Topic: Let's see your non-SOHC4 on the road

[ofreen]

It was the CBR's turn last week.  Southern Utah, Monument Valley and Goblin Valley -

[Stev-o]

Great pics, Ofreen. Love Utah, but haven't ridden there......yet.  Bet the CBR is a fun ride.

[Frank T]

My 125 Sachs/DKW had the Earles leading link front end-and it really handled well off-road.  Took some adaptation getting used to the front end rising rather than sinking but it was a great system...Larry

Below is a pic of the front end of my '73 DKW GS 125 enduro.

[petercb750]

It was the CBR's turn last week.  Southern Utah, Monument Valley and Goblin Valley -

Sigh, I had one just like that from new, was a damn good bike. Ah, the things we wish we'd kept...I sold it to get a deposit for a house with my then wife.....both are gone, one I'm glad about.

Great looking country.

[Terry in Australia]

Here's a pic of a classic BMW with Earles Forks. While they worked great, they looked a bit "Old School" even in the late 1960's, and BMW seriously considered ceasing production of motorcycles completely. I'm glad they didn't, and I wish I still had my R69S! Cheers, Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

It was the CBR's turn last week.  Southern Utah, Monument Valley and Goblin Valley -

Sigh, I had one just like that from new, was a damn good bike. Ah, the things we wish we'd kept...I sold it to get a deposit for a house with my then wife.....both are gone, one I'm glad about.

Great looking country.

I know where's one just like it Pete, except that it was badly smashed around 20 years ago, so has very low miles. I've been trying to buy it because I'd like to shove the engine in a CB750 frame (just for fun) but the owner won't sell it. Cheers, Terry.  

[Bankerdanny]

My R69 had the Earles Fork. it worked great.

pic?

I wish I did. At some point a few years back several boxes of family photos vanished from my father's home. All I have left from childhood is a small handful of pictures I happened to hold on to.

[Bankerdanny]

My Wing from the trip around Michigan last weekend with SeanBarney (Gold 750 cafe) and MJ Stone (Bachus Olive 500 with the Vetter fairing and bags) in the Relay Rally.

[Untold]

[Tugboat]

^DIG!!!!

[Wobbly]

Yesterday afternoon in the middle of a 17-hour ride. Aside from this photo/cigarette stop, I only stopped for gas. The pass is at the border between Switzerland and Italy.



Come spring, my Honda will be done (engine overhaul--otherwise almost like new despite well over 200,00 miles), and I will have lots of CB 750 pics in the Alps. During the winter, I only ride the BMW since the salt doesn't ruin it--unlike the Honda which disintegrates as you watch when coated with salt. I drive in the Alps at least twice a month. If only the BMW wouldn't be so unreliable. I change cam shafts on the BMW as often as I change oil on my CB 750, and a new clutch for the beamer is as expensive as what I paid for my K7 new in 77. Progress?

[Terry in Australia]

Geez that's interesting mate, the only thing I've heard about the S1000RR is how fast they are, what a shame. Hey I tell you what, how about we do a trade? My K100RS SE for that unreliable junker? (please?)

[Wobbly]

Before the RR, I would never have thought that I would ever drive a BMW. I find BMWs extremely f ugly. As far as the RR goes: at 40,000km, new clutch for over $ 1900 (The basket alone $ 600). The K7 new in 77 was less than $ 2.000. Close to 340,000km, I finally change the clutch on the Honda.
The BMW will be sitting for the rest of the month at the dealership with a broken cam. Three months earlier, it already set for five weeks with the same problem ( a problem well known to BMW, the 2010 cams had a production flaw but no recall). The handle bar switches have been replaced twice so far. I only use the RR for long-distance touring. I never drive locally, I never took it to a track since my motorcycle philosophy does not include driving in circles. The bike has spend more days in the dealership than on the road. Even with the German Autobahn next door, what good does "fast" do when it is unreliable? This year alone, the bike has ruined three trips for me. It will ruin my plans for Columbus Day weekend, and thus a fourth trip, as well since it still be sitting in the shop. I took my CB 750, loaded with wife, luggage, water, gasoline, through the Sahara Desert during the hottest time of the year. I never feared that the Honda would let me down. Even my old British bikes, (51 Triumph, 67 BSA, etc.) would never let me down although there was always something minor wrong with them. I guess, I am not used to "modern" standards and have a hard time adapting. Furthermore, to keep your warranty on the RR, all services have to be performed by an authorized dealership. Add the costs of the tires which have to be replaced frequently, you spend many thousand Dollars per year on maintenance--unless you keep it parked in the garage like most do, only driving it for an hour on a Sunday afternoon. Most people in this forum are obviously on the other site of the spectrum--to a degree that lets my hair stand up at times. Cheap before safety while I would rather go hungry for a day than compromising the quality of my Honda. People have different priorities. But forget being cheap and driving an RR. Do your own service and be prepared to purchase a new engine for over $ 12,000. One needs to save a lot money on oil changes to arrive at that sum.

I would love to sell, but mine is an American bike in Europe (I am stationed here) which makes it very difficult. What's worse is the mileage of nearly 50,000km.I drive more on any given trip than the average European RR owners in a year. I see people hauling their RRs to the Alps for they are too much of a pussy to actually drive it there. And even then, I read of con rods sticking out of the case, crankshaft bearings going on vacation, transmissions saying bye, bye. My fault. Times have changed, and I still live in the 70s when motorcycles were a long-term investment. Perhaps, that is why my Honda is so dear to me--and it shows. 
If you want to trade, I throw in some extra money with that RR and you get me a Norton Commando 961 Café Racer in return. Its 80 horsepower will suffice for me. My strength does not have to defined by my motorcycle. 

These are my experiences, others might have different ones. Don't get me wrong: I love riding the RR. But the frustration and disappointments outweigh the fun. And the wife says: no Norton until the RR is gone. Finally, I am not kidding myself regarding the --exotic-- Norton. But at least, even if the engine would be blown, I still can look at it for hours and be happy--that's how beautiful it looks to me. And once my engine overhaul is concluded, and I have done something about the atrocious brakes, I have the CB 750 to fall back to for reliable transportation. You'll see. I will have some awesome pics in next spring.


Another trip with the BMW S1000RR comes to a halt:

[ofreen]

Most people in this forum are obviously on the other site of the spectrum--to a degree that lets my hair stand up at times. Cheap before safety while I would rather go hungry for a day than compromising the quality of my Honda. People have different priorities.

I get why you are unhappy with your BMW.  It is why my old R100GSPD hasn't been replaced by a newer GS after all these years.  BMW's quest for complexity has made them expensive to buy and very expensive to fix when, not if, they break.  But why is the dig at 'most' forum members necessary? 

[ofreen]

Looks just like the white '65 I had when I was 12.  I, and later on my brother, beat that thing like an anvil. And it never really broke.  It was still running when my mom got tired of looking at it back in the early '80s when she hauled it to the dump.  You can believe my brother and I were just a little unhappy with her about that when we found out.

[Wobbly]

I get why you are unhappy with your BMW.  It is why my old R100GSPD hasn't been replaced by a newer GS after all these years.  BMW's quest for complexity has made them expensive to buy and very expensive to fix when, not if, they break.  But why is the dig at 'most' forum members necessary? 

It's the impression I am left with. I am quite happy when I actually can obtain new parts from Honda so I don't have to pay outrageous amounts of money to get parts from CMS in the Netherlands or equally expensive sites. But even then, I am grateful to be able to get parts. My impression is, that most here want to spend next to nothing on parts and that is what they get. I guess, there are two different worlds clashing here. When gas tanks are transformed into explosives, when the wrong size tire is installed and people are seriously wanting to shave the tire off to make it fit, then it becomes clear to me that we live on completely different planets. Furthermore, I appreciate a nicely rebuild Honda or a professionally done café racer. But what I see here is often unprofessionally assembled patchwork that would not ever pass inspection in the civilized world. The point is: if you are not willing to spend money on decent essential parts, owning an RR is not going to work for you. Buying it is the easy part. Keeping it on the road another.  A regular service cost more than many here are willing to spent on a complete rebuild. I am coming from a very different direction. My K7 is a lot more than a cheap ride to me. And it shows. Now, if others buy a $ 400 bike, strip it of most of its parts, and call that an improvement: great, this world is big enough for all of us.

[70CB750]

I think you got a wrong impression.  Cheap does not mean unsafe.

Also you live in a country blessed with very anal government and DMV equivalent, I know a bit about it, Czech is very similar, and the loops and hoops typical European country makes drivers jump through as far as bureaucracy is staggering. 

And you pay a lot of money to fix an unreliable expensive BMW motorcycle, hmm, well it is your choice. 

[Stev-o]

I get why you are unhappy with your BMW.  It is why my old R100GSPD hasn't been replaced by a newer GS after all these years.  BMW's quest for complexity has made them expensive to buy and very expensive to fix when, not if, they break.  But why is the dig at 'most' forum members necessary? 

It's the impression I am left with. I am quite happy when I actually can obtain new parts from Honda so I don't have to pay outrageous amounts of money to get parts from CMS in the Netherlands or equally expensive sites. But even then, I am grateful to be able to get parts. My impression is, that most here want to spend next to nothing on parts and that is what they get. I guess, there are two different worlds clashing here. When gas tanks are transformed into explosives, when the wrong size tire is installed and people are seriously wanting to shave the tire off to make it fit, then it becomes clear to me that we live on completely different planets. Furthermore, I appreciate a nicely rebuild Honda or a professionally done café racer. But what I see here is often unprofessionally assembled patchwork that would not ever pass inspection in the civilized world. The point is: if you are not willing to spend money on decent essential parts, owning an RR is not going to work for you. Buying it is the easy part. Keeping it on the road another.  A regular service cost more than many here are willing to spent on a complete rebuild. I am coming from a very different direction. My K7 is a lot more than a cheap ride to me. And it shows. Now, if others buy a $ 400 bike, strip it of most of its parts, and call that an improvement: great, this world is big enough for all of us.

Who bought a bike for $400 and stripped it? I do not recall that thread.  You obviously have a lot of money to spend on bikes, many guys are not so lucky. 
I resent you stating that most on here want to spend next to nothing on parts, it's simply not true. 
Plus this is not the thread to discuss such, so show pics or move on.

Here's my Z1 that I buy a lot of expensive parts for, recently installed a new DID rear rim, stainless steel spokes and Avon tires.  Next is a stock style $1300 exhaust system.

[scottly]

Before the RR, I would never have thought that I would ever drive a BMW. I find BMWs extremely f ugly. As far as the RR goes: at 40,000km, new clutch for over $ 1900 (The basket alone $ 600). The K7 new in 77 was less than $ 2.000. Close to 340,000km, I finally change the clutch on the Honda.
The BMW will be sitting for the rest of the month at the dealership with a broken cam. Three months earlier, it already set for five weeks with the same problem ( a problem well known to BMW, the 2010 cams had a production flaw but no recall). The handle bar switches have been replaced twice so far. I only use the RR for long-distance touring. I never drive locally, I never took it to a track since my motorcycle philosophy does not include driving in circles. The bike has spend more days in the dealership than on the road. Even with the German Autobahn next door, what good does "fast" do when it is unreliable? This year alone, the bike has ruined three trips for me. It will ruin my plans for Columbus Day weekend, and thus a fourth trip, as well since it still be sitting in the shop. I took my CB 750, loaded with wife, luggage, water, gasoline, through the Sahara Desert during the hottest time of the year. I never feared that the Honda would let me down. Even my old British bikes, (51 Triumph, 67 BSA, etc.) would never let me down although there was always something minor wrong with them. I guess, I am not used to "modern" standards and have a hard time adapting. Furthermore, to keep your warranty on the RR, all services have to be performed by an authorized dealership. Add the costs of the tires which have to be replaced frequently, you spend many thousand Dollars per year on maintenance--unless you keep it parked in the garage like most do, only driving it for an hour on a Sunday afternoon. Most people in this forum are obviously on the other site of the spectrum--to a degree that lets my hair stand up at times. Cheap before safety while I would rather go hungry for a day than compromising the quality of my Honda. People have different priorities. But forget being cheap and driving an RR. Do your own service and be prepared to purchase a new engine for over $ 12,000. One needs to save a lot money on oil changes to arrive at that sum.

I would love to sell, but mine is an American bike in Europe (I am stationed here) which makes it very difficult. What's worse is the mileage of nearly 50,000km.I drive more on any given trip than the average European RR owners in a year. I see people hauling their RRs to the Alps for they are too much of a pussy to actually drive it there. And even then, I read of con rods sticking out of the case, crankshaft bearings going on vacation, transmissions saying bye, bye. My fault. Times have changed, and I still live in the 70s when motorcycles were a long-term investment. Perhaps, that is why my Honda is so dear to me--and it shows. 
If you want to trade, I throw in some extra money with that RR and you get me a Norton Commando 961 Café Racer in return. Its 80 horsepower will suffice for me. My strength does not have to defined by my motorcycle. 

These are my experiences, others might have different ones. Don't get me wrong: I love riding the RR. But the frustration and disappointments outweigh the fun. And the wife says: no Norton until the RR is gone. Finally, I am not kidding myself regarding the --exotic-- Norton. But at least, even if the engine would be blown, I still can look at it for hours and be happy--that's how beautiful it looks to me. And once my engine overhaul is concluded, and I have done something about the atrocious brakes, I have the CB 750 to fall back to for reliable transportation. You'll see. I will have some awesome pics in next spring.


Another trip with the BMW S1000RR comes to a halt:

Sounds like your Beemer is even less reliable than my early Yamaha TX750, and more expensive, to boot. When did Beemers turn into unreliable pieces of #$%*? They used to have a very good reputation?

[MoMo]

Scottly,  I had forgotten about the tx750- it certainly was one of the biggest POS ever made. I worked in a Honda/Yamaha dealer and remember them being nothing but constant headaches...Larry

[Terry in Australia]

Geez mate, that's no good, you must have bought a Lemon, I did a check on the S1000RR owners site and there are plenty of guys who've done reasonably high mileage with either no issues, or only minor issues:

http://www.s1000rrforum.com/forum/bmw-s1000rr-general-discussion/15069-s-1000-rr-reliable-3.html

Interestingly, they're saying that BMW offers a 3 year/36000 mile warranty on the S1000RR, (the longest  warranty of any motorcycle manufacturer, currently) so I'm surprised that you've had so many problems where you've had to pay for your repairs?

Anyway, no, there's no way I'd trade a new Norton 961 for your BMW, as much as I like them, yours doesn't sound like a bike that I'd like to own............

[Tugboat]

My 1976(+/-4) CB/L112.5 on my way to work this morning. Just got this thing together and running (mostly) right. Built for my wife to learn to ride

[Stev-o]

Looks great Tug. Perfect beginner bike, lucky her...

[70CB750]

Looks great Tug. Perfect beginner bike, lucky her...

+1

[Wobbly]

Geez mate, that's no good, you must have bought a Lemon, I did a check on the S1000RR owners site and there are plenty of guys who've done reasonably high mileage with either no issues, or only minor issues:

http://www.s1000rrforum.com/forum/bmw-s1000rr-general-discussion/15069-s-1000-rr-reliable-3.html

Interestingly, they're saying that BMW offers a 3 year/36000 mile warranty on the S1000RR, (the longest  warranty of any motorcycle manufacturer, currently) so I'm surprised that you've had so many problems where you've had to pay for your repairs?

Anyway, no, there's no way I'd trade a new Norton 961 for your BMW, as much as I like them, yours doesn't sound like a bike that I'd like to own............

Although my RR is a U.S. bike, being stationed in Germany you only enjoy a two-year warranty (while it would be three years in the States). My U.S. spec cars get the same treatment. I did purchase the extended warranty (aka insurance). That is why you cannot do anything yourself or you void the warranty/insurance terms.
The 2010 model  had issues with the camshafts because of a flaw in the manufacturing process (i.e., hardening process). BMW knew that very well. After just introducing the bike into the market, BMW did not want to do a recall. The customers suffer. Most cam shafts went bad in 2010. The one used by "Motorrad," the leading German motorcycle magazine, suffered the same fate. What is unusual is that mine lasted as long as it did. Not to issue a recall was poor policy on the part of BMW. But what is also upsetting is that they would only replace one cam shaft after it failed. So, three months later, the other one went bad.
As far as the RR forums go, I am with the German and American forums since 2010. Both forums reported the cam failures. Then there was the problem with loose con rod bolts in the 2012 models--BMW issued a recall as this was a real safety hazard. Failure of the handlebar switches was a very common problem since 2009--not just on the RR. Mine were replaced twice. Only now has BMW issued the policy that, if one switch goes bad, both will be replaced. Transmission troubles, blown engines, and lately drive chains that tear apart, are all but unheard of. Since all my other bikes have been older than my 77 Honda, I don't know if there is a specific problem with the RR, or if this is just the way it is with sport bikes these days. Perhaps it is common these days.
In the American forum is just now another thread (there were plenty before) regarding reliability. But when people claim they pass others with speeds of more than 200 mph, then their experiences are not credible. The bike is not capable of that speed==and I am in the position to drive at these speeds legally every day if I so desire and could. With a small-shouldered boy, the RR might reach 305 kmh. But that is for the initial model like mine with a lighter crankshaft and a final drive geared towards V-max (yet, I cannot reach that speed and the speedometer stops at 299kmh). Or, alternatively, the tests in a variety of countries got it all wrong all the time. That is to say, I bet that a lot of people that post don't even own one. And the posts in the U.S. forum often make me wonder if some ten-year old got hold of a computer (as the guy with the over 200 mph who also admits dropping the bike when coming to a stop--the part I gladly believe). Finally, in both forums people seem to first blame the owner, then the shop but never the bike or BMW if others have problems. There is always a great deal of hostility when one posts a negative experience. I guess, when your life is so meaningless that you have to get some value by completely identifying with a product, then any criticism of the product is a personal attack. Those are the customers corporations love.  Knowing quite a few RR owners, I can safely say that many hardly ever take their bike out of the garage. I probably do more mileage in one week than they do all year. I use mine exclusively for long-distance touring. And I do drive the Alps in the wintertime. In the summer time, I pass those world-travelling GS models--being hauled south on a trailer. Or people take the bike on the train down to Italy because they couldn't possibly drive 8 hours (while my travelling days have 12 hours, or like the recent one, 17 hours due to yet another cam failure). When I want to ride my bike in the wintertime in Spain, I need neither an air plane ticket nor a rental bike. Not sure about the bikes, but the riders I meet today are cut out differently from what I am used to (the word "pussies" seems to be adequate to describe many of them). So, I guess, if you only drive occasionally, and you are busy putting carbon on the bike and take pictures of it on a sunny day, or you only use the RR to drive in circles, you might not have as much trouble with the BMW as I had. 

Again, what I find most disappointing is the way BMW deals with these problems. Causing me a great deal of inconvenience, they never apologized. Nor would they even pay for new oil or filter after the engine repair. How cheap is that? I still like the bike, but I am no friend of BMW.

Anyway, did a nice tour last weekend. No engine problems this time. But I can't wait to do this with my Honda again. The K7 will be ready in December, but I will not take it out while there is salt on the road since it corrodes while you watch if you do. So it will be the RR until March most likely.
So, sorry for the late reply, and all the best,
Tom

This is what I was up to last weekend (trips like that make me forget all the troubles for a while):