The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
Technical Discussion => BMW Technical Q&A, Primarily R65 => Topic started by: steve_wicks on June 16, 2009, 04:33:05 AM
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I've got leaky front forks and the tubes are pitted so the new seals are not going to last for long. To get the tubes repaired will cost almost US$400 so I was wonderin!
I did come across an R80 that was being stripped and wonder if the forks would fit an '81 R65. If not, why, and is there anything else in the BMW range that will fit?
Failing that is there anything else with the same fork tube diameter that could be used - maybe fit a 19" front wheel & get better brakes at the same time?
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Sometime in the not-too-distant past there was a thread hereabouts regarding a forks swap, R80 to R65. As I recall it was a no-go, IMS.
Maybe try the search tab or perhaps someone will chime in on more details. Suggest you hold off buying anything until the jury is in.
Monte
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Your problems are:
1. The position of the front axle and the fork offset that the R65 has built into your yokes.
The R65 fork leg axle is mounted down the centre ine of the fork.
The R80 (of a similar age) the axle is mounted on the front of the fork.
The fork yokes (triple trees) on an R65 compensate for this by having more fork offset - I.e. the fork legs are further forward in relation to the stem. both bikes have a similar trail.
If you fit fork legs from an R80 into yokes of an R65 you will decrease the trail by a significant amount but also increase the wheelbase. It will affect the handling, but by what margine would be difficult to say, you will knock off 1/2 to 3/4" of trail off your bike, taking it down to aprox 3".
I have a spare R65 yoke set-up that I have been threatening to put them on my R100 - not only will I change the trail, but I will have to change the brake disc positioning as the R65 yokes are wider as well.
2. The legs themselves have different lengths of travel, although if you measure an R80 and R65 togehter, side by side, when the bikes are at rest, with the same weight on wheels, you will find the lengths very similar, it just means that the R80 forks will extend and compress further. So mixing parts probably wont work.
I find that $400 is expensive. I have recently had mine refurbished on my R100 for less that half that in £s (£160 for the pair), and we no longer have a 2:1 relationship between $s and £s.
I would stick with the R65 forks as they are better anyway, and so is the yoke arangment. They do not call R80s and R100s Rubber Cows for nothing!
Cheers
Steve
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I too have some minor pitting on only one fork...I recently replaced my seals and so far so good but I changed them the side with the pitting was far worse than the clean side so I agree that it is definitely a concern if you come up with an affordable fix please let us know what you find.
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As a temporary cheat you could fill the pitting with some epoxy and rub them down smooth with fine emery. If done carefully, it should stop the tearing of the new seals.
This is why we have fork gaiters. I have put a set on both my r65 cafe racer and my r100. Both have had new reconditioned stantions fitted as a reult of not having gaiters fitted.
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http://www.frankmain.qpg.com/
Frank's Maintenance and Engineering, Inc. aka
Forks by Frank
We purchased some for Graham's R100 and like the price/quality. Looks like he's gotten good reviews in several places (googled him and found multiple forum postings from BMW Gs to Suzuki Bandit riders recommending him.) We liked what we got and it looks like he can make up whatever you need if he doesn't already have it in stock...
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I can get them reconditioned, but the cost 400 USD is a killer.
Think I'll check if they are available new ........
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motobins show the leg for 49 pounds part #28930 unless im missreading it!! sounds too cheap to me i would phone em to clarify it
Lou
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Its probably on a return basis. You give them your old legs and they will give you a rechromed set as long as yours are not bent.
There will be a sizeable deposit, which will be return when they recieve your stantions.
Motorworks do a similar thing. I had to replace my R65 legs and my R100 legs due to pitting. I will learn one of these days.
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Yup, they are exchange. Motorworks quotes 57 pound and deposit is 65 pounds, but postage to South Africa could be as high as 50 pounds to get them to me and the same again to send my old stanchions.
Cost therefore would be not much less than having them done here without the aggravation and risk of them being identified as canons/gun barrels and destroyed by Interpol's anti terrorist unit etc. :o
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Yes, gaiters are our friends!
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Mine are shot so now I'm going to find alternatives, something from a Japanese Yamhonsuzaki - complete, fork legs, wheel, brake disc & master cylinder etc.
The big problem seems to be finding something else that will fit in the yokes without any modification. Once I read about Yamaha bits that bolted straight in ..... anyone got ideas?
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I've seen an R65 "GS" type creation that used a Yamaha YZF fork set, but I don't recall if it used the Yamaha's yokes or not..
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Just remember when modifying a bike.
One mod always leads on to another....and another .... and another...etc.
Dont ask me how I know ::)
Still might be cheaper in the long run to bite the bullet and buy a set of rechromed items.
You might also affect the outright value of your machine. If you care about such things.
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I've seen an R65 "GS" type creation that used a Yamaha YZF fork set, but I don't recall if it used the Yamaha's yokes or not..
Yup, That's what I remember, but does anyone know where to find it .... google is already tired of me!
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I believe it was for sale in the USofA on ebay, but it was several months ago and they may have booted the picture/posting on it by now as part of their regular site cleanup. I don't think that I snagged a picture of it
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We had a member here, professorfate, that installed an Asian bike forks on his R65, making it more like a GS model .
I did a quick search, and an explanation of what was done to the bike, was posted around the first week of April, 2007 .
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I tried searching for it, but couldn't go back that far.
Bit of useless info for you Bob ...... there's a place called Tempe here in South Africa, just outside Bloemfontein!
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Being a newb not only to r65's but street bikes in general, where can I find a set of gaiters for my '78 R65? I am now having nightmares about finding fork acne on my little buddy's legs :-[.
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Any BMW motorcycle dealer will have them or can order them. You can also get them online from BobsBMW.com in Maryland, or capitalcycle.com or chicago BMW, or Moto-bins or numerous other web places.
There are a couple "versions" of these - you want the shorter one for the R65s, as opposed to the longer ones that were on the /6 /7 bikes - I don't have the parts numbers offhand but am sure someone can chime in. Also you need (4) clamps - like hose clamps, but BMW has some that will cost more and appear slightly less utilitarian - though I wish they came in black and not shiny silver.