16th March 2012
I bought my 1983 R80RT late last year...
...knowing that it was mechanically very well sorted, but cosmetically challenged...
It had plenty of blemishes all over the bodywork...
...not all of which was the same colour.
Having got a good quote for a total respray & re-pinstripe from a local independent sprayer, Richard, I decided to strip the bodywork off the bike and let him get to work.
Richard recently painted an 1150GS Adventure tank for me...
...so I think the RT is going to be in safe hands.
So this morning I arrived at my mate Peter's place just before 08:30 to get the job done. Peter has a double garage with a bike lift and some form of electric light - none of which appears reliably in my own...
After a cuppa, it was time to get the bike onto the lift...
....this operation was being supervised by Jake...
Strapped down securely...
...I can't forget Greg (Deacon) telling me how he watched his 1150GS topple off his ramp...
First off - the seat - everything was undoing easily, as the last owner seems to have had the entire bike apart and copper-slipped everything on reassembly...
We soon had the seat cowling off ready for the paint-shop - even managed to gently prise off the BMW badge without damaging it (although I've got new badges anyway)...
Fairing lowers next - lots of self tappers - we put all the fasteners into a big tupperware container. I'll be replacing a lot of stuff with stainless...
Headlamp trim and sidelight housing next...
We take a few pictures along the way to remind us of where each connector goes on the reassembly - the Clymer manual is great, but you can't beat a snapshot...
In no time, it seems, the majority of the fairing comes off in one piece...
...and the bike looks a little naked. We put the fairing on one side for further disassembly later...
Looks pretty good as a naked bike, I reckon...
Undo two knurled nuts and pull off two fuel lines and bingo - the tank's off...
Now we come to the slightly unconventional bit. The paintwork on the rear sub-frame is a little agricultural and, as the bike is going to be off the road for a few weeks anyway, I decided we could get the sub-frame and some other minor parts powder coated...
Of course this will leave the bike without rear suspension support. Even though it's just going into the trailer and thence directly into my garage, this is clearly going to be an issue.
Leaving the pannier frames on maintains a joint between the frame an the tops of the rear shocks, but we need to brace it...
Well, why not improvise slightly?
That'll do for that side...
Close enough for Government work...
The bike rolls perfectly - although Peter discourages me from taking it out for a test ride...
We strip the lock and seat catch from the sub-frame ready to send it off to the powder coaters...
I'm sure they are going to be able to improve on the finish...
We then set to work stripping the upper fairing...
Until it's almost down to its component parts, then shove it all in the back of Peter's car and drop it into Richard's workshop. He'll take a few weeks to do the paint and I'll write up the rebuild as it happens.
Peter hitches the trailer up to his car and we drive the 25 miles back to my house and put the wooden wonder in the far end of the garage. It's 20:30 and we're both knackered...
A good day...
I bought my 1983 R80RT late last year...
...knowing that it was mechanically very well sorted, but cosmetically challenged...
It had plenty of blemishes all over the bodywork...
...not all of which was the same colour.
Having got a good quote for a total respray & re-pinstripe from a local independent sprayer, Richard, I decided to strip the bodywork off the bike and let him get to work.
Richard recently painted an 1150GS Adventure tank for me...
...so I think the RT is going to be in safe hands.
So this morning I arrived at my mate Peter's place just before 08:30 to get the job done. Peter has a double garage with a bike lift and some form of electric light - none of which appears reliably in my own...
After a cuppa, it was time to get the bike onto the lift...
....this operation was being supervised by Jake...
Strapped down securely...
...I can't forget Greg (Deacon) telling me how he watched his 1150GS topple off his ramp...
First off - the seat - everything was undoing easily, as the last owner seems to have had the entire bike apart and copper-slipped everything on reassembly...
We soon had the seat cowling off ready for the paint-shop - even managed to gently prise off the BMW badge without damaging it (although I've got new badges anyway)...
Fairing lowers next - lots of self tappers - we put all the fasteners into a big tupperware container. I'll be replacing a lot of stuff with stainless...
Headlamp trim and sidelight housing next...
We take a few pictures along the way to remind us of where each connector goes on the reassembly - the Clymer manual is great, but you can't beat a snapshot...
In no time, it seems, the majority of the fairing comes off in one piece...
...and the bike looks a little naked. We put the fairing on one side for further disassembly later...
Looks pretty good as a naked bike, I reckon...
Undo two knurled nuts and pull off two fuel lines and bingo - the tank's off...
Now we come to the slightly unconventional bit. The paintwork on the rear sub-frame is a little agricultural and, as the bike is going to be off the road for a few weeks anyway, I decided we could get the sub-frame and some other minor parts powder coated...
Of course this will leave the bike without rear suspension support. Even though it's just going into the trailer and thence directly into my garage, this is clearly going to be an issue.
Leaving the pannier frames on maintains a joint between the frame an the tops of the rear shocks, but we need to brace it...
Well, why not improvise slightly?
That'll do for that side...
Close enough for Government work...
The bike rolls perfectly - although Peter discourages me from taking it out for a test ride...
We strip the lock and seat catch from the sub-frame ready to send it off to the powder coaters...
I'm sure they are going to be able to improve on the finish...
We then set to work stripping the upper fairing...
Until it's almost down to its component parts, then shove it all in the back of Peter's car and drop it into Richard's workshop. He'll take a few weeks to do the paint and I'll write up the rebuild as it happens.
Peter hitches the trailer up to his car and we drive the 25 miles back to my house and put the wooden wonder in the far end of the garage. It's 20:30 and we're both knackered...
A good day...
