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Hi,

Well I've been driving it around and have found that the problems with getting into/finding Neutral have all but disappeared. NOW I think any shifting is really my fault and it's just a matter of practice and getting used to how this clutch and transmission like to be shifted. I've found giving a little rev between down shifts as I approach a stop helps make things smoother.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

By the way, after taking off the fairing and driving it around for a day, I also decided to change other things that had come with the bike. As seen in my first pic on page 1 the motorcycle had a Corbin solo seat installed. It also came with what the seller smirked, "A tank blanket. You know, in case your tank gets cold".

Since I've never been fond of the styling and I had the fairing off anyway, I just kept going. I put the solo seat back on and fitted the tank cover. Now it really looks transformed and it cost me nothing. All this is stuff that came with the bike. I just mixed it in a different way.

Now the bike looks like this:




I think I like this combination of parts better overall, so that's an improvement. The badges are very faded. I was thinking of just coloring them in with markers to "restore" them. Anyone tried that?
I've never seen or heard of a cover like this. There are no pockets, so at first I wondered what was the point. I just ignored it and put it away. Now, even though it was a late afterthought, I'm glad I tired it out. Anyone else have one of these?

It's like a whole new bike for free!!

Your tank looks very warm.

I suspect coloring the emblems may even look worse than the faded ones, but you can try it. They aren't that hard to replace. Are they really "faded," or is the surface of the plastic all brown and cloudy? Sometimes plastic polish can bring them back.

Hi,

so cozy in the garage now!
They are not plastic at all. They are fabric patches like what you might sew on a jacket. They are faded to almost white. There is a little blue left.
They are approximately the same size and location of the real tank badges.

I guess I could track down some the same size and just have them replaced?

Souljer wrote:. . . I've never seen or heard of a cover like this. There are no pockets, so at first I wondered what was the point. I just ignored it and put it away. Now, even though it was a late afterthought, I'm glad I tired it out. Anyone else have one of these?

There's another reason people put on tank covers other than "beauty" (or keeping it warm). They are very useful for covering up a tank dent. Let's hope the previous owner did it for beauty.

My R100/7 has a tank cover to cover up a dent. A repaint is planned. It has been on the priority list for a while now, so that means I'm getting closer.)


Ken

Looks way better without the fairing! I'm not sure that any fabric dye is going to last very long in the California sun, and honest fading of the embroidered roundels probably beats a "Sharpie resto". Replace them if you prefer, but knowledgeable admirers know it's a BMW by the engine hanging out both sides.

khittner1 wrote:Looks way better without the fairing! I'm not sure that any fabric dye is going to last very long in the California sun, and honest fading of the embroidered roundels probably beats a "Sharpie resto". Replace them if you prefer, but knowledgeable admirers know it's a BMW by the engine hanging out both sides.

I'm wondering what's under that old roundel, and whether a person might be able to somehow stick or glue (such as epoxy) a "real" roundel there.


Ken, glueless in Oklahoma

Your earlier photos of the bike didn't show any real dings to the original tank. Unless you need to cover up some blemish on the tank, or protect the tank's paint from a tank bag, etc., I probably wouldn't use the cover.

Hi,

Ken in Oklahoma wrote:

khittner1 wrote:Looks way better without the fairing! I'm not sure that any fabric dye is going to last very long in the California sun, and honest fading of the embroidered roundels probably beats a "Sharpie resto". Replace them if you prefer, but knowledgeable admirers know it's a BMW by the engine hanging out both sides.

I'm wondering what's under that old roundel, and whether a person might be able to somehow stick or glue (such as epoxy) a "real" roundel there.

Ken, glueless in Oklahoma

I doubt anything will last in the California sun. That's at least part of the reason why these are so faded.

The Sharpie Resto was an idea. I've done illustration and have quite an assortment of nice markers. Some are supposed to be permanent but nothing lasts forever. Sort of like oil and brake pads.

I was also thinking of replacing the patches with real roundels. Not sure of the pros or cons of that but that would be a more permanent solution. Might look cool in a way. Right now as you can see the seat fits over part of it. Also the gas cap screws down over it so that the cover goes under the edge. This makes it look like the tank is made of leather (fake leather! ) which is kind of a cool look in a professional upholstery kind of way.

I had it mostly as I received it for 3 months or so and only changed things when I had to remove the fairing to replace the clutch cable. I do feel more wind blast pushing me at speed without it. The tank cover is weird but good. I've only noticed one paint chip on the tank that exposed a dot of rust on the unprotected metal (could I just give that a dab of WD40? Or do I need to polish that down or something?). I have not seen any dents. The tank cover sort of looks and feels like you're riding with a giant football between your knees, but I think the cover makes it a little easier to grip the tank. It's not as slippery as a painted metal panel. I can always change things again one way or the other, or do something completely new depending on what I find down the road.

By the way, what's wrong with just buying a new one?

Thanks.

Souljer wrote:Hi,

Well I've been driving it around and have found that the problems with getting into/finding Neutral have all but disappeared. NOW I think any shifting is really my fault and it's just a matter of practice and getting used to how this clutch and transmission like to be shifted. I've found giving a little rev between down shifts as I approach a stop helps make things smoother.

Are you saying it's a bit hard to downshift if you don't give a little rev between down shifts? With that new cable and your adjusting the clutch play it should be pretty easy shifting. I'm just wondering. Hard to downshift sometimes indicates the need to lubricate the input spline. Just something to consider.

Souljer wrote:Hi,
I've found giving a little rev between down shifts as I approach a stop helps make things smoother.

A prerequisite imo.
Any time you down shift on a light flywheel airhead. Prolly a heavy one too.

Bike's looking good btw. Keep those eyes peeled, trust no-one.