Binzy's Beemer Blog

This is a blog about my attempt to build a custom BMW. I am using a 1979 BMW R80/7 frame as the basis and I'm hoping to turn it into a Cafe Racer! I have never built a motorbike before, and this blog will show you if I ever get there!!

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Rinse & Repeat

As with the first head, I just replicated the same process for the second head. The photo shows both barrel-heads with new valve guides and then the difference between one with the remaining parts fitted and on without. The final shot shoes both barrel head fully completed, Vuala!

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Head Overhaul 

Now that the pistons and barrels are safety attached to the crankcase it was time to seal it all up with some refurbished heads! The original barrel-heads were stripped, then sand blasted some time ago now, so it was just a matter of fitting the new parts (valve springs, spring seats, valve guides, cotters and inlet/exhaust valves). The process started with a complete chemical rinse out of the head, shortly followed by a thorough power-washing outside. That was the easy bit. Next was to cook them up on the heater to a temperature of around 150 degrees to allow the head to expand in order to accommodate the new brass valve guide. To make sure the interference fit went smoothly the guide was  put in the freezer to cause the metal to contract. Once both were at their alternative temperatures came the moment of truth, a one chance only bash to get the guide into the barrel head. The guide was put on a fitting tool, and sprayed with nitrogen freezing spray to shrink the brass and then quickly aimed over the hole, then with one (several) smash with a hammer it slotted directly into place! After everything cooled down the final step was to insert the valve stem and fit all the remaining components. The last picture shows all the original grubby parts that came off the head when I first stripped the engine down.

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Grabbing the Goodies

One of the last things left to dismantle from my eBay purchased R100 was the damaged front end. There was no way I was going to sling this without nabbing some of the goodies such as the; clip-on handlebars, short levers, machine cut top yoke, steering dampener and brake master cylinder. I can't say it was as straight forward as I hoped (mallet skills required).. but definitely rewarding! And as you can see from the pictures, there's no question as to how badly the front forks were bent from the original crash!! (stanchions & fork lowers went straight into the scrap bin)

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Suited & booted ~ Looking like an engine now

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Getting ever closer! #Custom #BMW #caferacer #engine #rebuild

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Apr 24th, 2014

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Back to the Workshop

After a considerable amount of time deciding what to do with my latest purchase I finally came to the conclusion that there was only one thing for it.. and that was to rip it apart! Whilst wheeling it into the garage and having a closer inspection of the frame bracing of the head stock I could see that the metal was warped, therefore rendering the main frame useless. As the photos show there are still a lot of goodies on this donor bike, although I'm ensure exactly what to use until everything is taken apart and checked out individually. The next step from here is to get it onto the ramp and make a mess with my tools.  

P.S. I couldn't help myself from getting a picture sat on the bike while I still had a complete Cafe racer in my possession! 

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Building the Bevel

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Epic

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Bevel Begins

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Time-Lapse Take-down 

After scratching my head for a few days of whether to take the new parts to my build or take the new bike to bench to separate what I need I decided the latter would involve less juggling and keep my final vision rolling. So in order to break the new purchase I had to whip apart my rolling chassis to clear space on the workbench. Lets call it going backwards to go forwards..

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(via Why I Ride | esurance)

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Saturday Snaps

So here she is, and I have to say this motor looks a lot better in the flesh! I took a van down and an envelope of cash ready to see if I'd bitten of more than I can chew. As soon as I saw the bike I knew I had made a tidy investment, yes the frame was bent and the front forks were muddled but everything else was in good shape and working order! Then the cherry on the cake was to hear it roar when fired up, there was some serious grunt to this deal. In all honesty it didn't even matter if the engine would turn or not as it was all the ancillaries that I needed. There was a whole working set of electrics and some nice mods to boot and as for the colour scheme.. black and silver, with red pin striping.. whats not to love! After loading it up into the van we set off back home and the next big question on my mind was where the hell do I start!!

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Ebay Strikes Again!

So just before leaving work today I decided to have a quick look at eBay.. this resulted in a hasty 'Buy it now' situation. I came across a complete BMW cafe racer bike with many of the bells and whistles I still need for my own build. After many months of trawling eBay for parts I can say it was at a descent price, the main factor being it was written off after a city spill resulting in bent frame, and supposedly the entire front end. This was no issue for me as I have already got a complete rolling chassis on my work bench. So why go out on a limb and splash out? One because I can never pass up a true 'bargain' and two; the cost of all the other parts I need to get mine on the road would easily surmount to the total I paid, I.e the entirety of electrics I have missing, need I say more! From the pictures I can see a variety of goodies such as a custom air-box cover, rear brake disk, Vanzetti sub-frame and seat with wicked paint work and above all, 1000cc barrels and heads BOOM! Obviously I wanted to see it in the flesh before committing to a big purchase like this so I called the chap up and he suggested I come down to Romford on Monday to view instead of Saturday just in case I drive down and it gets sold before I arrive, in other words he would hang onto it after the weekend for me. This made sense until I sat back down at my desk and thought 'I would absolutely kick myself if I let someone else beat me to it!' So after quick discussions with the chaps at work I just went for it! Now to rob a bank and work out how to get it back to my shed..

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Con Artist

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As it Stands