troubleshooting. . .help for new member?

[skram]

hi everyone.  i'm new here, and a proud rider of a 1983 r65.  The bike is in quite good overall condition from what I can tell.  I'm not an experienced mechanic, and part of the reason I got this model was because I wanted to learn proper maintenance and upkeep.  The r65 has only 18000 miles, and I was told that it's basically been sitting in a garage for appx. 18 years.  
So, after completing the MSF basic rider course (I'm a re-entry rider and had not been on a bike for over 10 years), I started commuting to work late last week.
There are a few issues, and i'm wondering if you all can share your thoughts. .
1.  when i've been riding for a while, sometimes the rpm's stay very high and only go down to idle gradually well after I've released the throttle.
2.  it's been backfiring a bit.  why is this?  what does it mean?
3.  most important, here's what happened to me this morning: it rained a bit last night (don't know if this matters).  I went out to the bike this morning and started it to warm up while I loaded up and put on my gear.  No problem.  Then I head out and turn onto the main road, and as I'm shifting up through 3, 4, and into 5th, the bike stalls.  I restart the bike, let it idle, and try again.  Again, it stalls when I'm at maybe 4000 rpms.  Then it won't start.  Eventually it does, I ride home slowly, and drive the truck to work.  Any thoughts?  Oh, and one more thing:  last week while the bike was idling at home, i saw some drips of gas come out below the right side carburetor.  but it hasn't happened again. . .is this related?

so. . .thanks in advance.  I'll post images of the little beauty soon!  

[Bob_Roller]

First off, welcome to the R65.org forum .

What has been done to the bike since you have owned it ?

It sounds like the carbs need to be gone through, get them cleaned up internally, and probably replace all of the gaskets, o-rings, floats and float needle valves .

Then have a proper carb synchronization performed .

Other possibilities are, ignition coil, as the OEM black and gray coil is a problematic part, commonly referred to as the 'crack-o-matic' coil for the numerous cracks it develops .

If you still have the metal cap ignition leads they need to be replaced as well .

[MrRiden]

skram.
Good to have you.
You are going to find that issues with your R65 are well documented but more importantly so are the fixes.
With a bike that has sat that long a servicing of the carbs is due, then tuning them. Your high idle is a symptom of either carbs that were adjusted without warming up the engine or a sticking ignition advance weights. in your case either is likely.
Backfire could be a malfunctioning air injection system [fresh air system]. Do you have small diameter metal pipes connecting to your cylinder head just below the exhaust pipes?
The stalling in wet sure sounds like a cracked coil like Bob said. another possibility is dried heat sink paste between the ICU and heat sink, this should get attention anyway but more likely the coil is the culprit. All is repairable without a lot of drama. Where do you want to start?

[nhmaf]

I suspect that cleaning/fixing up the carbs (and put in a new/clean air filter) may go a long way toward solving some of these problems.   This symptoms are not indicative of anything "fatal", so be comforted by that.
These symptoms are also common in bikes that have been stored a long time.    You definitely do want to take care of a number of maintenance things on the old girl before you take her far from home or for frequent rides.   We have the experience here to help you learn all that you need to do, but if possible, if there are any airhead owners in your area that can greatly improve your learning curve, etc.

[montmil]

Welcome aboard, Skram. Sounds as if you've scored a real "Barn Find" with the low mileage '83 R65.

You've received good counsel on what may be the primary operational issues you're experiencing with the new bike. A kit for the carbs, including new diaphragms for the CV carbs is in order. Also, the ignition problem occurring with the rainy weather points to the Crack-O-Matic OEM ignition coil. Here's my original. Note the tiny cracks in a circular pattern on the end. With years of dust covering the coil, I wasn't until I cleaned it that I discovered it was trashed.



Here's a source for Airhead bits and help. Rick Jones is your friend.
http://www.motoelekt.com/index.html
A Dyna coil will eliminate the misfires and keep you commuting.



Add a service manual to your tool box if you haven't already done so. Clymer and/or Haynes -or even a BMW factory service manual if you wish- and you'll be in good company.

Try the search feature on this site for carb info. Or scroll back a few weeks in the Technical section... quite a few threads on carburetor issues and fixes.

Again, welcome to the asylum; we're all certified. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Monte

[ambrose78]

Welcome to to the R65 lifestyle. They are a great bike and really rewarding with a little TLC here and there.

I bought a bike of seemingly similar story having been sitting for ages in the shed prior to my purchase and subsiquent riding. As mentioned by other members, carbs, coil, ICU paste should fix up those symptoms.

If you are in the mood for a bit of bike maintainance/bonding, here are some other things to check/ look at/ problems I had with mine:

*Do you know what was done to the bike after it came out of storage?

*Have the oils been replaced? If not best to replace all of them to be sure.

*How new is the air filter?

*It may be worth considering springing for a new set of tyres as 18+ year old rubber has had a lot of time to perish. There are usually some numbers stamped into the tyre body that can indicate when the tyre was made.

*When ignition on, without the motor running the gen light needs to be illuminated. Battery won't charge if the bulb is broken.

*Random/curious electrical behaviour, or 'bugs' (eg neutral light turning on everytime the clutch lever is pulled in, hazard indicator lights not behaving as normal, strange starter behaviour) is likely to be a worn out diode somewhere in the bike - they cost less than a $1 each and are easy to solder in.

*Clean and Regrease the steering head bearings as the grease is likely to be the original german grease and is prone to becoming stiff, particularly after a stint of wet weather. It looks like a big job but really is quite easy - there are some excellent posts regarding this elsewhere on the board.

*grease the swingarm bearings.

Upgrades
*the rear shocks that came with my bike were shot from age and as a result the bike felt very springy over bumps - a new set of Konis has made the bike a lot nicer to ride.

*if your brake lever feels spongy, replacing the brake hose with a braided stainless steel hose will work wonders.

That's all I can think of. Happy riding.

[skram]

okay. wow, a lot of information. . .thank you.  and the fact that everyone is making similar suggestions makes it easier to come up with a plan.  so i'll start by ordering the 'kit' for the carbs (where to order?  what should this cost?) and a repair manual.  also i'll look around for info regarding this topic on this site.  

is the carb synchronizing something that needs to be done by a professional?

is there a way to know if the coil is shot without just replacing it?  or is it fairly cheap and easy and a pretty sure thing that I need a new one?

someone mentioned replacing original metal ignition caps.  are these the spark plug caps?  same thing?  or something else?  please advise. .

I purchased this bike from an older guy who purchased it from the original owner.  the original owner had stopped riding those 18 years ago.  the gentleman i purchased it from. . .he replaced all fluids.  I've confirmed at least that the oil is full and clean.  Tires (continental) are in like new condition, with no sidewall cracking.  I believe the bike to be mostly original, which is mostly a very good thing.  Though i understand that after 24 years, some of these original parts may simply be worn out and/or be in need of adjustment.  

So i know that this will be an ongoing project, and I want to replace things as needed, as i don't have the funding to do a complete restoration all at once.  and there are definately upgrades i'd like to consider, but i need to take this one step at a time with the focus on making the bike reliable and avoiding surprises.    

also, i've got a friend who's a vintage triumph afficianado and a skilled bike mechanic.  He'd be willing to help me out with the carb cleaning/synch. Any reason why his knowledge wouldn't translate?


thanks again all.  i'll be in touch.

 

[steve hawkins]

Look at the rain issue first.

This is normally an indicator that something is amiss with your high tension circuit.

This is the coil/s, spark plug leads and spark plugs.

This issue manifested itself when it started to rain.

so water got onto the leads/coil and hey presto.

That is where I would start.  Replace the leads and look at the coil

[montmil]

Like Steve said. [smiley=thumbup.gif] The big clue is the addition of moisture to the mix. Even a heavy dew or fog can play havoc with the ignition if it's vintage.

Having just rebuilt the 32mm Bings on my '81 R65, I'm pleased with the parts selection, pricing and delivery from Motobins. http://www.motobins.co.uk/ Also please learn from several of us here who have recently replaced the rubber diaphragms in the carbs... Buy original Bing rubber. Too much tweaking with the alternative offerings. Motobins has 'em.

There are also other BMW parts sources that are good, better and betterest. Sort the ignition first, then we'll proceed to sort out the carburetor issues.

Others will likely chime in directly...   Monte

[skram]

okay.  so ignition is where I should start.  if i should replace the original spark plug caps, what should I use?  is there a specific aftermarket item you recommend?  And the coil and the plugs themselves, same question?  thanks.  

[montmil]

I got my 7mm silicone plug leads, NGK caps and sparkle plugs from Mike's. Dyna coil from Motorrad Elektrik as noted in previous post.

http://www.mikesxs.net/products-27.html#products

Plug wires are part#23-2902
Caps are part#23-2902
NGK plugs part#50-6501

Both my R65s are equipped with this ignition package.

Monte

[Bob_Roller]

Both complete ignition leads should be replaced .

The OEM replacement dual output coil is around $140, Dyna 'brown' coil with adapter plate around $90 .

Common replacement spark plug is NGK BP7ES .

Motorrad Elektrik  http://www.motoelekt.com/ has the coil, ignition leads, and maybe even the plugs, or you could source them locally .

[skram]

great.  thanks.  I've ordered a service manual, new coil, ignition leads and plugs.  
now. . .is there anything tricky about removing the tank or replacing these parts.  any words of wisdom. . .that sort of thing.

[Lucky_Lou]

If your doing the carbs check the previous posts on diaphragms, jets etc but if i were you i would get them ultrasonically cleaned from the start remembering to strip the en richer as well i wasted alot of time having cleaned and rebuilt them trying to adjust and tweak mine which had been stood for 6 to 10 years in the end the ultrasonics work a treat.
Lou

[beemer]

If your doing the carbs check the previous posts on diaphragms, jets etc but if i were you i would get them ultrasonically cleaned from the start remembering to strip the en richer as well i wasted alot of time having cleaned and rebuilt them trying to adjust and tweak mine which had been stood for 6 to 10 years in the end the ultrasonics work a treat.
Lou

I didn't know you could clean them like that,who did it for you?Julian.