Help with R25/2 Rocker Cover Removal

Does anyone have experience removing the rocker covers on the R25/2 or R25/3? I am having trouble getting the intake or rear cover off. It contacts the upper frame and doesn't allow enough tilt or rotation to get up and over the rocker blocks. I've looked at this dozens of ways and have gotten suggestions from others, all of which have not panned out. Here's a working picture:



My frame doesn't appear to be bent. I made a measurement directly in line with the valve cover stud. I measured from the top of the head (not the raised edge which the valve covers and gaskets sit on) to the underside of the upper backbone. I measured 105mm. I'd be curious if anyone can make a similar measurement for a similar bike. I'm not sure the R26 or R27 are the same geometry.

At this point, I'm down to two options. Remove the valve cover stud...double nut it and turn it out; or lower the engine. The former is much easier to do, but that just seems wrong to have to do. I know BMW didn't design it this way.

Thanks for any insight...

Final Results

I have found that the distance between my lower motor mount and the location where the tank connects to the support at the rear are about 0.5 inches less than two other R25/2 bikes. This slight bow in the lower frame rail has reduced the clearance making it impossible for me to remove the rear valve cover. My short term solution will be to remove the valve cover stud using a double-nut affair. When I take the bike down for slinger cleaning, I'll consider what to do at that point.

Do you know why yours is bowed down?

Nathan -

A theory might be that when transported, the centerstand could have been down and when hitting bumps, could have induced forces into the frames.

As I think about this, there is a possibility that I may have done this, unknowingly. I did bring it back in a van, but I didn't use the centerstand. I had a series of 4x4 pieces of wood that were interlocked and snugged up against the wheels. Each set in the front and back had longer 4x4s to the side, like outriggers. I used these outriggers to pull the suspension down for transportation. I recall that the 4x4 that went in front of the rear wheel was very close. So, it's possible that when hitting some bumps along the way, the bike sagged on the supension and hit the 4x4.

I'll check the 4x4 in question and look at that area of the frame, on the underside and around it.

The other possibility is that it came this way to me. I picked the bike up at Autobahn Craftwerks in Cincinnati. I called them back to get some help with my problem because I recall hearing that they had set the valve clearances. If they had, then I was interested in how they got the cover off. The owner was a little defensive on the phone. Could be he knew something or could be he just doesn't remember or could be they didn't actually check the valve clearances.

So, it's a bit up in the air. I'll check the frame to see if I can see any evidence from me transporting the bike.