Fork spring change

[chewy4x4]

Can someone give me a down and dirty how to on changing the fork springs on my 1981 r65

[Barry]

Easy, you don't even have to drain the oil if for some reason you don't want to.

The key thing to realise is that the top plugs are not screwed in to the fork stanchions. If you tried to unscrew them and were puzzled when nothing happened then join the rest of us who did the same thing on first acquaintance.  They are held in by a C shaped wire circlip and actually much easier to remove than typical highly torqued screw caps.

1. Remove instrument cover to gain access to the fork top plugs.

2. This really a 2 man job but can be done solo with some ingenuity - Press down and hold the top plug against the spring pressure and then remove the C spring circlip by pushing one side of the clip downwards and then fishing out the clip. Gently release downward pressure on the top plug and it will pop out.

3. Pull out the spring.

[montmil]

So, Chewy, are you going progressive?   Monte

[chewy4x4]

Yes progressive front and back. Shock are on already.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Could you do me a favor, and lay them side by side, and measure any difference in length?

I have my forks apart right now, ready to be reassembled as soon as the frigid weather breaks.
They are the original springs.  I measured them, and they were within tolerance of BMW, so I wasn't planning on replacing them.

[Bob_Roller]

The progressive are springs most likely shorter than OEM, as normally, you have an inch length or so, of schedule 40 (thick wall) half inch diameter PVC pipe to add before reassembly .

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

The ends of my springs are more compressed than the top & 2nd from top in this picture:



This is from gspd's thread on "Lifetime springs" on the Boxerworks forum.

He ended up getting his springs replaced for free!

[chewy4x4]

So the stock springs in my 1981 r65 with 5400 miles on it are 19.75 inches in lenght and the progressives I just put in are 19 inches with a 1/2 inch spacer. ANd thanks for all the help yall all I needed was a two jaw puller and I had it done in no time. Oh and I win for most getto assembly lube I had to stick the spacer to the bottm of the new spring before install with no assembly grease I used the smallest dap of crisco

[chewy4x4]

Damn it I want to ride the bike with the new suspension but my bike wont start. I hope my new thread can save me

[chewy4x4]

electrical problems solved thanks to a lot of y'all. I have now ridden the bike and I can definitely recommend the progressives to everyone. The bike is like a new machine. I also went and put on my new Avon tires. I changed the 110 that was on the front back to a 90/90 and It was also a good call a bit more feedback from the front but a hell of a better steering bike. I have yet to push it in a corner but I can definitely say that the old metzler's pale in comparison.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

It sounds like it's starting to come together!  That's good.

[montmil]

So, Chewbaca, with all the R65 tinkering and late night auto parts runs... how's the ol' GPA looking?

[chewy4x4]

Well last semester was a 3.77 and this semester has just begun first test on teusday. But I have a 16 month old and studying has been from 2130 until about 0200 as the norm. I am only in school on tues and thurs so I should be fine.

[Yikes]

So Chewy, did that spacer come with the Progressive springs or did you fab that?

[Bob_Roller]

The spacers comes as part of the 'kit', they are made from schedule 40 PVC pipe, that's the thick wall pipe .