than I was expecting. Maybe some detergent left in there?



Thanks for the advice on the cycleracks. Mine is on on the way. Amazing how they don't want payment until you get it!





At the moment my plans are in a bit of dis-array. I have my Unimog in England and a route mapped out down to Cape Town. Not too dissimilar to "The Long Way Down". Unfortunately, my route included Libya and Egypt. My backup route went through Syria! I will have to see how it is once I am ready.

 

[qwerty]

The only actual weaknesses on a new North American TW are the chain and carb tune. There are some vulnerabilities that would be wise to protect.



Replace the chain immediately with one of the o-ring type. It is cheaper and less hassle in the long run to go ahead with an o-ring chain than invest the hours of maintenance that are required to extend the life of the stock chain beyond 3000 miles, at which time the chain, both sprockets, and probably the left engine cover gasket will need to be changed. Expect 25,000 miles out of an o-ring chain installed on new sprockets. The type of travel and riding you describe begs for a lower sprocket ratio. I believe a rear wheel sprocket with 54 teeth will provide better performance on unimproved roads, 2 up, especially at altitude. I'd carry a good rust inhibitant for the chain.



I carry 125, 128, 130, and 132 main jets, and have used all to provide the best possible rideability under specific conditions. A 10-minute rejet can make a world of difference in performance when altitude changes. I've found a couple small flat washers to provide sufficient adjustability of the needle. The stock pilot jet has been adequate for me from Death Valley to Pike's Peak.



Vulnerabilities include crash damage and fuel and oil quality.



Unless you plan on bashing over boulders, the stock skid plate is adequate. Brush guards are a good idea to protect the levers in a drop. Brush guards also help hold the tank, headlight, and turn signals off the ground in a drop. Small cables or chains bolted to the skidplate and angled back to the outside ends of the shifter and brake pedal guides sticks and such out and around the levers instead of allowing them to wedge between the levers and engine. A Cyclerack protects the turn signals and muffler from damage.



I'd be more worried about carrying oil blended specifically for 4-stroke motorcycles with wet clutches than what spare parts I had along. I'd also prefilter fuel through a marine system with a water separator. TWs are that dependable.



I'd convert all bulbs except the headlight to LEDs and not bother with carrying spares. Reason is, spares are subject to practically the same vibrations as the bulbs in use, and failure is just about as fast. I'd use the brightest bulbs that will fit for everything except the three indicator lights--the cheapest single LEDs are plenty bright for that application. I would carry a spare headlight bulb, but H4 bulbs are pretty common worldwide, so one spare is enough.



After all, your TW is your secondary vehicle, so maximum self-sustainability isn't required. If you were doing a rounder on TWS, my recommendations would certainly change.

 

[lizrdbrth]

+1.



A well-prepared, maintained and armored stock Tw will get you into and out of places no prudent person should go. Qwerty's nailed the basic initial priorities. If you do nothing else to the bike, address these early while you're in the "new bike smell" stage and you'll be money and joy ahead of the curve.



I'd place more emphasis on a skid plate partly due to my local riding conditions and partly because they provide great attachment points for the brake and shifter tethers described.



There are various threads on replacing the seat bolts with something more trail-friendly to ease access to the battery and some of the electrical components if the need should arise.

 

[Stromper]

One back in the day service was an extra throttle cable



You can get back with most of your controls wasted except the throttle cable.

5 inch vise grip just snapped onto the frame

 

[mogcamper]

My dilemma with the sprockets is that it will be used in extreme conditions where the 54 tooth sounds like a good idea. However, when I arrive in cities I wanted to be able to use the bike and leave the Mog parked up in a campground. How about a dual rear sprocket? If not, I could carry and swap them as required. Could I get away with both 47 and 54 on the rear and my stock 15 on the front without changing the chain? I will probably go with the 428V chain from DID and pack the stock chain as a spare. (I always fit spare parts and take the removed part as a spare as I then know it fits and works. I have seen people go to fit spare that they have carried for 1000's of miles and find they dont fit!)



I have a gas tank and filters etc on the truck as I run a honda generator. I will fuel the TW from the same tank. I am thinking that a Clarke tank may be needed. Using any external containers is asking for trouble in Africa as the kids will run off with everything that is not locked down

 

[qwerty]

Valid questions. The stock sprockets on the TW200 are 14/50 or 14/45, depending on market. The TW200, properly jetted, will run 75mph at redline, with 14/50 sprockets. Unfortunately, the TW200 is so lioghtly stressed the engine will not pull 75mph under most conditions. Fortunately, the TW200 engine, properly jetted, is so lightly stressed, it will run WFO at 9500rpm tank-to-tank. It sounds like it's screaming its guts out, but it isn't. TT-R 230 engines, same engine family, are still dependable at 28hp output. The TW's 12-13 horsepower is nothing to the engine structure. Let her spin. Considering these facts, go ahead and add a dual sprocket set-up, the instructions are on this forum.



The Motoman break-in is inappropriate for the TW's 1960s engine technology. The Motoman break-in is appropriate for engines with contemporary engine technology, with liquid cooling to provide a more stable control of thermal expansion and contraction and coated cylinder bores to reduce friction, which permits much closer engine tolerances, and much smoother machined surfaces, such as a CBR or such. The best break-in for engines with the TW's level of technology is a couple dozen miles of easy riding, change the oil, then lots of short, steep hills in a relatively high gear that requires high throttle application at moderate rpm going up, then low throttle application at moderate rpm going down. Constantly changing engine load prevents and cold and hot spots from developing in the combustion chamber walls (piston crown, cylinder walls, valve heads, and cylinder head). Cold and hot spots can affect the temper of the metals involved and detract from engine life. Since you can't undo what you've already done, I suggest a nice, patient ride on a curvy road or trail through hilly terrain for the next 500 miles or so. after that, run it any way you want, as long as the jetting is good. You'll notice steadily increasing power output until about 2000 miles.



The Clarke XT350 tank isn't a bolt-on, but installation is not exceedingly difficult. It holds a full 4 gallons of gas. You'll need 2-inch handlebar risers to clear the tank, which most riders find more comfortable than the stock height.

 

[lizrdbrth]

You may want to put some TW miles in before diving in head first. Were I you I'd leave the gearing as-is for now.



Unless the new TW's are being equipped with a 15T front sprocket the standard front is a 14T. In either case a 47T rear is a bit on the tall side for anything but groomed and fairly level pavement, and even worse so with a 15T front.



A 50T stock sprocket is a better overall compromise, and a 50/54 split really isn't worth the added complexity and hassle of a dual sprocket arrangement.



I keep hitting the button at the same time as Qwerty lately. lol. If max range is your goal bypass all the other options and go directly to the 4 gallon Clarke XT tank, with seat mods.



You can run an O.E.M XT350 STEEL tank without modding the seat, but it's a pain in the butt. If you run the Clarke version you'll eventually wear a hole in the tank without seat mods.

 

[srs713]

Where you would have trouble with a 54 tooth sprocket is on the highway (55~65 MPH)



Under 50MPH in town a 14/54 sprocket set will do just fine. You might end up leaving stop lights in second gear, but fifth will be tall enough for any city street speed limits.