This is my first post, so hello to everyone. I am new to this board, so I hope I'm in the right place. Here's my story:
I have a 1970 R60/5 in reasonably good condition. It hasn't been on the road in years however. The bike was bought new by my Dad. I inherited it when he passed away a few months ago, and it has now become my project. I have taken some detailed pictures of it, which I will post when I get home, but as I said, it seems to be mechanically sound.
Yesterday I began fooling around with it. I first removed the Windjammer fairing, which I just don't find attractive. I know it has its practical purposes, but it's not for me. I didn't mess with the headlamp at this point - that'll come later. After removing the fairing, I decided to go ahead and check the carbs. I downloaded a good tech article on rebuilding carbs from 5United.com, so I felt like I had enough information to at least get started. I started out by draining the tank, which was 3/4 full. I'm concerned that the tank may have some significant rust issues. Again, I'll deal with that later, though any suggestions on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.
So, I removed both carbs and inspected them to find that they were perfect! No gunk, no grime - perfectly clean. I now suspect that Dad cleaned them up back when he was still able to get around. Anyway, I do need some fuel line, as the lines on both sides were completely rotten. At the moment, that's as far as I gotten - I have both carbs off of the bike and that's where I've left it for now. I do need a gasket kit for the bowls (anyone recommend a good parts dealer?), but otherwise, I think I'm in good shape.
I also discovered that the tires are showing substantial cracking, to the point that new rubber is a must before taking this thing out. Could anyone recommend a good, reliable (and not too expensive) tire for the R60/5? As I noted, I'll post some pics later and provide some updates as to how the project is going. I hope to get some input and advice from those of you who have experience with these early bikes, as I am a novice at this sort of thing. I'm not the mechanic my Dad was, and now I find myself faced with a project that demands a level of technical expertise that I may not possess. Regardless, I intend to get this bike road-worthy again, so I'll most likely be pestering the hell out some of you throughout this adventure. Thanks in advance for any advice, tips or just general encouragement. More to come...
Frank
I have a 1970 R60/5 in reasonably good condition. It hasn't been on the road in years however. The bike was bought new by my Dad. I inherited it when he passed away a few months ago, and it has now become my project. I have taken some detailed pictures of it, which I will post when I get home, but as I said, it seems to be mechanically sound.
Yesterday I began fooling around with it. I first removed the Windjammer fairing, which I just don't find attractive. I know it has its practical purposes, but it's not for me. I didn't mess with the headlamp at this point - that'll come later. After removing the fairing, I decided to go ahead and check the carbs. I downloaded a good tech article on rebuilding carbs from 5United.com, so I felt like I had enough information to at least get started. I started out by draining the tank, which was 3/4 full. I'm concerned that the tank may have some significant rust issues. Again, I'll deal with that later, though any suggestions on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.
So, I removed both carbs and inspected them to find that they were perfect! No gunk, no grime - perfectly clean. I now suspect that Dad cleaned them up back when he was still able to get around. Anyway, I do need some fuel line, as the lines on both sides were completely rotten. At the moment, that's as far as I gotten - I have both carbs off of the bike and that's where I've left it for now. I do need a gasket kit for the bowls (anyone recommend a good parts dealer?), but otherwise, I think I'm in good shape.
I also discovered that the tires are showing substantial cracking, to the point that new rubber is a must before taking this thing out. Could anyone recommend a good, reliable (and not too expensive) tire for the R60/5? As I noted, I'll post some pics later and provide some updates as to how the project is going. I hope to get some input and advice from those of you who have experience with these early bikes, as I am a novice at this sort of thing. I'm not the mechanic my Dad was, and now I find myself faced with a project that demands a level of technical expertise that I may not possess. Regardless, I intend to get this bike road-worthy again, so I'll most likely be pestering the hell out some of you throughout this adventure. Thanks in advance for any advice, tips or just general encouragement. More to come...
Frank