PLEASE HELP ME

[henryzwartz]

G'day everyone.
I own a 1983 BMW R65 (European version if there is indeed a difference?) Pic attached.

I have two questions.

Will an earlier seat (the cool ribbed ones) from say a 79-80 R65 fit my bike.

Will a headlight bracket from a 1981 R65 fit my bike.

I need to replace the  bracket because of rust. Everything else on the bike is in good nick.

Thanks very much for your help.

[Barry]

I own a 1983 BMW R65 (European version if there is indeed a difference?)

Carb jetting otherwise almost identical. US models have a 3 position ignition switch due to the headlight being always on and some visual differences - higher bars and reflectors on the side of rear mudguard.  

Will an earlier seat (the cool ribbed ones) from say a 79-80 R65 fit my bike.

I don't have a definitive answer but I do know the sub frames are different probably due to the later bike having slightly longer wheel base. Under seat tool boxes are also different.

Will a headlight bracket from a 1981 R65 fit my bike.

I don't see why not but you might want to check part numbers on one of the on line fiches http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51897&rnd=07012015

[Tony Smith]

The sub frames are only different to the extent that post 1981 bikes have recessed bolts securing the sub frame to the main frame loops. I have put my 1984 dual seat onto my wife's 1979 R65 and it fitted well enough.
 
If by "headlight bracket" you mean the ghastly metal agglomeration that mounts the headlight, indicators and instruments, then they interchange 1979 through to the last of the twin shock bikes. There are detail differences in the way the indicators mount and in the space provided to route cabling, but that is manageable.

[nhmaf]

The seats can fit as long as you are also swapping the rear 'cowling'/tail piece with the seat.   I think that the contour/angle of the back part of the seat is different between the model years/series.   The R65LS has a slightly different rear seat pan angle of its own

[Justin B.]

The seats can fit as long as you are also swapping the rear 'cowling'/tail piece with the seat.   I think that the contour/angle of the back part of the seat is different between the model years/series.   The R65LS has a slightly different rear seat pan angle of its own

+1

The tail cowl piece is different and if you put an early seat on a later bike you will loose the rear frame mounted "cubby" although the early seats had a little hidey-hole at the back of the actual seat.  That is why the metal cowl piece is different...

[Barry]

+2

With the early seat the rear cowl is attached to the seat and lifts up with it. The little cubby hole with it's plastic under lid and flimsy catch is not fit to hold much unless it weighs almost nothing. I never use it other than to hold the  original first aid kit.

With the later seat the rear cowl stays put and is more useful for storage. Not sure why the toolboxes are different but they are with the early one being shorter and deeper and the later one longer and shallower. This must be a reflection of the subframes being different otherwise why would they have changed it. I can't imagine they are interchangeable within a given subframe.