Pray for me...

[Semper Gumby]

I have done a crazy thing.

I snagged a complete 1988 R100RS front end off fleabay.  Forks triple trees, brembos fender brace rotors master cyinder and a 2.5"X18" Y-fork front wheel.

I'm going to put it on the R65.  Nathan at Boxerworks-Servce says "no problem".  (Seems its no longer just Boxerworks -- something of a fallout between Nathan and Matt -- I didn't ask).

I'll post pics and results later.  In the meantime my stomach is in knots...   :-/

[Bob_Roller]

Bill,

Kinda curious what you're up to, you already have the dual front discs .

About Boxerworks, there was some sort of fund drive for a deceased relative of either Nathan, or Matt .

Apparently, there was accusations of misappropriation of funds .

Rob Valdez, may be able to fill in some more of the details .

There was a thread on Boxerworks about it around the end of October, then it was removed abruptly .      

[Semper Gumby]

Well I'm unhappy with a couple of things.  With the fairing and the bags on the bike the forks seem to be not able to absorb much.  Instead they just transmit the road to me.  So I'm getting a set of forks set up for a heavier bike.  I'm getting Brembo's so I don't have to farkel aftermarket Kevlar pads for my ATE's.  I'm getting a stronger front wheel with no tube and wider 2.5 diameter rim so I can actually put on a Macadam 110/80-18 front tire and have it be the right shape instead of putting on a 110/90H18 rear tire (because its heavier than stock and Michelin no longer makes the 110/90H18 rear).  I'm hoping the y-fork front wheel and bigger axle are stronger than the snowflake set up so if I go to Alaska I don't have to worry so much about pot holes on the Dalton.

madness I know...

[scottyintex]

Some times crazy can be really cool......on cycle trader there is a R65....with a R1000s engine and other mods. I really like the look of it just don't have the $16,000.00. I say go for it!

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Apparently Matt and Nathan have been growing apart for some time.  When Matt's partner, Maria died suddenly in October, it was the last straw and things just got really weird.

Matt has since relocated, (he & Maria were living in a rental that Nathan owns) and as far as I can tell, plans to stay in the BMW parts business.

[Semper Gumby]

Well this what the front end should look like after I get done excepting the old Lufty Fairing and a different color.  

Nathan says "No problem".  Fingers crossed.   8-)

[Justin B.]

Semp, I have a new set of Progressive brand fork springs if you need to stiffen things up.  I had bought them for my RT but never got around to installing them

[Semper Gumby]

Thanks Justin.  Copy that!  I've been thinking about this for a couple of years now.  So once the install is done, I will probably ride it for a while to learn all the idiosycracies of what I have just done.  

Then I'll let you know.

[not-so-fast-ed]

Keep us posted, Bill.  Sounds awesome.

Ed

[Semper Gumby]

Front end scheduled to arrive Boxerworks Friday at 0930.  Bike will arrive shortly there after.  Stomach still in knots.

Hi Ed.

Good to hear from you!  Now all I need is a Mono back end right?  

[Semper Gumby]

Well so far so good.  

The parts look like thery are in good shape.  Nathan said for the money I did "well".

The forks look great with no pitting.  The calipers look OK.  The top tripple clamp will go under the bead blaster.  The fender parts are in good shape with no cracks.  They are white with blue accents/stiping.  The rim is white with blue pinstiping - 2.5" X 18".  A good BT45 100/90V18 came with so I guess I'm going to try out the Battleaxe tire for a bit (before I replace with the Michelin Macadam).  Nathan said that there wasn't an airhead with ABS.  Is he right?  It looks like I've got a K-bike front end for the R65.  There is an ABS ring and sensor on the RH side which will get removed and turned down (It becomes a glorified spacer for the brake rotor.)  Sorry I didn't take pictures. (What was I thinking).

So far so good.  Stomach is now only half notted.  At the end of this I'm going to have an extra set of controls and heated grips and front end.

So if anybody needs an R65 front end let me know.  Or I may just put the front end on the 1971 BSA Thunderbolt.  That would be an improvment in brakes and handling.  Yesh.

So I'm without my R65 for a week or so.

I guess that's OK because its 2'C (36"F) and its about to start raining.

[Bob_Roller]

Didn't Rob Valdez, need a front end ?

ABS first came out on the early K series bikes, then the oilhead and then the F series bikes  .

[Semper Gumby]

So perhaps this is a 1988 K100RS front end??

Time to go back and have a look at the A&S parts site.


Yep looks like a K100RS front end.  Cool.  I'm not putting the ABS on though -- that would be bannans.

[Semper Gumby]

It is done!

Nathan called today.  Taked with Dean.  The bike is a bit taller now and the Reynolds Rideoff Stand is now too short.  Quite possible the Brown side stand is also too short.  Dean fitted a R100 center stand and were going to look at a R100 Brown side stand.

Driving over tomorrow morning early to pick it up and ride home.  Dean says you can hardly tell its not stock.  I know better but I am pleased no less.

Pictures to follow.  I can hardly wait!

Viva Boxerworks.

[Semper Gumby]

It is done!  I've put about 200 miles on the bike today running errands at low and high speeds.  It works and it looks good.

Now I need a R65ZLs rear wheel for the back!!



From the front...



So what have i done.  

I kept my gages and bars!
More compliant front end - soaks up the bumps better.
Better high speed handling.  At 70 I can really flick the bars.  Bike changes direction like it did before at 40 mph!!!
At low speed it wanders off center a bit for reasons I don't understand yet.  I'm going to make sure the steering head and wheel bearings are goodntight tomorrow.
I am now trying the Bridgestone BT45 tire!!!  A good 100/90V18 came with the 2.5 inch rim dated 2008/08 so it is on for a while.  One thing I noticed is it doesn't get very warm.  The 110/90H18 Macadam didn't get very warm either so neither of these front tires is working very hard and will probably last a really long time.  I worry about adheision in the corners though....at 50-60 mph the tire is very suceptible to parrallel grooves but at 70+ the whole thing gets really stable.  And yet when I flick the bars the bike changes direction at a much higher rate than the stock set up with the 110/90H18 on the front.
The bars are mounted in rubber isolators on the top tripple clamp so they move back a forth a significant amount...takes some getting used to...

Things to do:
One of the brakes drags a bit either because it is not quite centered or there is some grawdoo behind one of the pistons.  I will trouble shoot tomorrow.

All in all really pleased with how well it all turned out.

Thanks again to Dean for the install and Nathan for the advise at Boxerworks-Service.

I now have a spare dual brake R65 front end.