My new Project: R65

Anyone still remotely interested in all this bollocks I'm posting?

No, not at all, go back to horse fondling !

ps - PM re a metal basher that might be able to assist with your battery box.
 
I'm another one taking it all in - keep it coming.
 
electric pics for sid

Eyup Sid, took some pics u need<a href="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/bmwr80gs/media/003_zps9bfb7d09.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e181/bmwr80gs/003_zps9bfb7d09.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 003_zps9bfb7d09.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/bmwr80gs/media/004_zps824c8c53.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e181/bmwr80gs/004_zps824c8c53.jpg" border<a href="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/bmwr80gs/media/005_zps1771b60b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e181/bmwr80gs/005_zps1771b60b.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 005_zps1771b60b.jpg"/></a>="0" alt=" photo 004_zps824c8c53.jpg"/></a><a href="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/bmwr80gs/media/006_zps766fdd56.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.photobucke<a href="http://s39.photobucket.com/user/bmwr80gs/media/007_zpsed9e6c94.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e181/bmwr80gs/007_zpsed9e6c94.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 007_zpsed9e6c94.jpg"/></a>t.com/albums/e181/bmwr80gs/006_zps766fdd56.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 006_zps766fdd56.jpg"/></a>
Hope this helps

Steve
 
Cheers Steve:thumby:

Really appreciate you taking the time to help.

That is really helpful. I should be able to finalise all the wiring based on that.

Maplins didn't have all the led lights that I wanted but were extremely helpful and are ordering the rest for me so when I have those I should able to continue electrical work.

Today I drove down to Trago Mills and bought yet more little bits and bobs.

I've got lots of other things on my mind during next week so progress on this project will slow up for now:(
 
Progress has been slow over last few weeks as too many other things happening in my life. If anyone has seen my "Night Owl" post in B&B then they'll know that things have been very rough recently.:(

Thanks to Jaber's photos above, I realised that whilst I had connected up the electrics correctly, they were not in the right location so I decided to completely remove the entire wiring loom and start again. Next problem was that we had added so much strengthening around the headstock that there was no room for the wiring to pass through. Also the higher wider bars meant that the original wiring from the handlebar switches were too short.
I spent a few days at the kitchen table with lots of extra wires, heat shrink and soldering iron and managed to make up new extended wiring. Didn't realise that soldering irons stayed hot for so long even in the middle.:( Fingers and thumbs still badly blistered but all part of the learning process.

The new shock has come back from the full rebuild and is like new (but then it should be for what it cost me:eek:). A heavy duty spring was fitted to allow for my exact weight (apparently most off-roaders are 10 stone weaklings not 15 stone Tossers). I think I have gone past my original idea of building a "low cost" bike. I made the mistake of doing a quick calculation of the costs to date and wished I hadn't.:( Still, it will probably cost me less than the optional extras on a new 1200.

Doug at Devon Rims (400 yards around the corner from James Sherlock in South Molton) has drilled out a new rear wheel rim. I took it to Right Angle in Hatherleigh who did a perfect job of powder coating it in gloss black for £20. Dropped the rim back to Doug yesterday for him to lace it up to the rear hub with stainless spokes. That'll be another big bill to come. If he does it in the next few days then SWMBO can wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree for me.:)

Thanks to Oblertone, I discovered an excellent engineer/fabricator in Holsworthy who is making me a combined modified airbox and battery holder. This guys work is awesome. He has a road going Fireblade engined "buggy" thing that he has built from scratch. He also works on old Bentleys so he is a real craftsman/ perfectionist.

Probably won't do too much over Christmas time then next job will be to trailer it up to Piggin Pipes to get the exhausts made up.

Might get some pics tomorrow.
 
It's been so long since I updated this thread that some may have thought that I'd given up:( Just had too many other things going on like my sister having a tumour at base of her skull and having to visit her in Southampton and Jersey. It puts matters like building airheads into perspective.

I've had a few spare hours so added a few custom made bits. I needed an under tray to seal the subframe to act as part of the mudguard to keep the crap off the expensive new shock. Luckily I found a plastic box that was in exactly the right shade of blue!:) Cut it to shape and fitted it for a total cost of zero.:D

Been having fun and games with the electrics. One minute they don't work but after swearing profusely at them, they agree to come back on. I've got the headlight working all OK and the warning light for the high beam looks fantastic in the little group of leds I have made up. For some reason the indicator warning lights don't want to play yet so obviously more swearing is needed.

Doug phoned me to say the rear wheel is ready to I need to drive over to collect that soon.

The seat is coming along and is an interesting little project. Basically it needs to be an R65 seat at the front to mount against the rear of the original R65 petrol tank. However, it also needs to fit to the much narrower KTM subframe and match up with the KTM rear mudguard. I've spent loads of time on this but I want to get it right (and its not like I have anything else to do this week). When I am totally happy with it, I will pass it to a local upholsterer to cover it professionally in blue of course.:)

I bought a very nice little bum bag to fit to the rear mudguard to carry basic tools in. It will also fit neatly at rear of seat so that will tidy up the look.

Even managed to get a few quick pics before it got dark.









I'm now just waiting for the new airbox to be built and that will just leave the 2:1 exhaust to be built.

I might need a guiding hand with some of the electrical issues as that is not my strong point but I do learn a little bit every day mostly by trial and error. I don't want to wait until Airhead Weekend in June so if any tossers fancy a few days here in Devon anytime before that then you would be make extremely welcome and fed and watered (or beer, cider, wine etc) to the usual standard. (We have a couple of spare rooms in the house so accommodation can be provided as well.)
 
Luckily a mate turned turned up today who knows a bit more than me about how to use a multi-meter. We soon had most of the wiring sorted out although it confirmed that the 20 year old wiring loom and fittings are well past their best as most of the connectors are corroded and the connections intermittent.

So we decided that the best option is going to be to construct an entirely new wiring loom. As everything else on the bike is made to measure, it makes sense to have a bespoke wiring loom. As I hope to race this bike overnight at the Dawn to Dusk in Aug it is essential that all the electrics are 100% reliable even under extreme conditions. I'm going to try to make the entire wiring with as few connectors as possible with everything solded directly and covered in heat shrink.
 
My kind of build this. :clap Can I ask what the KTM subframe and plastics are?
 
Thanks for your comments.:thumb2

The rear sub frame is based on a 2006 KTM300 EXC which I also have and use for 3 hour Hare & Hound enduros. I say based as I started with the one from my KTM but then bought a similar one from ebay (possibly from a KTM 400) and modified it to fit. It wasn't a straight bolt on job. I then purchased a new KTM rear mudguard and light from MDRacing in Yeovil and adjusted it to fit.

The bigger challenge is building the seat to fit the BMW tank and KTM rear sub frame. I think I have cracked that and I'm finally happy with it.

Still got many man hours to spend yet before this is mobile.

Spoke to Doug at Devon Rim and I'll collect the new rear wheel next Tuesday. I've already got the new tube and TKC80 tyre to fit it. Another few hundred quid spent.
 
Coming along nicely.

Is it just the photo angle, but the rear mudguard set up seems to stick out a very long way.
 
Coming along nicely.

Is it just the photo angle, but the rear mudguard set up seems to stick out a very long way.

You may have a good point there looking at the photos. I can probably move the rear mudguard forward a few inches. It will help with the seat and exhaust mounting at the same time.

I really appreciate constructive comments like this. :) I don't expect to get everything right first time and part of the reason for posting things on here is to get feedback.

Cheers

Sid
 
I've been going crazy with the angle grinder again today. SWMBO always gets a bit nervous when she hears that grinding away...

Cut back the rear subframe to move the rear mudguard forward a few inches. Then I had to modify the seat to cut it down to a proper single seater. Then I realised how dreadful those large rear indicators were and binned them. Whilst rummaging through several boxes of spares, I found a nice pair of tiny carbon fibre look LED indicators which must have come off my CBR track day bike.

Definitely looks better.



 
Hi, bike is coming along nicely, well done, previous comment regarding the rear mudguard was correct, it looks better now but it still looks to stick out too far, it may be a little sharp in its styling as the rest of the bike is rounded, you may be better looking for an older, more substantial type similar to what's fitted to the Paris Dakar bikes. Only my opinion mind, keep up the good work:thumb2
 
Hi, bike is coming along nicely, well done, previous comment regarding the rear mudguard was correct, it looks better now but it still looks to stick out too far, it may be a little sharp in its styling as the rest of the bike is rounded, you may be better looking for an older, more substantial type similar to what's fitted to the Paris Dakar bikes. Only my opinion mind, keep up the good work:thumb2

Rear mudguard now finishes directly above back of rear wheel. I understand what you say about the "sharp" styling but that is exactly what I want. I really don't like the "vintage" rounded look that many others have gone for, I want this to be a mix of old (the airhead bits) with modern stying. Ultimately, it would be nice to change the tank for a more modern style but that is too difficult with the old frame layout.

Made excellent progress in the last week. I collected the new rear wheel from Doug at Devon Rim Company. Cannot recommend this chap highly enough, he's a real old school craftsman and an extremely nice bloke. Cost was reasonable too considering it was a top quality rim that he had to drill out all the spoke holes at the correct angles. It was then built up with heavy duty stainless steel spokes so it will be very strong. Not the lightest wheel possible but built to last and take long term abuse from a fat tosser.:) Fitted a new TKC80 and heavy duty tube so the back end looks complete at last.

Collected the new alloy airbox and battery box today as well. Got a nasty shock at the price but quality always costs and it is a unique one off.:)

Ordered the marine water-proof connectors I need for the new wiring loom and they should be here on Monday. Called into my local auto electrician and asked him if he could sell me a few lengths of different coloured wire. "No, we don't sell stuff but you can rummage through the scrap/off-cuts bin if you like". 10 minutes later I had everything I wanted in all the different colours to construct a complete new loom for the entire circuit. Called into Lidls and got a neat new soldering iron for £8.99 which makes soldering so much easier. Practised on a mates GPZ wiring and it is very easy to use. I have set out the entire loom on the kitchen table much to the disgust of SWMBO :D I wired in the Odesey battery and all the lights and the horn. Unfortunately, once I turned the ignition switch, the horn circuit was shorted so the horn sounded very loudly in the confines of our kitchen. I shouted "Oh Feck!", SWMBO dropped and smashed the item she was washing up in the sink and the cat jumped 6 foot in the air.:D

I was tired by the time I finished all this so I'll get plenty of photos in the morning.
 
Some photos:

Old loom on kitchen table:


Some very dodgy wiring:


New back wheel:




The new airbox and battery tray:


Won't be any progress over next couple of weeks as I'm away to Jersey until end of month.
 


Back
Top Bottom