It's a bit of a squeeze...

.... but it appears that I'm the proud owner of an eight bike garage.

Mind you, the K is the only one you can actually get out with too much
bother but it seems that the garage was a good buy after all

 

Do you want to forward plan a date for me and WC to come and untangle a
few of them.....

 

Heh. My Garage Vacuum has been filled. The CD250 is ensconced.

Definitely not 'exceptional' condition, as per the auction description:
faults include repainted front guard (quite well done, actually), bent
brake and clutch levers, a shagged front tyre, ditto chain, a seat
that's beginning to corrode (but which is still whole) and - bizarrely -
an ignition switch that lets the engine keep running even after you've
turned it off and removed the key! You have to use the kill switch to
isolate the ignition. Turning the key off does knock out all other
electrical functions, though.

Never come across that before. I can live with it until I have a poke
around the switch and wiring.

I suspect a theft attempt, or possibly even a stolen/recovered in its
past, as the filler cap lock has been broken and the ignition key
doesn't fit the helmet lock. Now worries there, and all the various
details check out on the V5.

Good side - paint on tank and panels is excellent, all chromework is
excellent, engine is absolutely perfect, and it's taxed and tested until
the autumn.

A quick service check revealed that a new air filter eleent is due. I've
changed the oil, and I'll have a squint at the valve clearances soon.

Nice little bike to ride - sound like a Benly, with that characteristic
'knock' from the engine, but with quite a bit more poke. The five-speed
box is a definite improvement, as are the 12v electrics and front disc.

For £430, I wouldn't call it a runaway bargain, but that's definitely a
decent price.

 

Sounds like a nice little one.
I have fond memories of the CB175, what a lovely little bike those were.

Was wondering, if I get this 100RS over to Cray engineering, it might
make a nice article. The Airhead that BMW should have built. I think
it's going to be a *very* nice bike. The only downside is the gearing.
*IF* the whole shebang goes well I will get a new 5th gear or crownwheel
set cut. Someone like Bonners is bound to know a firm Who Can.

I've always thought that the airhead, further developed, would have been
as least as good as the first oilheads.

 

It might indeed. Oh, your mug is in the next issue of Classic Bike.

Maybe. The trouble with the airheads was that they'd pretty much reached
the end of the line in terms of emissions (noise and gaseous). You could
certainly get more power out of them, as people have proved, but that
engine would never meet modern emission regs.

They did try water-cooling it, when they started the project that
resulted in the first Ks, but according to Stefan Pachernegg (BMW's
chief engineer in charge of the K project, who died tragically young)
they lost all their charm.

As you know, I still think there's much to like and to admire in the old
airheads.

Best one I *ever* rode was a Magni-framed R100RS. I couldn't believe the
precision with which it steered, and the performance which - for the era
- was excellent, mainly because it was something like 50lbs lighter than
the then R100S.

 

I've been going over it this afternoon. I was able to bend the clutch
lever straight. Trying to do the same with the brake lever resulted in
it snapping. Oh well - it needed replacing anyway.

Took off the seat and had a squint. It's had a replacement cover - but a
proper one, well fitted. There's just a little bit of rust on one of the
sides of the pan. I've resecured the cover with "invisible" clips and
I'll reinforce that section of the pan with fibreglass some time soon.
Shopping list then, is a brake lever, air filter, front tyre - maybe a
rear as well, as I don't fancy the Cheng Shin on it.

The balance pipe between the two headers looks rusty, but it's not
blowing, and Dave Silver sells the unit for a tenner or so, if it does
go phut.

Nice little bike, definitely. It'll never achieve classicdom, mind.

 

The message <43e617e2$0$1474$>

Yoofer!

 

AOL. I had one for a couple of years in the late '70s, rebuilt the engine,
fitted new silencers, shocks, tyres (Rain Cheetahs), painted it black and
passed my test on it.

 

I've had three or four. The last one was a gold & white model, 14k from
new, utterly original and immaculate. Sold it for £475 shortly after we
moved into the Chateau. Wish I'd kept it.

 

Passed mine on a 1941 G3 Matchless (Rigid rear and girders) with a third
wheel and a 'coffin' - 'cos in those days you had to have a qualified
passenger in the chair if you had one on the chassis.

Then someone in the Government who was a bit more intelligent than the
average pointed out that however qualified your passenger was, he wasn't
much help in a sidecar.

Too late for me, but the 'coffin' provided some laughs.

Like when I went to collect a friend (who had passed his test) and he
lay down in the coffin and I put the tilt over it - the bike had a
Lycett saddle, not a dual seat.

We got to the main road and there was traffic.

Standing beside the coffin on the kerb was a dibble.

Ken wondered what was keeping me.

tum-tum-tum-tum-tum...

He drew back the tilt and sat up. Dibble took a step backwards. Ken sank
down again and replaced the tilt just as a gap in the traffic appeared
and I zoomed into it.

 

The Older Gentleman said...

Alan Wossisname from Essex has one, or rather his missus has. She's
painted it with strange flowers and with gold rims, and fitted dinky
indicators to it. It looks quite funky actually.

 

LOL. *Splendid*!

 

Indeedy, it wasn't *that* reliable.
With some suitable exhausts it sounded lovely though.

 

*ding*. They do make quite a racket.

Well, I'd like another /5... Or a decent R100S/CS in smoked red.

Well, I guess that it also may have a little bit to do with Arturo
Magni knowing a little bit about race-developed frames for shafties.

 

I hope that that won't be necessary. The way they are packed in there
at the moment it would be easiest to remove the roof and lift them out
:-/