Does this airhead make me an airhead?

I want to know more about Renegade.....

It's pitted a bit and there is no consensus as to whether the $70 rebuild kit I bought will even work.


You may be able to hone it and have it seal. I've tried this on English cars, with moderate success- but, they're expected to leak. I might attempt the rebuild and if that didn't work then the resleeve. Seals etc would probably be ok to reuse, if not left in place too long, before they mould. My 2 cents

Ignorance is NOT BLISS!

I attended a BMWDFW monthly meeting...in my quest to find Candy, my favorite one toothed stripper some BMW lingerie but found instead Bruce of Boxers by Bruce. He didn't have any lingerie but does know a machinist who will sleeve my master cylinder with stainless steel and guarantee me a working mc for around a c note. So that's the plan for the moment. I'm sorry Candy....I'm still looking for the tacky BMMMMMMMMMMMMMW lingerie!!

still amazed with your project

the only one I have seen in worse shape was one that a guy brought back to the mainland form hawaii
bought it site unseen, except pictures on fleabay
pictures must not have been the same bike, or a bit outdated

it had been butchered, and talk about rust yikes

he was gonna fix adn ride, ended up parting out on fleabay and lost his "arse"

Renegade is all KEYED up.

For the last 3 days I've been installing insulation, radiant barrier and furring strips in my house remodel. As a reward (torture does count as a reward according to George W) I decided to try to sort out the RENEGADE's keys. Mr. Hillbilly speed freak crack boy (PO) had collected all the keys he could find, ie. that his ole lady hadn't stole or flushed with his stash. And I didn't have the patience with Luke Skywalker mosquitoes trying to use their force to fly up my nostrils and blow the cr&p out of my sinuses to wait while he looked for more....which he would NEVER HAVE FOUND!

So, what I discovered today is that I have 2 keys with 2 different grinds. Both open the tank, one works in the seat lock and neither will turn the ignition switch.....
So, I can fill the tank up, put in a new battery and use my tools to wrench the shjt outta the Renegade, but NOT start the DA*$&#$ thing unless I hotwire it.

How do I get all my locks rekeyed to use 1 key? Or alternately, how do I get enough keys to make a BMW rosary that I can just meditate on while trying to crank the BiT%H?

A fair deal

So, just because CRazydruMMerdude got me looking for the Aluminum Turn Signals that he likes I found this on that auction site.

Yes, those are the aluminum turn signals that normally bring a pretty penny. But I won the bid for the fairing for $10.50 and then had the seller remove the turn indicators and chunk the fairing. I guess nobody else noticed they were aluminum. Now I just need 2 more. Donations accepted...I wouldn't ask for myself...it's for my motorcycle.

Haha. While I'm not sure if they're original to your (or any) bike, I must say they look better for a semi-restoration/resurrection than the black plastic ones.

Some guy at the Pecatonica Illinois swap meet had new ones for sale.

I don't know if he had them made or what - stems too.

535is said:

... Since there's no real pressure on it (other than the gravity effect of the 2-foot drop to the carbs), I'd just give it a try and see how well it works. It's not like replumbing all the fuel lines on an Airhead is exactly rocket surgery ...

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...er, ya got a 2 foot drop from the tank to the carbs? How'd ya see around that sucker?

Dang, a tank lift kit?

crazydrummerdude said:

Haha. While I'm not sure if they're original to your (or any) bike, I must say they look better for a semi-restoration/resurrection than the black plastic ones.

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I just bought a '72 R60/5, that appears to be all original. The turn signals are aluminum on it for whatever that's worth. Maybe it just cost less to do plastic ones in the later years (like my '83 R100)??? Anyhooos, if they aren't original on the /5 I'll be damned if I'm gunna replace them with plastic.

AnnapolisAirhead said:

I just bought a '72 R60/5, that appears to be all original. The turn signals are aluminum on it for whatever that's worth. Maybe it just cost less to do plastic ones in the later years (like my '83 R100)???

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I think that may be the case. Someone (most people) who knows more about if/when should chime in.

I just found it frustrating to buy turn signal housings (twice, for different prices) for my R75 project only to find out upon arrival that they're the black plastic ones. So, I went to IBMWR and got the seemingly-appropriate (and better looking) metal ones.

Eh, what do I know? I just ride the damn thing..

Here's the deal concerning aluminum vs plastic. Aluminum housings fit onto stems with a nub that is sweat fitted into the end of the tubular part of the stem. It is notched and the housing has a picnh bolt drawing down a slotted bore that holds the housing on the notched extension.

The plastic housing is fitted to a stem that does not have the notched extension but is somewhat longer. The full diameter stem fits inside the housing where it is pinched by a half circle clamp that is fitted to a thickened plastic boss molded inside the black plastic housing.

A /5 aluminum turn signal housing can be fitted to a /6 stem, but the fit is less reliable. The single split in the mounting boss can be drawn down to make a friction fit but the stem lacks the notch to help center the positioning and limit the radial travel of the housing on the stem.

A /6 housing can be fitted to an earlier stem, but the fit is less reliable in the converse sense. When a plastic housing is fitted to a stem designed to hold an aluminum housing, the half circle retaining clamp will not tighten on the notched stem extension without a split sleeve or a wrap of tape to compensate for the smaller diameter of the notched extension on the end of the /5 turn signal stems.

An 'aha' moment. Reading your rather precise description brought of visions of my neighbor's /6. Everytime we go out, I always tell him him turn signals are lopsided.

Now I can tell him his nub is just wrong, heh!

AnnapolisAirhead said:

I just bought a '72 R60/5, that appears to be all original. The turn signals are aluminum on it for whatever that's worth. Maybe it just cost less to do plastic ones in the later years.

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It is WAY less expensive to make molded plastic parts than to cast and polish aluminum.

AnnapolisAirhead said:

...er, ya got a 2 foot drop from the tank to the carbs? How'd ya see around that sucker?

Dang, a tank lift kit?

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You just put a couple of loops in the fuel line to make it longer. The increased gravity enhances your fuel pressure. A tank lift would raise the center of gravity, which is clearly a negative for the bike's handling.

sumran said:

You just put a couple of loops in the fuel line to make it longer. The increased gravity enhances your fuel pressure. A tank lift would raise the center of gravity, which is clearly a negative for the bike's handling.

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Wait.. are you serious? lonelobo was jesting..

Increased gravity? Psychedelic..

crazydrummerdude said:

Wait.. are you serious? ..

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Only my plumber and physics teacher know for sure.

Here are the other two aluminum signals

Item number: 190229039647

sumran said:

You just put a couple of loops in the fuel line to make it longer. The increased gravity enhances your fuel pressure. A tank lift would raise the center of gravity, which is clearly a negative for the bike's handling.

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Good one! I had a barber tell me once that my H-D would run better with leaded gas-helped the flow since it was heavier! I couldn't see his face, so I couldn't judge if he was serious.

AnnapolisAirhead said:

...er, ya got a 2 foot drop from the tank to the carbs? How'd ya see around that sucker?

Dang, a tank lift kit?

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Rounded up for effect.

Or, you could measure from the top of the tank (which is how deep your fuel gets at maximum fill) to the fuel line inlets on the carbs - and it ain't gonna be a lot less than two feet. That distance (depth of fuel) will determine the maximum pressure on your fuel lines and fittings. So maybe it is rocket surgery for some folks ...