How many miles....

[davidpdx]

     I took a long, cold ride today and my bike turned over 60000 (photographic proof below) which made me wonder how many miles a R65 could go. Has anyone heard of someone setting a high mileage mark on one of these bikes? Time for new tires, oil change and new shocks, let's hope spring is just around the corner.  

[tvrla]

Hi David!

Yes it was a bit nippy here today - didn't get much over 40F. Rode my RS instead of the LS.

[steve hawkins]

If well looked after, regularly serviced, ridden with some mechanical sensitivity, and specific jobs done in a timely fashion, then you should be able to go twice round the clock.  200,000 miles.

Most bikes never make it.  Some are unlucky, some neglected or abused and it only takes one owner of many to set the downward spiral.  Age is also an issue - just because a bike currently has low mileage does not mean it could still potentially make that sort of mileage - it is still circa 30 yrs old.

That also does not mean you will not be fixing things:

Gearbox - you will probably have to rebuid at least once - they do go on well beyond 100,000 miles, but can be compromised by harsh treatment or water ingress through the conveniently place speedo drive.

Timing Chain - you could need up to 4 of these.

Top End - Rebuild (valves and guides) probably twice, although you might get away with once - for safety - every 60,000 miles.  Although mine was not done till 90+.

Bores/pistons - Nikasil - new rings only once in life of bike..Probably. Iron bores - I went to the first oversize pistons and a rebore at 94,000 miles, but won't be doing it again.

Electrical - coils/alternator rotors regulator/rectifiers (diode board) will need to be changed as required - but often do go on for a long time.

At 60,000 miles I would be listening out for your timing chain - is it noisey, has it been changed already?  I would be planning for a top end rebuild when finances allow.  And I would be taking a peek underneath the tank at your electrics - especially the coil.  Oh, and I would be looking at my brakes - the discs would be getting worn by now - but I regard these as a consumable.

Rev. light

[Barry]

Given R45/65's have the same sized crankshaft bearings (some suggest it's the same basic crank ground to a different stroke) and essentially all the same transmission components as an R100 we should get even longer life than they do and some R100's have been several times around the clock on an untouched bottom end. As the least stressed engine I'm expecting my R45 to last me out with ease.

An oil pressure gauge is a handy indicator that the bottom end bearing clearances are not excessively worn. I  have one on my car and at 120,000 miles the hot idle pressure is still over 20 psi which suggests there's another 100,000 in it yet. The old adage used to be "minimum 10 psi per 1000 rpm and the engine is still good". An airhead should at least double that.

[donbmw]

I have a 82 R65 with close to 100,000 miles on it.  It is still going strong.


Don

[steve hawkins]

My 1979 has more than 100,000, but not quite a 110,000.  Have not looked for a while
Rev. light

[Bob_Roller]

I would check the thickness of the brake rotors, minimum thickness is .180 in., remember, that is the high part of the surface, with normal use, the OEM rotors develop deep grooves .

I installed EBC steel rotors on my '81 R65, along with EBC graphite pads, didn't notice any real improvement with dry braking, but wet braking was dramatically increased .

If the transmission has not gotten a lot of water in it, from the speedometer drive boot, I would just check the magnetic drain plug when transmission lube is changed .

I was getting water into the transmission for a few years, until I figured out how it was getting in, this was in the mid '80's, before the internet was widely available to the average person .

I was getting a low vibration from the transmission, I started getting a lot more metal on the drain plug magnet, has the transmission overhauled, the bearings were quite worn .

If you still have BOGE shocks, replace them, they weren't very good shocks when they were new .

I would check the length of the brushes on the alternator, mine were worn out at around 55,000 miles, the 'GEN' light was glowing dimly .

I've removed the starters from both of my street worthy R65's, cleaned and lubricated them, there was not any evidence of any lubricant left anywhere in the starters when I disassembled them .

If you still have OEM rubber brake line(s), I would replace them with braided stainless lines, the price of the stainless lines is around what OEM lines would cost .

Steering head and wheel bearing cleaning and lubing, or replacement if necessary, may save you problems in the future .

[NC Steve]

I bought Britta from SC John, then sold 'er back, it was well into the 140s

[Ed Miller]

The highest one on the registry is over 581,000 miles.  Mine is a bit over 86,000 now.  Heck, my Triumph has 96,000 or so.

http://micapeak.com/reg/view2/R65

[davidpdx]

Thanks Ed, that was just what I was looking for. Interesting that the high mileage bike is here in Portland. I would like to see what a bike with over half a million mile on it looks like. Maybe I will run across it one day.

[Ed Miller]

My link above doesn't work for me; maybe this one will:

http://micapeak.com/reg/view2/R65

David, I had never noticed that bike was in Portland.  At least, in 2009 when he last updated that.  There is a link to email him, but I don't want to on this computer.

We used to have a member on this forum, user handle was Thrang, in England, who had over 400,000 miles on his if I remember right.  That's a lot of riding.  

[Bob_W]

My sorry odometer broke at only about 180,000. The bike was ridden  without a working odo for a while-including a trip from Atlanta to western Colorado so I know it has over 200,000.
Gear box problems started under warranty and the warranty rebuild only lasted about 50K. I put in a couple of used boxes and then finally had a real mechanic rebuild the box.
Had the valves done once, but may not have been needed. Just drinking the valve recession/San Jose rebuild needed Koolaid. Around 150, having nothing better to do one day put in rings. The old ones' end gaps were well within specs. Pulled timing chain as a preventive also. It was the same length as the replacement.
Oil and filter were changed and I used synthetic from about 10K on.
I pulled the gear box to put in another bike years ago and it sat with the carbs off and dirt dobbers nested in the heads.
It will run again, but currently I am bringing an older airhead back to life. Only so much time, money and motivation.