How deep can you submerge an R65 ?

[Johnster]

Hey all,
  after looking through the "way back pictures" thread, and seeing them troop through the river on their Suzuki's - I had to ask the greater good here:
  How deep will an R65 ford water ?  Assuming you dont cover the air intake, and water doesnt fill the front cover and short something out (or will this happen quickly?)

How deep have you gone ?
What else will be cleaning/repair if you do this ?  (drain and refill rear-end oil just in case of inleakage ?


Thoughts ?

-John

[Bob_Roller]

I got caught in a severe thunderstorm on the way home from work about 4 years ago .

I went through two flooded traffic intersections with 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) of standing water .

Went through them at about idle in second gear, maybe total length of 100 feet at each intersection .

Got the bike home, put it in the garage, got two large electric fans blowing air over the engine started the engine and let it run for about an hour at idle .

No problems since then .

There's an electric generating station about .75 miles (1km) from my home, there is a weather reporting station there, rain fall recorded there, was 2.75 inches (7cm) of rain in 25 minutes .

This was in late August, during the 'monsoon' season we have from mid July, through mid September .

[Barry]

Assuming you dont cover the air intake, and water doesnt fill the front cover and short something out (or will this happen quickly?)

I would have thought water would get inside the front cover through the lower vents at anything much above the depth Bob experienced and that it would soon do some damage even if it didn't bring you to an instant halt.

[tvrla]

I would have thought water would get inside the front cover through the lower vents at anything much above the depth Bob experienced and that it would soon do some damage even if it didn't bring you to an instant halt.

I see pix of guys doing water crossings where the carbs are under the surface and they still keep running.

And then some die, but start up again after being dragged to dry land.  

You'd think the electronics or alternator wouldn't survive, but I haven't heard of problems from there. But guys who do this regularly, plug all vents and instead run vent tubes to higher real estate.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Stephen Bottcher did some mods to one of the bikes he built.

Here is a remote vent for the gearbox.  
http://www.stephenbottcher.net/BMW/R100ST/assembly/tranny/DSCF3224.JPG

And here is one for the final drive:
http://www.stephenbottcher.net/BMW/R100ST/final/DSCF4164.JPG

Source: http://www.stephenbottcher.net/BMW/R100ST_1.htm