My r90 restoration.

[More_Miles]

Originally Posted by blaine.hale

Anyone have a recommendation for bars that are an inch or two higher rise than the stock r90S bars?
Currently have some magura "europa" bars and hate them. They actually dip down and are way too narrow.

All the flanders/maguras here are way too angular for my liking: http://www.sideroadcycles.com/Import...lebarsBMW.html

It seems like stock BMW bars have way smoother bends to them, less abrupt.

Might be a crazy suggestion, but what about some RT bars? Could be a bit too much though.

[chasbmw]

it is a crazy suggestion RT bars look very strange on a non faired bike.

I ran my bike like that for a couple of years after I took the fairing off.

standard US wide bars are maybe OK but personally I would not want to go any wider. I actually find that Magura S bars are fine, behind a S fairing, especially if using a tank bag on a long trip.

[blaine.hale]

Thanks guys! Ended up going with the standard US 5 inch rise bars. I'll put my euros back on after the trip.
I have the S fairing mounted with these now too, just not in the pics:




Not bad for $35 on fleabay!
The clutch cable was a bit too short but does actually work. I'm carrying a spare US length clutch cable with me on the trip incase that one decides to pop

[blaine.hale]

Well, this may as well go down in the saga.
The thread on the end of the cam shaft that holds the points down sheered right off. This requires a cam replacement. Next, the bolt holding the rotor on the crank backed out at a 45 degree angle and seized. So I need to extract it some how and re-tap the threads.
I let it sit for a month to mellow the pain and frustration and I'm ready to get to tearing it down this week.
Come on by if you'd like to help and have a beer Atlanta folks!
Guess I'm going to going at it every night this week from 6pm on.
Maybe I'll have it down to the bottom end by the weekend and ready for Beater's most gracious spare bottom end donation!

[hardwaregrrl]

Aww Blaine. I hate to hear this. But it's also pretty cool that you've been given the parts to repair it!! I'd love to swing by one nite and offer up some moral support!!

Originally Posted by blaine.hale

Well, this may as well go down in the saga.
The thread on the end of the cam shaft that holds the points down sheered right off. This requires a cam replacement. Next, the bolt holding the rotor on the crank backed out at a 45 degree angle and seized. So I need to extract it some how and re-tap the threads.
I let it sit for a month to mellow the pain and frustration and I'm ready to get to tearing it down this week.
Come on by if you'd like to help and have a beer Atlanta folks!
Guess I'm going to going at it every night this week from 6pm on.
Maybe I'll have it down to the bottom end by the weekend and ready for Beater's most gracious spare bottom end donation!

[mykill]

Originally Posted by blaine.hale

Well, this may as well go down in the saga.
The thread on the end of the cam shaft that holds the points down sheered right off. This requires a cam replacement. Next, the bolt holding the rotor on the crank backed out at a 45 degree angle and seized. So I need to extract it some how and re-tap the threads.
I let it sit for a month to mellow the pain and frustration and I'm ready to get to tearing it down this week.
Come on by if you'd like to help and have a beer Atlanta folks!
Guess I'm going to going at it every night this week from 6pm on.
Maybe I'll have it down to the bottom end by the weekend and ready for Beater's most gracious spare bottom end donation!

Call Gary at RPM Cycles in Ventura CA. Years ago he was telling me he had a workable solution to the sheared cam end issue. May be worth exploring before you start ripping into things.

[blaine.hale]

Originally Posted by mykill

Call Gary at RPM Cycles in Ventura CA. Years ago he was telling me he had a workable solution to the sheared cam end issue. May be worth exploring before you start ripping into things.

I might just do that. I filed the surface flat and started to drill a centered hole to tap out and put a bolt in last night. Problem is, drilling that is ridiculously hard and it may not be a PERFECT center.
Maybe I can find a bit more suited for drilling steel.

[blaine.hale]

Is it remotely possible to pull a cam without dropping the engine out the frame? I'm thinking maybe pull the jugs and just the front wheel then I can something in there to pull the cam out.
Also, what tools are used to pull a cam and/or crank?

[pkboxer]

Just a link to snowbum's thoughts on fixing the cam tip

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/cams.htm

[blaine.hale]

Originally Posted by pkboxer

Just a link to snowbum's thoughts on fixing the cam tip

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/cams.htm

Ahah! He's doing exactly what I assumed you could do and I'm already doing. I just don't know if I'm perfectly centered. I used a right angle at two points to find the center of a circle.
Also...drilling through that forged steel is ridiculously hard. I need a sharp bit, good oil and the right RPM.
Lastly...I need to make some kind of jig to hold it right. No clue where to go with that one.

*Edit: Looks like I can buy this sucker after work and maybe a decent metal bit
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ocStoreNum=159

[ontic]

Damn Blaine,
sorry to hear of your troubles.
I hope you figure out an easier solution than pulling the cam. Some damn good wrenching skills you'll learn if you do though.

With the single seat and the panniers you're bike is starting to look like a much cleaner and better lived sister (or at least cousin) of mine- I like it!





Whatever you do, IMO don't get impatient and drill before you know you are at center- that harbour freight drill guide looks like it might be helpful.
I wonder if you could somehow spin the crank and push the drill bit into it (with that clamp) and this way even if you have clamped a tiny bit off center the hole will remain at center (picture turning a wooden bowl on a lathe).
Spark plugs out, crank it over with the starter, and push the drill bit in to the crank tip? I don't even know which way the crank spins though you might need a left handed bit.
You wouldn't have to get the entire hole drilled this way, just a good start to locate it?

Good luck,
post pictures

[Airhead Wrangler]

Or you could just get a crank mounted ignition and forget the whole mess. As an added bonus you'd have a better ignition system too. You already have an enduralast so you could get one of these:

http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/EnD..._p/edl-ign.htm

[Max Headroom]

Blaine, I had a similar issue with my R90/6 many years ago, and I resolved it by drilling and tapping into the end of the cam and fitting a short threaded stud. I don't recall the cam material being extemely tough to drill into, although it may have had a surface hardening that took a bit of patience from memory. I had a friend help to line up the drill-bit by eye.

[blaine.hale]

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Blaine, I had a similar issue with my R90/6 many years ago, and I resolved it by drilling and tapping into the end of the cam and fitting a short threaded stud. I don't recall the cam material being extemely tough to drill into, although it may have had a surface hardening that took a bit of patience from memory. I had a friend help to line up the drill-bit by eye.

That's really reassuring mate, thank you!
I bought a pretty neat drill guide...it may come in handy later with other stuff as I don't have a drill press!
I also bought the correct bit and tap/die kit. If I could afford a crank mounted system I would buy one and be done with it! I love easy solutions sometimes haha.
Unfortunately, buying my first home has my fund tied up the next few months. :(

Even when I get this little bit resolved, I still have the crank bolt to deal with. Hopefully I have a spare one and the right tap to clean the thread when I manage to get it out.
I'm drilling tomorrow. I'll keep ya'll posted.

[mykill]

I'd buy a Boyer over bits.