help to ID a trim part

[rob650]

This part in the picture attached - the metal "plate" that has the headlight supports attached to it, and sits in front face of the fork tubes.  Is this supposed to be painted?  Is it painted on your bikes?

Mine is pretty grungy and hard to tell.  Thanks.

[DgM]

They all started out smooth semi-matte black and all, unless behind a fairing, decided surface rust was a better texture and color.  Would look good smooth and gloss black to match tank.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Here is what mine looked like before I repainted it a couple of years ago:

[montmil]

This part in the picture attached - the metal "plate" that has the headlight supports attached to it, and sits in front face of the fork tubes.  Is this supposed to be painted?  Is it painted on your bikes? Mine is pretty grungy and hard to tell.  Thanks.

And PLATE is the word BMW uses in its parts fiche to describe the part. My 1981 R65 went on a diet and lost its instrument pod and cow tongue crash pad. The Plate was trimmed of the instrument brackets and repainted. It was a dull black aged patina. After wet sanding and primer, it's now a satin black. Some new hardware freshened up the look. An afterthought here; I noticed your bike has the turn signals mounted on a bit of tubing at the bottom of the plate. Note mine are on the headlight bracket ears. I sawed off the protruding, empty stalks on my plate.

[rob650]

DGM and Rob Valdez:  I like the flat black that matches the headlight bucket, I'll try for that finish when I start getting parts repainted.
Rob, whats the gizmo attached to your headlight bolt bracket?

Montmil, thats a cool setup, the turn signals look real sharp there.  I dig the dual headlights you have now!

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

It's my GPS mount




click on the picture for more

[montmil]

Montmil, thats a cool setup, the turn signals look real sharp there.  I dig the dual headlights you have now!

You've mistaken me for a much younger fella that hangs out in these here parts...

[not-so-fast-ed]

Rob, Is that a "RAM" mount on your GPS?  I've been looking into adding GPS after borrowing my friend's unit for the Gathering trip.
Ed

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Yes, RAM.  Sorry, I meant to say that in my reply, above!

[rob650]

No offense intended Montmil : i saw the Vapor gauges in the pic and mistook it for the other bike.

[montmil]

No offense intended Montmil...

None taken, Rob. I'm the old guy  

[J_Hirst]

Wow, did I luck out!  Before taking the plunge and spending $120 for a new part, I was making one last search for a used headlight bracket/panel/plate and found this thread on google (though hadn't noticed it previously while on the site).

Montmil's mounting solution is briliant.  Mounting new posts on the headlight mounting ears will allow me to cut off the remaining post. The lower half of the bracket was previously either broken off or cut off below the ears and subsequently re-welded back together. 

Picture is from before I lost the post, but the newly located posts will work great with the Givi windscreen.



I'll still need to fully remove the bracket (all quick except for the brake line) to sand and paint, but should be up and running in days for little expense, instead of waiting a week or so for an outrageously priced piece of sheet metal.