It's been a while since I've had to build a motor on a deadline. When I raced it happened a fair amount but I didn't have kids or a family so building this engine, sort of coming off the engine building couch, was a challenge that I really enjoyed right up until I ran out of time.
If I were to look at the things that put me on the ropes it was the scotch tasting (totally worth it) and the decision to not steal the carbs I'd just rebuilt off the RS but rebuild yet a third set of Bings. Oh, and trying to seal up those stupid tubeless wheels. I was almost considering keeping them until I spent two hours wrestling with them and then putting them on the scale. Gone.
With very little sleep Friday morning I grabbed my gear and tossed it in the van. Ben came over and we wedged both bikes into the van - it was beyond a tight fit.
We met this very cool dude who was traveling around the west coast after importing this awesome little Suzuki pickup. It had a rooftop tent on the back and locking differentials and could probably have fit inside the van.
Usually Ben and I like to split the trip up so we're not doing the full 14 hours in one shot but since it took me so long to wrap the bike up we drove all day and then into the night. Getting in at 2am before our 8am class was less than ideal.
The bike ran well all morning but the starter was starting to not start. Pushing the button would spin the starter but then it might just stop even though the button was pushed. It felt like a loose connection.
The thing about Jimmy's class is that it's very simple and focuses on only two things: balance and traction.
The first day deals almost entirely with balance. The answer from Jimmy to almost any question is, "Are you in balance on the bike? Can you take your hands off the bar?" This focus drills down through many myths of riding such as the perennial key to sand riding - get back and gas it. All wrong.
Many of the demonstrations involve tricky or difficult riding done by Jimmy with a single hand on the bar while casually explaining how he's perfectly in balance. It's illuminating.
By day two I was comfortable on the bike but dreading the dunes. This bike is 200lbs heavier than my 500 KTM and makes about the same power. I surprised myself by riding the "advanced" course that we'd done last year on the big BMW. Even the steep dunes I was able to climb, staying balanced, light on the bars and snapping the throttle open and closed to keep regaining traction.
Here's a link to a quick video Ben shot of me on the side slope dune.
Sadly towards the end of day one the bike just quit starting. You could hear the relay click but the starter wouldn't spin. Jimmy gave me a bump and Heather took me back to base and loaned me Jimmy's KTM 500 rally bike, "it's the biggest bike so it will be more like your BMW..." Sorta.
On day two we talked about traction in relation to balance. Where to be on the bike and how to manage traction. The turning drills on the dry lakebed are a blast as traction is plentiful and predictable. I gave my Sony A9 to Heather who did a pretty good job getting shots of me and the rest of the other students actually riding.
Ben made peace with the big KTM 1290 although vowed he'd not do the class again on a big bike. I don't blame him.
I didn't think I'd get to a place where I'd feel comfortable sliding both wheels on the big BMW but after the drills on the lakebed I was feeling really good.
As the class left the lakebed I got left behind by the "advanced" group. I saw the sweep riding disappearing and figured it was time to see if I could actually ride the bike fast. I put my head down and pulled the throttle to the stop and caught the sweep rider in less than a mile and then proceeded to pass my way up to the front and catch Jimmy. I think I surprised a lot of guys on KTM 500's when the bike roared past - it's not quiet.
When Jimmy saw me he put his head down and dropped me like a lead weight but that's to be expected. What wasn't expected was being able to ride the pace that I rode. It gives me some hope that I can make a much better and effective bike starting from scratch.
Sadly, when we got the gravel pit the bike's starter finally quit. The day before I'd found the wire from the relay to the solenoid seemed loose and recrimped it and got the bike running but now that didn't work. I shorted the posts on the starter and got it to spin but not engage the flywheel so I'm assuming the solenoid is shot. Funnily enough this was the Valeo starter from the original bike so I'll replace it with the Bosch one that was in the donor block. That leaves only the valve covers from the original bike.
So the upside was that I was able to shoot some nice photos of the bike in the gravel pit - the downside was that I didn't get to ride it there.
I came away from the weekend with a long list of changes that need to be made to improve the bike. Some are minor, like the bars which have a vintage rise and sweep putting me in an awkward position all weekend. Others are major like the wheels and brakes.
The wheels are like anchors and the brakes are not. I spoke to Chris at Woody's and I'll be getting a new custom rear hub and 18" rim laced up right away. The other thing that Jimmy pointed out that was already on my list was putting a disk on the back. The drum is heavy, dead feeling, primitive yet completely ineffective. I knew before I wanted to change it but riding the bike at pace solidified the decision.
The front brake lacks feel and the lever hits the housing giving you manual ABS as I discovered in the braking drills. I put a screw in the lever to gain leverage but the reach became long and then I was able to fade the brakes very quickly. I'll replace the entire front end and upgrade the brakes significantly.
The last thing was the breather. I didn't quite understand that chamber as my R90S didn't have that but there was a pinhole there that would allow oil to drain back into the case. There was nothing like that on the original block even though the hole was drilled and tapped. I'm going to make a breather tank and drain. As it ran that pinhole misted the right side with oil when run hard but it looked worse than it was as the bike was covered in dust.
The engine actually got quieter all weekend. I hadn't gotten the carbs fully synced when we left but kept fiddling with them through the weekend and found a super relaxed idle with no valve noise. Power was up massively from the previous engine but I'd still like a bit more.
Most of my focus will be cutting weight and fixing the various points of interface with the bike. Pegs, bars, levers, shifters etc all need to be dialed in and reworked so they're light, sensitive and in the right place. This goes a long way towards making the bike feel good. Jimmy thought the engine was a solid choice and his suggestions mirrored my thoughts so it's good to know I'm on the right track.
So overall the weekend was a big win. Lots learned about riding and bikes and it was a fun all the while.
Totally worth that brutal 10 day build.
Gregor
I'm in the process of replacing mine, they were loose and/or worn and I just decided I'd just as soon replace them since I was upgrading the forks. Anyway, I was a bit surprised by how much stuff I had to remove...
