10 years later........

[Arado Ar234]

After 10 years of not riding my 1978 R100 outfit, I've finally decided to get it running again. I'll figure out how to post photo's I guess, as it is a bit different. Lots of mods, 99% home made, ( had to take some bits to a qualified machinist ), totally wore the instruments out after 7 times around. Bought it for $1000 AUD in 1990 from the wreckers, as it was an insurance write off from an international tourist. Basically rode it every day for the next 25 years until I got pretty sick for a while. Still can't ride just yet, but going to get her fired up and do some long overdue cosmetics. Hardest part is going to be separating the chair from the bike, as there is no side or centre stand ( always just carried a jack in the rear tool box section). I'll figure that out too.

Don't hold your breath on this one though; I'll probably only post sporadically, but at least it will give me incentive....Cheers.

[JohnT]

Will look forward to viewing this.
Fascinating name you have called yourself. You have an interest in it?

[Arado Ar234]

Always fascinated by early German jets.....BMW turbines must have made an impression on me. Not many Harley powered jets in 1944.......the Ar 234 is a favourite.

[Arado Ar234]

Managed to uncover everything......what a mess. Took some photos but they wont upload, as there is some sort of size restriction. I'll keep trying. Amazingly enough, after sitting for 10 years without moving at all, everything still seems to work. Wheels turned, gearbox runs through the gears, clutch feels fine...even the brakes worked properly. It was way too heavy to move up hill, so we put a tow rope on my son's 4WD and pulled it out back wards. On quick inspection, the fuel cap is rusted shut, so liberally doused in penetrative oil, and also sprayed the switchgear and fuel taps. The tyres were still fully inflated, surprisingly enough, so rolling back down the hill was no issue. The spark plugs came out very easily, so sprayed plenty of oil down the bores. I'll take the front cover off and turn the motor over by hand using a ratchet on the alternator bolt ( the same way i use to set the tappets). If its too tight, I'll have to put it in gear and rock it gently to free up any stuck rings etc. After that, I'll hook up the battery out of the Ute, and see if it spins over. I'll leave the plugs sitting on the fins to check for spark, and if it all works like it should, it looks like we might be in business. I'll keep persevering with the photos...

[Arado Ar234]

First attempt at taking photos....

[Arado Ar234]

And a couple more to give you an idea of the sdecar set up

[Arado Ar234]

So, as you can see, it is rather modified, and somewhat mouldy after 10 Tasmanian winters, which last for 11 months of the year. I have a myriad of spares for this one, including 3 gearboxes, barrels, pistons, heads, carbies etc. Currently using the rear swing arm and final drive from a 75/7 as the sidecar wheel and suspension system. That rust welded fuel cap is the only thing that is really concerning me right now......can't apply heat obviously, although it would be spectacular to watch from a distance. Thinking about turning the tank upside down and pouring penetrating oil into it once I remove the fuel taps. If anyone has another idea, I'd be happy to hear it.

[SteveD]

Welcommen.

You're right, it's a mess. The tank suggests TIC ex police.

[SteveD]

That rust welded fuel cap is the only thing that is really concerning me right now......can't apply heat obviously, although it would be spectacular to watch from a distance. Thinking about turning the tank upside down and pouring penetrating oil into it once I remove the fuel taps. If anyone has another idea, I'd be happy to hear it.

I'd try pouring some diesel around the cap and leave it sit 'til labour day Vinegar is frequently used to dissolve rust...that might be an option

[Arado Ar234]

Thanks for the feedback Steve. As it happens, the tank cap freed up just with a few good hits with CRC. Now it just spins and wont unscrew....so another minor issue. Good news mainly though, as I hooked up a battery, ignition light on, and the starter engaged, spinning the motor over with no issue. Lots of compression, no expensive sounding issues. The oil still looked OK, which is bizarre after 10 years, so spinning the motor over for 5 -10 seconds would have pumped oil all around the bearings and top end. Of course I'll change it asap, then give it a good flush . The next hurdle is more of a troubleshoot. No spark......it's got a boyer bransden ignition, although I have the original points and mechanical advance. I'll pull off the front cover and work my way back until I figure it out.

Well spotted with the tank too.....it started life as an R80 police bike in the UK. Someone bought it at auction, and rode it around the world to Cairns in Nth Qld, where it was cleaned up by a council truck. I've got photos of it sitting there, untouched, while the insurance companies argued over who should pay. It appears the bike rolled down an embankment, and the fairing, top box, panniers and crash bars copped all the damage. The actual bike was undamaged, but to replace all the aforementioned items outweighed the value of the bike itself ( RT fairings were exorbitant as OE , costing literally thousands ). I'll write a proper story of the bikes history one day....it's quite a tale. Didn't want a BM, but for $1000, I'd always get my money back, just in parts alone, and I needed a bike to pull a chair. I'll find old photos, taken with a real camera, from the 90's, so anyone can see the metamorphosis. Never really wanted another bike since,........keep you posted...