Starter Motor

 On a ride recently my bike started unreliably: there was a "click" from under the tank but no life from the starter motor. In each case I was able to get the bike started after a few attempts and moving it around a bit. I wasn't sure if the problem was the relay or motor itself, but neither has been serviced, ever, so I figured I'd replace both.

I purchased an Arrowhead starter for AUD219. This was less than twice the cost of overhaul parts for the original BOSCH starter. 

Shiny new Arrowhead starter installed.

Replacement was straightforward except for a couple of points. 

• There are two hex head bolts holding the starter in place. The one on the left side of the bike could be turned using a ring spanner, but the housing wouldn't allow this on the right. I had a socket that fitted, but to get access for this I needed to remove the airbox and battery, which was a nuisance. When reassembling it I used an allen key bolt, so this should be avoided next time. 
• There is a bracket on the leading edge of the starter under the timing chain cover. It has 3 bolts, two on the starter and one on the engine. One of the bolts on the starter is impossible to get off while the starter is in place, but the lower bolt, screwing the bracket to the engine, can be accessed using a 10mm socket from the front. 
• The relay I purchased had 4 connections and is appropriate for other functions on airheads, but not necessary on my bike. The correct relay has 5 connections. 
• Care needs to be taken removing the relay with a screwdriver because one of the connections is always live, and so can spark. 
• The crankcase breather hose was perished, clearly visible in the pic, and was replaced. 

LHS Spanner Access

After this was done with the original starter relay in place the bike didn't start, so I swapped in the relay from the other bike and it started sweetly, no problems. So, the problem from the beginning was the relay, not the starter itself. 

Shiny new Arrowhead starter installed.

Second Bike

 In September 2019 I purchased a second R65LS, broadly identical to the first: both red, both with Brembo brakes, both with stainless exhausts, but 1984 rather than 1983 and only 135,000km on the clock. It looked like a good deal, purchased from the mechanic who had maintained it for the last 20 years. It arrived on the back of a truck looking as good as it had in the pictures. 1983 on left, 1984 on right. 

When I went to get it registered the problems started, and they have only recently been properly ironed out. 

First problem was that it wouldn't rev above 4,000 rpm. There were lots of little problems with the carbs, each time I'd reassemble them and hope that the latest minor fix had resolved the problem, but eventually I did a full rebuild. It turned out that the seller's idea of "recently rebuilt carburettors" didn't involve replacing all the O rings or cleaning the main jet holder. Weirdly they had assembled one of the diaphragms rotated: it's surprising that the bike could be tuned at all. 

The image shows that the piston is rotated (the diaphragm is located correctly in the carb body, the problem is that it has been fitted to the piston rotated). 

Riding on the freeway a vibration was setup that suggested a failing wheel bearing, but when I pulled off the road the rear brake came on and locked in place. I'd noticed that the gearshift was in unusually good condition for such an old bike, it had been replaced and somehow part of the original had fallen into the housing of the rear brake pedal, jamming it on. 

Always find the bit you drop!

The engine note changed and then the exhaust flange nut on the LHS cylinder came loose: it had been held on only by one thread and a stack of grease. This was sleeved and rethreaded by an engineer. 

The pin put through the sleeve to the cylinder head is just visible. 

The carburettors were now running but difficult to balance. I had some holes in the header pipes welded over to fix this. 

Keeping two identical bikes is a bit odd, but there are lots of advantages. Obviously I can ride one while the other is off the road for maintenance. And I can swap components to troubleshoot. I have little experience maintaining bikes apart from airhead BMWs, and all my skills are easily transferred between the two LSs. 

I'm now to the point I expected to be a month after the purchase: two bikes, either of which I'd trust to go riding.