We (dad, stepmom, girlfriend and I) rode to a BMW rally in Paonia, CO this past weekend.
I spent the entire week every night last week preparing the bike... pulled the head, dremel'd the piston heads and cylinder heads and valves, removed the points and added dyna s, changed the rear tire, set the tappet clearance, set the timing and above all else... removed every stinkin' bit of grime.
On the ride there I realized that the guys that I had change the rear tire for 15 bucks per my removal of the wheel mounted it incorrectly and balanced it incorrectly. The line that runs parallel to the rim was not parallel at all and when the BMW of Denver shop made adjustments the line was perfect and they simply removed 50 grams of balancing weights that the previous shop had installed. how did i figure this all out... oh, the constant skipping of the rear wheel on the pavement for 300 miles and me mounted on a cafe seat w/ virtually no cushioning!
Once they fixed it, it rode superbly... after i advanced the timing a bit more.
We really didn't do any riding while we were there. We just hung out w/ the 800+ other (mostly Beemer) riders and camped on a school lawn. It really was a lot of fun to chat and make new friends that most of which we'll never see again.
Yesterday morning we headed out first for the gas station. We filled up and I noticed a small leak from the fuel line. I hoped that the leak would slow down as the carbs started using that fuel. A mile or so down the road I looked down and the left sidecover was dripping w/ gas. I pulled everyone over to fix the problem w/ emergency tape only to find the most horrendous oil leak I've seen. Two bolts that run on the outside of the cylinders had sprung leaks at the o-rings at the base.
We headed back to basecamp instead of further across Colorado. BMW of Denver was generous enough to throw her in the back of their truck next to a new little Beemer dirt bike. So, she sits in some dark corner at this point feeling very out of place surrounded by none of her own kind. I'll go pick her up tomorrow or next.
Elizabeth and I rode back 2up on her 88 ex500 that we brought back to life earlier this year... So, let that be testament, Baby still has life in her and she's coming back apart... this time for all the goodies. The head gasket was just a fix but, there is obvious rebuilding to do... who knows how long she'll be under the knife but, I promise you, she'll come out the other side feeling A-OK.
Here's a few pix to commemorate the little bike that could and cried when she had to go home...
