Hello!!!!!!

[AJB]

Hi - "new" R65 owner here, so thought I'd introduce myself.  I've just bought a 1980 R65 that hasn't been used in 10 years.  She only has 24000 miles showing, but I can't verify if that's genuine!
Will post pictures when she arrives (and when I work out how to do it) hopefully on Friday.  I'm based near Birmingham in the UK midlands and I bought the bike in London so she's getting trailered up for obvious reasons!
Don't be thinking this is am immaculate bike though - I think she's been outside for 10 years so she's gonna need some work!!!
I also have an R1100s in similar condition!
Anyway, apologies in advance for all the stupid questions I will probably ask.
Alastair

[Barry]

Welcome Alastair,

Sounds like you have some work ahead of you.  

The only stupid questions are the ones that are not asked so shout up on anything you need to know.    

[montmil]

Howdy, Alastair. Good to have to with us. Many of your countrymen are on this forum.

When in doubt, ask. Far better to get confirmation that you're doing something right rather than have one of those "ah ha" moments that ends up wasting time, parts and money.

There's an R65 Owners Manual available in the FAQs section. Not specific to your '80 model but still has much valuable R65 information. The Haynes and Clymer manuals should also be in your tool crib.

[nhmaf]

Welcome aboard!

This is the "go-to" places for all things R65 related, and, more than a few of us own some other bikes (including oilheads) too.    The natives are generally friendly, and as Monte says, we've a number of your fellow countrymen to help us with translation if we have instances of "2 peoples separated by a common language", which does happen time to time.

If the bike has been sitting outside for quite a while, there are definitely things you should do straight away - when you are ready and / or have some pictures to share let us know and we can all pitch in.


Mike

[CaptainSlow]

Hi Alistair, welcome to the forum from Yorkshire!

As you've no doubt already noticed, this is THE place for specialist knowledge. Being a new owner myself I've found the forum to be very helpful and welcoming - far better than the UK BMW club which I was a 'member' of for less than a week before vowing never to return lol.

Looking forward to seeing the pics, and ask as many questions as necessary - if you need to ask it, you can rest assured that someone else will be pondering over the same issue!

All the best, Sam

[tvrla]

Welcome Alastair!

We'd much prefer answering stupid questions than trying to figure out how to salvage something needlessly damaged. Even so, there are times it's 'obvious' what needs to happen, yet it's the wrong action. These bikes are deceptively simple - they're simple alright, but in some ways they're extremely complex. As many times as I've told myself not to assume anything, I still do sometimes without even realizing it.

So, do what you've gotta do, and we're here to help, having most likely been through the same dilemma ourselves.

[steve hawkins]

We locame from Wiltshire - the much maligned Swindon Town.

Whether you are briging a bike back from the brink in standard or modified form, you have a very useful resource here.

Rev Light

[AJB]

Thanks for the warm welcome!  That's quite a spread - England, Texas, New Hampshire, Yorkshire, Oregon and Swindon.  All places I've visited, too.  Except Oregon!  In fact, I admit I had to look on a map to find out exactly where Oregon is.....

[suecanada]

Alistair welcome from Canada too!! My grandmother was born in Egbaston near Birmingham I understand! Dad was born In Halifax, another great town closer to my favourite Yorkshire. Oh someday to get back there....sigh.

Looking forward to maybe being able to add some insights to your mech. questions but to be honest I ask 'em mostly...that's my job!!

Sue who may actually be thawing out as it is 20 deg. C. or 68 degrees F. here...won't last long though....is a blip only.

[AJB]

Alistair welcome from Canada too!! My grandmother was born in Egbaston near Birmingham I understand! Dad was born In Halifax, another great town closer to my favourite Yorkshire. Oh someday to get back there....sigh.

Looking forward to maybe being able to add some insights to your mech. questions but to be honest I ask 'em mostly...that's my job!!

Sue who may actually be thawing out as it is 20 deg. C. or 68 degrees F. here...won't last long though....is a blip only.

Hi Sue!  Thanks for the welcome.  I'm not very far from Edgbaston at all - we quite often walk there to take my son to the park.
I hear there's a lot of my countryfolk in Canada (I'm Scottish).  The story is that when they got off the boat in New England they found it was nowhere near cold and wet enough, so they said "sod this, we're heading north!"    I guess that can't be true if it's hitting 20 degrees C - that's way more heat than anyone with Scottish blood could take!

[AJB]

She's arrived!  Let me attempt to post pictures......

[AJB]

OK, so that didnt work.  Can anyone advise how to do this?  In the meantime I've uploaded some pictures to the picture gallery:

http://www.suraklyn.com/r65_forum_gallery/albums/userpics/13602/IMG-20130419-00237.jpg
http://www.suraklyn.com/r65_forum_gallery/albums/userpics/13602/IMG-20130419-00238.jpg
http://www.suraklyn.com/r65_forum_gallery/albums/userpics/13602/IMG-20130419-00239.jpg
http://www.suraklyn.com/r65_forum_gallery/albums/userpics/13602/IMG-20130419-00240.jpg

I think I have some work ahead of me.......

[RSMike]

Hi Alistair,

And welcome from Ireland also!

She doesn't look that bad, a bit of TLC and she'll be like new.

I think your worst structural problem may be the seat, the seat pan is the one thing on these bikes that seems to rot badly.

Err, also the missing Bing is a slight problem,  

The S look nice also, I had the RS version a few years back, but always fancied the S.

[Dave 2]

Welcome Alistair, I am almost finished restoring my 1983 R65LS. In the Restoration section you can see photos of my progress and read some of the great knowledge that was passed on to my by other owners. You do have your work cut out for you if you intend to have it back in good safe running condition. Best of luck and I look forward to checking in on your progress. D2

[AJB]

Thanks Dave & Mike,

...the missing Bing is a slight problem,   ...

Missing Bing?  He told me it was a single carb coversion!  

Joke (poor, I know).  Luckilly, I have the other carb - it came with a box of bits so I also have the brake pedal and linkage, and some other parts that I haven't identified yet.  One is a clutch, so I'm not sure if there's one actually fitted to the bike at the moment.....
Yep, I think the seat might be a problem.  I haven't yet decided whether to attempt to go original or something else.  I see a lot of people have gone the cafe racer route, and a lot of these look gorgeous.  I like the single seat idea also.
Either way, it's gonna be a slow process I think!