1975 BMW R90/6 - Rocinante

[Brodie]

Usually the green is from the copper plating behind the chrome starting to show through. I have the same thing happening on some of my XL250 chrome parts.

 

[ridesolo]

Usually the green is from the copper plating behind the chrome starting to show through. I have the same thing happening on some of my XL250 chrome parts.

That makes complete sense. I'll mess around w/ it some more but I'll bet that sooner or later I'll have to just paint or replace 'em.

 

[JerryAssburger]

That makes complete sense. I'll mess around w/ it some more but I'll bet that sooner or later I'll have to just paint or replace 'em.

More power to you. I can't imagine pulling a rim apart and trying to re-spoke it / true it successfully, but I keep reading about people who do, so I guess it's possible. Just WOW, though.

 

[ridesolo]

More power to you. I can't imagine pulling a rim apart and trying to re-spoke it / true it successfully, but I keep reading about people who do, so I guess it's possible. Just WOW, though.

My good friend @Hurco550 has the experience and equipment. I'm sure he'd guide me along the way. Seriously there are other tasks w/ these machines that intimidate me more than the thought of relacing spoke wheels. We're all different, though.

 

[JerryAssburger]

My good friend @Hurco550 has the experience and equipment. I'm sure he'd guide me along the way. Seriously there are other tasks w/ these machines that intimidate me more than the thought of relacing spoke wheels. We're all different, though.

To be sure. No way in Hell would I attempt pulling the gearbox apart, unless I planned on turning the empty lower case into a weird-looking flower pot.

 

[irk miller]

I accept cash or trade for Lesters. Just saying.

 

[ridesolo]

I accept cash or trade for Lesters. Just saying.

Hear ya, Eric. Cash, I've got but don't wanna' spend and I'm sure there's nothing laying around here you'd want to trade for.

 

[ridesolo]

Hear ya, Eric. Cash, I've got but don't wanna' spend and I'm sure there's nothing laying around here you'd want to trade for.

Of course if your talking my spoke wheels for your Lesters, just sayin.

 

[ridesolo]

@Hurco550 was over to drop off a Clymer manual and we were looking through things on Rocinante. I've been tied up w/ building a new front porch on the house so have only spent shop time when it's raining out, hence I've only gotten into more lightweight fiddling and general cleanup to date. The good news is that both exhaust header nuts loosened up with little fight and we put it into 5th gear and were able to move the cylinders so it's not frozen up. More good news: in addition to the goodies like the clock and volt meter, the complete took kit, the no longer made original BMW feeler gauge set, and the relatively hard to find tire pump, it's also got the extra depth (extra liter) oil pan.

Also there were some "oil drips" under it and we started trying to look closer for where the oil is coming from. Well, it isn't oil; it's some of the aforementioned "unicorn vomit and dragon piss" old, old gasoline, and was dripping from the left carb float bowl. The carbs are going to have to be done anyway... soon, but at least the transmission and crank seals don't appear to be leaking.

 

[Maritime]

Progress is progress. Also I had one of those oil drips on the GL that turned out to be a leaking fuel filter that was washing the road grime off and dripping on the ground. Chased it for days trying to figure out how the "Oil" was getting there LOL.

 

[irk miller]

Hard to say if your rear main crank seal is or isn't leaking if you haven't run it. I assume you're going by the "tray" under the front of the transmission. If it leaks, it will eventually collect oil there, while oil will also get onto the clutch.

 

[ridesolo]

Hard to say if your rear main crank seal is or isn't leaking if you haven't run it. I assume you're going by the "tray" under the front of the transmission. If it leaks, it will eventually collect oil there, while oil will also get onto the clutch.

I understand what you are saying. I'm hoping that my self-imposed sentence into the home improvement trades will end w/in a week and I can become a hiding-out-in-the-shop-mechanic again. So far the only drops under it here have been out of the carb but it's pretty dirty and getting it running with oil under pressure and parts turning should shed more light.

 

[buzznichols]

Like Sancho Panza, I'm along for this ride.

Beautiful machine, and kudos on the highly literate build name.

 

[ridesolo]

Like Sancho Panza, I'm along for this ride.

Beautiful machine, and kudos on the highly literate build name.

Ha ha, funny you should mention that. I had just about decided to name the thing "Sancho Panzer" as a nod to the faithful companion as well as homage to the venerable German tank. But with Rocinante being the poor demented old gent's tired out but faithful steed, it seemed like a more fitting and appropriate moniker.

 

[irk miller]

And I thought it was a reference to the ship in the James S A Corey The Expanse sci fi book series (now an Amazon TV series). Not that Don Quixote is a bad reference, but I find myself disappointed. LOL

 

[Brodie]

I'm with you Irk, thought it was a reference to The Expanse as well.

 

[Maritime]

Expanse here too as I started that then got busy, going back to it soon. Either way it's cool.

 

[Rider52]

Expanse too! LOL!

 

[buzznichols]

It crossed my mind that it might have been inspired by Steinbeck's truck from Travels With Charlie, also named after Quixote's spavined steed.
But enough literature, and back to your workhorse.

 

[ridesolo]

But enough literature, and back to your workhorse.

All that there literature talk just goes to show that us motorcickle wrench-turners ain't just a bunch of nuckle draggin illiterates!