Monday, July 09, 2007

A Motorcycle

After many years of half-heartedly lusting after a motorbike, this May I finally took the trouble to earn my endorsement. Since I didn't own a bike at the time my options were rather limited, either the written DOL and borrow a bike for the skills portion, or a course. In the end, I took a motorcycle safety course over Memorial Day weekend, passed the written and skills portions of the class, and changed my drivers license to reflect my new status - that of a two-wheeled hellion (sans wheels). The instructors provided the bikes (Honda CB125) and the closed course track was located next to an airfield - it felt a little strange riding around in circles for hours on end, but you should see my left-hand turn!

The endorsement was burning a hole in my pocket, waiting to be used, but a bike just didn't seem to be a realistic possibility. Kari Ann and I are looking for a house, working, and mountaineering - these activities were thought to preclude any further expenditures. As it turns out through a series of random conversations, I have become the new owner of a 1984 BMW R65. The previous owner (Ben), a friend through the Mountaineers, had recently purchased a newer K-Series bike, and agreed to send his old ride off to a good home! I've been happily tinkering away at it ever since, and hope to have it back together before too long - given that I can find a reliable source for parts!

Thus far the R65 has been easy to work on (as the carburetor and sundry other parts are neatly piled across the living room floor), and seems to be in good shape under all the road grime. Ben rode the bike for many years, clocking in around 90K, and obviously had great affection for the machine. Both he and his wife have good memories of many trips taken across the country through the years. I'm glad to have found a motorcycle through such circumstances, and look forward to riding it for years to come. There is a great network of BMW riders around the country, and people seem genuinely excited to keep these bikes on the road.
Here's where things are so far:




















All that needs to happen to have things back together at this point is to rebuild the carbs and get them dialed in. Much more cleaning and replacement of various parts (mostly rubber fittings that have begun to rot) is to be done, but that can wait for the winter!