Bmw r65ls

[leman]

im considering rescuing this bike from my grandparents carport. its my uncles bike, but do to medical reasons he cant even stand up by himself. he said i could do what ever i want with it. he doesnt remember the last time it ran (part of his condition) but i would say atleast 8 years.

what do you yall think it would take to get it ridable again? this will also be my first bike. ive rode several bikes including a tw200, R1, and several dirt bikes.

as you can see in the pic the gas tank is just sitting there too

 

[rathackman]

Hi, The R65 is a sweet moto and a real pleasure to ride as it is. It looks like a good solid piece to restore to stock. If you do something with it...my advice is to leave it Stock...As it is, it is a fast, smooth and nimble. I keep saying to leave it stock is due to a project involving building a GS type bike out of one and having it do a really spectacular tank slapper on the Dalton Highway pitching the rider off onto the gravel road and breaking a wrist very severely.

It is totally up to you but it is not meant to be altered, especially the frame and steering gear geometry and will make you a nice moto as is....

Happy trails,
Brian

 

[leman]

yea i definately plan to just fix it and ride it. ive got my jeep to modify. i just want this for cruising around town and the occasional 2 wheel adventure.

 

[rathackman]

Well I think they are great and it will serve you well, plus you have the pleasure of knowing it is your grandfather old ride...how cool is that...?
Enjoy,
Brian

 

[dwh]

Standard old bike procedure:

Hose it down.
Air up the tires.
Get a new battery.
Change the oil.
Check the compression.
Check the points and plugs.
Put a little oil in the spark plug holes to lube the rings before you fire it.
Check the tank for rust.
Check the petcock for fuel filter to clean.
Put a little fuel in the tank to check for leaks.
Crank it over a bunch of times.
Try starting it.

If it "ran when parked" it probably won't take much to get it fired up.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Standard old bike procedure:

Hose it down.
Air up the tires.
Get a new battery.
Change the oil.
Check the compression.
Check the points and plugs.
Put a little oil in the spark plug holes to lube the rings before you fire it.
Check the tank for rust.
Check the petcock for fuel filter to clean.
Put a little fuel in the tank to check for leaks.
Crank it over a bunch of times.
Try starting it.

If it "ran when parked" it probably won't take much to get it fired up.

I'd add, drain and throw out any gas in the tank, turn the motor over by turning the rear wheel while in gear to ensure the rings aren't fused to the cylinder head before cranking it with the starter and throw away those tires as they are likely dry rotted and could come apart when at road speed.

If you decide you don't want it PM me first.

Jim

 

[Jim K in PA]

Great bike. Be sure to check in over at ADVrider in the Old's Cool section for tons of airhead support. If you want local support, consider joining the ABC (Airhead Beemer Club). Seek out your local Airmarshall and attend a tech day.

The R65 is a little different than other air cooled BMW models in terms of suspension and other bits unique to this model. There is tons of parts support for the R65 and other old airheads, but be aware that the R65 has some unique bits.

I see it already has an aftermarket fork brace, too. Looks like someone rode it "enthusiastically". :ylsmoke: The engines are good for hundreds of thousands of miles if properly maintained, so get it running and enjoy it.

BTW - I just started riding this year, and my bike is a '79 R100T. Lovin' it!

 

[AZ ADVenturist]

BMW Air Heads!

Been off line for awhile, so late to the party (sorry)
But what they already said. Air Head BMW's are to love, learn & lean...
Let's keep 'em runnin' Check ADV Rider, AZ Air HD