'78 R80/7 headlight ears and fork brace

[r67boxer]

Just purchased a fixer upper .... an R80 which sat for 10 or so years. Now for the questions - were the chrome headlight ears for this year and model OEM or an option? Mine are chrome and are quite rusty so would require quite of bit of work to restore. My guess is that the black ears were OEM.

Also, what was the stock fork brace? Mine is steel with a fore and aft bar that rides over the fender. I've also seen the alloy brace that is basically one piece wrapping the tire and attaching to the fender and forks.

Kevin

[srankin]

I don't recall BMW ever offering chrome headlight ears?

Can you send a picture of the fork brace? I can't quite see what you mean? St.

[schrader7032]

Sounds like a San Jose fork brace:

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/olde ... e.1034761/

Not OEM equipment. There are other fork braces available at the time. I've read that the bigger bang for the buck is a newer top fork, one that is referred to as the "ToasterTan". Probably not being made anymore, but they are out there.

[r67boxer]

I knew I came to the right group. Thanks. Below are images of the triple tree and fork brace. The brace is also not stock. Is this the ToasterTan you are talking about? Also, there are spacers the same height as the triple tree above the springs in each fork to take up the slack.

Kevin

[r67boxer]

These are the rusty ears.

Kevin

[schrader7032]

That's not a Toaster Tan triple tree...at first I thought it also might be a San Jose product, but it doesn't look like any of the images online. Other makes included CC Products and Luftmeister.

[r67boxer]

Agreed. Close but no cigar. The brace is certainly beefy.

This looks like it - FlatRacer makes 'em.

https://www.flatracer.com/flatracer-bmw ... fork-brace

Kevin

[srankin]

The alloy brace is the stock brace. kind of wimpy.

I can't figure out the identity of the upper triple tree bracket. What ever it is is better than the stock part. If it isn't cracked or anything it can be used again.

Yeah I think the headlight ears were chromed by some other owner. You can remove the chrome and paint them or have them powder coated. If powered, the shop might blast them for you.

The fork brace looks like the old San Jose unit from years ago, I think. This is the same unit I have on my 84 RT and had on my RS. Both bikes mounted the fender onto the fork brace. These are very good braces. I have never used anything but.

I do believe my last one came from Flat Racer. That would be the second one I ordered from them. The first was when I bought my RS, the second when I swapped the ATE front brakes and forks on the RS to Brembo Brakes. The braces are not interchangeable. St.

[r67boxer]

Thanks Steve. I will likely keep both the brace and triple tree. WRT the Flat Racer brace, they do sell two versions, one for ATE caliper which I have on my bike. The other is for newer (81-84) Brembo brakes.

Kevin

[srankin]

On my latest overhaul of the R80RT, I had the fork brace chromed. it looks so much better, LOL. St.