The "what have you done to your R65?" thread.

[Deleted User 287]

Steve,

Are you saying you had to adjust the jetting in your flat-tops for the later heads? This is important to me now, because I am getting ready to get back out on the road this year - with a new (to me) '81 engine, but I am still using my '79 carbs.
For the record, I am keeping stock exhaust - and intake.

Does your new handle have anything to do with the red-line LED on the early R65 tachometers?

[Rev Light]

Remember I have comical airfilters and different silencers.

But I would give it some thought when the time comes, especially if you start experiencing problems.

I am also aware that jetting is slightly different in the US of A anyway, according to the Haynes 'book of lies and half truths'. Might be because to crap that you are forced to put in your tanks....sorry 'gas'.

And yes the Rev Light saga still stings......

[Hunsta]

So if I wanted to have the heads redone on my R65, what work is actually carried out to the heads? And if doing this, is there any other part that should be done at the same time? I do have good compression. Wet and dry.

[Rev Light]

My heads were knackered as they had done 94,000 miles on the same set of valves and one of them had a really knackered exhaust thread. The nut rattled off! + Broken fins. Unleaded conversion had never been done - but did it need it?

I was going to have them repaired, but was offered a set of refurbished post 81 heads with the unleaded conversion done on them. Seemed churlish to refuse as they were not far off the price of the repairs to the originals and I got an extra 5 horses.

1. Valves will need replacing at some point - recomendations vary from 30,000 (by those trying to scare you and drum up business) to 60 or 80,000 for an r65. The fact that mine had done 94,000 miles is neither here nor there. My R100 has 89,000 miles on it, so I should be thinking of refurbishing those heads.

2. Unleaded conversion - Again some bikes just seem to get away with not having it done. Others do not.

Cheers

[Hunsta]

Yes well my R65 has dont 148,000km`s (92,000 miles) although on inspection 2 years ago all valves were seating nicely I was told, but Im sure it could stand a freshening. I assume if I have them done it would be wise to have the unleaded update so to speak done? It seems to run fine on the unleaded.