Hi all,

Just bought this 2011 Tenere, just under 18k on the clock, i got her for a good price and intend on working from one end to the other cleaning up, repairing, servicing etc as i go in prep for a ride im doing in the summer.
The plan is to ride her from new york to LA so i want to make sure everything is in good order before i set off and that i know the bike inside and out by stripping / cleaning everything.

As she stands when I purchased (click for full size images)

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Tucked up in the garage following delivery




List of jobs i can see that will need sorting...
- Spokes are rusty, made worse by the spoke covers
- The lights have been converted to HID as are the spots, this adds a lot of complicated and extra wiring all over the place.
- Plenty of rusty bolts and other crusty parts that will get a clean up.


First job - Simplify the lighting
Out with all the Balast boxes and extra cabling has left me with this 1.7kg pile of added-now removed stuff....



which has all now been replaced with some standard(ish) bulbs and bulb holders



more to follow :-)

First rusty/crusty part was the bracket that sits under the battery box, it gets a good battering from the much coming up from the wheel.

the part was given a going over with the wire wheel, then primer, then some bed liner paint. I've used this paint as its supposed to give a tough hard wearing finish, and the texture hides any imperfections in the parts nicely



bolts given the same wire wheel treatment and they have come up looking like new



at some point there has been a single can fitted to the bike, and i don't think a shield had been fitted to seal up the big hole left under the seat thats no longer covered by the stock unit.
to this end lots of cleaning and the part of the frame the cans and seat release fixes too was very rusty, so cleaned and painted in the same bed liner paint as before

I use these side light bulbs. Nice and bright white.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F282035608258

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2011 xt660z.
Yoshimura cans ,kev mod,Dna 2, Stahlkoffer panniers,Hepco Becker box,Givi crash bars,Mita e07 tyres.

An absolute upper tier hate of mine is getting a bike that someone has switched exhausts for all the 'attached visual kudos' and hasn't thought about the gap left by the original system and they're happy to plug on through mud and rain letting the back wheel fill their fuse box, relays and starter solenoid with water and sludge, It says a lot about the owner....The very same owner who'll be on a forum asking " why are my electric........?"

Having vented off, I'd love to see your blog / pictures of your travels...Nice job!"

p.s. bed liner paint is awesome !

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I have a lot of growing up to do. I realized that the other day inside my fort.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Pai...nverter/p43408

I used this last year on the silver spokes of my R to cure the rust and then painted all the spokes,front and rear.

Perfect match to the rims and over a year later no sign of rust. I actually used a modle makers paint brush to do it. Sooo thereaputic.

I have used it for years on various car's/parts too.

Does that stuff just apply a thick black coating on the rusty bits, or all the bits that are painted? It would be the answer to many of my prayers.

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I have a lot of growing up to do. I realized that the other day inside my fort.

It's water based so its not thick and gloopy BUT does cover well. On everything I've tried it on. No prior prep of spokes,other than a quick rub down of the rust AND then a degreasing/washing session. Obviously you cant paint it on when stuff's wet and I have used a hot air gun to dry stuff off and it also speeds up the curing process.

Im more than happy with the finish and longevity.

Did the hubs too.

I have also painted both calipers and various other bits like disc centres etc.

Its cheap and tbh I initially bought the small tub but liked it that much I have since bought,and used 2 litres of the stuff!!

No commision ...honest

that rust converter will always need a top coat of something to make it last though.


I did think about cleaning up the spokes and painting them, but by the time i've spent doing that i may as well have re spoked them...... So i've ordered a set of stainless steel spokes and going to give that a go when they arrive.


Next issue i've found is the header water tank is leaking from one of the cover bolt holes...

Ive read a post somewhere that this can happen when someone has used the longer of the 3 cover bolts in the wrong hole and punched the tank... thats what it looks like has happened here. I've put some sealant in for now.
but ordered a replacement tank anyway, cant afford to be over heating in some of the desert areas in the states

That tool station stuff looks just like the kurust stuff I've used before.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F352170492682
Initially I was sceptical about it as It painted on like milk but it worked well, turning any corrision a dark blue almost black colour.
I first used it on small paints on a vw camper but found it useful on a weathered yamaha .

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2011 xt660z.
Yoshimura cans ,kev mod,Dna 2, Stahlkoffer panniers,Hepco Becker box,Givi crash bars,Mita e07 tyres.

your going to respoke your own wheels?..respect