BMW R65 Cafe Scrambler Build – Part 2

The frame and wheels had already been sandblasted and powder coated before the previous owner bailed out due to work commitments and family pressures.

First job was to assess what was there and what wasn’t. Straighforward enough you might think but when every nut and bolt is in a box and you’ve never built one before not so. Missing parts included:

• No Exhausts
• No Tyres
• No Wiring loom to speak of
• No Front Lights
• A dismantled Engine with Piston issues and a cracked sump

A Bench was secured and the project began.

After a full Engine strip and clean, replacement pistons and rings were sought and fitted and the engine thoroughly degreased and cleaned. Bottom end good as rebuild of the original Engine then proceeded.

Gearbox was painted and re-mounted back onto the Lump, while more parts were ordered. Clutch re-used and installed and bottom end de-greased and inspected.

Final drive re-assembled and rear brakes installed. Once this was done the Engine was re-mounted in the frame and the Engine electrics and starter motor re-assembled. These have subsequently been upgraded in their entirety. Read BMW R65 – Ignition and Charging Issues and Upgrades

A new wiring loam was found in America and sent over to match and re-wire the entire machine.

Front End was also re-assembled forks and bearings before a complete top end overhaul including valves and re-grinding. Cylinders were re-insalled with new gaskets and top end mated up.

A certain shortened look was required so the rear subframe was cut and I learnt to weld it back together with a £15 Arc welder, again from eBay. Read BMW R65 – Rear seat subframe

Great advice was gained from an online forum called BMbikes where I made contact with other owners for problem solving and support.

I also was fortunate to be offered an MZ headlamp unit to solve the instruments dilemma I was having and after a strip and re-paint came out a treat with a fabulous single ignition and lights switch. Read BMW R65 – Custom Headlamp

A old BMW seat was found, again online, and carved up before being sent off for re-conditioning in a fetching Brown Vinyl. While being only a single seater I decided an R45 would struggle two up!

Brown Grips and a re-painted Tank, done at home with a rattle can in Satin black finished off the Bike well with Custom rear mudguards, which also handily had enough cut off to form the front Mudguard which I am pretty pleased about.

All levers and the Brembos were cleaned, stripped and re-painted with new pads of course fitted and original disks re-used. The project was completed to a strict, re-use rather than re-place approach.

New Cables all round and a new Brake Cylinder was needed as well as retro indicators and a complete re-wire were secured and fitted with home made brackets, left over from the short cone silencers. New rear shocks and K&N style air filters replace the ugly air box with a new Battery and petrol cock and piping.

It was presented for the English MOT on 5^th August and passed first time and now is being put through some final tuning steps to make the most of the limited 35 BHP when new grunt. At 200 Kilos, it’s no racing Bike, but it suits me, looks and rides great and turns heads, and is the exactly look that I was after. Now the fun starts.

More on the complete build and trials and tribulations can be read on an extensive forum post entitled Bought me a R45 – **CK, now what do I do! – where you can read the full blow by blow account and all the ups and downs including blowing a valve on its first outing.

Thanks for reading – jonathanrowley@outlook.com – more detail on some specific build can be found on other pages from the menu and will be added to over time.

Upgrades Work and Parts UK 2014:

• Sandblasted and Black powder coated Frame and Starflake wheels
• Blasted and sonic cleaned Carbs and Cylinders
• Replacement Sump, Pistons, Rings, Valves and Misc Top End bits – Engine rebuild
• Engine and Box painted Matt and Silk Black
• Chrome front and fabricated mudguards – hand cut from one rear unit
• Shorty Cone Silencers and wrapped downpipes
• Shortened Sub frame and Custom built and re-covered single seat
• New Rear Shocks – adjustable
• MZ TS old school speedo in Headlamp, alloy mounts
• Continental Tubed TKC80s Onroad / Offroad Tyres
• New Front Brake Cylinder – pads and pipes
• Bullet style indicators and complete re-wire with second-hand loom
• Brown Grips and new control cables
• New battery – everything else electrical original from 1982
• Renthal Low Handlebars
• Airbox removed and replaced with cone style air filters
• Re-built and painted Brembos with original twin disks
• Stripped and painted Silk Black Petrol Tank with new Petrol Tap and Pipes
• Centre stand removed to leave just the sidestand
• 650cc Cylinders and Heads fitted – after R45 valves went pop!
• R65 Rear Drive upgrade

If you want to read part 3 and what happened when it hit Dubai click here..

BMW R65 Cafe Scrambler Build – Part 3 Dubai onwards