1981 R65 Salvador log

[subco]

Hello everyone. I am the new owner of a 1981 BMW R65 (10/1980 248 R65 USA).

I previously posted some information and a couple of pictures here:
http://www.bmwr65.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1396985089

Incoming image...



My main goal is to have a safe and reliable motorcycle that is also appealing to the eye, and to accomplish this I have a number of tentative goals in the following order of importance:

1. Ignoring the current looks, tune-up/perform maintenance so that the bike is as mechanically sound as possible.
2. Start replacing non-essential misc broken items
3. Re-paint (most likely different color?)
4. Update working items (speedometer, headlight, tires?)
5. Tidy up and ride (also ride in-between steps)

Background: my previous (and first) bike was a 2005 Suzuki GS500, that I purchased new because I knew nothing about bike mechanics/maintenance. I learned a few simple things such as oil change, cleaning and lubbing the chain, removing fairings, adding dual headlights, and minor adjustments. Since the bike was new and I took care of it (never went down) it was trouble-free until the day I sold it.

Also, I took the MSF course before my first bike and had no previous knowledge about motorcycling.

Now, with your help/input, I plan to do as much as I feel comfortable doing myself when it comes to maintenance and repairs for the R65, so feel free to chime in and tell me what am I doing wrong. I like to learn and rarely take offense on anyone being blunt about their opinion.

member montmil already suggested the following

Best thing you could do for the bike right now would be a complete change of lubricants: engine, transmission, driveshaft and final drive. Perhaps fork oil, too.

And I plan on doing that, as soon as I know how I already grabbed a PDF copy of the manual posted on the FAQ, but will also invest in a Haynes or Clymer manual.

CURRENT ISSUES

In order to bring the bike to my place of residence, I rode it for about 2 hours during heavy freeway traffic. Probably not the best idea with a new (to me) bike, but it was the most readily available solution at the time.

I noticed a few things that I will want to address soon
- Even when warm, it doesn't idle smoothly. RPM's tends to drop and almost shut the engine off. I had to manually keep revving as gently as I could. Perhaps old gas? I added some new one but will try to just fully empty the tank and refill.
- The throttle sticks badly. RPMs don't come down quickly when I let go of it. I saw an adjustment nut behind the throttle but it didn't help much when I loosen it.
- Power delivery is not smooth either. I had to really use the clutch carefully to control acceleration. Maybe it's a BMW thing but it was hard to maintain a smooth constant acceleration at very low speeds (and I mean crawling speeds)
- Engine vibration. Again, perhaps I am not used to airboxes/boxers (I have yet to know why are they called like that btw), or this could be related to rough idle, or something else.
- It doesn't necessarily start on the first try. Is this normal? is there a standard procedure about using the choke halfway or fully open and for how long?

- As you can see in the picture, the exhaust pipes are not aligned. It seems to me that the left pipe is "sticking" further out relative to the frame than the right exhaust pipe.
- And finally, as I was riding and the speedometer said "70 mph" (Isn't that like real 65mph?), I noticed that above that the speedo needle just started dancing. It would jump from 70 to 80 to max, to 70, etc.. No idea but I guess the speedometer will have to go.

Phew! so... what to address first?

Almost forgot, I was sold a trickle charger with the bike, and there is a small plug somewhere under the seat so that I can plug it and keep the battery charged when not in use (of course, I forgot to even plug it before I stored the bike a week ago).

I am a sponge that lacks knowledge. Feel free to pitch in. Thanks for reading!

[subco]

I forgot to add. Current mileage is 44,000 and another goal is to eventually add an engine cage (because you never know) and a small transparent windshield. Just big enough to make freeway riding a bit more comfortable.

Something simple like this but smaller.



I would like to avoid any sort of fairing since I really like the naked look.  

[Barry]

Your symptoms at idle and low speed plus the vibration are not typical. Probably it's just the carbs that need a clean and tune up.

The exhaust alignment is also not so unusual as the engine is not centered in the frame. Each silencer is secured with two Allen screws on a bracket which has a some degree of lateral adjustment that will allow you to move one in and the other out. Might not be perfect but it will be the best you can do. Call it character.

[arvo92]

I would also support Barry about the engine idle/low rpm symtoms. I had the same kind of issue for a while. The idle was so low that the bike would stop at intersections when throttle released - I had to hold the rpms up manually.

I would recommend carb clean - there are recent threads about it. Just take a look at the technical data section. Just take the carbs apart, clean them thoroughly with a carb cleaner and make sure all the holes are clean and air passes them. My idle low rpms were because the butterflys regulating air flow to the carbs were fully closed at idle. They are regulates with that screw behind throttle cable as you described.

Stickyness of the throttle - I just finished that few days ago. Take the cables apart. There are 3 - the upper and 2 lower ones. See that they are all moving freely and are lubricated. Just one sticky cable causes the whole assembly to stick which was my case. I had right lower cable bent too much and was not moving. Also check the throttle assembly on the handgrip - I had some resistance there so I used a file to file some of the metal away on the end of the handlebar (was roughtly cut and not polished). Replace all the cables if necessary and re-grease the throttle assembly. And you are ready to go.

I need to get back to my garage so any further comments I will add later.

[montmil]

Salvador,

Your work-in-progress notes and photos are much appreciated. Many forum members will benefit from your efforts. A suggestion for you...

There is a section of the forum dedicated to exactly what you are doing. The Restoration Progress Logs area is a much more appropriate section for your R65's logbook of info and photos.

The Technical Q&A area is best used for individual task tech questions and answers.

A forum administrator can assist you in swapping spaces if you'll contact one and ask. I expect you may already be an the admin's radar. In so doing, you'll make it easier for members to source specific issues and not have to scroll through a lengthy logbook.

Keep it coming, Sal. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[MrRiden]

One plan of attack could be to change all the fluids, learning about the $2000 O ring as you go, then address the idle, power delivery, throttle response issue. I would bet they are related. Starting with a valve adjustment you can then move to synching the carbs. A nice tool to have for carb adjustment is a differential manometer which you can make for under $10 if you don't already have something. If the carbs do not respond to adjustment it's probably time for a couple of rebuild kits and a good cleaning. There is a lot to know but these bikes are well documented and there is a wealth of real life advice from owners available here.

[Olliepup]

Salvador, nice choice on bikes. The folks on this forum are extremely knowledgable and helpful at a moments notice. These bikes are well made, classic, and handle great. Just a couple of comments:

My speedo was reading 7 mph too low, but steady. While these folks tend to do lots of their own work, I prefer to have an expert do the really sensitive stuff. I sent my speedo to Foreign Speedo in San Diego and they got her straightened out for a hundred bucks. A new speedo head is $475 and getting one off eBay is a pig in a poke.

I burn Marine fuel (90 octane) from the local marinas here. No alcohol with all the associated problems. Our bikes weren't designed to burn the current gas station stuff.

I start my bike with full choke when cold, no matter the outside temp. But, be ready to slacken it off as it will rev way up.

Read Snowbum's repair site. He's wordy but knows what he's talking about. Watch some of Chris Harris' Youtube videos on airhead repairs. He's very good also (his language is very crude) and it helps to see what he's doing.

My bike is an '86 R65 with 34k miles. Pretty much all the rubber is shot or missing. But, it's all available at reasonable prices. Whenever I take something apart, I replace the rubber bits and any nuts/bolts that are rounded/stripped. Most of my allen bolts have badly worn heads.

Good Luck, Wavy Dave (not from Alaska)

PS "Airhead" I believe refers to all the early air only cooled BMW's. Later models were air and oil cooled, referred to as "oilheads, and the K bikes were liquid cooled, but called "bricks". The "boxer" part refers to an engine with opposed cylinders, like the old VW's.

[Barry]

If you need speedo repairs don't forget we have a member here on this forum who is in the business. Give wirespokes a pm

[k_enn]

<snip>
- It doesn't necessarily start on the first try. Is this normal? is there a standard procedure about using the choke halfway or fully open and for how long?
<snip>

In my experience, the starting procedure tends to be individual to the bike.   Some start easy with no choke, some easy with full choke, some hard no matter what, etc.  Also, it can change with ambient tempreature, over time, and whether the engine is hot or cold.  

Until you learn what she likes best, or if she is not herself, I would suggest hitting the start button with the choke in the run position and moving to the choke position while the engine cranks.  Usually, it will fire up the cylinder somewhere along the way.  Just don't crank too long - it can stress the starter, the wiring and the battery.  

Also, a less than fully charged battery or a worn starter can make it a little finicky to get started.

k_enn

[montmil]

There is no choke, per se, on your R65. Pulling the lever and peeking down the carb's venturi reveals... nothing. No air slide, choke butterfly, nada. There is a small, carburetor-like assembly known as the enrichener built onto the carburetor's body. Moving the "choke" lever -and that's what it says on the lever- activates a fuel circuit that richens the mixture for easier starts.

The enrichener has it's own reservoir in the carb bowl. If the small jet at the bottom of the reservoir becomes clogged, hard starts will occur.

These enrichener units are "handed"; there is a left and right-hand assembly. Not uncommon for re-assembly errors to be made during a carb overhaul. Frustrating start issues are the result. That's one of the reasons first-time Bing overhaulers are encouraged to o'haul one carb at a time.

[suecanada]

As one of the few women on this forum who tries to do some of the mechanical maintenance on my R65LS, '83 model, I would like to share what I have learned as I can get into trouble pretty easily! :-/

One impt. piece of advice.....at the beginning of any job you're going to do, you'll start by undoing some bolt or other..... please be gentle with your wrenching! The 10 mm bolts...for instance, on the brake caliper bleeder nipple, on the fork drain and on the negative battery bolt at the engine end are all famous for getting stripped as they are steel bolts entering softer aluminium. If you got a small BMW 10mm spanner in the tool packet you may have received, use it with a light hand and pay no attention to torque values listed. Most other torque values are reasonable in my experience. Just snug; no need to over tighten.

A few other things I've learned:
- The speedometer rubber grommet at the engine end needs to be in good condition (cheap replacement=big dividends!) and needs to be sealed: with grease inside and silicone outside where cable goes through it. Seal it all closed with a small ziptie.

- That domed oil filler cap on top of the final drive is a breather or pressure release for the final drive casing....it needs to be levered up and kept at, say, a gap of 1/4" ...not down flush with the big nut below.

Good luck with your work. I think you may find that you have chosen a wonderfully easy bike to maintain as not only is it well engineered, it is
simple and accessible. So many motorcycles today have so much modern technology that it becomes impossible for the average joe to fix or maintain. One striking example is the ease of performing a valve clearance check on the R65 compared to the major job of a shim and bucket valved bike or worse maybe......dealing with fuel injection problems....I like simple....simple for the simple minded!!

You're best move really is already accomplished....joining this forum!

[Matt Chapter]

A lot to cover here, so I"ll just touch on a few things.

- Power delivery is not smooth either. I had to really use the clutch carefully to control acceleration. Maybe it's a BMW thing but it was hard to maintain a smooth constant acceleration at very low speeds (and I mean crawling speeds)
- Engine vibration. Again, perhaps I am not used to airboxes/boxers (I have yet to know why are they called like that btw), or this could be related to rough idle, or something else.

Low speed maneuvers will require clutch usage, no doubt about it.  The R65 engine is happiest above 2500 or 3000 rpms, so parking lot shenanigans take practice.  Also, this engine will vibrate more than your previous GS500, even under ideal conditions and tune.  That said, you probably need to do a carb clean and sync, especially based on the other symptoms you mention.

- As you can see in the picture, the exhaust pipes are not aligned. It seems to me that the left pipe is "sticking" further out relative to the frame than the right exhaust pipe.
- And finally, as I was riding and the speedometer said "70 mph" (Isn't that like real 65mph?), I noticed that above that the speedo needle just started dancing. It would jump from 70 to 80 to max, to 70, etc.. No idea but I guess the speedometer will have to go.

This may be a detail that many have not noticed, but the exhaust pipes are not designed to be equidistant from the rear wheel.  There are actually quiet a few asymmetrical things about the R65.. stand over the bike and compare the foot pegs' position front to back, for instance.  As long as the tire is centered, you'll be fine.

Also, your speedometer is toast.  Take it off before it gets worse and get it fixed.  Mine had the same symptoms and eventually the "speed" part stopped working at all.  The needle just flops around now, since I haven't had it repaired.