MKL's 1973 R75/5 LWB Toaster
The R75/5's Right Cylinder 9-25-03
September Update:
A few things have happened since August 10, when the original teardown was
completed. The most significant finding is as shown in the picture above.
The R75/5's Top End 9-25-03
Top End Removal With the R's mill out of the frame, I lovingly degreased it, and polished it up with some aluminum cleaner and scotchbrite - it looks fantastic! I then proceeded to remove the top end for inspection. The left side came first, and I was thrilled to find a completely clean, virginal cylinder and piston. Unfortunately, the right side did not fare as well: As shown above, the right cylinder is etched, theoretically from condensation built up during a long term storage. To deal with this, and to keep the solution simple and cost-effective, I'm going to buy a set of weight-matched factory pistons in 0.5mm oversize, and bore the cylinders to match. While this is going on, the heads will be freshened up as well. The valve covers will be replaced outright, as they're badly scraped. And everything will be blasted to match before being reinstalled.
CafeRace Knoscher Replica Seat My rear cafe seat came in, as shown below. At this point, I have not done anything with it. Obviously, I need to source a place to fabricate a seat to fit, in addition to finding a tail light fixture and a roundel emblem to fit. With a little trimming here and there, this piece should help to achieve the look I'm after. Finished examples can be seen here.
The R75/5's Knoscher Replica
Other Misc Stuff My rebuilt speedometer and tach arrived from Overseas Speedometer on 9/12/03. The bezel and needles were replaced - to be quite honest, I'm a little disappointed in the replacement needles. They look like cutoffs of a larger piece of plastic - but it's not too noticeable unless you stare closely. I obviously cannot comment on speedo / tach operation and calibration until I get back on the road. In other news, my chrome Progressive 412 rear shocks arrived, as did my new rims and stainless spokes. All of these components are still sitting in boxes. I still need to order my clubman bars, sleek S-fairing, and new exhaust system, amongst other things.
The Vision Is Taking Shape I've decided on "The Look" - As I see it, the frame will be a deep blood red, and the tank (and fenders, if any) will be a either a whitish or very light blue silver based metallic (likely a BMW automotive color, like Titanium Silver). The headlight bucket, ears, and other related parts will be painted to match, and there will be no pinstripes anywhere. I think this will be a tasteful, elegant solution which stays within character.
Grad school is in full swing, so progress will be slow but worthwhile - stay tuned!