The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => General Announcements => Topic started by: Hairy_Eyeball on October 16, 2008, 08:35:18 PM
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So I made the plunge and picked up my new 86 R65 today, and it is totally sweet. I'll miss my 72 CB500, but I look at this as a definite upgrade. It's my first BMW and I haven't really gotten used to the weird feeling of the boxer engine yet. It just feels kinda funky, but I'm starting to really like it. I'm loving the way it feels in corners.
Anyway, I guess I'm one of you people now. Any advice, sage words of wisdom or thoughts on my new bike? I'm thinking about ditching that big ole windscreen and picking up an LS fairing for it.
ps- I'm wicked psyched! just thought I'd share
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I forgot to ask; Is there a consensus on the best solid state battery for these bikes? Thanks
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Batteries - There are several AGM (glass mat sealed) batteries that will work, if that is what you mean ? The top of the line is the Odyssey (sp?) but I bought one from WestCo, I think (don't look at it often enough to remember). Justin put up a sticky at the top of one of the forums with a negotiated deal that he got with a southern US supplier of another sealed battery, too.
Unless you want to pay alot, or are very good with repairing fiberglass&plastic, I wouldn't recommend looking for an LS fairing.. They will generally be put up for a premium price unless scratched & dinged, and they have some design issues that make them a bit of a pain to live with when it comes to having to do any maintenance. Plus, some of the parts (left and right inside black plastic covers) are no longer available to be bought - though they aren't needed for mounting the fairing. I'd consider looking at an S-type (original or repro/aftermarket model) fairing, or else a Rifle fairing or slipstreamer like some of the folks have been talking about on this forum. There is also a BMW OEM R65/R80ST accessory fairing that is quite small and about the same size as the LS fairing, though I don't know if it is still available through BMW or you'd have to shop the online classified and flea-bay for one...
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I would recommend an S-fairing with a new and higher screen to deflect the wind. I have one and it serves me very well.
http://picasaweb.google.dk/petertrolle/BMWR6584FDMKRekursusPJyllandsringen#5126360892264274338
greetings from a windy, sunny and cool north, very good riding conditions
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Great looking bike, H.E.! I have to remind myself to be good and not be too jealous of you lucky guys and gals that somehow snag these low-mileage machines. You have many many miles of great riding ahead and you will grow to love that funky airhead feel the more you ride. Just remember you are sitting on what is basically a two-wheeled airplane engine.
You already have a number of desirable additions to your bike – crash bars, fork gaiters, luggage rack. Do you have any side cases for those racks? If not, they are a definite must-have addition. I can testify that the best addition I’ve made to my bike is the heated handgrips. Even when it’s not cold, I find myself turning them on just for the therapeutic feel on my tired 50+ hands. Sort of like what I imagine a hot-stone treatment would be like. And the heated grips have greatly extended the range of conditions and the length of the riding season that I am comfortable riding my bike here in Virginia. You won’t need them so much in Austin, but they are an addition I highly recommend. Looking forward to seeing the evolution of that bike as you make it yours. You’ve come to the right place for all the advice and support you could possibly need.
John
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Lovely looking R65, HE. Get some miles on it as soon as you can. Let the bike talk to you and you will see where you need to spend your time & money.
Trolle... Is that wh8la2 ?
Nice looking S fairing, and I see what you mean about adding some height to it. I just received my 21 inch windshield for my Rifle fairing. I haven't replaced the 18 inch yet, but hope to improve the buffeting problem.
Best, from a rainy and cool (65 degree) South.
Ed
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Thanks for the fairing and battery feedback nhmaf. Getting a nice fairing on this bike is probably the thing I am most excited about but I am unsure on exactly what I want to do. Any more info about where to find good looking fairings that would fit onto a R65 with no troublesome fabrication or alterations would be more than appreciated. I'll have a little time to think on it, as I don't think I'll be able to afford a fairing for a little while after dropping a the cash on it in the first place.
Yikes- I do have the luggage, it was just off when I took that pic. I am amazed by how huge those things are on the inside. They just keep on going in there.
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I had this little fairing on my bike for awhile...it's available from JC Whitney. . .
http://www.jcwhitney.com/SPORT-STYLE-FAIRINGS/GP_2000644_N_111+10211+600014200_10111.jcw
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcwhitney.com%2Fwcsstore%2Fjcwhitney%2Fimages%2Fimagecache%2FG_10644G_CL_1.jpg&hash=7e751937ac60f50e69b4bb221fbdad5a4d631c50)
It's not the full RS fairing, but it has the look. The headlight was not an exact fit with the fairing, but it worked ok. I think I had to put the lower bars on the bike to make it work as well. This is not a good closeup of it, but you might get the idea....
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi129.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp210%2Fcabcgec%2FMotorcycles%2FGA081395.jpg&hash=ca9c37ceacff5658ea7e1453d48dcb40ef6fa96a)
It also bolted up without much of a hassle.
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Who's that handsome young man driving you around, Aida?
Nice looking bike, and lovely Bride!
;)
Ed
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eyeball, check out the batteries from Gruber Power at http://www.gruberpower.com/gruberpower/advertising/Batteries/motorcyclebatteries/. I have a couple from them and the price is much less than an Odyssey. There should be instructions on ordering with our discount in one of the "sticky" messages at the top of the page.
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There are already a couple of battery threads here, but I may as well weigh in on the newest. I spent a couple of hours last night trying to make sense of what's out there. AGM is the latest/greatest. It's popular in motorcycles and other recreational stuff for it's non spilling and shock resistance. But what seems to be propelling it most is it's weight. It's a favorite among light aircraft owners and tricked out small-car types looking to shave lbs. In those forums seems to be the most chatter about these batteries.
I discovered that Odyessy and Deka are made in the USA. The major manufacturers are Odyessy (EnerSys Energy Products Inc made in US and England), DEKA (East Penn Manufacturing made in Lyon Station, PA) and JCI (Johnson Controls manufactured in... not sure, probably everywhere -- they don't seem to toot their horn about it). Yuasa is a well known player and there are dozens of others, mostly rebadges of the above manufacturers.
Everyone will back their favorite, and there is enough anecdotal pro and con regarding every battery on earth to fill a good slice of the world wide web. It's probably best not to even go there, except that I did find generally positive comment on DEKA along with mention of the state of the art manufacturing and single purpose focus in the DEKA plant (could just be a little Jingoism there, you never know these days, but in any case..). I checked further and there seems to be very little real complaint about these batteries. Part of the reason, of course, is that DEKA sells many more batteries rebadged than under its own name, but there was still quite a body of favorable comment on them. In particular, that the manufacturing source is predictable and of high standard, and that spec for spec they are almost half the cost of the Odyessy brand AGMs.
I found DEKA under the brand "Big Crank" here http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX16-Battery.html
"Big Crank". WTF were they thinking? If any less confidence inspiring name could have been generated among the sales staff I'm open to any suggestions ladies and gentlemen. But anyway, it seems to be a really good value. Checking a bit further I located a genuine (if only for the name printed on it, I'm sure it's still the same battery, but at least it's a 100 percent guaranty that it's original) DEKA here...
http://www.remybattery.com/Products/Performance-AGM-Power-Sports-Battery__ETX16.aspx
64USD and 9USD shipping (to my michigan zip)!! Less than half overall than any Odyessy I could find.
The ETX16 is a 16amp hr battery. There's an 'L' version like in many batteries that simply refers to the location of the terminals (POS left or right) DEKA's bigger amp versions are too long for our battery space. It's hard to get a handle on the specs. The same battery is listed as 19amp hr elsewhere even though it is, obviously, nominally 16amp hr. It depends on the standards of rating it. It's an Odyessy PC680, Gruber YTX20L-BS, equivalent sizewise. Other than size, you must look closely at all the specs to decide for yourself.
The YTX20L-BS referred to in the sticky is now priced at 65USD instead of 80USD. I wondered about this and when I enhanced the photo it says it's manufactured in Vietnam. Perhaps they're no longer rebadged Odyessys? That's probably perfectly OK. Probably.
Anyway, there you go. I hope others will add their own discoveries or correct any of my errors.
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The price seems to fluctuate wildly on the YTX20L-BS, I'll change it in the sticky. Of course, follow the instructions in the "sticky thread" and receive an additional 5% off the battery price...
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An update, if people are interested. Thanks for all the battery input everyone, but I just ended up going to the local BMW cycleshop and bought what they had in the computer for an 86 R65. I got that goofball windscreen off, and am now riding the bike around naked, and she looks wicked sharp!
I've gotten used to the funky boxer engine and cool clunky dry clutch and man, I am loving this bike. I think I am a full on BMW convert. No more Japanese Fours for this guy! I feel like such a snob, and its awesome. She feels so surefooted in corners and the engine sounds straight-up sexy and I'm just psyched. My wife is sick of hearing about it, so I thought if anyone would appreciate me nerding out on this bike, I would find them here.
Next step: saving up some cash for a fresh new fairing. Any more leads on 7" S-fairings, R65LS fairings, or any other cool or funky ones is always appreciated.
Heres a new daylight pic of my new baby, sans windshield.
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From Trolle: << I would recommend an S-fairing with a new and higher screen to deflect the wind. >>
Nice bike, Trolle! (Yours is great, also, Hairy. I like my black, but the blue is special.) Trolle, I like the screen on your fairing. When you say "S-fairing with a new and higher screen," is it a factory accessory, or is it what is known in the USA as an "aftermarket item?" Also, to enable me to estimate its height, would you please tell me how tall you are? (I'm not very tall, so it's possible that the screen would be too tall for me.)
My 1981 (black) has a black Shoei cafe fairing. (Sorry, I don't have a photo yet. I plan to post some when I can shoot a set.) Because I bought the bike used, with the fairing already installed, I don't know the fairing's model designation, and I've been unable to locate a photo on the Internet. Its profile is quite similar to the JC Whitney fairing that msbuck posted in Reply #7, *except* that the lower part of the fairing flares out to cover the rider's hands. It does *not* accommodate instruments or turn signals. I like the Shoei's appearance and operation in general, but I'd prefer a slightly higher screen to give me somewhere to duck out of the way of the elements or flying debris.
Good luck with your search, Hairy.
John
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Is this your Shoei fairing Altritter?
http://www.oldbikebarn.com/Motorcycle_Parts/Fairing/Shoei-FM7-Classic-Fairing#5
If these go on R65s, thats fantastic. It looks like it came from the future and is made out of lasers. I dig it.
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If that Shoei fairing fits the R65 and in particular a good fit over the headlight, it may be exactly what I need on my bike. I really like the looks of that one. I have a fairing similar to what Aïda has on her bike.
By the way Aïda, I like that picture even better in the larger format. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
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HE - nice bike! The Shoei fairing is remarkably similar I think to a BMW one that I have - see link:
http://suraklyn.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1224223520
I picked up an identical one in smokey red on eBay a few weeks back for about US$18 - course the shipping was ....ummm....a little more than the fairing price :( I'm having it painted and have just received the mounting brackets yesterday from Germany. Cheers, aussie
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Yours looks really cool too Aussie. Even with exorbitant shipping, 18 dollars beats out the 200 or so they want for the Shoei one. Nice score for you!
Keep us posted on how the installation goes, and I cant wait to see pics of the finished product.
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Great looking "Mono", H.E.
Thanks for the picture.
Good luck on finding the "right" fairing. Keep us posted.
Ed
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Great looking bike. Love the colour too. Same as mine methinks ;)
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi79.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj143%2FBonzodogdick%2FR65%2FMondayRide004.jpg&hash=a644655535f25044839e1c65e261b367a4445591)
I think some tank pads would just finish off the look though.
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From Trolle: << I would recommend an S-fairing with a new and higher screen to deflect the wind. >>
Nice bike, Trolle! (Yours is great, also, Hairy. I like my black, but the blue is special.) Trolle, I like the screen on your fairing. When you say "S-fairing with a new and higher screen," is it a factory accessory, or is it what is known in the USA as an "aftermarket item?" Also, to enable me to estimate its height, would you please tell me how tall you are? (I'm not very tall, so it's possible that the screen would be too tall for me.)
John
Thank you, John
I've just sold the fairing in order to finance a RS-fairing. The higher screen is an aftermarket accessory manufactured in USA. I haven't got the name of the firm by me, but will add it at a later time.
This season I added a Laminar Lip to the screen which diminished the buffeting slightly.
greetings from a cold and freezing north with snow showers and very slippery roads - I had a fall with my bicycle yesterday
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Nice Mono's guys. :D Too bad I have a perfectly working 1980....
+1 on the Odessy PC680 (4 years 7 months and counting)
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...Anyway, I guess I'm one of you people now. Any advice, sage words of wisdom or thoughts on my new bike?
There's a BMW cat in Austin that's a member of our group. He kinda lurks... waiting patiently. ;) I bought my latest R65 from him. Sells bits and bikes. Digs Guzzi's, too. Straight-up guy. Hello, Larry Chabira.
Make friends at Lone Star BMW up on the north side. Believe their big event is Dec 13th. Free BBQ, etc.
Monte