Category Archives: CO-ABC

CO-ABC Tech Class on Spline Lube and Swing Arm Bearing Replacement

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I’ve been hosting tech classes for the Colorado Airhead Beemers Club using my small workshop, affectionately called “Brook’s Airhead Garage”. If you live in Colorado and want to join our Down To Meet group, click here and join.

–> Colorado Airheads Beemer Club (CO-ABC) Down to Meet Site

It is a way to help disseminate knowledge about the care and feeding of these 40+ year old motorcycles. I’m hopeful that the more our members know, the more inclined they will be to do their own work, and the longer these motorcycles will keep running.

Last Saturday, one of our members, Chris, brought his 1974 R90/6 in so he can learn-by-doing. We had about 10 others come to lend a hand, kibitz and hang around with like-minded folks.

I wrote up a check list for Chris on how to do this work.

Transmission Spline Lube & Swing Arm Bearing Replacement

Transmission Removal, Lube, Install

  1. Remove air intake tubes and carburetors (leave cables on carbs).
  2. Remove air box clam shells and air filter (leave choke lever connected)
  3. Remove battery
  4. Remove battery box
  5. Remove drive shaft bolts (4)
  6. Remove luggage rack (if attached)
  7. Remove rear brake rod
  8. Remove rear wheel
  9. Remove shocks (not needed if all you do is a spline lub)
  10. Remove drive shaft front nuts (4)
  11. Remove swing arm pivot pins
  12. Remove swing arm
  13. Remove transmission bolts (3) and nut (1)
  14. Slide transmission off splines (protect frame tubes from scrapes)
  15. Inspect & clean splines
  16. Lube splines with Honda Moly 60 paste (or Honda Moly 77 paste)
  17. Slide transmission back on splines
  18. Attach transmission bolts (3) and nut (1) & torque

Swing Arm Bearings Removal

  1. Remove dust caps
  2. Remove inner bearing race
    1. Inspect for brineling to outer race and/or damage to inner race
    2. Replace if necessary
  3. If replacing swing arm bearings, pull outer races with Cycle Works bearing puller.
  4. Install new outer races with Cycle Works tool
  5. Pack inner bearing race with red LP-2 grease
  6. Install inner bearing race
  7. Install dust cover

Swing Arm Installation

  1. Install swing arm pivot pins
  2. Install drive shaft bolts (4) to transmission output coupling
  3. Center swing arm
  4. Torque swing arm pivots and lock nuts
  5. Recheck swing arm is centered

Final Assembly

  1. Inspect rear drive splines. Clean and lube with Honda Moly 60 or Moly 77 paste.
  2. Install rear drive on swing arm with new gasket and (4) bolts and washers and torque
  3. Install shocks and torque
  4. Install luggage rack (if used)
  5. Install rear wheel and torque nut
  6. Install rear brake rod and adjust rear brake
  7. Install battery box
  8. Install battery
  9. Install air box filter and clam shells
  10. Install carburetors and inlet air tubes

It took about 6 hours to complete this work including a pizza lunch and the general banter that takes the place of wrench twisting at these gatherings.

Colorado Airhead Beemer Club April “Tech Day & Chili Meat”

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On Saturday, April 22, 2017, the Colorado Airhead Beemer Club (CO-ABC) held a Tech Day at Dick Paschen’s house. The day dawned with rain clouds, mist and for those who rode, a chance to clean the dead bugs off our riding suits.

Dick is the Air Marshal for Colorado and has been hosting these for a number of years. He always provides great hospitality, access to his tools and good eats and coffee to fuel the faithful. This year was no exception.

I saw around 25-30 airhead riders over the course of the day. Interestingly enough, a number of bikes needed carburetor balancing. Matt Parkhouse (author of the monthly airhead column in the BMW MOA magazine) attended and rapidly performed many of these adjustments. Also, Clem Cykowski (retired owner of BWM of Denver) came by and provided assistance where needed.  The always willing Don Wreyford helped sort out a front disk brake problem, valve adjustments and helped several others with their “problem de jour.”

Tim Balough from Alma and Brian Eagleson from Salida rode over to spend the day with those of us living on the front range. Tim is going to host a Tech Day in June in Alma, so make plans to attend. You won’t be disappointed.

If you want to keep up to date on what the CO-ABC is doing and get details about Tim’s upcoming Tech Day, join the CO-ABC Down To Meet group here:

–> https://www.downtomeet.com/ColoradoAirheadsBeemerClub