Rolled outta Denton at 0530 Saturday morning, headed south to Austin to pick up my new/old 1983 R65. That danged ol' Larry Chabira, aka: SonOfSanford, threw some bait at me and I bit it. You guys ought to see this cat's motorcyle collection... but that's a story for another time. Larry's a pretty cool and laid back guy... But, heh, he lives in Austin, so...
This whole thing started when my wife said, "If I had an R65, we could ride the ranch roads up in Montague County." (That's where we are presently clearing trees to build our retirement home.) Y'all recall that I bought a 50cc scooter for her just last month? Right. But, I gotta appreciate a wife who asks for her own BMW! Larry's call and Lynn's request... Well, it's karma and the planets were aligned.
Mechanically, the bike is 'ab fab'. Needs nothing. After checking fluids and tires pressures - new Dunlops - I ran it up to 80 mph and it was nice. However, after spending some time at Lone Star BMW in Austin, wife Lynn wants the bike repainted in the
Azur Blue Metallic she spotted on a 2009 F650GS. The white paint on the new bike is a bit, well, blah and makes the fuel tank look way too big. I need to find the BMW paint codes for the body shop supply guys.
A little help here, please?
White ain't right so a euro-look BMW color is the first chore. Also, that re-stitched two-tone seat's gotta go. The visual vibe is so wrong. New front disc rotor is a bonus as are the fresh Dunlops. No lubricant drips anywhere and, yes, I checked... it's not outta lubricants!
I do need to replace the fork seals as one is kinda weepy looking. I'm sure I'll find a few other things that "need" my attention.
Didn't know if I'd like the bar end mirrors but one ride this Sunday morning convinced me. They're staying; I can see something other than my elbows. And the greatest thing is... the center stand has a different geometry than my '81 and it's an easy lift. And this bike shifts so much nicer than the '81.
