New R65 member; Berkeley Calif.

[Andrew]

I've monitored the site for a few weeks and just joined, having bought a 1983 R65 two weeks ago on SF Craigslist for next to nothing. 80,000 miles, much loved early on but a beater/rider the past few years. Seller got into a front-ender against a curb that put a ding in the wheel and bent the forks. Already got replacement wheel and forks and will be sorting the bike as I fit it in between many Alfa Romeo projects. Enjoying working on it but I haven't ridden it yet!

I have two Wards/Riverside Benellis I'll be selling now that I have a "real" bike, and rode a Yamaha 100 Enduro and Honda CL 175 in my post-high school days. Not much adult bike experience. Looking forward to learning all about these bikes here.

Andrew

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Ouch, those bent forks look painful!  Sounds like you're on the right track.  Looks like the X-O pipe needs a bit of cleaning but nothing a couple of cans of carb cleaner can't fix.  Welcome to the forum.  We're getting all kind of new blood on here.

[Andrew]

Seller who crunched it kept the bike indoors, but he had it only for a couple years and I suspect its history before that was an SF parked-outside beater. Had a small Harley windshield (with brackets to move headlight down some) and Krauser bag setup plus Reynold rack, all of which I've already removed. Bike also had heated grips, grip wind protectors, aftermarket sidestand, alarm, a ton of stuff. I'm stripping it down to stock.

Front fender I pulled off in prep to remove the forks. Getting new shifter lever pivot bolt and needle bearing set from SF BMW tomorrow to install and improve the very sloppy gearchange. Will work through it. Step one is forks and front wheel, then I'll move on to improvements. Yes pipes don't look the greatest, and the underside of the bike is very grimy. Gunk time, and will change all fluids. I'm very experienced on cars (Alfa, BMW, VW, MG), not so much on bikes, but so far this isn't intimidating me.

Andrew

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Welcome.

I recommend you keep the heated grips.  Once installed you will never think about them again, except how much you love them!

If you are hell-bent on removing them, and they are working, you might contact fellow R65 rider, Melena, as she is looking for some; and she is a fellow Californian, as well - up in Santa Rosa.

The Reynolds rack would do well on eBay.  If you have the Reynolds saddlebag holders as well, well, they are rare as hen's teeth!  The standard saddlebag mounts just don't do well with the Reynolds rack (I know...).

If you do advertise the rack - specify that it came from a '83, because the '79-'80s were slightly different.

[Lucky_Lou]

Welcome to the madhouse.....heated grips in California ?? your havin a laff
Lou

[darrylri]

Hey, Lou, it's freezing here!  Why, it was just barely over 50 today.  Brrr.

Andrew, you have TWO Wards Riversides?  Didn't you learn after the first?  I got a '67 350 in the mid 80s.  It would shake your teeth out.  It did tear the gas tank open at the front mount.  I bought my first tube of Loctite Blue for that bike... After I glued most of the fasteners and the bike couldn't dissipate energy by loosening them, it shook the rear fender so badly that it fatigued and broke off while I was riding on the freeway.  When I got home, I found that a) I now had a bobber, and b) it cost me $7 each for the replacement license plate, registration paper, month sticker and year sticker from the DMV.  I have more stories about it, and I only owned that damned thing for about 3 months.

[Bob_Roller]

Welcome Andrew,

Looks like another homeless, abused, stray of an R65, has found a good home !!!

[montmil]

Good to have you with us, Andrew. Buy 'em cheap, fix 'em up and ride the heck outta them. What a deal!

Keep us photo-posted on your progress. And don't mind Yorkshireman Lucky Lou... he's been snowbound for way too long. We keep trying to get him back to Texas...

Monte

[steve hawkins]

Andrew,

List the stuff you are pulling off as some of it will be worth keeping.

I like a clean, basic bike myself, but I am also aware that some sensible mods will enhance the bikes value/useability and 'back to stock' is not necessarily the way to go.

For example a decent Surefoot or Brown sidestand is definately worth keeping as they are far better than the originals.

I am with Rob, be careful what you throw away.  And some of it can be sold to put some cash back in your pocket.

Steve H

[dav]

Gday mate & welcome [smiley=bmw_smiley.gif]

Looks like you have got yourself a nice project, once you start pulling parts off to clean/replace you cant stop!!!

[Darwin_R65]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of knowledge here in amongst the members. And a few loose screws amongst a few of us too.

Reading your intro and I'm thinking to myself "Wards Riverside " what the hell is that? dash off to good old google and i come back with this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgWcKe12oB4

Must say I have never heard the brand before, but it sounds like a brand that never left  the US of A let alone make it to OZ.

[Andrew]

Wards Riverside were two- and four-stroke Benellis rebadged and sold through Montgomery Wards, a department store chain here in the US, mid 60s through early 70s. There is a devoted Yahoo group, and a major supplier of a huge amount of NOS parts in Pennsylvania (VintageCosmo). Sears Roebuck did the same with Gilera, sold as Allstate, their in-house store brand for mowers, small cars in the post-war era, etc. Fair number of Wards bikes around, including a lovely black/silver 250 cafe-style four-stroke that parks in front of my building here in SF a few days a month. Both mine are two-strokes, and yes, the 125 Cobra vibrated off the tool box cover the first good ride I took it on. Moves along good for a 125 though. 50cc Scooter I got running this weekend for the first time, but have not ridden it. Both headed for Craigslist if two friends don't buy them.

I won't throw anything away, other than the Harley windshield, which was completely broken. Grip wind protectors already sold to a fellow R65er here in Emeryville, and a guy's coming to look at the rack and side bag tonight. Side stand I will keep. Funny having two though, plus a center stand.

I'm an originalist, though not slavishly so. On my Alfa projects (I've had dozens and have six now) the first step is always to undo the bodges that previous owners have done so as to get the car working as intended. That'll be true here too. Plus deferred maintenance, which I see plenty of.

Andrew

[Lucky_Lou]

Hey, Lou, it's freezing here!  Why, it was just barely over 50 today.  Brrr.

Is it summer.....more snow forecast here someone have a word with Al Gore this global warming isnt cutting it for me,
Lou the eskimo
 [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

[Andrew]

Further recollection having nothing to do with R65s: some very early Wards bikes/scooters were rebadged from Japan, though I forgot the maker. If you care enough, go to Wards_Riverside_Cycles group on yahoo.

Andrew

[not-so-fast-ed]

Welcome aboard, Andrew.
Keep the pics and anecdotes coming.

From a clear and chilly "Hotlanta".  46 F / 8 C .   Tonight is supposed to get down to 24 F / -4 C.

Think I might have to move further south if this is what Al Gore means by warming.