R65 Resurrection

[TomHoldom]

I'm importing my uk R65 (1979) into France and so need to change the head light glass.
I've got the replacement glass, and wanted to check whether there are any tips to separate the current glass from the reflector? Obviously I'm hoping to to have to replace the rubber gasket....

[georgesgiralt]

Well,
The gasket is dead anyway. So I just cut the gasket open, put the glass on a safe place, then carefully clean the reflector rim, then do the same with the old glass in order to be able to reuse it...
I talc the new gasket hoping it will help disassembly next time, but have not tested yet...
Count your fingers before the procedure and ensure you have the same number after the procedure...  :-?

[georgesgiralt]

I forgot,
The gasket for the /5 glass is cheaper than the gasket for the R65 and they are identical.

[TomHoldom]

Thanks Georges
In fact it looks pretty cheap on Motobins (£4.20) - see attached.
Does that look like the correct piece? I'm sure I saw it somewhere else for over 30€...?

[TomHoldom]

The gasket is dead anyway

Do you say this because its likely to be old? - it still feels quite rubbery. But I'm still unsure how to get it apart - is there a technique, start at the metal lug..?

[georgesgiralt]

ell, the gasket death is because it is stuck so hard on the reflector. You will cut some piece of it if you pull hard to unstuck from the reflector.
The heath from the bulb heats the reflector and cooks the rubber hard. I never had a chance saving a gasket if it is stuck on the reflector.

[georgesgiralt]

Forgot,
The cheap one if for /5 an R65. The £30 should be the one for the R65 on the fiche.

[TomHoldom]

Anyone ever try Duane Ausherman's advise on this gasket

https://www.w6rec.com/duane/bmw/headlight/index.htm

"In the absence of a proper gasket, black plastic, or cloth electrical tape will work.  Probably any "thick" tape would work"?

[georgesgiralt]

Well, the gasket is available from BMW and it's dealers, not too expensive and perfectly suited for the job. I would go OEM here...
Re-reading my post, I see I'm not clear. The cheap one is the /5 one. It fits perfectly the R65 headlight (same diameter and same make). During a long time there was no gasket listed for the R65 in the fiche.
I bet someone asked BMW and they put one on the fiche for a bigger price than the /5 suited one.
Talc the new one it make it slippery. It may help in the future removal.

[TomHoldom]

I'll add the seal to my next motobins order...

Well, I finally got the old glass off in one piece, after over an hour of scraping with blade between the glass and reflector to remove the fully baked on seal!

While we're on the subject of front light, I have one I need to sell which was sold to me as a 1979 R65 model, but is not. Its larger (about 180 diam) and has different shaped body - see photo.

Could anyone hazard a guess as to what model this might be for, so that I can list it properly and not get another disappointed buyer....

[georgesgiralt]

IMHO it from an R65 but a mono. So it will fit an R65, R80 or R100 after 1986 or an R80, R100 before 1986....
Didn't told you about the baked rubber ? Did you loose any finger ? 

[TomHoldom]

Did you loose any finger ? 

still got all my fingers [smiley=thumbup.gif],[smiley=thumbup.gif]

While I await arrival of my new spark plug leads, I'm looking at my brake light. The light used to come on for the back brake, but now it is intermittent (and at the moment I'm getting nothing at all).
Could someone tell where to locate the back brake relay and how to test it..

I think the front switch (hydraulic pressure type) is also broken. I vaguely remember from when I had the biking running 15 years ago that I had to disconnect one of the wires to stop the brake light from being constantly on.
Again is there a way of testing this, or do those symptoms already indicate that its broken and needs replacing.
Thanks for any help

[TomHoldom]

I managed to locate the rear brake relay hidden behind the plate on which the passenger foot-peg is located - difficult to remove......
Good news is that on cleaning it up the relay started working again so now just got to try and remount - first bolt easy, second one blind through a hole without enough height for a 'normal' screwdriver....

I would suppose that the back brake is the essential one to have working - I think the bike even past its uk MOT with the front brake not lighting the brake light - possible?

So it will fit an R65, R80 or R100 after 1986 or an R80, R100 before 1986....

sold that front light in less than a minute of uploading for sale!!

New sparkplug leads arrived today, so I'll see later whether this has improved my starting issues.

[georgesgiralt]

Tom, the thing you removed is not a relay. It is the switch for the rear brake light.
Is there a little hole in the brake handle on the right handlebar ? Like the one on the clutch side ? If yes you can convert to the post 1981 brake switch t the handlebar by screwing that little switch on the bar and putting the two wires from the OEM "wet" switch to it.

[TomHoldom]

the thing you removed is not a relay. It is the switch for the rear brake light.

'switch' or 'relay' thats the same thing isn't it....or is a relay an electronically controlled switch? yes probably, anyway cleaned the rear brake light switch up and its re-installed and working again.
The bike is pre '81, so its the hydraulic pressure activated switch that I need to replace if I want the front brake to activate the rear brake light - but not is a hurry to do that as I've just flushed the front brakes and renewed the brake fluid....