Parts For A 1982 R65LS?

[Dr. Curve]

Help. Does anyone know if original mufflers and other parts are still available for a 1982 R65LS? I want to leave a bike up at our house in North Georgia and have found a LS with only 7400 miles on it. The mufflers have started to swell out near the back as rust has built up from the inside and it has a scraped up mirror.........other than that, shes a beaut. Thanks for any insight on parts for this small airhead bike. I have never spent any time on a R65.........were they pretty good little bikes? TIA.

[jweicht]

I managed to put 124k miles on my '82 R65 in nine years - took me and my wife from TX to Nova Scotia to Key West, so I'd say it was a good bike! Except for having to replace the exhaust valves and valve seats due to the classic airhead seat recession problem, never had a major problem with the bike. I replaced the mufflers once also due to rust, but just bought some OEM ones as replacements back in '88 or so. Not sure where else you can find replacements - hopefully you won't have trouble locating some. Congrats - sounds like a good find.

[SCOTTinNJ]

did you try blue moon cycles or bobs bmw?

[roger albert]

Darn, and I jsut got ride of an entire R65 parts bike less than 6 months ago.

They are low powered, but great handling for a beemer of that era. Feel a bit lower and lighter than the others. Nicer fork and triple clamp too. Should be fun buzzing around.

[Rapid Dog]

There is a plethora (I finally got to use that word!) of parts out the Curve dude.
FYI I just saw an R65 cafe racer project bike for sale on the BMWSporTouring site...

[Rapid Dog]

also:

Boxerworks.com
Moto-Bins.com

[Dr. Curve]

RDog......thanks for the tips. I called BMW today and found that they have only three muffler sets left and that I can get a pair (right and left) for about 570 plus shipping. They only have one right side header pipe.... and no left side ones. A lot of parts are no longer made for the LS which was only made for 1982, 83, and 84. It was designed by Hans Muth and does look a bit like the original Suzuki Katana which came out in the fall of 81 as a 1000cc 82 model. I bought the second one sold in Florida and it remains the only Japanese bike I have ever owned.

The LS seems like it might be a nice bike to keep at our cabin in N. Georgia but I have never ridden a R65 of any kind. The one I have found needs a few things but is simply a very small bike, slender, fairly light, and by all accounts fun in the twistys. Thanks for the input from other members on the off subject bike. Curious now if any high performance parts were ever made for these engines. Have any of you ever heard of pistons, cams, or carbs for a R65 that might help it along, so to speak?

[roger albert]

As many have found, MotoBins has not been a bargain for a long time, due to the exchange rate and increased postage as oil has risen. I used to love them, but they are virtually always more expensive now. Good call, 3+ years ago, but very dated tip now.

[bikpaintr]

Staintune still makes a beautiful R65LS replica muffler as well as the headers.
I had a deposit on a new red R65LS in 1983 but had to cancel the order when I feel in love with the new Moto Morini 3.5 Sport that still resides in my garage.
I did take a 250 mile ride on a friends LS one time & aside from the nasty vibration at 4k which they were well known for it was a fun bike. I ran it at 90mph + for several hours from northern Maine to CT. & had a blast. Remember the Luftmeister rubber engine mount kits? These smoothed out the vibes but had a nasty habit of causing the frames to crack between the frt & rear engine mount.

[jdlowery]

I believe some did a head swap with a R80 for a little more power. This move may take away some longevity. I'm still sorting out the suspension of my R65. Fork brace, progressive springs and a set of Ikons are next on the list. I have the standard and not the LS. It's still fun to ride once dialed in. You may want to check out this link: http://www.r65.org/phorum/index.php.