airhead parts - the dark secrets revealed

[Grider Pirate]

Originally Posted by tvrla

My concern using a silicone pan gasket is the bolts falling out. There's no way the bolt will bind in the hole with the gasket being soft and squishy. Do you use loctite? Those suckers fall out easy enough with the stock hard one.

You could always spend several hours drilling the bolt heads and saftey wiring them! Or not.
I've replaced exactly one oil pan gasket. I generally just grease them before assembly. I don't have any leaks, and the gasket parts gracefully if of some silly reason I need to drop the pan. The one I had to replace was glued to the pan by a DPO.

[Gasket]

Excellent string gentlemen....Some great information here.

Since 1983 I have purchased parts for my vintage Brit bikes from Domiracer but they have added airhead to their inventory. I just purchased a "aftermarket" set of stock handlebars for my R90/6. Made in Taiwan but of excellent quality and a perfect fit...They have several other styles.

www.domiracer.com

[DucatiPete]

For those who've got/get a fried sender I just discovered our local electronics parts store (Jaycar) has spitting-image replacements for $AU20!

Sure beats paying through the nose at a dealer for a replacement unit... the best price i could find for a reco unit was $AU110.

From what I can see the sender is the only thing that can fail...

I'm still waiting to test mine: when i pulled it apart it looked like it'd been assembled in a sand storm!

[Tim McKittrick]

Does anyone know if there is a non-OEM air filter out there that'll fit a /5? Has anyone been able to determine if any of the thousand or so filters available from Fram and the like are similar enough to the stocker to work?

I'm looking for a replacement which I don't have to mail order or get from a BMW dealer, if that's possible.

[Malindi]

Originally Posted by DucatiPete

For those who've got/get a fried sender I just discovered our local electronics parts store (Jaycar) has spitting-image replacements for $AU20!

Sure beats paying through the nose at a dealer for a replacement unit... the best price i could find for a reco unit was $AU110.

From what I can see the sender is the only thing that can fail...

I'm still waiting to test mine: when i pulled it apart it looked like it'd been assembled in a sand storm!

Here's where I sourced one when I needed a replacement. Around AU$20 indeed. http://content.honeywell.com/sensing...log/c20050.pdf

[DucatiPete]

The starter relay on my r80g/s started not working... and the outer cover would come off when i pulled it from it's socket.
Time for a new one, said i...
Quick call to local BM shop $AU84! What the... are those spades platinum! BM wreckers: $45
There's no way I'm gonna splash that sort of payola for a simple relay.
Well, of course, it's not just a "simple" relay. Turns out that BMW wanted a diode in it so you had to get that specific ($BIG$) one. Bugger that!
Why can;'t the diode be wired externally?
Well, as it turns out, it can.
I bought a basic Bosch four pin 30amp relay, a relay socket, a few spade connectors, and 12v5w diode. Wired 'em up - as per the diagram on the old relay - and Bob's yer uncle...
All components from local electronics store (Jaycar).
Cost: Relay $4.50, Socket $3.80, Diode $4.80 (had to buy 4), spade connectors $~1.20.
Total: $14.30
And if i ever need another relay i can get one at any car parts joint.
Another small victory for the little guy.

[StephenB]

Motorworks sent me Goetze pistons rings, P/N 08-700900-00 for std bore '77 1000cc barrels (iron lined). Goetze is a trademark of Federal Mogul Corp. This complements Lornce's information on his Volkswagen cast rings, I believe.

[Hi Viz Guy]

Just picked up my first BMW, a 91 R100 GS. I currently own a concours and a klr. For the concours i go to murph's and for the klr i go to happy trails for all of my goodies.

My question is this... is there a go-to place for farkles for my bumblebee?

What i am searching for is oil filters, blank keys, and the possibility of putting a givi box on my back.

Where shall i search for the holy grail of GS Parts?

[Stagehand]

EDIT: I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THESE. STAND BY FOR FURTHER info.

I screwed up an OD measurement, apparently. Its 20, not 21.

crapola.

[Beemerboff]

Thanks for that. The first supplier I called wanted $22.65 for one or $16- each if I wanted eight. Special order , 3/4 weeks . Bummer.

Second supplier , $A3.97 each, in stock. Yes!! I picked them up straight away , and got a neeedle roller small end for my B44 at the same time for $6.20 , against $36- for the bronze bush plus reaming, if I could find someone with a jig to do it insitu.

Now I just got to find someone in Oz with a six piston caliper who wants less than $250.00 for it------

[johno]

Beemerboff, what brake setup do you currently have?
Do you think the 6 is an overkill?
I have the 4 spot on my GSPD with braided line, and it is certainly better than stock.
I am going to look at a bigger disc, rather than the 6 spot.

I wish the rear was easy to upgrade.
I will let you know how my shaft job goes, and the price, when it is finished.

[Beemerboff]

At present I have the stock set up with a braided line and DP 620 GG sintered pads , which I bought on Ebay for $20-

They were advertised as HH but it says GG on the pad.

No problem , they are a mile in front of the Galfer Greens , and they were supposed to be GG too.

With this set up I can lock the front wheel with a good hard squeeze , and I dont really need much more, but when Guy announced his sensibly priced adapter for big callipers I thought I would upgrade a little, and get up to date two finger braking at a reasonable cost.

Last time I was in Churchill Dismantles all the callipers were $25.00 but they now have a new sales manager and he is as stupid as the guys at Show and Go - $250- for one second hand calliper , with no pads or hose.

The reason for going with the Tokico six piston is to keep the M/C - caliper ratio as close to stock as possible , as IMHO this is the critical part of the exercise.

If Ray Potter was still working I could have got my M.C. sleeved to 11 or 12 mm which would have made the two piston viable , but with a 13mm MC the Tokico six piston is the only one I would fit

I have a 11mm on my twin disc R75/7 and it works really well , no problems with excessive pull etc so I have no problems with high ratios.

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by Beemerboff

At present I have the stock set up with a braided line and DP 620 GG sintered pads , which I bought on Ebay for $20-

They were advertised as HH but it says GG on the pad.

No problem , they are a mile in front of the Galfer Greens , and they were supposed to be GG too.

With this set up I can lock the front wheel with a good hard squeeze , and I dont really need much more, but when Guy announced his sensibly priced adapter for big callipers I thought I would upgrade a little, and get up to date two finger braking at a reasonable cost.

Last time I was in Churchill Dismantles all the callipers were $25.00 but they now have a new sales manager and he is as stupid as the guys at Show and Go - $250- for one second hand calliper , with no pads or hose.

The reason for going with the Tokico six piston is to keep the M/C - caliper ratio as close to stock as possible , as IMHO this is the critical part of the exercise.

If Ray Potter was still working I could have got my M.C. sleeved to 11 or 12 mm which would have made the two piston viable , but with a 13mm MC the Tokico six piston is the only one I would fit

I have a 11mm on my twin disc R75/7 and it works really well , no problems with excessive pull etc so I have no problems with high ratios.

Good stuff here Boffo,

Hydraulic ratios are seldom understood by folks switching bits and pieces around. I'm a bit confused by some of what you've suggested re. keeping piston ratios as close to stock as possible. As you won't realise any braking improvement until you increase your master cylinder vs. slave cylinder piston ratios. ie: reduce the m/c swept area or increse the slave cyls swept area. You seem to be aware of this when mentioning your intention to sleeve your MC down to 11 or 12mm. Did I miss something?

I've got a 4-pot Brembo from my wrecked 1150GS doing duty on my GS/PD and it's provides a noticable improvement over the stock two pot Brembo. Easy to fit, too, simply required filing a bit off the caliper's boss to centre it on the GS/PD's disc (0.125" iirc). Currently running whatever the 1150 was using for pads, which I believe were stock BMW bits.

Having said all that, with the stock set up I could howl the front tire at any speed the bike was capable of if I gripped it tightly enough. All you're doing with a fancier brake is easing the effort it takes to howl the tire - so you're not actually getting any greater ultimate breaking force.

The tire's the final factor in the braking force equation, as I'm sure you know.

fwiw,
Lornce

[datchew]

Revisions added.

Waiting on Stagehand to get his data straight.

[tathambenjamin]

So... I have been searching and Searching for information about 2 into 1 exhaust to fit on a '78 R100/7. I found the MAC setup onine, but am interested in the luftmeister or other custom options....

Does anyone have any links or information about how these improve performance and where I can buy them? Also, anyone out there whu runs one of these 2 into 1 set ups? Do you need to rejet? any other changes to make or consider?

Any information would be appreciated, my endless google searching has produced nothin....of course if anyone has one for sale I would be happy to hear about it too.