PGK's beemer with a big update!

[PGK]

Yay BMW! I like progress.

Do you think you'll be finished in time to come to the show? I might make an effort to get the F4 90% to come down if I have some company.

what/when is the show? I hope to have it done in time for Morton's open house so I can take it down there and show it off. I don't want to eat my own words on the timeline again though, so I would put the outside completion date at 6 months, inside completion date of 2-3 months.

Most of the big stuff is done, so now it's down to the nitty gritty of assembling these various component parts, some new, some old, some borrowed, some stolen, and some half-assed, into some kind of cohesive, ridable and functional motorcycle. The easy stuff is for the most part over and done with. And in the interest of getting it together faster I've compromised on a lot of things that I had wanted to put a lot more work into--I had wanted to make an exhaust from scratch, I had wanted to build up an ignition system, install a stronger starter motor and higher output alternator, put together a triple-disc conversion with tubeless wheels and tires, change the front forks, alter the final drive, install late-model handlebar switches, etc. But, in the interest of not spending my last dime on the project, it will have to grow over time.

So far it has progressed in fits and starts. When the money is there, I don't have any time to work on it. When I have the time to work on it, the money isn't there. In spite of that I think I managed to make some pretty decent, if not quick, progress.

[Beej]

Yeah, wow...that looks incredible!

[PGK]

I scrimped and saved and managed to get together the $15 for a timing chain. I also brought everything, all of the parts of the bike, home.



Timing chains on these bikes are generally considered a wear item, and they tend to start getting noisy around 30-40k miles. The thing of it is, they tend to wear faster when the bikes are babied. If they are ridden hard, i.e. kept above 4k rpms, they don't wear as fast.



I started by installing the alternator rotor.

Then I installed the master link by using the old master link to hold the chain together.





The master link is on the right, just engaging the gear teeth on the camshaft sprocket.

Then, I adjusted the valves and rocker arm end play, so I could turn the motor over and know for sure that the valves won't hit the pistons.




And they didn't. It turns over smoothly, no crunches, everything is perfect.
Heres a picture of an exhaust valve closed:

and an exhaust valve opened:

To give some idea of the lift. Compared to some motors, it's not a lot. But bear in mind that BMW's are very gently tuned when stock--This is twice the stock valve lift. This is one of the most comprehensive BMW motor builds anyone in my shop has seen, and it is still nowhere near the limit of streetability.

This picture didn't come out that great, but you can just make out the valve seat and valve. It's neat looking down the ports like this while I'm turning the motor over....I can see the intake valve opening just as the exhaust valve approaches its seat.