New Member

[DiecastDick]

Hi! I am a new owner of an 80 R65. I have initially acquired it to get started in my interest in custom bikes (read café, scrambler etc). However it was, in my friend's opinion more preserved than I realized. I don't think this is something I want to chop up for my cafe exercise. So for now, I am enjoying it and getting to know its quirks and personality.

I do have a lot of questions about it so please bear with me later.

Cheers!

[Barry]

Welcome. The bike looks in excellent condition.

You are in the minority here having the early model. Don't worry though as there are enough of us that we know all about them. Looks like it has an after market seat cover but a good one that is an improved simpler pattern compared to the original which would have been brown.  

A kick Start !  
You'll have a lot of people here jealous as that is very rare option. They are considered a little fragile though and best saved for emergency use or for easing the engine over when checking timing etc.

[steve hawkins]

I am also a great fan of Café racers and bobber/scrambler type bikes and I always recommend getting the best bike you can afford to start with.  However, as you say, you have a particularly nice example and it would be a shame to chop it about.

But there is nothing wrong with having some fun with it.  As long as you can put it back to standard.

Rev Light

[montmil]

Welcome to our little asylum. Your friend happen to be Julio? He's an active R65 forum participant and local bon vivant.

[DiecastDick]

Uh-oh! Thanks for the heads up on the kickstart Barry. It has been a friend lately and I have been enjoying going through the motions of using it. Now I need to have the thing looked at.
You see months ago when I first got it, the thing will fire up with the push of the button and just a light flick on the throttle. Then after a month, sometimes, the starter will just go on and on (rat-a-tat-a-tat) merrily with nothing happening. No other sound, not even a grunt from the engine. Not even if I pump the throttle a couple of times before and during. Its as if the starter is alone and by itself. So I started using the kickstart, which usually would fire the thing up in one or two kicks.

Lately, the starter is good for a few rounds, engine still not starting though. Then the gauge lights go out. Its as if the juice ran out because when I kick a couple of times, the lights go on again. BUT the whole thing fires up in 10 kicks. Not as easy as before. Do you have any leads for me?

btw so that's the reason I never see that kind of seat when I google pics.

Welcome. The bike looks in excellent condition.

You are in the minority here having the early model. Don't worry though as there are enough of us that we know all about them. Looks like it has an after market seat cover but a good one that is an improved simpler pattern compared to the original which would have been brown.  

A kick Start !  
You'll have a lot of people here jealous as that is very rare option. They are considered a little fragile though and best saved for emergency use or for easing the engine over when checking timing etc.

[DiecastDick]

Steve, you nailed it right on the button. Its an itch I'd have to scratch though I will make sure that I don't chop or modify the frame or something like that. I will keep everything I remove so I can bring it back to stock. Wont even touch the paint even if it becomes just an exercise in styling as some will put it. Thanks for the welcome!

I am also a great fan of Café racers and bobber/scrambler type bikes and I always recommend getting the best bike you can afford to start with.  However, as you say, you have a particularly nice example and it would be a shame to chop it about.

But there is nothing wrong with having some fun with it.  As long as you can put it back to standard.

Rev Light

[DiecastDick]

Thanks Montmil! I do not know Julio but am glad I am not alone from this side of the planet. I think there aren't many R65s here, compared to its other R brothers. Cheers!

Welcome to our little asylum. Your friend happen to be Julio? He's an active R65 forum participant and local bon vivant.

[Luca]

Welcome, Diecast.  That's a great looking R65.  You could always get some beat up parts (like an old tank with bad paint) and modify them, keeping the originals on the shelf so that the bike can go back to stock.

If your battery won't crank the starter like it used to, it might might not be charging enough--especially a problem when you only take short rides or keep the revs under 3K.  If the "GEN" light doesn't come on when you turn on the ignition, the alternator will not work at all (unless the charging system is modified--Montmil has an excellent writeup in the FAQs section on performing this modification).  Easiest thing to do would probably be to charge the battery and see if things improve... and then start a thread in the technical section if they don't  

[DiecastDick]

Thanks for the advise Luca! I told my friend and he said he will lend me his battery tender. I think I should get one for myself as this is not my daily commuter. I probably do not know the sound of a starter on a healthy battery. I just know its turning loud though not sure if its strong enough.

I'd love to get my hands on an extra tank. I better start digging  

[MR.E]

Diecast

Welcome along, that is a clean looking bike!
Just chop it, they're an amazing little engined bike but, for me, i just don't like the stock look, just see it as refining it!!

Look forward to seeing the bike progress

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Check your battery's health/age, then check to make sure the connections are clean, greased & tight.
Cut a little bit of the insulation on the large red wire going to the starter.
If you see white corrosion, you should plan on replacing it - possibly the negative cable, too.

Own a VOM and check the battery's voltage before charging, after charging, and most importantly, during starting.  
If all of your connections are clean & tight (don't forget the other end of the large positive cable, under the starter cover) and the starter turns over, you will get an idea of your battery's health.

For grease, use dielectric grease (auto parts stores), axle grease, or even vaseline.  It is only to repel moisture.

I like your K75!  I have never ridden one that I can remember, but they are my favorite of the water-cooled BMW's.  I think you will find the R65 to be a worthy stablemate if you have the room!  With fresh tires and a good-running engine, it is quite a lot of fun!  Especially with the lower European bars (you have the handlebar BMW made for the USA and old folk...).  The swap with OEM parts is not cheap (used is generally preferred), but it is easy and can be reversed just as easily.
The result is substantial, but still comfortable.  But I guarantee you you will be wanting rearsets! lol!

This picture shows the stance provided by the BMW Euro bar:



There are cheaper alternatives to BMW's bar, though.  
However, it is important that the bar be 22mm in diameter for the control perches and the clamp at the triple tree.  Most Japanese handlebars are 7/8" (why???), and of course - H-D are 1", just because bigger is better in 'merica.

This is a company in the USA that offers bars for all three sizes:
http://www.sideroadcycles.com/ImportedMotorcycles/ImportHandlebars/ImportHandlebarsBMW.html

Expensive - but a good reference guide.  I'm sure you have an idea for sources in your area?

Welcome - and congratulations on your new purchase!

[montmil]

Thanks for the advise Luca! I told my friend and he said he will lend me his battery tender. I think I should get one for myself as this is not my daily commuter...

Determine what kind of battery you have: flooded or SLA/AGM (Sealed Lead Acid/Absorbed Glass Mat).

If it's a flooded-style, check the fluid levels and top up with distilled water, then put it on the Battery Tender. If the initial VOM test reads well below 12V on either style battery, you may need more charging power than the Tender. The BT's are not really capable of bringing up a batt that's below 80% of full charge. They are primarily a battery maintenance tool.

Clean up both the battery's terminals and the battery cable's terminals. Dielectric grease is your friend.

Be advised that the alternator does not begin putting juice back into the battery until revs are beyond 2K revs. Short, 'round-town rides and idling in traffic will quickly deplete the battery.

Save that kickstart feature for real emergencies. Breaking the semi-fragile interior guts would require a co$tly repair.

Do contact Julio using this site's PM feature. He's an experienced wrench and can walk you through service issues.

[DiecastDick]

Thanks Mr.E!
I wasn't too excited with the look either when I first saw it. I just knew it was a good deal and besides I wanted an airhead but didn't want the to maintain a vintage like an r50. Then its "stuck-in-the-80's" look quickly grew on me. I wouldn't even leave the panniers home even if its a little harder to split lanes.

Diecast

Welcome along, that is a clean looking bike!
Just chop it, they're an amazing little engined bike but, for me, i just don't like the stock look, just see it as refining it!!

Look forward to seeing the bike progress

[DiecastDick]

Rob, the K belongs to a friend. The picture was taken the day we brought the K home. I did get to ride it and I must agree that it was easier to ride than the R65. It was lower, the handlebar was perfect for me. BUT it was too quiet for me, sounded like a sportbike.
In the picture you posted, the handlebar looks nearer but lower. On my R65, I actually feel a little hunched over sometimes, which isn't good for my back (I'm 40 but my back is much older). That's why if I were to replace it, I was thinking of going for scrambler type bars instead of cafes. I don't think I will last long on low bars. Though in the pic Mr. Candidate Ron looks comfortable and smiling.

As for you and montmil's detailed battery advice, I will print them and digest them in the garage later. This is my first big bike actually so I am a little challenged with the terminologies and the specifics of a bmw though I do have a couple of Vespas which is where my 2-wheel love affair started.

Here it is with its two siblings:

I like your K75!  I have never ridden one that I can remember, but they are my favorite of the water-cooled BMW's.  I think you will find the R65 to be a worthy stablemate if you have the room!  With fresh tires and a good-running engine, it is quite a lot of fun!  Especially with the lower European bars (you have the handlebar BMW made for the USA and old folk...).  The swap with OEM parts is not cheap (used is generally preferred), but it is easy and can be reversed just as easily.
The result is substantial, but still comfortable.  But I guarantee you you will be wanting rearsets! lol!

This picture shows the stance provided by the BMW Euro bar:



There are cheaper alternatives to BMW's bar, though.  
However, it is important that the bar be 22mm in diameter for the control perches and the clamp at the triple tree.  Most Japanese handlebars are 7/8" (why???), and of course - H-D are 1", just because bigger is better in 'merica.

This is a company in the USA that offers bars for all three sizes:
http://www.sideroadcycles.com/ImportedMotorcycles/ImportHandlebars/ImportHandlebarsBMW.html

Expensive - but a good reference guide.  I'm sure you have an idea for sources in your area?

Welcome - and congratulations on your new purchase!

[DiecastDick]

I like your K75!  I have never ridden one that I can remember, but they are my favorite of the water-cooled BMW's.  I think you will find the R65 to be a worthy stablemate if you have the room!  With fresh tires and a good-running engine, it is quite a lot of fun!  Especially with the lower European bars (you have the handlebar BMW made for the USA and old folk...).  The swap with OEM parts is not cheap (used is generally preferred), but it is easy and can be reversed just as easily.
The result is substantial, but still comfortable.  But I guarantee you you will be wanting rearsets! lol!

Sorry but why would I be wanting rearsets?
There are cheaper alternatives to BMW's bar, though.  
However, it is important that the bar be 22mm in diameter for the control perches and the clamp at the triple tree.  Most Japanese handlebars are 7/8" (why???), and of course - H-D are 1", just because bigger is better in 'merica.

This is a company in the USA that offers bars for all three sizes:
http://www.sideroadcycles.com/ImportedMotorcycles/ImportHandlebars/ImportHandlebarsBMW.html

Expensive - but a good reference guide.  I'm sure you have an idea for sources in your area?

I have been ordering parts mostly from the US but we do have some fabricators here of some items like seats, exhausts and bars

Welcome - and congratulations on your new purchase!