It is finally about time...

[Mike V]

Sorry for the diversion in thread (and model) content here, but...

Not to seem wreckless or playing devil's advocate; but - anyone out there have personal experience with a failed 19" snowflake front wheel???  Anecdotal evidence doesn't count. I hear "it has been reported.." quite often.

I have +60k miles on my original 1978 R100/7 19" front snowflake with no problems or evidence of failure. Hit many potholes and experienced some pretty rough road surfaces.

As some have stated I try to inspect all critical components regularly and make it a practice not to jump curbs and curb stops.  I also don't run the bike at 100mph at extended intervals.  Not sure if my /7 will even go 100mph.  I have no proof but my inclination is to imagine this recall may have developed from an isolated single incident (maybe in Europe) where a possible abused front wheel failed resulting in a costly legal settlement or litigation for BMW.  Just a wild guess with absolutely no supporting data.  Maybe an easy protection device from any possible further liability issues.  Seems like there's a higher interval of final drives and wheel bearings failing causing injury rather than snowflakes coming apart.  It's my personal decision to use what I have, let's not misinterpret this as me advising or suggesting in any way those who have this wheel not to have it changed-out as the factory recommends.  That's completely your decision and I respect that.

I seem to remember hearing somewhere "no 2 snowflakes are alike".

Sorry to sound disgruntled about this but I do get a little irritated answering the same question whenever someone spots my original 19" snowflake front wheel.  "Hey did you know you have a wheel that's been recalled there buddy", yea, I'm aware of that, thanks for letting me know.  By the way; you ever seen one that failed?

Sorry guys, I feel better now, back to the original programming for this thread.  My apologies Administrator.

-Mike V. / San Diego

[Barry]

Mike  

If nothing else I think your original snowflake looks a lot better than the revised one with all that extra webbing.

[Bob_Roller]

I'm sure that the number of failed wheels wasn't very large .

They may have found some variations in materials used, or  the manufacturing process and decided to err on the side that would cause the least harm to them .

I remember seeing someone post a picture here of a failed 18 inch R65 wheel in the same place that the 19 inch wheels did .

Anything that can happen, will !!!

There are no guarantees in life, like someone said, none of us a going to get out this (life) alive !!!

[azcycle]

Thanks, all!  Yep, there were other parts there that I was incredibly tempted to buy... even the entire r65 engine. But I really don't NEED another entire engine.  Was also tempted to get the original speedometer/tachometer but again... probably end up costing me more in the long run. I'll get a Vapor and be done with it.

Spent the afternoon not on the r65 but rather on digging up an old stump/root that is slowly raising a huge section of our backyard tile patio.  Though I did manage to START to get to the r65: Removed the fuel tank, battery, and the air filter system.

Will get to the rest this week sometime. Although I'm 99% sure I'm going to need a new clutch, I'm going to wait to order until I actually SEE the clutch bits.

[montmil]

Keep it coming, Graeme. We're interested... but not so much about your patio issue.

Monte

[clonmore1]

Yeah, just the bike stuff, I have enough patio problems of my own without reliving them on here...

[azcycle]

I simply can't believe no one here wants photos of my torn-up backyard.

 

[montmil]

I simply can't believe no one here wants photos of my torn-up backyard.

OK... You may post ONE, but only one, patio photo as I hates yard work in all its forms. Astro Turf is a gift from God to those of us with a love/hate relationship with a gasoline-powered lawn mower. [smiley=furious3.gif]

Monte

[azcycle]

No, I won't do that to you. Instead, I will bore you with the greasy, oily innards of my r65 engine.  I got a bit deeper into disassembly this evening before I lost the sunset. (Yes, I REALLY need to get lights in my new garage).

Question for you experienced folks: Is the starter cavity really supposed to be this oily? The cavity weep holes were very weepy and I intend to remove the starter and clean everything thoroughly... but is this a sign of something not quite right?  Or is it just normal for this engine that hasn't been opened in .  I'm thinking the breather valve tube came loose from the airbox piece, so it was just venting oily air right into the starter cavity. Because it wasn't connected when I removed the box... it was as you see in the photo.

Notice the oil weeping out of the foreground transmission bolt hole. When I removed that bolt, it was just sopping wet with oil. Normal?

[Bob_Roller]

The hose you see in the area, is the crankcase breather hose, not too uncommon to have it crack/break due to age and heat .

Check the clamp on the top of the breather valve and see if it is tight .

[azcycle]

The hose you see in the area, is the crankcase breather hose, not too uncommon to have it crack/break due to age and heat .

Check the clamp on the top of the breather valve and see if it is tight .

It was nice and tight but looks a bit old. Will replace.  In looking through my Clymer manual, I'm noticing a few missing bits and pieces from the "air injection system." Particularly the valve, reed valve, and their connecting hoses.  







The two small vacuum lines that come from the carbs come to a "t" intersection which is supposed to connect to the reed valve. Mine was just stuck into the airbox and not connected to anything. Interesting. Do I need to rework any of this?

Looks like I'm missing #1-5, #7-8, #10. The holes for #7-8 were plugged.

[Bob_Roller]

I removed mine about 28 years ago, bike still passed Arizona emissions testing without it .

[azcycle]

Good. Then I can just leave as-is.

[trolle]

If you remove my oilhead bike and Z3 from the equation, the average age of my other vehicles is 28 years, I have the oldest 'fleet' in the neighboorhood !!!!!!!! Grin Grin Grin

Well I am not in your neighbourhood but my fleet averages 42.5 years of age, beat that youngster!

greetings from a sunny but cold north

[darrylri]

Trolle, for my bikes, I've got 44.375, but when I get the R69 going, it will increase to over 45.  The R65 is my 3rd newest bike (of !