I moved to Namibia from Italy in December 2007 and I was looking for a R80G/S for a long time...
Finally I found one in Cape Town and the bike arrived in Windhoek 5 weeks ago!
I could not see the bike myself but a friend of the WD forum did verify for me that the bike was in running condition...
This is the bike just before leaving SA
This pics show the condition of the bike
Off course a 28 year old bike has done it's job but I thought that she deserved a restoration!
Especially because I'm planning to ride a lot true the Namibian scenic roads and I need a reliable bike.
Therefore I got in touch with Roger, a German guy that has a bike tour company and drives GS in Namiba for the past 20 years.
He was willing to help me to get the R80 back to his splendour.
We decided to sand blast all the frame, and anodize all the other crucial parts (leavers, battery holder, bolts..).
While waiting for the frame and the parts to be ready to paint we got the saddle redone in original Namibian leather
For the colour scheme did follow the design prepared with photoshop, off course I got a lot of inspiration by the HPN and Dakar bikes of the 80's.
Now it's paint time!
At this point we could start to reassemble the old and NEW parts
Got also a new ceramic clutch :biggrin:
Tires on...
At this point I'm waiting a box from SIEBENROCK containing:
- Gaskets, timing chain and other minor parts
- PowerKit 1000cc
The now almost legendary 1000 cubic conversion kit for all R 80 models from 1981-up. The most striking feature is enhanced performance
from 50 to 60 hp for G/S, GS and ST or even to 64 hp for the R 80 road models. It also delivers a significant increase in
torque: from the original 57 to an impressive 72 Nm over the entire torque range without the „gap“ between 4,000 and 5,000 RPM
which is typical of BMW. Almost wear-free Nikasil coated cylinders in conjunction with 150g lighter forged pistons ensure unprecedented
quiet running. The special piston shape permits the original cylinder head to be re-used. Shipping contents: cylinder,
pistons, piston rings and piston pins, together with a TÜV certificate and mounting instructions.
- Oil Cooler Kit
Always be on the safe side when it comes to motor lubrication: the oil cooler kit was
assembled for R 80 GS models.
more to come...
Finally I found one in Cape Town and the bike arrived in Windhoek 5 weeks ago!
I could not see the bike myself but a friend of the WD forum did verify for me that the bike was in running condition...
This is the bike just before leaving SA
This pics show the condition of the bike
Off course a 28 year old bike has done it's job but I thought that she deserved a restoration!
Especially because I'm planning to ride a lot true the Namibian scenic roads and I need a reliable bike.
Therefore I got in touch with Roger, a German guy that has a bike tour company and drives GS in Namiba for the past 20 years.
He was willing to help me to get the R80 back to his splendour.
We decided to sand blast all the frame, and anodize all the other crucial parts (leavers, battery holder, bolts..).
While waiting for the frame and the parts to be ready to paint we got the saddle redone in original Namibian leather
For the colour scheme did follow the design prepared with photoshop, off course I got a lot of inspiration by the HPN and Dakar bikes of the 80's.
Now it's paint time!
At this point we could start to reassemble the old and NEW parts
Got also a new ceramic clutch :biggrin:
Tires on...
At this point I'm waiting a box from SIEBENROCK containing:
- Gaskets, timing chain and other minor parts
- PowerKit 1000cc
The now almost legendary 1000 cubic conversion kit for all R 80 models from 1981-up. The most striking feature is enhanced performance
from 50 to 60 hp for G/S, GS and ST or even to 64 hp for the R 80 road models. It also delivers a significant increase in
torque: from the original 57 to an impressive 72 Nm over the entire torque range without the „gap“ between 4,000 and 5,000 RPM
which is typical of BMW. Almost wear-free Nikasil coated cylinders in conjunction with 150g lighter forged pistons ensure unprecedented
quiet running. The special piston shape permits the original cylinder head to be re-used. Shipping contents: cylinder,
pistons, piston rings and piston pins, together with a TÜV certificate and mounting instructions.
- Oil Cooler Kit
Always be on the safe side when it comes to motor lubrication: the oil cooler kit was
assembled for R 80 GS models.
more to come...
