I've done a bit to this motorcycle but as of this morning I had only added about 200 miles (and that's a guess because the odometer wasn't working during the Shakedown ride). Since then, more work has been done, more miles have been added, and a tough decision has been made. In that order:
For those of you new to vintage BMW motorcycles, these machines do not have a fuel gauge. To know when to stop for fuel before you run out, you need to have a working trip odometer and you have to know the range of the motorcycle. Odometer failure is a common problem with these old BMWs but my friend Brian is familar with the repair process. Super glue and a toothpick to apply it, and the slipped gear is back in place. The odometer and, most importantly, the trip odometer are now in working order. Now to track my mileage while running a few tanks of fuel through the carburetors.
During the shakedown ride I noted a couple of moments of runaway idle. Typically this is due to throttle cable(s) binding due to wear, damage, or both. Upon inspection, I noted the right throttle cable being a bit damaged at the ferrule. A quick dig around in the parts bins and a new pair of throttle cables were discovered. Removing the old ones (one at a time to ensure they went back in the same way they came out), greasing the gear and handle, and gently adjusting the ferrules to eliminate any slack in the housing took the better part of 90 minutes. This task needed to be completed but it took longer than expected and the spline lube still hasn't been completed.
As the sun set last night, I decided expecting a 48 year old motorcycle I barely know to haul me all the way across Kansas, half way across Colorado, and back again would not be my best decision. This is a solid motorcycle and it demonstrates how solid it is each time I ride it, but it just isn't rational to think an unknown motorcycle behind on major maintenance will allow me to complete such a trip, and during the hottest week of the year. With all this in mind I have decided to stay home rather than attend the Top of the Rockies rally.
I still have one big maintenance task to complete - spline lube. Given the bike was sitting for about a decade and behind on all other maintenance, it is safe ot assume that a spline lube has not been performed on schedule. While the back half of the motorcycle is removed I'll also replace what appears to be a faulty neutral safety switch and replace the gear oil. This will make for a full weekend!
