just bought a bmw

[Stealaway]

I have just finished building this bike. I have changed the engine for an entirely different one.
A 660cc single four stroke (SZR 660) for a 350cc twin two stroke (RD 350 YPVS) Half the weight, twice the Hp.
After a year of building this bike I imagined all kinds of problems with insuring it and taxing/registering it.
I rang the insurance company yesterday and they were only interested in the engine, (that what they insure) so its a 350cc - custom frame motorcycle - £197.00 fully comp
The DVLC are only interested in the frame number so as far as they are concerned its just an engine number change.

Sorted -- I just need some good weather to take it for an MOT test. Roll on the summer.

 

[Jaws]

i have just bought a 1978 bmw r80. to tinker with, it a runner but not road legal mot wise, the front disc's are warped, and the offside exhaust needs replacing, battery is knackered. last on the road in 2008. but engine is good, paintwork needs to be redone starting to get a list of parts/prices. it would have been cheaper to buy a legal runner but the fun is doing it up.

Two known faults on them..
They tend to pop the valve collets out so well worth whipping the covers off and at least checking them or better still reseating them all..
If the worst foes happen it can be fixed at the roadside though with the basic bmw tool kit and a ball of string !
Take the plug out get the piston to BDC
Feed the string in the plug hole. Slowly bring the piston back up to TDC and it will hold the valve in place while you put the collets back in ( it is a two man job as you will need someone to compress the spring by jamming the screwdrivers in the ally webbing and using them to lever down the spring while you pop the collets in place )
A friend who used to have one did the job a couple of times thats why I know the fix !

The other issue is somewhat more serious.
They seem to eat gearbox bearing quite regularly.
I cannot remember the mileage but THINK it was about the 120k mile marker
Not the end of the world as it is easy enough to get at everything but just something to keep in mind if tyou are doing a rebuild and the bike is approaching that sort of mileage ..

 

[kalamitty]

cheers jaws, will check them when i bring it home, the mileage is approx 60,000, at the moment it is the bro-in-laws garage nice and dry, mine leaks so leaving it there till spring time, its something to tinker with now i*m retired. the last owner only sold it as he moved house and has no garage.