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R50/2 project

7

77158

Mark Green
A question for the MOA smart guys.

I am considering taking over a project(1966 R50/2) my neighbor wants to bail out of. I have experience with /7s but am not familiar with the /2. The bikes generator cover has a dent from the Earles fork linkage. How could this happen? Does this indicate it may have been in a crash?

Thank you,

Mark Green
 
In short - Yes.

You will probably have problems when disassembling the front swingarm; the through-bolt that serves as an axle is notoriously picky about the alignment. If the forks are not bent, it will slide out easily (if it is also not rusted to the bearing races). Otherwise, it's a real PITA.
 
Is it possible that the dent is due to the wrong cover being used with the wrong Earles fork or something like that? I recall that the horizontal piece on the lower rear portion of the front swingarm became more flattened over time. This was done for clearances purposes. Maybe that came along at the time they change all the covers to accomodate the damper...even though the damper was not necessarily installed on the R50/2.
 
Look at the tab on the frame where the steering damper attaches. It is the weakest point (IMHO) and the thing most likely to bend in a front end collision. That was just one of the give-aways that my bike had had its front end replace sometime before it came into my hands.

<img src="http://www.snafu.org/restore/1998-12/p-19981204-1618-1010.jpg" alt="steering damper attachment" title="steering damper attachment">

That was mine when I took it apart (the original R69S hydraulic damper had been replaced with a friction damper along with the rest of the front end). The slot in the frame attached tab was elongated and the tab was tweaked.

// marc
 
pic of timing cover

I have attached a pic of the timing cover on the 1966 R50/2 in question.
 

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That is the timing cover used for the R69S with the harmonic balancer. Since you have a straight 50 or 60 by the looks of the valve covers, you could use the regular front cover.

This is my front cover: notice it does not have the big round bumpout. But it does have the little "smile" from the swingarm.... not sure how it got there, maybe from removing the cover and sliding along? Hmmm......

As an aside, these pictures make me think of some animal with small eyes...perhaps a baby beluga face :p
 

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  • P1010222 (Medium).JPG
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