another background question about r60/5

[richrd]

I know very little about Beemrs having just drug my first one home. This weeks question is about the valve covers. Every picture I can find shows a bare alloy finish. But the ones on my bike are black. Was this a production run, or did a p.o. do this to make it look different?

thanks

[schrader7032]

They were all alloy or aluminum finish. Painting the valve covers seemed to be a trend at some point...if you have an eye for that!

[richrd]

these look more anodized than painted, but I think the first time I have them off they will go in the blasting cabinet.

After spending way too many years working on British bikes, I feel like I'm starting all over with this thing.

[cbclemmens]

Rich;
You can see the valve covers on my R 75/5 in my photo to the right. I'm pretty sure the R 60/5s had identical valve covers. The valve covers on my R 60/7 are in the photo below. It could be that someone put the later model valve covers on your bike.

Craig

[schrader7032]

Good point Craig, but it depends on what you mean by "later". Here's my R100/7 valve cover of a similar period for your R60/7. All aluminum.

[schrader7032]

RealOEM shows the R60/7 valve covers left/right with the term "silber" which is German for silver...the use was up to 1/85. I checked the 1977 R100RS and it shows the left/right covers with the term "SW" which would be black. Same thing for a 1981 R100RT..."SW". If indeed the poster's valve covers are not the peanut shapes, then they have to be from another model. Note that people do anodize their peanut shaped covers black...so I guess it's a real can of worms out there!

[cbclemmens]

Kurt;

Yes, but it is apparent that the casting is the same on my /7 as your /7. Mine are painted or anodized black while yours are polished aluminum. The castings are different on my /5 (and also my /6 - not shown). I'm pretty sure the unpolished cast aluminum covers - I think you're calling peanut shape - were standard on the /5s.

Craig

[srankin]

The valve covers on my 83 and 84 R80RTs were originally silver. I never painted the ones on the 83, didn't have it long enough to do so. I did pain them on the 84, The R100 bikes of those years had the covers already done in Black. Not sure if it was powerboat, anodized or just painted. LOL, I like the black treatment best. St.

[cbclemmens]

Rich;
I have Dynatek D35-1 electronic ignition on both my R 75/5 and my R 60/7, (not yet on my R90/6 w/sidecar). It was kind of a pain to get the magnet in just the right position, and a couple of times the magnet came loose when speed shifting at high RPM. Fortunately I don't do that very often. But once set-up it seems to work very well.

Craig

[cbclemmens]

Sorry this is not the right discussion for that reply.

Craig