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How do you ride your twin?

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808Airhead
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How do you ride your twin?

Post by 808Airhead »

OK….. here is something I pondered posting about… and here it is!!
HOW DO YOU RIDE YOUR BMW TWIN?
I thought this was a good topic to cover and see what others are doing.
My first BMW I purchased over 15 years ago was a 64’ R60/2 purchased from the widow of the original owner, a true 10k mile machine. After riding it to the mileage of 17k I fully rebuilt engine and transmission.
It was disconcerting to see that the rear main surface of the crank had spun and needed rechroming. It got me thinking that the previous owner as well as myself, were “lugging”the engine too much and not “keepin it in the revs”. These engines can be mechanically noisy especially when compared to modern machines and it makes one at times scared to keep the revs up…. And many have discussed to never lug a ball bearing engine . So for the last 10+ years I have modified my riding style and do my best to never lug these motors … here is an example;
1st gear — up to 15-20
2nd gear —I cruise in 2nd gear around 30-35 and rev up to 40 at WOT.
3rd gear— I only go into 3rd above 35 mph and will cruise in 3rd at 40-up to 55-57
4th gear—this is only for anything over 55 on flat surface low throttle or anything above of course.
This seems to work for me and my bikes run beautifully and engines are quiet … but I had to get used to having them in the mid-upper rpm’s and not short shifting to keep the revs low.
My message in all of this is don’t be scared to keep the revs up , don’t lug these motors!!
What’s your opinion? 🤙🏽
Thomas M.
R69S - R60/2 - R67/2 - R51/3 - R69

BillHart
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Re: How do you ride your twin?

Post by BillHart »

I can't offer answers or my views, only more questions, since I was used to modern sports bikes and am waiting for my R69S to be finished at the mechanic's. Apologies in advance if these are "dumb":
1. Kick start- done off the bike, while on the center stand. Can it be kick started from the rider's seat?
2. I've read about tickling the throttle on a cold start; I assume this means the hand throttle and not priming the carbs with that button, which would lead me to believe it could result in flooding the chamber.
3. How long do you let the bike warm up before setting off?
4. Restarting bike (say, after refueling) when the motor is "hot"--I've read that this can present issues.
5. I didn't compare your shift points to those on the markers of the speedo- do they roughly correspond?

I may get some basic familiarity with the bike from the mechanic when he is finished (supposedly before month's end), but would rather make an ass of myself here than on the road.
TIA.
Thanks for the thread topic as well.

808Airhead
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Re: How do you ride your twin?

Post by 808Airhead »

Happy to hear you like my topic of discussion😀
Yes, kick start when on center stand, off the bike is what I prefer.
“Tickling” refers to pushing down to float buttons to flood a little gas into the intake, there is no accelerator pump so twisting throttle does nothing.
Usually 5 sec tickle on each side then one light push of kickstart lever to draw in some fuel then a quick “stab” at kick starter with throttle lightly cracked open. If a bike is in moderate temps and setup perfectly there is no tickling needed, but that is another story.
As for warm up, I let mine run at a fast idle for about 2.5- 3 minutes when they are cold before setting off, I do the same with my automobiles. Before shutting off bike hot, turn fuel petcock to “off” about 1/2 to 1 block before your destination and then let it idle for a 1/2 minute or so. When you return do not turn fuel on , just kick it with throttle closed or slightly cracked, once it starts turn on gas and then give it a couple slow blips of the throttle.
There is a routine for every machine. It will either start in 1-2 kicks or 30! If it does not start and is flooded, leave gas off, give it 10/15 minutes and it should start .. or you can take a chance bump starting. You will have to get to know your machine. Once you do they are very easy starters , it’s ALL about having a healthy, well set up machine and the ROUTINE for starting.
Shift point markings are IMO like a redline/ max speed not to be exceeded per gear. As long as the drive ratio on speedo is correct it is accurate.
These are all my opinions and anecdotes… don’t take my word for it ….but it works for me. Hopefully others will pipe in …...with some good tidbits, Have fun!
Thomas M.
R69S - R60/2 - R67/2 - R51/3 - R69

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Darryl.Richman
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Re: How do you ride your twin?

Post by Darryl.Richman »

Regarding warm up, I let it idle for a short while, I don't try to fully warm the motor before setting out. But when I do leave, I take it easy on the throttle until the motor is fully warm.

The advice about starting seems pretty close; your mileage may vary on the specifics. I generally give a 3 count to tickle the carbs on a cold motor, and slightly crack the throttle. On a hot motor, no tickle, no throttle. If you find your bike tends to flood when restarting hot, you might try closing the petcock a little before you come to a stop. Flooding can be a problem when a hot motor gets a chance to sit for more than a few minutes before restarting. Clear a flood by closing the petcock and kicking 4 or 5 time with the ignition off and the throttle wide open.

With practice, you can kickstart a bike from the seat, using your heel to kick. BMW's side swinging kickstarter is a bit awkward. Short legged people or those with more limited leg mobility may not actually be able to kick from the seat. If you are going to try this, be sure that any wiring running along the top frame tube in the area is tight and out of the way (don't ask me how I know).

I also try not to lug the motor on these older bikes. The modern bikes with shift indicators actively try to get you to upshift at, what feels to me, crazy low revs. But of course, they are very different inside, with high pressure oil pumps and plain bearings and super tight tolerances.

When I rebuild a motor, I've taken to putting oil in the sump while the cylinders are still off and then pumping the conrods, until I see oil coming out from the conrod big ends. It's surprising how many revs it takes to get oil completely through the system, especially on the older bikes with smaller oil pumps. If a bike has been sitting for a long time and the oil has likely drained, I try to pump the kickstarter without ignition for 10 or 15 times to try to prime the crank oiling system.
--Darryl Richman

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