Salvaged R65 Winter built

[Jon_P]

your right justin a toaster tank would really set it off, have to keep a eye open for one. i had thought about taking some alum and polishing it up and sticking it on the sides like a toaster cover.

[Bonneybear]

Wow, Great job, you've really inspired me. I thought it was taboo to modify a BMW. I recently cut down the rear fender on my R100s, so you would see more of the rear tire, and pulled the directionals in closer to the tail/brake lite. Looks great, but I was afraid to tell anyone. Im also considering chopping the faring. But as I probabaly will sell it , I better slow down. I love fabricating custom parts though. Keep up the good work.

[Jon_P]

well it realy is taboo to do what i did, i have heard alot of from the old gaurd that i should have never done that and its no longer safe for the road, blah blah blah blah. well my drum beats like this and i always make a bike my own, that way i know which one is mine in the parking lot or rally

did you cut off the part where the lic. plate mounts to? i saw that i could unbolt that part and reuse it in another place. i took and cut off the reflector tabs. i then took a small piece of flat bar and drilled a hole in it. i then welded the tab on to the lic mount plate. in wisconsin your not allowed to run the plate up and down, so mine is set up so you can read it but now mounted on the lower shock mount. i will take some pixs of that to show what i did.

[Jon_P]

well i thought i was all ready to go out and try to start her up today. dropped the battery in and hooked up the connections. put the key in and turned it on, the tail light came on, hit the starter button. nothing. pulled the tank off, and started checking everything. found i had two of the connectors switched. put the tank back on, switched the key, nothing. started to check everything, everything is as it should, i then started to follow the power, started at teh battery, to the key switch, kill switch, starter button, to the starter relay. found that power was not going all the way through the starter relay. i pulled the relay out enough so i could check it with a test light. as i was holding the starter button and checking i touch the lead to the clutch switch. bam it turned over! when removing the clutch switch i removed the ground. oops. needed that. so that put me back a whole day trying to figure that one out.

when i put about a gallon of fuel in the tank i had some fuel dripping out the over fill tubes on the bowls. got to set the floats or get new needle valves i guess. it started getting late so time to stop. try again tomorrow.

[thrang]

She'll look even better when you've fitted the rear sets Jon.
Love the orange paint job and graphic, but rather than a toaster tank I'd have a think about getting my hands on a Norton looking tank and modding it to fit by splicing in a BMW frame tube.

[Jon_P]

i love to fab stuff up, i had thoughts of finding a rough and abused tank that no one wants on ebay and using it to mod a tank i got from don. i was thinking about cutting it in half from side to side and then cut out the front side panels to weld on to my tank for some extra width and then use the rear to add to the length of the tank. give it that long duc look. stripp down the frame and have it powder coated in a chrome like color, spoke rims, maybe a couple other goodies. but all of that would be a winter thing cuz i want to go ride! this year! get my carbs worked out and i should be ok. got a week to do that before shake down week and then indy weekend!!

[MrRiden]

WOW
  I haven't checked on this thread in a while and I'm floored! Went back and re read all the posts just to make sure this was the same bike! I really like it a lot. Love how you cleaned it up. Just curious about battery placement. It would be a shame to chunk up the brilliantly clean space aft of the main frame.
Rich

[steve hawkins]

Jon,

Lookin good, you seem to have rid yourself of more weight than I managed to do on my little red one.  My battery is still a standard one in its normal carrier.  I too like to keep the tank the same colour as the frame - black in your case - looks meaner!

If I were to do another one, I would do something very similar, start with a post 81 twin shock, strip it down to the absolute bare minimum removing all frame lugs and mounts that were not required.  But I would keep to standard (Euro) or straight bars and standard position front footrests and a single seat.  I suppose you chaps from across the pond would call it a street scrambler/bobber type of thing?  Although I would have to keep at least some of the mudguards/fenders as it still rains a lot over here!

Of course I would run it alongside my Cafe Racer, not instead of the Cafe Racer.

Be warned Clip-ons and rear-sets are fine for cruising as long as you are doing 45 mph or above, that way the airflow will keep the weight off your wrists.  A tank bag is also a useful thing to rest on!

I once rode with a chap who had a Sunbeam S8, blinking thing was a right bag of spanners, after 3/4 of an hour doing less that 40mph (40 was its max down hill!), I had to leave him and meet him at the next stop.  I had a suitable beverage waiting for him when he turned up at the warm beer emporium!  But my wrists needed the break!

Anyone got a spare R65?  for free...!

cheers

[Jon_P]

i know what you mean about wanting another or three to build. i would love to builda stripped down bobber type, a full bag tour type. a original stock one and i have the cafe. so yep three more is all i would need.

well update on the build. i got everything back into place as it should. turned the key and gave it a bump. kind of hoping for a pop but nothing. checked and i have spark, have to work the carbs i am guessing. need to get a couple of gaskets and while i'm really tearing them down some floats, and o-rings. getting so close i am temped to pack it up int he truck and drop it at my local shop. but i would hate myself if i did. i want this for myself, its just i need a whole day to really get it running i think. cross my fingers.

[Semper Gumby]

Hey Jon

If you don't mind bump starting you could put on a different Alternator
http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/EDLBMW.html

and a battery Eliminator from a BSA and get rid of the battery and the starter.  Then you would have a minimualist R65.  

I love the see-through frame!!!

Perhaps another project forming in my head... 8-)

[Jon_P]

wow thats cool!, i got a small sealed gel cell battery that i could lay on the side and mount it under the rear tail hump.

[MrRiden]

right bag of spanners,

Steve, I haven't werked on my Brit stuff in a while but I assume this is similar to a bodge or cobble?
cheers,
rich

[steve hawkins]

Yes and No, the engine sounded like it had a bag of spanners in it as well!

Some classics should be for display purposes only...and this was definately one of them.

A candidate for a 'nut and bolt' restoration, I fear.

Some older aircraft were often described as '10,000 rivets flying in close formation', this motorbike was '200 nuts and bolts travelling in aproximately the same direction'!

However the owner seemed to know his way around it and was able to nurse it around gently - with all its problems!  Just not with me in company!

Steve H

[Semper Gumby]

HI Jon,

Saving the pics for future inspiration.

Keep 'em coming please!

TTFN,

[MrRiden]

Steve,
Thanks, your descriptives crack me up!