Looking for a new color....

[Justin B.]

Good luck, everybody here is always glad to help.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Its come with Stainless pipes, but the balancer tube is kind of grotty.

Ivan

Do you have Electrolux vacuum cleaners where you live?  I understand the long chrome extensions work perfectly, once cut to length, etc.

A quote from my good virtual friend, Jean, from the Boxerworks Forum:

I gave-up LONG ago on the BMW OEM crossover pipe.
I got 2 clamps from the local Yamaha shop...a stainless clamp usually called "Aircraft Clamp", and an old Electrolux Vacuum extension pipe: Sawed it to the correct length plus a smidge, added a slot in each end, and have a never-ending supply of shiny chrome crossover pipes whose clamps won't snap off.
These pipes are just as thick as the BMW ones, and can be had from any vac. cleaner repair shop for less than $5. I got 5 of them for free when I installed a central vac (nice rep!) ..but after that, they were $3 each from a nearby shop. I'm still using the first one I made for the R100s over 10 years ago. The clamps are the most expensive item, but they are reusuable.

plus: (When the end with the latch gets buggered, they are useless. That's why you can sometimes get them free.)

and: Alittle more info on the clamps: they are officially called "T-bolt band clamps". A company called Clampco makes a bunch of them for trucks, busses and heavy equipment applications. There is a retail sales site on the web...I suspect they would cost less from a source like this than from a bike shop.

[Justin B.]

On our 1980 I made the front crossover out of a piece of 1" electrical conduit, fit like a glove.  I put a slit in each end with a cutoff tool so it would clamp down, sandblasted the entire exhaust and painted it semi-gloss black.  This is the conduit crossover:

[SCJJR65]

When I had Britta repainted, I decided to go for a color that I was fairly sure I hadn't seen on another R65 before, so I chose a color called, "Metallic Emerald".  (My favorite color is Hunter Green, so this was kind of close.)

[thrang]

Some colours look good on Beemers, but that yellow LS is horrid, could you imagine seeing that first thing in the morning with a bike rallly hangover? I like the original red with the black lower tank, but if I was respraying the bimbo I'd probably go for a nice shiny black or Manchester City sky blue. Never seen a BMW painted in that sort of blue and think it would look pretty good, but I've got no taste or idea of colour co-ordination so probably should not be commenting on this.

 [smiley=1drink.gif]

[Ed Miller]

I've seen two pictures of yellow LSs, but I liked them both.  On the other hand, it's nearly always dark when I head for work in the morning anyway, so I wouldn't be looking at it through the bleary eyes you mention!  

[mightywind]

Just finished the paint on my '84. I'm really pleased with it. I'm still working on a new dash piece to cover the backs of the tach and speedo and hold the turn signal indicators. Other than that, she's done. Hope you like it.

[Jon_P]

i like that alot. i almost went with a color like that myself, i let my wife and son decide on the pearl acid orange. prolly not thrangs choice   but it really has grown on me. i can say there arent alot of orange bmw out there.

i like the frame brace also. any chance of having you take some closer pixs so i could make some for mine?

[mightywind]

Here's a shot that shows them a little better, they bolt into lugs that are welded on the frame. I'm not sure, but this may be a San Jose BMW upgrade from their (old) catalog. They were installed when I got the bike, along with a host of other upgrades.

[Jon_P]

those are a little different frame braces from others i have seen. thanks. i like the look how those are done. now i need some 1" solid rod to drill and tap for the mounts and some tubing for the crossmember.

[berub9a2]

What is the purpose of the frame brace?  Does the frame twist that much?

[Jon_P]

they are mostly for looks unless you are one of those who loves to push your machine in corners and tries to use the machine to its limits. i like the view of life at 45 degrees dragging my knees. i dont know how much they flex because mine isnt finished yet but i have heard they do, i will try it with out and with. see if they make that much of a difference.

[Semper Gumby]

Hi M-W,

Love the color.  I talked to Rev. Eddie about this.  He said that frame braces didn't do much but that bracing the swing arm helped the handling more on a "cow".  The R65 swing arm before 1985 was shorter than most and therefore more ridged.  

Bill