new member ,united kingdom

[run990]

just got my first bmw boxer 78 r65 ,superficialy looks unmolested but has got plenty of previous owner bodges .just rode it home in the dark raining ,chronic missfire ,dubious charging system ,handling ha ha ,worn shocks soft forks ,could have charged money as a fairground ride .will post some pics  later .i am toying with a sensible cafe racer rebuild ,ace bars ,loose the sidepannels ,custom seat with rear hump but keeping 2 seater capacity.not a radical stripped racer but a practical ride that wont cripple me ha ha .thankfully mechanicly feels solid ,gave it a good thrash ,had to low speed missfire ,still did just short of the ton so must be fit .

[montmil]

Bienvenidos de Texas, run990.

Hummm... Misfire while riding in the rain? Possible moisture somewhere in the ignition system. Check spark plug condition -good idea, raining or not; spark plug caps -early metal caps can create problems; vintage spark plug wires could be "leaking" voltage to ground; and the coil/s. Go over all the electrical connections. Clean 'em up and apply a light coating of dielectric grease.

Welcome to the asylum.

Monte

[run990]

thanks for the tip ,it is probably a combination of the coils being secured by tie wraps with the ingenious wiring of the last owner ,two wire twist with no insulation ,frankly i dont see it catching on with other bike riders ha ha .had bike running in the garage in the dark looked like a van de  graph generator ,sparks everywhere ,must be good coils for the spark to reach the plug after so much leakage.
 will post some pics when i get it out in daylight .

[Dave 2]

Welcome to the forum Run, I look forward to seeing another R65 brought back to respectability. They are so sharp when they have been cared for and spiffed up [smiley=bmw_smiley.gif] Dave 2

[2dogs1cat]

Welcome........any chances of a couple of photos of your pending project bike?

Cheers
:^)

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I want to see a video of the bike running in the dark garage!

It was riding in the rain that convinced me to lose the OEM wires and caps.  Just pulling off the metal sheath got me home.

If they look like these: http://www.pbase.com/tomfarr/image/138330906.jpg , you don't want them.
But if they do look like those, scavenge the tips that go into the coil tower by de-soldering them.  Re-solder them on your new solid-core wire that you get from the auto parts store.
Also source yourself a pair of NGK caps.  They will be a little more water proof.
Some people even slide a section of the braided fuel line over the ignition wire for places like where it will be rubbing against the bottom of the fuel tank or the frame.

Having your coils (or at least front coil) strapped onto the frame is standard procedure on the '78-'80 models, I'm afraid.  I used giant hose-clamps, myself.
The front coil mount would break with almost absolute certainty, taking the wiring harness' main ground contact to the frame with it...
Here is a picture of my fix: http://www.pbase.com/tomfarr/image/98334414/original

The rear shocks are a common failing, most certainly if they are the originals.
There are reasonably-priced good-quality replacements out there (Hagon - what I use), but you will need to spend a little more if you want to be able to rebuild them in the future.

The forks will need to be taken apart & cleaned as well.  There is also a nylon bumper ring that is usually disintegrated after a couple of decades.


Go through the bike and change all of the fluids.  As soon as practicable, you will want to remove the gearbox for a thorough examination of the splines on the gearbox input shaft/clutch as well as the tip of the clutch push-rod.  Also the throwout bearing.  This will self-destruct if ignored making you sad.
And when you are putting it all back together, put a little regular axle grease on both clutch cable nipples.

You want a moly 60 grease for the splines.
And speaking of splines, you have a set on your rear wheel/final drive that need your attention.
Clean them up, check for wear, and then lightly lube with the moly lube.

[Lucky_Lou]

Welcome to the Herd, you wont need to worry about the rain as it will be turning to snow shortly..I must be the only one running metal caps i have been out in all weathers and never had a problem (yet) could be more of an earth issue if its sparking all over.
Where in the UK are you ? we seem to have a cluster up north.
When you change the oil take great care with the oil filter "O" ring it can be expensive if you get it wrong and avoid synthetic oils.....have fun
Lou

[clonmore1]

Welcome run990 (not a David Brown 990 by any chance?)

As Lou says where in the UK are you?

Great site, lots of (very) knowledgeable people who let idiots like me ask stupid questions yet great sensible answers...

Looking forward to seeing the machine that crackles in the dark wet nights that are England at the moment.

[run990]

hi thanks for all the welcome messages ,i am in adlington lancashire .i will take some pics this weekend .bike is partialy stripped. tank off ,etc.just found all but 1 front mudguard bolts siezed in the forks ,2 had the heads snapped off ,look like fun to get out.i have decided on a semi cafe racer style ,got a set of old school jota adjustable ace bars en route.mechanics seem ok ,not got loads of drive back lash ,clutch light with no dragging .i know about the splines i had an old k100 a few years back & had to un sieze the clutch splines.hopefully should be back on the road early in the new year ,touch wood

[Barry]

Adlington is not at all far from Rivington Barn where there is a regular  bike meet. I guess you must know it. I had a run up there last year.

[run990]

yes rivington barn is on my usuall long route to work ,rather than a 4 mile run get up early & have a 20 mile blast over the moors .dont get much time for the social times up there ,sundays my only day off & usually spent sorting out bike problems

[Lucky_Lou]

I will wave next time im passing as i go to Preston via M61 every fortnight visiting my Daughter... a R65 meet up at the Barn might not be a bad idea for next year................