My BMW R1150 conversions

[M61A1]

I was sent back out and told to wind it out.At 5,500 rpm I got the shock of my life. Thought I'd been hit from behind by a truck!

The proper way to ride a two stroke is to get into band in 1st gear and keep it there. Keep changing gears to stay in the power unless you are stopped.

 

 

[M61A1]

back in the days when 60HP seemed like a lot

My current bike has three times that and still gets a little boring at times, but every now and then it reminds you what it can do.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

radial tyres and box aluminium frames certainly improved the rideability of bikes

 

how's the corsair build coming along?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

hey kg, I worked in a motorcycle shop in the H1 days and we used to sell all sorts of stuff to get these things to handle - the standard swingarm was a couple of lengths of mild steel 1" tubing welded into a U shape - we sold a LOT of aftermarket swingarms made up from aluminium rectangular tubing, about 2" x 1", man that made a difference - the fact the system came with German made roller swingarm bearings was top notch engineering in those days - we sold a lot of these along with 'racing' shock absorbers too, all set up as a package deal including modified front forks (springs, oil, etc.)I remember one guy seeing a bike undergoing "the transformation" and he asked the owner if he was going racing - the owner just said "Nah, I just want to live, that's all"......says it all !

 

mind you, we were selling hot up gear to the loonys too - three into one tuned pipes, bigger (or re-jetted) carbs - crazy coots...

 

BP

They sure were lethal to the risk takers, BP. One bloke I met wasn't satisfied with the 500's power and packed a Mach IV engine into a Mach III frame. He lost it and his life on a fast sweeper.

Another bloke frequented the columns of one of the mags (I think it was Revs). He was always banging on about his chopped 860 Ducati...in Mach III frame.

 

 

[M61A1]

He was always banging on about his chopped 860 Ducati...in Mach III frame

Surely that's the wrong way round....put an average engine in a less than average frame, wouldn't you put the quick engine the the frame that handles?

 

radial tyres and box aluminium frames certainly improved the rideability of bikes

Along with decent suspension and brakes.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Surely that's the wrong way round....put an average engine in a less than average frame, wouldn't you put the quick engine the the frame that handles?Along with decent suspension and brakes.

Of course that makes sense, but he set out to assault all motorcycling standards of decency.

His punchline was "chopped Ducati 860, in Mac III frame".

 

 

[facthunter]

IF you are talking serious handling and performance i'd CHOP all of that stuff up.. Those early dukes go slow and steer slow and often don't go. with their desmodramatic valves and angular contact ball bearing mains.. IF you love working on bikes and nostalgia, Fine, go for it.. Nev

 

 

[kgwilson]

hey kg, I worked in a motorcycle shop in the H1 days and we used to sell all sorts of stuff to get these things to handle - the standard swingarm was a couple of lengths of mild steel 1" tubing welded into a U shape - we sold a LOT of aftermarket swingarms made up from aluminium rectangular tubing, about 2" x 1", man that made a difference - the fact the system came with German made roller swingarm bearings was top notch engineering in those days - we sold a lot of these along with 'racing' shock absorbers too, all set up as a package deal including modified front forks (springs, oil, etc.)I remember one guy seeing a bike undergoing "the transformation" and he asked the owner if he was going racing - the owner just said "Nah, I just want to live, that's all"......says it all !

 

mind you, we were selling hot up gear to the loonys too - three into one tuned pipes, bigger (or re-jetted) carbs - crazy coots...

 

BP

Yeah a decent swingarm would have been good. I just learned how to deal with it. Used to fishtail something wicked coming out of a corner until I worked out when to put the power back on. Sometimes I was totally out of control, lost my footing & my knees were slapping the tank like crazy. I don't know how I survived. But then I was 21 & didn't really care.

I rode home from the pub one night with a wooden crate of beer on the tank (a dozen tall bottles) & a bunch of my mates were parking their bikes in front of my flat so I decided to pull a wheelie up the driveway. Why I have no idea but I didn't get the wheel down quickly enough & slammed into the concrete block wall of the flat between a parked car & a staircase. I woke up in Hospital with a mate telling me to stop swearing. I have no recollection of the event at all but I am glad I was wearing a helmet. The front wheel was dead flat right up to the drum & the forks were like bananas. The insurance company paid out & I was back in business.

 

 

[johnm]

beer and motorbikes

 

after many beers me and mate were off down the country road - he overtook me at some pace

 

he did not realise he was approaching a T intersection (he was the visitor) - could n't stop - through the T and fortunately up a driveway. At this point he had 2 choices - still going fast ................. go into a garage or lay the bike down on a gravel driveway

 

bike was bent but driveable, so he limped home - a dangerous laugh all the same (going through the T)

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I learned the hard way that beer and motorcycles are not a good match?

 

Thank heavens there's a statute of limitations on prosecuting stupidity.

 

 

[johnm]

yes ......... beer and motorbikes do cause headlines

 

I think stupidity becomes more sophisticated ? as you get older ........ so you never quiet escape every statute

 

'stupid is as stupid does' (F Gump)

 

 

[mnewbery]

A few weeks ago I stumbled into a biker party (this is not a joke). The house was beautiful and the back deck had ducatis stacked up like cords of wood. Present were the Ducati 860 GT up to some 600 and 900SS and some newer stuff. In the back yard, trail bikes zipped around till dark. A Suzuki RGv 250 sat in pieces with a bucket under it to catch the radiator fluid.

 

It was really nice to be able to stroll between the models and just look at the differences. In particular I looked at the brakes and the fuel metering. We have come a long way in motorcycling since 1975. The C172 I flew last week ... Not so much.

 

A few days later I climbed on my Honda with its sequential injection, hit the starter and everything just worked. Even at -5C after a weekend in the shed. Its older sibling and shed mate would have struggled to get out of bed.

 

Nostalgia is the art of picking up a bit of the past, polishing the sh1t out of it and pretending it's worth more now than it was when it was new

 

 

[Litespeed]

Ah the golden old days if my fading youth,..........

 

I would happily give a kidney( someone else's as I only have two half ones) to have my r100cs (worked) and mk3 guzzi le mans back in the man cave. I kick myself daily for ever selling them.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I don't regret selling the Trumpy Speed Triple (motor was set up dodgy) - but I miss my VFR750.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...Nostalgia is the art of picking up a bit of the past, polishing the sh1t out of it and pretending it's worth more now than it was when it was new

Worth framing.

 

 

[facthunter]

None of it was built to last long and a lot of those (very thin) frames rust out from the inside. Some chrome and Paint is poor quality. The magnesium and diemetal and plastic and neoprene and clear over the metal bits do horrible things. Keeping that stuff like new is impossible. The wiring looms go hard with age and the plastic covering falls off.

 

The designers and builders are very clever. You can't buy adapt or make the parts They are made to last about 5 years and the newer models have little or no parts compatibility, and are (theoretically) so much better than your model you shouldn't' even be riding it. Ride em enjoy them and quit them. and know when to.. Modern Cars are the same. You just have to know when they should be dumped rather than kept on the road. as it becomes uneconomic.. I don't like it but that's the way things are. Nev.

 

 

[mnewbery]

For those watching The

 

the automotive archaeology is fascinating. Those crispy 15 year old wiring looms look ... interesting. There are now connector replacement kits for common GM and Ford looms where the connectors go to the injectors and ignition.I remember reading somewhere (two wheels magazine?) that air cooled BMW flat twins don't appreciate being stored and tend to eat their main and big end bearings when left for more than 6 months without a bit of oil circulation or some proper engine pickling. I have no idea why (new oil doesn't seem to help) and I've never tested the concept. I have a strong suspicion that the aero engine makers and the goop makers got this issue sorted a long time ago.

 

I am aware that this thread started in late 2010 and the engine could have been new in 2004. Is there is a good chance the OP engine hasn't run since then? Given the bun fight I got into with the Bavarian Money Waster stealership over a clutch cable 6 months after the R1100 I owned was obsolete, I am very interested to see how much support BMW Australia has for something over 10 years old.

 

For the record, the dealership broke a head stud, charged me to fix it then gave me the keys to a NSW Police K1200. When I told them the key didn't fit, this was the reply in the stealership show room:

 

"HTFU and turn the key harder" because they already broke the lock for me with it.

 

I kept the key and left the bike with them until NSW Police complained. Shortly after that incident they lost the Police MRO contract to another provider who was equally bad in a different way but that is a story for another bedtime. BMW Australia said "how bad for you, do let us know how you get on".

 

I am not over BMWs. I am over the Ming Mole retail non-service that comes with the product. I tend to ride stuff I can fix myself for that reason among others.

 

 

[facthunter]

The later flat twins are the same as the auto (plain) bearings and would be alutin which is sort of OK for GAS so should be reasonable if the engine oils are just changed. I'm not a fan of BMW Australia. They have had to pay out to customers for improper trade practices etc in the last few years.. It's on record so look it up if you are interested. My wife had a BMW (bike) I emailed to them and didn't get an acknowledgement let alone a reply to a serious issue. Nev.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

My BMW flat twin has had an oil change and filter every two or three years for the last 33 years and still seems happy. Only averages about 800 km a year though.

 

 

[mnewbery]

I had a bike like this (non-turbo) in after-market black. I really wanted the turbo kit but at the time I didn't have the shed or the money.

 

Now I don't care anymore and I certainly don't need to go this fast. I still have the bike trailer.

 

 

 

[Vincik]

Well, here we go again. The Halley KFT (check on Google) from Hungary produces  the Apollo DeltaJet 2 (and other), using  NEW BMW 1200 GS engines , engine specific Trijekt electronics and a gearbox made by German Take-Off GmbH. Mine has now some 230 hours, I had it just maintained and checked (new oil, plugs, filters + gas cable adjust per vacuometer). There's no carburettor hassle. I don't know exactly how many they have produced since 1996, but it must be hundreds (before 2010 they used the BMW1150), mostly sold in Europe, including Russia.

 

(BTW the REVO looks like a copy of the Deltajet 2 with some minor improvements; that one seems also available with BMW engine, but appears sold mostly with Rotax 912 or 914)

 

I haven't had a forced /out-of-engine landing so far (only doing some exercises). The whole combination weighs some 230 kg. (see my picture). As a delta wing it has a sink ratio of about 1:7, maintaining a general speed of 80 km (even better at 70km). 

 

So far, after some 80 hours of flying (I bought it secondhand from one of my fly-instructors) I'm (still) a very happy user. (Comments of the garage guy who did the maintenance: the 1200 GS is a very reliable and durable machine, having twin sparks and the twin cams). Life expectance of Take-Off gearbox at least 1000 hrs, major check at 400 hrs. Engine rated at least 2000 hrs (no forced BTO). (It does say somewhere that it is not an official aircraft engine, hence less specific obligations). But here in Europe all trikes flying 'BASIC' are considered experimental aircraft per definition. Hope this helps (-:)