PROJECT R65: Running Issues Realized

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Carl Cepress, a designer friend of mine behind Chicago Product Development, recently brought in his '83 BMW R65. The bike had been having starting issues for the past few months and needed more thorough diagnostics then could be done in his outdoor parking spot.

After a few tests we were able to verify that the engine was turning over properly and the plugs were providing spark to the cylinders. That only leaves fuel. We replaced the fuel filter and verified that fuel was getting to the carbs. What we found, was fuel wasn't getting to the cylinder. Blasting carb cleaner directly into the intake wasn't even causing a blip of firing hope.

We pulled the carb bowls, which revealed what looked to be a rusty 3 week old latte. The carbs would need a long relaxing chemical bath, so we started the cleaning and rebuild process.

Grande Latte.



Shiny sparkling passages will hopefully make this Bimmer fire up again. ...then we can start taking it apart.


Follow the progress on the R65 build by clicking the tab at the top of the page.

UPDATES: Interview, SR Progress, and a New Bike

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Here are a few updates on what's been happening around here. If you follow the Facebook page, you may have caught a glimpse of some of this already.

A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by a long lost acquaintance, who now works for the increasingly popular Iron & Air social media onslaught of awesome bike inspiration. Although these guys are only a Facebook page and Instagram ...thingy ...right now, they will soon be opening the proverbial doors of their online magazine. I was asked to participate in an interview for the mag, so you will soon find me, unseen photos of the CX, and a sneak peek at the SR250 design gracing it's digital pages.

By clicking on the below image, you can sign up for e-mail updates to keep you in the loop about when the ribbon will be cut.



Update #2

Last week, over several drinks, I convinced a good friend of mine that he needs to invest lots of his time and money into making his '83 BMW R65 look less stock. This friend just happens to also be a designer, so we are currently ironing out the direction the bike will take. We will likely be collaborating our design efforts to help him achieve Cool Status. He also would like to learn how to fiddle with wrenches more effectively, so I will simply be lending a hand.
The bike rolled into the garage last Saturday. She's a great example of a well taken care of 30 year old Bavarian beauty. 



Update #3

A large parts order went out last night for the SR250. In celebration of the hoards of packages that will soon be gracing my desk at work, I decided to tear the SR down further. The engine is now out and ready to be dissembled. Next step will be stripping the frame of any left overs and starting the rebuilding and refinishing process.