The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Maz31 on April 30, 2009, 06:58:38 AM
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Greetings from Canberra, Australia.
Well, just purchased my first bike, maybe not the wisest purchase given I am learning to ride, but she is just gorgeous. Love the way she sounds and looking forward to my first ride on Saturday. Violet is a 1984 R65LS and her and I are going to become great partners (I hope).
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Congratulations!!! and I am sure it was a very wise purchase.
My fiancee started with a 1984 R65 about 4 years ago and still loves it. Be prepared to drop it a few times while learning to ride at slow speeds. Engine guards do work! I also had to replace a few mirrors that broke. Check out http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html for how to pick it up by yourself. Just don't get discouraged.
Lots of great information here and a great woman's support group at
http://www.vtwinmama.com/
Hey - our airheads are 180 degree V-twins aren't they?
Welcome!
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Welcome Marilyn and it's wonderful to have yet another Aussie on the site (we were getting somewhat overtaken by South Africans for awhile).
Another LS? Sheesh, they must be breeding somewhere!
Post pictures often and keep the rubber side of the bike on the ground. :)
Cheers
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Welcome aboard !
You've made a good choice and the R65 is also a bike that you could ride for hundreds of miles in a day without getting your teeth rattled out like some smaller first bikes. And if you take care of her and be patient with her when she needs a bit of maintenance you'll both be riding happily for many years.
We have a number of very intelligent ladies on this forum, though they are still well outnumbered by us blokes - they can help you out if we aren't able to !
There is a rapidly growing number of Aussies on this site, though the country is plenty large enough so you all may still be far from neighbors. Check out our Frappr map to see if there might be some other members nearby :
http://www.frappr.com/r65org
And now the important question: What color is your R65LS ?
We also love pics and you can post them in the Photo Gallery.
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Welcome Marilyn,
You made a good choice for a first bike, pretty forgiving, easy to work on machine.
What kind of 'guidance ' do you have to get you started riding, other experienced riders ?
Also remember 'AGATT', All, the GEAR, All THE TIME, helmet gloves, appropriate riding gear, and sturdy boots.
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Marilyn,
Welcome to the asylum, I hope you enjoy your visits. There's no sense in fighting it, once the Airhead insanity has set in there is no cure only temporary relief when you are doing the "three Rs" - ridin', 'renchin', and readin' the forum! ;D
My wife has a 1984 R65 and I'm pretty sure she'd rather get rid of me than the "baby cow"...
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(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi129.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp210%2Fcabcgec%2Fwelcome.gif&hash=c02483c5df3504c6e7faaf932d3824e774f3cb3c) Yes, you will find a support group here as well. My '84 R65 was my second bike. And Drew was right about dropping it a few times the first year. Don't worry about it, just pick it up and keep on truckin'! I had 5 my first year, but they were all parking lot, slow maneuvering drops. Just takes a bit of a learning curve to get the feel of it. Of course, if you have some height, it may not be as much of a problem.
Have fun with it and welcome to the gang! 8-)
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Welcome. Great choice of bike on two grounds. In my view, it is about as large a bike that a new rider can handle in terms of power and weight, yet it is one that you can be happy with for many years (my first bike, 27 years ago and still being ridden). Second, compared to many bikes, the seat height is low enough that most women can handle it. Back in the day, the R65 was actually recommended for women instead of the larger BMW's.
k_enn
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Hi, Marilyn!
The second R65 in our garage is supposed to be my wife's. I seem to be only the maintainer most of the time. By the way, she has yet to gain confidence on the Chinese 50cc scooter.
Welcome to the R65 family forum. What's really pleasant about our site is that no one gets 'dis'd (disrespected) no matter what their opinion may be. Kinda a different scene from some of the other sites.
We love folks. Post up some photos pronto... you, your bike, your dog... it's all good.
I have some new "oink-ment" for the swine flu pandemic. Not sure just where I should apply it [smiley=beerchug.gif]
Monte
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Well, thanks everyone for the encouragement. Purchased the bike from someone who had it for 10 years. They had it resprayed - this may not sit well with restoration enthusiasts, but I do love the colour. (yes Aussie's put the u in colour).
Bob, I have AGATT, my partner Steve would not have it any other way! He has vast experience in riding for the past 37 yrs and has always worked on his older Ducati's, so he is in his element with the R65LS. Took her down the school car park this morning and she is very forgiving and with a near rear tyre as well. I am relatively new to riding, having only ridden pillion on the Ducati for the past 3 months. Still very nervous about riding on the road, there are some crazy people out there who give L's a hard time. Practice, practice, practice.
Aida, i am relatively tall at 5' 9" and have plenty of leg room, but I do worry about dropping her or worse still falling off. Guess that's why AGATT is high on the agenda.
Maybe tomorrow we will go out onto the road during the quite of the morning, though it was pretty damn cool here this morning,....windchill of around -2 we reckon. Steve has also insisted on a bluetooth helmet intercom, so he can guide me through any problems etc... gotta luv him. He's out there working on Violet getting the throttle and brakes right, he was not happy with them.
I will try and post a picture, but not quite sure what to do. 8-).
Love reading the chit chat...cheers to all.
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Very nice blue. I'm in the "if it's not a collectors item being restored for concourse showing paint it whatever color you like" camp. I don't think any of our bikes are the original, or even a factory, color. My wife's '84 is close but much more vibrant than the factory blue.
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Justin,
Nice R65. Took the panniers off mine while learning :-?
Just a quick ques and I know this may sound stupid but which way is the fuel tap when on. straight down with the long part down??
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Good to see lots of new members ,now i am not the only newbie around anymore good luck Canberra-gal ,when i learnt to ride i took 15min to learn and my second time out ever i was forced to ride 30 miles from the dealer i bought my F650Gs Dakar from home ,without a learners permit or license
take it so and gain confidence and enjoy the experience and most important ride safe
Brendan
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welcome marilyn,
My first bike was a '79 65 and I passed my test on it 6 years ago. It is such a pleasure to ride which is why I haven't purchased another.
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Very nice blue. I'm in the "if it's not a collectors item being restored for concourse showing paint it whatever color you like" camp. I don't think any of our bikes are the original, or even a factory, color. My wife's '84 is close but much more vibrant than the factory blue.
Ha! The '83 R65 is presently in the sanding/priming/sanding, etc, etc stage. Color will be a semi-close match to the BMW 501 metallic blue; a Honda automobile color actually.
I agree with your concourse comment. I don't mod a scooter for the next owner; I do it for my own enjoyment.
You, too, Marilyn. Go your own way. And, if Steve figures out a way to get R65 rear binders to actually do more than light up the brake light, please share! ;D
BTW, Nice color coordinated riding gear. Yes on your fuel tap question. Straight down=ON. Fuel off is horizontal, either way. Reserve is UP.
Monte
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From the looks of the trees, fall is way on it's way in the southern hemishpere, great time for riding !!!
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Glad to have you join us Canbera Gal. Like Aida and the others say don't worry about the occasional drops. My son, Earl S. Phorqs, just got his m/c endorsement a few months ago and he's riding my '83 R65. We went for the first long ride last weekend and of course he dropped it in an intersection. Fortunately no cars around so now injury except to his pride.
I'm with the others on the paint scheme. Do it for yourself since you're the one that's riding it. That's a cool blue too. This is my second R65, and I'm 6'1" and it fits just fine. My fiance', Feyonce', has her own R1100R and I think it's cool that women are finally accepted in the sport. You go girl!
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Marilyn Canberra Gal! WELCOME! [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]
I've been too busy to do other than lurk lately, but I wanted to make sure to give you a big welcome. I love the color of your bike - it is definitely Violet. :)
I got my Lil Bee 6 years ago and she is my first bike. I took the MSF course before I got a bike and then decided there that YES I did want to ride. I took the course in the spring and found the bike in the fall. It took a few parking lots and easy rides on weekend mornings when there is no traffic to get started. Then I rode to the 49er Rally here in California with my partner - about a 200 mile ride - as my first long ride with a loaded up bike. That was fun!
I'm 5'7" and I can almost flat foot it. You will just need to practice practice practice. You'll be amazed one day when you do something automatically that used to take some hard thinking to do correctly. Just remember to always keep learning and ride your own ride. You'll keep up with the others when you're ready to! ;)
Here's a picture of my bike. It's the classic black, but it runs great!
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Welcome, Canberra-gal! I'm a relatively new born-again rider myself, and although I joined two other BMW-rider fora in addition to this one, the R65 is the only one I read every time I check my email. The others don't even come close to the level of friendliness you'll find here.
You wrote: << I know this may sound stupid but which way is the fuel tap when on. straight down with the long part down?? >>
You showed intelligence by asking a very important question! There have been several BMW fuel petcock styles over time, so if there is a style that differs from what I write, I hope someone will correct me. To operate the bike on its main fuel supply, it's important that the long end of the petcock handle point Down. If it points Up, you're operating on your reserve fuel supply, an arrangement that can complicate your ride making your reserve unavailable when you need it. (If you use your reserve first, you can correct the mistake, but it requires tilting the bike far over to one side—a two-person operation for most riders.)
Unlike you, I showed my own stupidity by not asking your question. Fortunately, I finally figured it out for myself and confirmed my guess shortly afterward when I obtained a copy of the Rider's Handbook for the R45, R65, and R65LS. (The fuel shutoff is covered on page 17, with a photo diagram and text.
If you did not receive a copy of the correct Rider's Handbook with the bike, I recommend that you obtain one. The BMW part number to request is :
01 41 9 798 291 (My version was printed in 1983, if I read the code correctly.)
If you can't find a bound copy, I think that a member of this forum posted a message that an electronic download copy is available (perhaps as a link on this forum; I forget).
if you buy, insist on that part number. Some sellers will try to sell you a later "replacement" covering post-1986 R65s, R80s, and R100s. This is of limited use.
Good luck,
John
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Hey Canberra gal,
Welcome. Congrats on the bike. Its a great first bike
You'll be fine for the P-test on the r65. I did mine in february and the R65has no problems at all doing the u-turn or the slalom. Infact it did the u-turn tighter than most 250's that were there on the same day.
here is guide to what is in the test
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/downloads/most.pdf
the only differences between the ACT and NSW is the swerve in the act is only on one side and the cones are a slightly different offset.
When you feel confident riding and ready to take the test my best advice is to practise a few times on the pre marked practise courses located around Canberra. Theres one at natex behind the stadium on the west side off flemington rd (though when I went to practise there was always some show on hogging hte car park). There is a better one in Kamba behind a Church on Jenke cct just off drakeford dr. I went 2 times to practise before my test and it sat me in good sted.
The main things to be prepared for are
the slalom - which is easy once you get used to driving the bike wide and slowly around the cones.
the u-turn - which is pretty much just practise.
Both of these tests are done at your own pace.
Good luck with it and hope to see you out and about around Canberra sometime.
P.
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Welcome, welcome! Oh boy another lady in our forum family! You may be the tallest of us women at five-nine. Melena five-seven, me five-four and three quarters and Aïda at five-oh-oh or slightly less. There are a few others like Arla but not all write in that much.
We all love our R65's. I have the henna red colour 1983 R65LS with white wheels known around these parts as Little Red Baron or LRB. He is being prepared to be my main ride this summer due to unfortunate circumstances last summer with a brand new 2008 F650GS twin. Anyhoo, LRB has had a fair bit of work done recently including new valves, rear main seal, timing chain all done by an airhead mechanic. I have just completed doing an upgrade to the alternator output to get it up to 400 watts so I can be toasty warm. I am now in the middle of installing some aux. running lights...not too successful yet but....
The bike is fairly high in mileage at 88,000 miles. Guru's have said that the BMW's can go on pretty normal maintenace schedules till about 80,000 miles then they MAY need some more work like the valve work I had done. Lots of these bikes go much further but always a good idea to keep an eye on things like the valve clearances...such an easy job on our bikes!!! Keep the fluids changed...a time we can use to commune with the bike :-* The transmission input spline and the rear wheel spline like to be lubed. The latter you do every tire change...not big deal. The former is a bit of a pain....but this is not the time for downers.....nope. Time to rejoice in your sound judgment and impeccable taste, girl!!!! Sounds like you have someone to help you wrench??? Lucky you!! If not, this forum will see you through even the toughest of jobs. Compared to these new fangled bikes, our R65's are a joy!
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If you did not receive a copy ofthe correct Rider's Handbook with the bike, I recommend that you obtain one. The BMW part number to request is :
01 41 9 798 291 (My version was printed in 1983, if I read the code correctly.)
If you can't find a bound copy, I think that a member of this forum posted a message that an electronic download copy is available (perhaps as a link on this forum; I forget).
PM Balibeemer - though I haven't seen him on for awhile...I think he had some work related stuff to attend to.
Cheers
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:D Thanks guys for all the remarks. Will check out the Kambah practice area once I have some more confidence. Well I dropped Violet for the first time this morning.....sob! Thank god for the crash bar. Had a throttle issue...could be the rider!! Once more around the school car park for an hour and then this afternoon, took to the quite road down near the lake. The brakes were still binding and not releasing properly, so Steve took off the front calipers and serviced them. He has not seen such a disgusting mess....(so much for well maintained bike) more grease than brake fluid...and as a Ducati perfectionist was disgusted. Now Violet has front brakes that work like a dream and pull up reaaallll quick!! The throttle was the next issue, took them apart and found the cam teeth are worn and binding as well.....off to the internet to source a part from Adelaide. We'll have you running like a dream soon Violet......New spark plugs and a quick tune up as well today and she is starting to purr.
Oh Sue .....Violet has done 165,000 Kilometers and many more I hope. It was interesting watching the calipers being taken apart and serviced.....
I won't be able to ride her for a week, as I am off to Port Douglas for a short holiday.....this is in Sunny Qld near the Barrier Reef. so I am gong from 0degrees in the morning to around 20 degrees in the morning and 30 deg during the day....should be beautiful. Oh that is Celsius not farenheit....
Cheers to all :) [smiley=dankk2.gif]
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I won't be able to ride her for a week, as I am off to Port Douglas for a short holiday.....this is in Sunny Qld
Well it's a tough gig - but I guess someone has to keep the economy revolving.... ;)
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Well, finally took to the road this morning. All geared up in my leathers, thermals, boots etc...all this gave me confidence plus the voice in my head....Steve. apart from working on Violet for the past 4 weeks, he has installed a wireless intercom into the helmets for communication. What a blessing! It was like having a driving instructor in the car with you when you first take lessons. This wonderful device has certainly given me confidence to ride on the road. Tagging behind me watching every little move I made or didn't make, came this voice, you need to speed up or change gears...relax those shoulders etc. By the time I got home after 1.5 hrs I started to feel like I could ride the bike.
First we took to the school yard again after the work he had done on the throttle and brakes, then to a little settlement near home called Tharwa,.....still doing okay, so we took off for Tidbinbilla Deep Tracking Station about 20kms away....beautiful winding roads and kangaroos and emus....glad they stayed on their side of the fence. Morning tea at the Station and then back home via the Town Centre and some traffic and roundabouts.
thought I had done the gear box, but actually nearly ran out of petrol, so switched to reserve and back home......bit tired and sore muscles...probably a lot of tension....looking forward to a massage tonight.
Can't wait to get out again next weekend...or maybe before...
Have a good week everyone.
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Welcome aboard, and great job getting used to the R65. That was quite a ride for your first trip. We can all relate to the aches from unused muscles & stress that tend to manifest themselves during and after our first trip.
[smiley=clap.gif]
Keep the great attitude and continue to pace yourself.
Best,
Ed
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What communicators are you using? Once my husband and I invested in a couple - the rides took on a whole new enjoyment! We use the Collett Communicators that are self-contained as well as being waterproof. (We have more than one bike to chose from and didn't want to hard wire anything in.) I feel naked without them now. It's great to have that instant response and correction when you're on the road learning. I work for Motomark1 that offers private training for motorcycles and he uses the communication as well as video to teach.
Glad you have a successful and enjoyable day out on the road!