81 R65 - Some 1st Ride Observation / Part-2

[Mike V]

(cont. from Part-1)
SO much different than the /7.  I feel too large for the bike for what I'm used to and very exposed even though I enjoy the naked riding style.  I don't like the location of the turn signals.  Hard to manipulate without putting an eye on the control and on the opposite side of the bars from what I'm used to.  The handling is hard for me to judge right now until I get her in the twisters.  Although responsive, seems to like to stay upright.  I think the front end has a little excess fork sag for me.  Maybe a fork drain and new fluid may help, maybe springs are in order.  Remember this bike had a full sized Luftmeister originally. I'm more interested in the condition of the existing fluid. That may be something along with the timing I need to see to.  It's a great little bike, not sure if I would venture cross-country but I'm more than confident it would handle any task in any condition effortlessly.  It's just I've been so conditioned to my /7 which is a perfect road machine in every area...in my opinion.  It's a learning curve with the 650 - I enjoy that.  The motor feels strong and solid and is capable of more heavy use than one may imagine.  No leaks, no seeps, yet.
 
The pushrod tube trimming that Oak published that I prepared has not relieved the "tinny" tappet sound when hot.  I'm a little disappointed with that and I may pull the pushrods during the retorque to have a look.  It's not a problem, I'm just wondering if I trimmed enough material or if the cause is in another area. I doubt it's axial play or tappet noise with the 81 rocker assemblies. I'm confident with the rods and bottom end.
 
Next task will be head retorque, valve adjust, oil filter, and oil change.  Maybe drop the antiquated fork oil and replenish with fresh 7.5wt.  I'll put 10w40 back in it for the last time before moving over to 20w50.  Then maybe with your help we can go through the forks as a completion to the restoration project.
 
Mike V.

[Barry]

Mike,  It's very interesting to hear your comparisons with a 247 as I was tempted to buy one recently.  It will be particularly interesting to know how the handling compares. "Wanting to stay upright" doesn't sound familiar, by most accounts the R45/R65 feels more agile than the longer wheelbase bikes. The more I ask of mine the better it seems and it's certainly the quickest handling bike I've owned although as I've never had a bike later than 1982 that's not saying much by modern standards. About the bike feeling small I find the low weight and seat height a mixed blessing, very beneficial in ease of maneuvering and allowing both feet flat when stopped (I can stand up and wobble the bike between my legs) but slightly cramped for longer rides. As I'm aiming to emulate Bob's "I'll give up my R65, when they pry my cold dead hands from the handlebars" in my old age, the low height and weight may win out in the long run.

BTW is there a previous post about "Oak's pushrod tube trimming" you can point me too.

[Mike V]

Barry,

I hope I didn't mislead you about the handling...I like to define the 650 as a "cat" when it comes to the limited handling I've experienced.  I think it's very nimble and quick. What I feel (with limited seat time) is the lack of initiation into a turn with countersteering. Mainly lower speed maneuvers - which could be a good thing. My initial comments are by no means an accurate report since I have not experienced the bike on a twisty road yet at speed. I love the light feel and my knees are actually bent with flat feet at a stop light! In a nutshell - it's a kick. It may be a result of my limited experience and knowledge on this model or suspension set-up and new tires. The forks need attending, the bike has set for 16 years until my completed restoration. Maybe comparing to a 247 is unfair. My /7 has the weak stamped upper triple clamp which I'm awaiting delivery of the Toaster Tan unit. The 650 front end is very impressive to me with it's robust construction and stability.

The pushrod tube trimming article was posted in airmail several months ago. I can forward to you when I get home to look it up.

I appreciate the feed back.

[nhmaf]

It is a small bike for us larger folks (I'm 6 foot 2, 215 pounds) but it is alot of fun on twisty back roads and for its age - and with decent attention to the suspension components (I have fairly new Progressive springs in the front and Progressive shocks in the back) it can really be sweet!  

This past Sunday I had mine out for a "BBQ run" over to a favorite outdoor BBQ spot in Vermont - a round trip of ~ 225 miles of which only 8 miles was interstate, and it was great!  I have no issues with cramps/tiredness on these sorts of trips where moving around on the bike is frequent.   I also rode the R65 to the BMWMOA rally in Johnson City, TN last summer - round trip of ~2200 miles and I had one 500+ mile day and one 600+ mile day as part of the trip.   Those days with more than a couple hours of superslab time DID get tiring/painful with the smallness/nakedness of the bike - but overall it was fine.  The days that I spent entirely onthe twisty 2-lanes curving through the mountains were wonderful and I was grinning all day long.  Certainly the bike is mechanically very capable of it - the larger monoshock chassis version from 1986 would be roomier and more comfortable for the interstate droning, but they do not have the quickness/handling agility of the smaller twinshock frame (though the monolevers aren't bad in there own right, either).   I had a gray haired rider chasing me through about 60 miles of mountains roads in West Virginia on a mint looking RD350LC, and he definitely wasn't just duffing around.  I think he was surprised to see what I was riding (with 100 lbs of camping gear slung on the back) when I pulled in to get gas - he pulled in also, said "hi", gave a thumbs-up and went to make a phone call.

[Melena]

Fantastic, Mike!  I loved reading your observations about your first ride.  You will grow into this bike.  I'm sure each bike has its own feel to it and you will learn her ways fast once you get some more riding time.  I can just see you riding up into the mountains there in So. Cal. and grinning from ear to ear.  

I'm a bit jealous about your being able to flat foot it.    Grrr.  (Just kidding -   )  I  put on new Hagon shocks on mine and since the exact replacements weren't readily available it was suggested I get the ones a bit shorter.  That worked out great for me.  Now I can almost put my feet flat at a stop.  But then that makes it so my knees aren't bent as much when riding; however these old knees still get stiff and I find I need frequent stops to stretch out when riding a distance.

[GrimReaper]

You will grow into this bike.I'm sure each bike has its own feel to it and you will learn her ways fast once you get some more riding time.I can just see you riding up into the mountains there in So. Cal. and grinning from ear to ear.  

That's exactly what happened to me.Put a new set of Progressive and you are ready to go.
 I was thinking of buying a r100rs but now i will wait to see the end of your report.It can save me a couple of thousands bucks
   Congrats and enjoy your  new ride [smiley=beerchug.gif]

[jgrabowski]

I bought a brand new 1981 R65 leftover in 1983.I paid $3400 with the
BMW optional bullet fairing.My friend outdid me and bought a naked R100 for $5K.We rode with Jap Honda/Yamaha 750 and rode fast.I was the leader on Back road/Twisties by far.I put in the rubber engine mounts(Which helped) but they would kill me on 65-85 MPH interstate runs because of that 4000rpm vibration.I rode my buddys R100 and could wheelie it forever but couldnt get my R65 off the ground ever.My rear main seal leaked out or warante-Had to replace it myself.My ignition electronics died at 19K miles.Itsa long story but hasn't run since.I've just bought a 1983 R65LS with 15K miles and transferred m RS body work over to get me back into the 1980s.

[Patrick_Krivacka]

not really my first ride, but I've been wanting to post some observations, and this seems like as good a place as any.
I really love the way this bike handles. It has a nice low center of gravity and holds a line very well. Today I came into work earlier then usual, so I had the road to myself for the most part. I have a nice curvy stretch of road through Duke forest on my way to work. It's not very long, but there isn't a straight part on it for more then a couple hundred yards. I was feelin' it (as the kids used to say) this morning, and the road being empty and all, I cranked it up a bit. nothing crazy/ squid like, just a little more spirited then usual. The engine was in perfect (to my untrained ears) harmony and it easily leaned into the curves and effortlessly tracked the line i chose without the slightest wiggle. It was awesome. i kinda felt like I knew what I was doin'.

[Bob_Roller]

Hey, you new guys to R65's, can you feel the rise and fall of the rear end on acceleration and closing the throttle ?

When I first got my R65, it was a quite disconcerting feeling .

Now , I can't detect it at all .

Maybe I'm just numb after 29 years on the bike !!!!