Now I can see why people love the Super B, once you get the hang of it.

I have an old SU carb and manifold that I am tempted to try, but I know it won't run as well as the S&S. I knew a felow with a foot clutch Pan, and he was the only person who could ride it. The shifter gate on the tank was pretty neat, in reality, the whole bike was pretty awesome. 1964 Pan police bike, unmolested, and all the cop stuff was on it, and it all worked. Even the lights and siren. He used to love pulling up behind me and flashing the red lights. I pulled over every time, and he would roll by laughing.

[QUOTE=John Holmes III;1315830]I have a '86 Sporty with a single S&S Super E carb, that once jetted right, is bulletproof. It also has chain drive, so I can do a roadside repair, unlike belt drives that require removal of many more parts to service.

Beemers, with dual Bing carbs, need a deft touch and much love in order to keep running right. I should know, I also have a mid '60s R50/2. Right now I am thinking about doing a oil slinger service. Which is really a lower end rebuild. That's what happens when BMW makes a bike without a oil filter.


when i was riding my bmw regularly it was no trick to start. tickle them a bit, then give oneekick and off you go.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

this is like the one i own, so far very dependable and really fast!! same engine as the kawasaki ninja

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If you're considering the ural, you might enjoy this write-up; quality may have improved since the 2000 that John Holmes III owned:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174014

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81 300SD
08 MDX Tech
93 525i

05 F650GS

So you're comparing a mid 60's BMW with an '86 Sproty? Apples and oranges maybe.
How many Sportys have you seen (or any other Harley) with well over 100,000 miles on the clock? Now compare that number with how many BMWs you have seen?

Harley's have come a long way and actually jumped light years ahead with the release of the Evo. Light years ahead of the ironhead that is. As far as modern day motorcycles the a Harley is still a little below average as far as maintenance, reliability, and endurance. The BMW, far above.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

in 72, there was nothing close to the quality of the beemer. the shaft drive was incomparable.

you have not felt fear until you have had the experience of a chain breaking on a bike at speed.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yamaha XS650

I'm sure I've seen more H-D's than BMW's with over 100K. But I've seen an order of magnitude more H-D's in general than BMW's, so it's not a fair comparison at all.

I'm fairly sure that mine had gone well over 100K miles, but as it lacked an odometer (much less the original odometer), it's impossible to say for sure.

Your HD may have over 100k but how many times has it been rebuilt?

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

A fair question, and a distinction. More than once.

However, rebuilding the old H-D engine is easy and not expensive. I can find dozens of sets of pistons and cylinders in stock at various resellers in St. Louis. That goes for any other part of the bike as well. Sometimes popularity doesn't hurt.

My dad has a 1979 R65, and it has had issues with stripped driveshaft splines, rocker arm noise/wear, carb synchronization, poor brakes, speedometer issues, and electrical issues(diode board). These are common to most airhead Beemers, not just the R65.

At least a Evo Sporty can be rebuilt many times over, and don't have the above issues. They have problems, but you can almost always get home. If you lose the chain on the road, just use the master link that should be in all toolkits and you are on your way. Try that with a BMW that grenades the driveshaft. Harleys' have reliable roller hydraulic valve lifters, much less maintenance than on a BMW. A new USA made petcock for the Sporty costs around forty dollars, try buying one for a BMW for that price. BMW uses a wimpy single roller chain to drive the camshaft, Harley uses a gear drive system that will never break. Harley uses a automotive style spin on oil filter that couldn't be easier to change. BMW uses a complicated canister oil filter that is very prone to leaks. I can change the air filter on a Sporty in five minutes, on a airhead Beemer plan on spending half an hour, at least, while you remove covers, air tubes and choke cables. If my dad had to pay labor for all of these common BMW maladies, he would have spent more than the bike is worth, but he loves it. Go figure.

Chains that are aligned, inspected and lubed on a regular basis, with a correctly placed master link don't usually fail at speed. I clean mine with kerosene, and then dunk them into a pail of oil over night. When I replace the chain, I also do both sprockets, and use USA made machined parts. Not overseas stamped junk.

none of that is necessary with shaft drive.

i never heard of anybody stripping or otherwise having trouble with beemer shafts. but i am out of the loop these days.

i talked with a fellow who sold beemers for years and serviced them for many years before buying my 72. i asked about the shaft and what trouble they had. he pointed to a shaft hanging on the wall of his shop and said "i bought one 20 years ago to have in case i needed one in an emergency. it still is hanging there. i have never changed one."

hey if you love the harleys go for it.

personally i think justifying a lot of repairs as being good because they are easier to do and the parts are cheaper is kindof odd.

there is an undeniable mystic that surrounds harleys for many folks.

just never saw the attraction myself.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Ok, I agree that Harley bikes in general, need much tinkering. I always thought they were crummy, until I rode a 1976 Superglide my buddy had.

To me, reapairs and chasing parts is half of the fun. That's why I put up with fixing my dads' bike, it's what he likes and I can help him realize his dream.

He owned a 1953 BMW, that he bought new. It was his dailty transportation for years, and it was reliable, like your 1972. The issues with BMW result because they are now old bikes. To be honest with you, a new 1972 BMW would be more reliable than a new 1972 AMF Harley.

yep.

but the amf years are generally acknowledged to be the worst, arent they? and perhaps the best for beemer reliability?

i saw a new bmw boxer the other day. that thing looked really cool.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.