Another member - why it took so long

[79r65]

I guess I am not one to join things, but this is different.  November last year I purchase a 1979 r65 and discovered that it required quite a bit of work to get it road worthy.  This site helped me out as well as others.  The resto included new seals, carb rebuild, etc.  The bike came naked.  However, it also came with a new timing chain, mufflers, coils, turn signals (not BMW), and 3" rise handlebars.  I feel that I am familiar with the bike after 2 months of restoration.  What fun it was.  Alot of rode tests.  Alot of pics of the process.  A mass of accumulated knowledge.  My previous experience is mostly with Vespas, though I did own a 1977 r75/7 for a while about 12 years ago.  Well, just want to say Hi and look forward to contributing....

[Justin B.]

Is the photo a pictorial metaphor concerning your restoration?

Welcome...

[aussie]

Very deep Justin!  

Beautiful photo Nash - you don't happen to have a Frazer-Nash do you?

Welcome and keep the piccies coming. Me? I tend to love 'em all - bikes or not.

Cheers

[Bob_Roller]

I think he is showing us that he has perfected Romulan "cloaking technology", bending the fabric of the 'time/space continuum' to hide an object.

Welcome enlightened one.

Live long and prosper.

[Justin B.]

Oh, yeah, that was my second guess but I didn't want to sound too geeky!  [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

[Bengt_Phorqs]

I finally disable the cloaking device on my bikes.  Seems like none of the cagers could see me and kept pulling out in front of me or cutting me off.

Welcome to the forum Nash and show us what you have!

[79r65]

Thanks for the replies.  The picture is perhaps a metaphor.  And Nash is what came to mind - I live in Nashville.  For the curious, I post a before shot from the many I took and an after shot - actually after a ride today.  Cheers.

[nhmaf]

That is a very interesting 2-tone paint job, Nash - did you do it yourself??
The bike looks very good - are you going to join us at the BMWMOA rally over in Johnson, TN this summer?

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Definitely a cool two tone paint scheme.  Is that the original headlight & brackets?  I not, then where did you source the bracket?  I can see that the turn signals are aftermarket.

[79r65]

nhmaf - the tank was painted that way some time ago as it is already showing some patina and cracking.  But no plans to change it.  I am not familiar with the BMWMOA meets.  Maybe there are others close by I can talk to about this.

Bengt_Phorqs - very good notice.  The headlight bucket is Japanese.  I do not know from what bike it came from but does quite well.  It is plastic and takes a 7" enclosed headlamp.  I mounted it with ss bolts, nuts and washers and bought hardware store rubber washers.  The bracket is original.  I cleaned it up and painted it semi-gloss black (rustoleum).

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Thanks Nash.  Definitely need to score a good headlight bracket for my 83.  The PO left a rats nest of wires and cables under the "dash", everything except the rotten apple core.  Speedo is off to Overseas Speedo in Austin so when I get that back I'll take time to sort it out.

[79r65]

Here is a pic during dis-assembly - the only pic I have showing the headlight bucket - but I could take another if interested.  I have seen the brackets for sale on ebay.

[Semper Gumby]

Hi Nashville,

Welcome to the fold!  I like the two tone paint.  Your headlamp shell looks like Honda.  Is there a "HM" number on it somewheres?

Mine is all loaded down with bags and fairings and stuff so it is nice to see a Nakeed 79.

TTFN,

[79r65]

Thanks for all your posts - what a great group of people who appear to me share in a passion for these bikes.  I do have a question.  After I ride about 10 miles I notice that my arm gets numb.  I tried rotating the bars forward to raise their height but no good.  Maybe my arms are too far extended - my shoulders are forward and not relaxed, and another set of bars are in order.  I will try and rotate the bars toward me 30' and see how that is.  Anybody with this issue?

Anyway, the interest in the headlight had me taking another pic for those interested in a non BMW product.  The bucket is stamped "Made in Japan" and below that, what looks like a Suzuki "S" and 440 and below that "SAE M76."  Hope that helps.

[nhmaf]

Rotating /sliding your handlebars back and forth are a good start.   I notice that your bike seems to have standard BMW grips.  These are usually pretty good for a number of riders, though some find that either larger, or smaller, or more cushioned grips help,d epending on if it is the diameter of the grip/size of their hand that comes into play, or just vibration.    Where on your arms do you start to experience the numbness - up at the shoulder, around the elbow, or wrist,
Sometimes numbness can indeed be from  putting too much weight on your hands - though this usually ends up causing numbness in hands first.   You are doing the right thing by analyzing your posture/stance - with a 'naked' bike you should be just slightly leaning forward to better deal with the wind at speed, but not so much that you are putting alot of your upper body weight against. your hands.   You also shouldn't have your elbows pointed way out to the sides, as this tends to exacerbate that problem.   IF you can get into a posture that is best described as sort of like "sit up and beg", with elbows closer to the body, slight lean forward (but not much) at the waist, you may find it to be more comfortable.  IF those bars don't enable you to achieve this posture with rotating them front/back you might want to look at some bars with different width, rise, and pullback.  They also sell a brand of barbacks that fit the R65 top fork yoke, but I cannot recall the name at the moment.