Opinions sought

[Nqman]

Hi Folks,

Just joined this forum and although I realise there is a probably a wealth of knowledge buried amongst the many threads I thought I'd kick off with an introduction and a couple of questions regarding the R65.
I'm new to riding/bikes and have been giving careful thought to buying one of these BMW's. What are some of the pros and cons of this model for a first time rider? It will be mostly daily commuting plus some curvy coast and mountain roads. Is the fact the model is over 25yrs old much of an issue like it would be for a car or are bikes a little different in that respect? What constitutes a lot of km's for an engine like this? Models I'm looking at vary between 60k and 100k.
Is servicing expensive and are parts hard to come by (I'm in Oz)?
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[wilcom]

Is servicing expensive and are parts hard to come by  

If you plan on doing your own maintenance the R65 is a great selection. If not, I would check around in your area to see if there is anyone  that services them. There are multiple Oz dwellers on the list and they will be a big help on where and who.

Parts here in the States are easy to come by but that may not be the case there.

 Bikes with 60-100K on them I consider High Milers. Plenty for sale with 25-50 on them. Most folks buy a new bike and ride the hell out of it for a year and put it in the garage where it stays until he wants to sell, 10 years later. I bought my 1979 R65 in 1995 with 6K miles on it.

Good Luck and welcome to the forum

[Bob_Roller]

Hi Nqman
Welcome to the forum !!!!
First off, what year bikes are you looking at ?
There are three 'generations' of the R65, the '78-'80 year the 'first generation', '81-85 the most number of bikes made , the '85-'87 monoshock bikes .

The first generation bikes had some parts that were specific to those years of production, harder to find nowadays .

The second generation has a lot of upgrades from the the first generation, parts are pretty easy to find .

The monoshock bikes share a lot of parts with the 800 and 1000 cc bikes made at the time, easier to get parts, they aren't R65 specific .

If the bike has been cared for and maintained you may not have much to do, but usually the bikes have been neglected and require a bit of work and parts replacement .

If you are in a coastal region, corrosion can become a problem with the electrical system connections, as well as the threaded fasteners, steel bolts in aluminum corrode quite readily in a salt air environment .

With the km range you're looking at, the engine most likely won't be an issue .

I would be more concerned about possible corrosion in the brake system, if it hasn't been bled/fluid replaced regularly .

Water contamination in the transmission, shaft and final drive, is fairly common due to water getting into the transmission at the speedometer drive cable .

The condition of the transmission input shaft splines where they go through the clutch plate, if not cleaned and lubed,  very worn splines can strip and require the input shaft and clutch plate replacement ( pretty much a tranmission overhaul) .

I'm giving you worst case scenarios here, but it can get expensive if you happen to find them on your bike !!!!

Once you get the bike sorted out mechanically, if it needs it, the bike will run for years without too much attention afterwards .

[tom_hudson]

brake system

I didn't know my had brakes Bob - Since I hop from one bike to another I really have to remind myself that the weakest part of my r65 is brakes or the lack of - maybe it's just my bike but the brakes are horrible

[montmil]

Welcome aboard, nqman

As noted, I would suggest selecting the best 1981> and later twin-shock R65s you can find / afford. These bikes are excellent commuters and weekend sporting tourers. In spite of what a seller may tell you, a little post purchase maintenance -engine, trans and driveline fluids, valve lash, timing, brake fluid flush, etc will establish your baseline for any future work.

Properly tuned, the braking system on the relatively lightweight R65s is impressive. Rear wheel can be locked up if you're overly zealous. Key is the elimination of any oil leaks or excessive final drive spline grease contamination. The single disc front brake is powerful enough to skid the front tire -as I once unintentionally discovered. EBC FA18 organic pads, good hydraulic line, fresh juice and a disc in good condition are key.

BMW Airhead engines will run up to and beyond 100K miles with basic care from the rider. Go get'cha one!

Monte

[Lucky_Lou]

I doubt you will have any parts issues, i live near Motorworks who have a great range of new and used parts, i have bought bits from Motobins and on eBay, UK,USA, and Germany most sellers will dispatch world wide but German eBay can be the cheapest even with the postage.
Stick a post up titled "Calling Aussie members" you will soon get their attention here are plenty out there if they are not drinking beer or sleeping they may say gday....
Lou