I got the R50-6/5 and now what?

[rudolf35]

Having four days to "test" the R50/5 resulted in nothing but smiles and mileage.


R50/5 at the lake


More R50/5 at the lake

Riding all over the DfW area, in an attempt to gather mileage, I had to stop at a H-D hangout just to be the "turd in a fishbowl".


Turd in a fishbowl

Interesting thing was that the R50/5 gathered a lot of positive comments. I guess a 41 year old bike has earned it's keep and reputation.

So, now that the bike is almost at the 1k (593 miles to be precise), indicated, mileage it is time for a all around oil change. Not only a good idea after a rebuild, but also a good time to open the filter just to make sure there are not chunks of metal or any such rubbish.


Result of four days of test riding

Besides the smiles I also gathered some interesting information about my /5. First is that the bike, with a mix of urban and back road riding, yields 195 miles from full to reserve; good thing to know when on a trip. I furthermore realized that the speedometer is 5mph proud; keeps me honest and withing legal limits - yeah, right. Another point that became very clear is that it is a keeper. With that in mind, I will invest in a Corbin Gunfighter seat and obtain some bag mounts that where offered to me. Once I have the "farkles" on the bike and it has proven itself some more, I will entertain the thought of making a relaxed road trip to my riding buddies in Iowa (naturally all on back roads). Time will tell, but for now it is all smiles as we gather miles.

[disston]

Usually the speedos are proud by a certain percent. So you should check it at a few different speeds. It will be off more the faster you are going. Not the same 5 mph at 20 mph and then 80 mph. See?

Another weird thing tho, as often as the speedo may be off by a certain amount, the odometers are often spot on.

Traditionally the Beemers have gotten along with the Harley guys.

[rudolf35]

Having completed the first post oil change there is nothing to report. After removing the oil filter I cut it apart and found nothing. That was the best find I could think of; no metal - not even hints of metal.

So, now all that remains is riding it and smiling all along. It is amazing though how a 500cc bike can be so much fun. Every time I ride it, it is a time travel to Germany in the late 60's early 70's - back road cruising with no worries about performance; just riding for the sake of riding. Now finally I understand the draw of the airheads.

[backdrifter]

Congrats and enjoy!

That's great to hear. I'm in the midst of rebuilding an R60/5, and having never ridden it (and after investing thousands of dollars into it), I worry about not liking riding it. I also worry about it being underpowered (even though I'm not a good enough rider to need any more power). It's good to hear that they are entertaining rides.

Enjoy, and keep riding!

[rudolf35]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

I also worry about it being underpowered (even though I'm not a good enough rider to need any more power). It's good to hear that they are entertaining rides.

To be honest, I have always had a soft spot for low cc bikes. This airhead hits all the right buttons in my dash - low cc's, character, handles well and a time trip back to Germany.

With the low cc's one learns to look ahead and gauge what is coming. I find myself not rushing amber lights (I see them normally as decoration), sticking within the speed limit (no choice do not have the power to exceed it anyway) in general driving safer; not a bad thing.

[rudolf35]

So, the old girl has soldiered on to 1,450 miles indicated without as much as a burp. I did notice, that my other bikes have suffered in the usage department - old girl hogs all the attention.

Seriously, after the rebuild the bike has not shown any signs of issues. The one item that did surface is dirt in the tank. My inline filters do collect some grunge and that issue will be addressed when it is tme to do the "look pretty" work. Since I am planning to repaint the tank and fenders, I will have a radiator shop clean and seal the tank. Up to that time, I will just ride it and keep the inline filters renewed when the get to filled up.

Since the bike lives in TX and we have "safety" inspections the time has come to renew. The question now is, who to confuse? The Honda, H-D or Kawi/Suzi dealer - none have a clue how to work 40 year old switch gear; might as well have fun with it.