About Schmidt

[Padmei]

An email was waiting for me as I logged in over breakfast on a Monday morning. It was from Eddie B & simply said "be fast or last". Attached was an advert from trademe for a 1991 BMW R80GS.

I clicked on the link, saw 'BUY NOW $2400' & immediately hit the button. After viewing the usual sellers details contact page I went & looked at the pictures of the bike I'd just bought. It looked rough but seemed all there allbeit very rusty -it was also RED - one of the things I'd have to change.












It had been sitting under a house on Waiheke island for a while & the owner was told a new shock was in order for the next warrant. As they go for about a grand he decided to get rid of it.
EddieB also directed me to a used shock on trademe which I bought the following nite for $150.

Getting the bike from Auckland to Nelson was to cost approx $400. A post on kiwibiker asking if anyone was coming to Nelson from Auckland with an empty van
brought out the kindness of fellow motorcyclists as Anthrax went out of his way to trailer the bike from Auckland to Maramarua to pass it on to Javahead who had driven up & was competing in a crosscountry. He could bring it back down to Wellington with him.

Whilst in wellington Eddie B came around & had a looksie & posted some more pics so i could get a better idea of it's condition. Eventually after taking up room in Javaheads garage for a few weeks he offered to bring it to Nelson the weekend he was to do a cross country with the Nelson riders.

It arrived safe & sound & the guys declined any payment just a "pass it on".

I'd been poring over the Airhead sites for a while biding my time till the right one came along & it seemed from the start the stars were all in alignment with this bike.
And even as I'm in the initial stages of getting Schmidt roadworthy & running I'm appreciative of all the generosity so far from fellow airhead & motorcycle enthusiasts.


Indexed for your veiwing pleasure

1st Carb rebuid. This page post#11

Checking stock brakes also Gbox drain plug pic page 3 #33

Start of ME109 paint job page 4 #55

New brake calliper & adapter pg5 #75

Removing front fairing roo bars etc pg 6 #87

1st removal of swingarm etc after finding oil pg9 #121

Matthias' GS in the Dyno room pg 10 #141

Diagnosis of gbox or final drive oil pg 10 #147

Bar risers pg 11 #151

Gratitious loation shot ME109 paint job pg 11 #161




Start of making pivot pegs pg 13 #182

Making of higher seat pg 13 # 194

Discussion of replacing rear shock pg 14 #197

Pics & RR of xmas riding around the bach dec2010 jan 2011 pg 16 #226



rewiring the new aftermarket headlite & cool action shot by Nordie Pg 17 #251



Ride reports

Dusty Butt 2010 RR & pics - the start of the period of sadness - gbox blues pg 18 #270

Sounds RR pg37 #554


Molesworth RR pg40 # 600

Dusty butt 2011 RR pg 42 #630 -

Hori Bay RR pg 48 #714

Titirangi Bay RR & new screen pg 49 #734 onwards for a couple of pages




Videos

Riding sept video pg 19 #282 - Still love this vid - takes me to my happy place.

Long live the kings pg76 #1135 - I feel a beard coming on

Lynard Skynard pg 54 #804

Dirt quake vid - gottta love a laugh. pg67 #999

Left side story & Hildo's Harley pg74 #1106 - Inspirational for when I feel blue.


Maintenance, modifications etc

Clutch plate pg 23 #340

The pure white paint job pg 24 #353

Shock comparison & prices pg 25 #373

replacing stock hand controls with aftermarket & wiring. pg 30 #442

New wilbers rear shock pg 31 #464

New guards front & rear pg 32 #474

Y pipe & R1 exhaust pipe pg 33 #486 & pg 36 #535

Battery box & moto batt pg 37 #549

Discussion on revs hanging on next few pages

using Mammary machine pg 60 #886

Big engine stripdown pg69 #1028

Timing chain info following pages, piston heads inspection etc following on pg 70 #1039

Pushrod tube replacement pg 71 #1053

Timind chain replacement pg75 #1120

Heads back from machine shop pg 76 #1128

[Padmei]

I had to do a bit of customising to make it fit in with the fleet



I started to look at the rusty bits & had a go with the front spokes. The rear look fine. I tried scouring clothe & a small go with steel wool. After asking around I think the best option is to buy a set of stainless spokes & relace the wheel one spoke at a time.





A few threads I read really inspired me. One was this onelots of detailed pics. He also isn't an expert but learning as he goes so I could identify with that. His photos became invaluable when reassembling my carb making sure I hadn't got things wrong.

As a carb rebuild seemed the best place to start I ordered a bunch of parts from Motobins in the UK. The price seemed very good compared to local prices even with postage & GST & levies included.

It was like christmas to see all these parts waiting to be assembled.


On with the clean up.

[Dino3310]

nice one mate, ive subcribed

[bart-nz]

Schmidt? You've got a few too many letters there haven't ya.

Good luck

[Padmei]

Originally Posted by bart-nz

Schmidt? You've got a few too many letter there haven't ya.

Good luck

You bastard I'll get you for that

[Kokopelli]

congratualtions!

[Mark_S]

we like lots of updates and plenty of photos

do not disappoint us

[kiwipeet]

nice project

[Padmei]

Originally Posted by Mark_S

we like lots of updates and plenty of photos

do not disappoint us

Ha!! After a few posts you'll be begging me to stop putting up boring stuff-

I will interupt the flow of updates ( kind of like Pulp fiction retrospective arty stuff) to log in how my first ride went while the impression is fresh in my mind.
The main purpose of this thread is easy reference to note the differences of the bike as I replace or upgrade parts- bear with me.

If anyone has any advice relating to any issues I have with the bike please feel free to jump in & post - you can even use these cool colours if you want

Today I received a new throttle slide from Kane @ R Twin Works - top bloke!! (story later) which meant I could put the carbs together & get it running

I went for my first ride (carbs unbalanced) & this is my first impression.

Great turning circle & lite at slow speeds,
Front wheel shimmer at approx 50 Kms getting better as I go faster & noticeable but not worrying at 100+kms Will change front tyre, check/ grease bearings, check trueness of rim when relacing spokes.


Wouldn't idle very well when cold - good when warmed up - just ticking over.

Under 3000revs it was rough but from 3500 onwards it was just singing.
When warmed up the acceleration from 4000 was great - smooth in every gear. Sitting at 4500 at approx 100kms Schmidtty was just loping along- very easily- very comfy. Hopefully will be better when carbs are balanced &/ or tuned.

The gear changes up to 3rd & down again were very notchy & almost 'ratchety' 4th & 5th were good.- Hopefully will improve when gear box & diff oil is changed.

Front brake seemed OK - not as bad as most GSers comment on however when free wheeling the pads seem to rub. The disc is pretty scored. Give clean out with brakleen & see if pads will retract. - Disc may be warped - Leave until no brakes
Rear brake non existent had to twist leg sideway to get brake pedal down enough to aply any pressure. Realised on way home I hadn't readjusted the wingnut adjuster back after reinserting back wheel- Take anti-DOH tablets next time. Check free wheel & make sure shoes not rubbing.

Handling was great. On the twisties (seal) it felt pretty planted & low down. The skinny front wheel wanted to drop quickly into corners but pressure must be down as I felt every bump on the road. Change to gruntier tyre & give the cruiser tyre to Anthrax.
Going over a bump on Pomona Rd I nearly pogoed off the rear - no damping perhaps? Change rear shock over asap.

Couldn't see out of either mirror - Replace with higher mirrors

Fairing vibrated annoyingly but did it's job well. Footpegs kept legs in a semi crouched position could perhaps be lowered?

My ride took me around the Nelson hinterland & over the Moutere hills. Past vineyards & lifestyle blocks, forests & estuaries. It felt marvellous riding along & I began humming a Roger Whittaker tune. Soon I headed back home where I relaxed in my armchair, pipe stoked & glowing, feet aslippered & tucked into a good Wilbur Smith.

Ahhh BMWs you can't beat them.

[warewolf]

Originally Posted by Padmei

My ride took me around the Nelson hinterland & over the Moutere hills. Past vineyards & lifestyle blocks, forests & estuaries. It felt marvellous riding along & I began humming a Roger Whittaker tune. Soon I headed back home where I relaxed in my armchair, pipe stoked & glowing, feet aslippered & tucked into a good Wilbur Smith.

Padmei, you are one sad bastard.

Enjoy!

[Padmei]

Here's a few pics of what's been going on.

I started with a carb rebuild with all the new O rings & gaskets. I cleaned all the bits with white spirits & carb cleaner. The carb cleaner is beaut stuff- melted the ends off my rubber gloves.





Put all the bits in safe little trays & as I spend my life picking up bloody dropped screws & bits I was extra specially careful to keep everything together.
Before


During

[Padmei]

More before


















This looks beautiful to me







The LHS carb was in pretty good nick however when I opened up the RHS
carb a lump of black rubber fell out from inside the carb top. I presumed it was a seal that fits under the top lil button looking thing.





Consequently the area above the diaphram was really manky looking.





A problem that came up was that with the seal gone it had sucked salt water or crap into the carb & the screw that covers the needle in the throttle slide (or piston) was seized. After soaking the screw for a couple of days I tried undoing it to no avail. A trip into City Motorcycles to see the boys didn't come up with any joy either.
They had a go at heating it, impact hammering it eziouting it however the little bugger wasnt going anywhere.
We ended up drilling it out & I would drop the needle in with a drop of araldite to hold it in place until I get a new slide. Good idea until I tried reassembling the slide into the top of the carb. With all the heating, hammering etc there was a bulge in the shaft & it wouldn't slide back up into the top of the carb.
I tried grinding it a bit but wasn't gonna slide nicely.

A call for help got me a contact - Kane @ Rtwin works who sent down a mint 2nd hand slide fast post. I talked to him Thurs nite & I joyfully received it on Sat morning.
On inspection tho it had a couple of thin ridges on the bottom of th enew slide that my original one didn't have. - They look like locating ridges to me so it's not put backtofront. These ridges make the slide sit up & not sit flat how it should.
Oh well I'll try it because I really want to get the bike started up & see if it runs

[Micawberism]

As part of my trade cert exam I had to dismantle and inspect a mainshaft from a gearbox.
Laid all the bits out nice and tidy (like your carb bits) Tester came along, looked at everything shuffeled the whole bloody lot and said "well done, now put it together please"

[jezzaNZ]

I am so impressed how you took that carbi apart using only a hammer and toothbrush......

[Padmei]

Originally Posted by jezzaNZ

I am so impressed how you took that carbi apart using only a hammer and toothbrush......

Yep you can't even see where I attached it all back together with the red tape