Pulled the trigger! New Airhead owner!

[Plaka]

Originally Posted by Jasper ST4

Let me guess, and he did it because he was taught that way?

When you go to the factory school to get your factory trained cert, they do teach you how they want it done.

Originally Posted by Plaka

When you go to the factory school to get your factory trained cert, they do teach you how they want it done.

...but do they teach you why? I'm skeptical about tilting the carbs, mine didn't come that way from the factory, none on the showroom that I've ever seen, nor anyone I've met does it that way. I can't imagine the purpose. You mentioned the cables but I don't have a problem, or anyone else that I know of. Seems like BMW would have designed the cable angle rather than tilting the carbs if it were an issue.

[Renner]

It would be nice to know the rationale behind tilting.

No doubt the Bings function adequately some few degrees past vertical but it appears less than optimal.
If the tilt is to accomodate cable interface then I manage fine without it.

A good technical school will teach 'why' things are done beyond 'what' is done. This helps technicians think for themselves.

[mykill]

It's a good thing none of us have to lean our bikes in turns, otherwise they wouldn't run at all with all that tilting.

Originally Posted by mykill

It's a good thing none of us have to lean our bikes in turns, otherwise they wouldn't run at all with all that tilting.

But do they function optimally at lean angles? I believe that was, in part, the theory behind the separate float upgrade. I used it for many years but can't say that I saw any improvement. I didn't think about the non-overflow deal so I consider myself lucky.

[Renner]

...ever seen in-cockpit footage of Bob Hoover performing aerobatics with an open tumbler of water, no liquid spilled?
There's a whole lot more sloshing going on in our float bowls.

[LasseNC]

Grease pumps, do you use them? I haven't seen the one BMW shows in the pictures, only pumps that goes onto nipples.

Are they available? Are they even needed? Alternatives? Want to grease the swingarm and centerstand pivots.

Originally Posted by LasseNC

Grease pumps, do you use them? I haven't seen the one BMW shows in the pictures, only pumps that goes onto nipples.

Are they available? Are they even needed? Alternatives? Want to grease the swingarm and centerstand pivots.

I don't know what they show but it's probably the tapered end. I have one and used to use it but don't anymore. These days I prefer to pull the part out/off and clean it up instead of forcing old grease out and hoping for the best.

[Plaka]

Originally Posted by LasseNC

Grease pumps, do you use them? I haven't seen the one BMW shows in the pictures, only pumps that goes onto nipples.

Are they available? Are they even needed? Alternatives? Want to grease the swingarm and centerstand pivots.

Only on the points where the push greaser is used. If there is a regular zerk fitting then use a zerk head on your grease gun ( clutch pushrod perhaps), You can also use a pointed injector tip (not a needle, the conical one) on your grease gun.


Push greasers are cheap anywhere chainsaws are sold. They are used for lubing the nose sprockets on bars. Mine cost less than $8 a couple months ago and is made in Germany. Looks like decent grease in it but you can always reload it with whatever grease you want to obsess over.

On the later bikes the push greaser fittings vanished. They are a very expensive part compared to a simple bolt. You have to tear the part down to lube it. This is lots of work and gives a poor lube job. Lots of the grease just rubs off on assembly leaving voids. With flush greasing you get a complete grease fill and just have to wipe up the old stuff. You use plenty to get a good flush. I will be making a proper flush grease pivot for the brake pedal on my /7, the ones from the /5 won't fit and pivoting on bolt threads, even with a steel bushing, is BS. I hada kickstand that did that and at 65K, even with a grease fitting, the pivot was shot. (granted, it takes huge pressures)

On big industrial equipment the Zerk fittings on all the bearings and whatnot are replaced with a barb fitting and a slender plastic tube. All the tubes come together at a central point at a greasing manifold. When greasing is required (often daily or more often) everything gets flush greased at once from a central point.

[LasseNC]

I have a "hard" time understanding the various fittings and what you are trying to get into my head. Somehow my "Thank you" reply got lost :S

Anyway, thank you for the quick and spot on answers every time!

Not the end of questions though. Reading snowbums site he refers to some special tools for doing a spline lube. Mostly thinking about the 27mm socket, as I do not have access to a lathe to turn one down. Are there any places to get some already made for this purposed or am I doomed to sanding one down?

Which grease types do you guys use? Want to use the mix snowbum suggests if I can get the types.

Originally Posted by LasseNC

Not the end of questions though. Reading snowbums site he refers to some special tools for doing a spline lube. Mostly thinking about the 27mm socket, as I do not have access to a lathe to turn one down. Are there any places to get some already made for this purposed or am I doomed to sanding one down?

Which grease types do you guys use? Want to use the mix snowbum suggests if I can get the types.

The socket is to loosen the nuts on the swingarm pins. I have been using a Craftsman for that for many moons now and it fits inside, no problem, no grinding necessary if they are still made that way.

I use Hi-temp Permatex anti-seize for the splines. Not that it needs to be hi temp, it's what I had for the exhaust nuts. It's been working for 30 years so far.

[LasseNC]

Originally Posted by Jasper ST4

The socket is to loosen the nuts on the swingarm pins. I have been using a Craftsman for that for many moons now and it fits inside, no problem, no grinding necessary if they are still made that way.

I use Hi-temp Permatex anti-seize for the splines. Not that it needs to be hi temp, it's what I had for the exhaust nuts. It's been working for 30 years so far.

Is coppergrease sufficient for the exhaustnuts? I saw "ZOA"s ridereport, she had bought some kind of flanges that bolt together. Seemed like a cool solution, albeit not vintage.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's as old school as you can get. I don't know about the copper, a high quality high temp anti-seize is what you want. Loosening the nuts and re-tightening once a year doesn't hurt. A wrench for that is one of the few special tools that I have for the beemer.

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by LasseNC

Not the end of questions though. Reading snowbums site he refers to some special tools for doing a spline lube. Mostly thinking about the 27mm socket, as I do not have access to a lathe to turn one down. Are there any places to get some already made for this purposed or am I doomed to sanding one down?

Not necessarily. I found a 1-1/16" socket that fits perfectly as-is.

Look around...

[Hawk Medicine]

You can easily trim down a socket using a bench grinder.

It won't be pretty but it'll work just fine.