R27: the super-slow resto

[Renner]

very good, Night Rider. I'm enjoying your project at http://vintagebmw.org/v7/

I was looking through the Motorrad Stemler R26/R27 catalog and saw the bracket I think you're looking for on page 56, part number listed on the next page is 61 33 8 046 124.

do you have their downloadable catalog?
http://www.motorrad-stemler.de/lists/26_e.htm
The views are so easy to comprehend that I'm tempted to break out the crayons.

And FWIW the the fuse isolating the battery negative terminal from engine/chassis ground sounds good to me as well, electrons flowing from that terminal as they do.. seems to be the quickest way to stop a surge capable of torching wires or worse

This part has me puzzled

[Night Rider]

Exhaust Clamp?
Great link- thank-you. Pictures are much clearer than the parts book I have.

[H96669]

I have a couple pics here, looks like they are reprints of a BMW brochure.

You may notice....I'll make them big, that the knee pads aren't paralell to the stripes and seem to come pretty close to them at the front.

[Bill Harris]

the knee pads aren't paralell to the stripes

Hmmm, so the convergent stripes are a factory beauty-mark? It'll save a lot of time to not to have to re-do the stripes.

[Renner]

good eye H96669.
Looking at tank stripes online I see the majority aren't parallel just as you point out.

Given the published images and the commonality of that detail, I'm tempted to assume that those stripes parallel to the pads may not be OEM handwork... but I can only speculate.
Obviously I can't compare R27 tank stripe contours to those on the /2 tank.

Small cosmetic problem is my stripes run under the pad up front, at least on the right side (haven't yet checked the left).

I bought some acetone and mild (24%) sulfuric acid today. Probably tomorrow I'll try some test patches to confirm whether or not the tank is powdercoated black with enamel stripes.

I plan to strip the powdercoat off the air cleaner cover to reveal the lettering, so I need an effective polymer stripper such as (98%) sulfuric acid or benzyl alcohol once I locate a source.

If I can remove the stripes without complications and at a later date have them re-applied at $75-$150, even if I need to ship the tank somewhere it doesn't seem too exorbitant.

[advNZer?]

wow.....until this moment i would not have given tuppence for an older bike....but those old beemers are even more attractive than my current ones( and i like them all)

[Renner]

nice assortment you have there

is that another pair of mirrors I see within the depths of the garage?

[Renner]

As it turns out, acetone applied to the tank has no significant effect on the finish while easily softening the pinstripes.
Good to know but I didn't take it any farther than that as I'm not ready to pull the trigger on a pinstripe do-over.
The 24% sulfuric acid took the shine off the black but nothing else very quickly.

Some time ago a friend donated a half can of JASCO Premium paint & epoxy remover.
I found nothing on the can listing the chemical ingredients. Pulling up the MSDS via Google revealed a composition of Methylene Chloride and Methyl Alcohol, etc. which are described as the most effective powdercoat strippers in Wikipedia-powdercoat.
It works like a charm on my aircleaner housing cover



which now clearly indicates:
Knecht LP458
Filtereinsatz bei verschmutzung
oder nach ca. 10000 km austauschen
Nicht reinigen! Nicht einolen!

or near as I can tell:
Filter for contaminants
or replace after about 10000 km
Don't clean! Don't oil!

good to know the engine has schmutz-protection

This particular JASCO product is a convenient semi-paste for better control, making easy work of stripping local areas.
Next, the frame serial number.

[Bill Harris]

Good deal. MEK is useful stuff, albeit deadly.

On the instructions, they usually tell you to "check or inspect" (prüfen) the filter at so-and-so kilometerage. And yes, dose verschmutzen will really mess up der ringen...

[Kai Ju]

The actual translation is as follows:

Knecht LP458
Filtereinsatz bei verschmutzung
oder nach ca. 10000 km austauschen
Nicht reinigen! Nicht einolen!

Replace filter element when contaminated or at 10,000 km.
Do not clean ! Do not oil !

If you need anything translated during this build let me know, I could use the practice.

[Renner]

Originally Posted by Kai Ju

If you need anything translated during this build let me know, I could use the practice.

Thanks. Will do.
So many times I've kicked myself for not continuing past German 101.

[R27warrior]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for your e-mail and found your (actually: this) thread.
Yes, you´re right, I have an R27 since 1989 and still have a lot of fun with ´her´.

In the Netherlands we have an active club of BMW Mono owners, the BMW Mono Club, with 550 members (yes: as some members have more than one mono, you now know how many BMW thumpers are still here!).

Incredible restoration! I only have some doubt about a lighter flywheel. The R27 is famous compared with its predecessors (R25/.., R26) because of its smoothness to ride. I can ride for hours because of the ergos and just because its lack of vibrations (rubber mounted engine; be very carefull using the OEM rubber shocks). Most members don´t enjoy nor expect acceleration from a mono. Matter of taste, ultimately.
Two years ago we had a club meeting in the middle of France (Langres). In one week my mate and I rode 1.300 troublefree kilometers.

Concerning the documentation you have: that´s probably all what you can get. The BMW Mono Club has issued a book with all kinds of specialty subjects, but it is written in dutch. If you still want that book I can arrange that for you.

Please, feel free to ask about the R27, but as far as I can notice you probably know more than I about it!


Rob