Hello from Florence OR

[kayakr65]

Hi all, Got ol rusty out of a barn here on the OR coast.  Not sure if it was an LS or if the extra disc was retro fitted but it came with two locked up brembo calipers. So far, I've removed the calipers so she rolls free.  Next up is the frozen gas cap.  Was hoping to get it off in a non destructive fashion but I'm about ready to drill it.  Once off, I'm sure it will reveal a rusty sludge pond inside the tank.  She has the factory luggage and dash minus the tach.  No fairing though....  Hope to have it running soon and then decide were to go with it from there.

I look forward to gleaning the collective wisdom of this forum and am sure it will be an invaluable resource as I attempt to resurrect this neglected R65.

[wilcom]

I tried to include a picture but didn't get any joy:(  

Good luck on your project........ If you add a file for a pic and then preview the post it will strip it off and you have to add the file again. add the pic as the last thing you do before letting her "fly".

[kayakr65]

Thanks for the tip Joe.

Got the cap off w/o drilling. Woohoo!  Tank, carb and caliper cleaning/refurbish next.  More pics to come.

[nhmaf]

Welcome aboard!
Yes, you do have some work cut out for you, but it looks like you might have a good base to work from!
The good thing about these bikes is if you are even marginally mechanically inclined, there are a fair number of projects you can do!

[montmil]

A couple Airhead friendly sources for Brembo bits and advice:

MG Cycle Moto Guzzi. Yes, it's a Guzzi joint but your brakes are the same. http://www.mgcycle.com/

Bevel Heaven Ducati. Same deal here. Just don't try to order pizza. https://Store.BevelHeaven.com/

[davidpdx]

Florence is one of my favorite spots on the coast. If you have gas that has turned to goo in your tank, I have found that acetone will melt it nicely. Just be careful not to breath too much of the fumes or you may forget what you are doing. Good luck with your project and I'll look for another R65 when I pass through Florence.  

[kayakr65]

Florence is one of my favorite spots on the coast. If you have gas that has turned to goo in your tank, I have found that acetone will melt it nicely. Just be careful not to breath too much of the fumes or you may forget what you are doing. Good luck with your project and I'll look for another R65 when I pass through Florence.  

Will acetone have an adverse effect on the oem tank liner (it's orangeish)? On unlined steel tanks I've use clr and aquarium gravel with good results. Don't want to dislodge the remaining liner if possible.  What about ospho?

[Ed Miller]

I think mine was at least that rough when I bought it.  For 500 bucks I wasn't surprised, though I've seen people on the forum who got better deals.  

What kind of kayaks?

[Warbucks]

Will acetone have an adverse effect on the oem tank liner (it's orangeish)?

When I restored my fuel tank it was full of huge orange blobs of crap. I'm assuming that the leaded fuel which used to be in the tank had evaporated and trashed the OEM tank liner. If your tank is in the same condition that mine was, it'll probably smell like varnish inside.

Considering that there already has been an adverse effect on the OEM tank liner, I'd go with using acetone to clean it out. Let's face it. The original tank liner has already been compromised and so your tank will need a thorough clean out. There are many ideas on YouTube explaining how to do it and what to do it with.

Once the tank has been cleaned out you can either put a new tank liner in it yourself, or pay a motorcycle restoration shop to do it for you. I opted for the latter because it was recommended that the tank had to sit for 24 hours whilst full of sulphuric acid before a new liner could be installed. I thought if anyone is gonna get chemical burns, it ain't gonna be me. Been there, done that!

[montmil]

IIRC, believe member Bob Roller has a recipe for safely cleaning out the fuel tank's liner. Something to do with white vinegar, molasses and sunshine.

Hey, Bob! Chime in here...

[marcmax]

I used white vinegar and salt to clean my tank before relining it. Adding salt to the acetic acid in the vinegar creates a very week hydrochloric acid. I filled my tank with a solution of about a cup of ordinary table salt and cheap white vinegar with a rubber bung in both openings. Set it in the garage and gave it a couple of turns whenever I happened to be near. 48 hours later I emptied all the remnants of the original liner aand flushed it with a baking soda solution to neutralize the acid in the vinegar, then with clear water. Let it sit for a couple of hours with a hair dryer on warm blowing into it followed by a reline with Red Kote fuel tank liner.

[kayakr65]

I think mine was at least that rough when I bought it.  For 500 bucks I wasn't surprised, though I've seen people on the forum who got better deals.  

What kind of kayaks?

Cedar strip sea kayaks.

[Tony Smith]

Those kayaks are truly beautiful, I dare not even think about how many hours went into making them.

[Ed Miller]

Wow.  I'm glad I asked.  Those are nice.