Engine Back In the Frame

Mounting the front tire back on finally gave the bike more stability again. And since I had done a preliminary cleaning of the engine block, I decided to put the engine back onto the bike at this point. Unless you're really going to tear into the engine, it's just as easy if not easier to get at any necessary parts with the engine in the frame. For now, I just lifted it back into position (sounds easy, huh?) and slipped the two engine mount bolts through the frame.

Front Fork Reinstalled!

Here's the front fork assembly reinstalled into the frame, along with the headlamp bucket. The fork springs are sticking out of the tubes until I place the front tire and fender mount bracket on and am ready to put in the new fork oil.

New parts to note here: polished top fork nut (31 42 1 230 478); rubber front tank support (16 11 1 230 031); upper (31 42 1 230 696) and lower (31 42 2 000 385) rubber headlamp bracket gaskets; chrome turn signal brackets (31 42 1 233 941) and fork boot clamps (07 12 9 952 121). The fork boots themselves were in great shape, just needed a little cleaning.

Headlamp Bracket Spacers

After almost 40 years of wear, the rubber spacers between the bolts, headlamp brackets and bucket were in sad shape. A trip to a local supplier scored me several pieces of 1/16" and 1/8" thick rubber sheeting, which I've been cutting up to use for various parts of the restoration.

For these spacers, I just traced the actual washer, cut the rubber with scissors and cut a hole (no need to be too exact here) in the middle. Looks great and is enough to protect the headlamp bucket from getting scratched!

Steering Head Bearings

Time to reinstall the front fork assembly into the frame. I read a bunch of information regarding this procedure. The important thing (besides the obvious prep cleaning of parts) is to use the proper grease for the top and bottom bearings and the bearing races inside the frame. You need to use a grease that doesn't contain moly, such as Chevron NLG2 Super Duty (this product spec came from Snowbum's article). Personally, I went to my local auto parts store and found their generic brand (Carquest Extreme Pressure Premium Grease), which can be used where any NLG grease is specified. This grease is red in color, just like Chevron's.

With the bearings and races packed with new grease, put the pieces together and you're good to go. Follow your manual for the instructions and torque settings and refer to your disassembly photos if you're not sure where something goes!

Frame ID Plate

Got the new frame ID plate (51 14 1 231 087) installed. I had used a Dremel to saw off the old rivets, then had the frame powder coated. In order to install the new ID plate, I used a 5/64" metal bit to drill through the old holes. Then, I just tapped the rivets in with a mallet.

Center Stand

After powder coating the frame, the first thing I did was attach the center stand. The old one was in bad shape, so I decided to buy a new /5 stand from Hucky's (46 52 1 230 201). The old bushings did not fit loosely in the holes on the new stand, no doubt because of the powder coating. I used a rounded file to file down the powder coating on the stand and that did the trick. The bushings should be a little loose and not snug in the holes. I added a little moly grease to the bushings as I installed them. I also used a little Blue Loctite on the threads to make sure the nuts won't come loose.

I also replaced the rubber bumper (46 52 1 231 815) with a new one.

Paint and Pinstriping

As the frame and other welded parts were being powder coated, I had sent the remaining metal and fiberglass components to a body shop for painting. Fitzgerald Body Shop (920.337.2222), also in Green Bay, had done some work for Nick's, our local BMW dealer, so they were familiar with these bikes. They handled not only the painting, but also did a beautiful job on the hand pinstriping, as you can see on the fenders.

The parts I had painted included the front and rear fenders, gas tank, headlamp bucket and headlamp bucket brackets. I had the body shop leave the pieces unbuffed for a higher shine.

Powder Coated Frame!

The black powder coated parts look fantastic. The powder coating shop I used is Spence Industries in Green Bay, WI (920.662.0720). If you're in this neck of the woods, I'd highly recommend them. They also topped off the powder coating with a high gloss protective coat. Thanks to Nick's BMW for the tip on Spence Industries. Now the reassembly can begin!

Draining the Fork Oil

Following the steps to drain the fork oil is a very simple process, but does require a special tool to loosen loosen the drain plug nut while at the same time using an allen wrench to hold the center (see photo). The fork drain tool is available from Joe's Tools. Loosen the nuts, then look out!

Front Fork Removal

The front wheel and forks were the last items removed from the motorcycle. I kept them as one unit, upright, until I was ready to drain the oil from the forks. When I finally removed the front wheel, I placed the axle back into the forks to keep track of the parts and also hold the forks steady.

I still kept the forks at a slight angle so the oil wouldn't leak out of the top. Then, I removed the two white dust caps at the bottom of the forks and followed the steps in Duane Ausherman's article to drain the oil.