BMW F800R recommission!

[Taipan]

I parked the F8R up last year sometime and then used it for 2 days in February in torrential rain, so its got even filthier and has been shamefully left ever since. So today I decided I'd start cleaning it and eventually get it up for sale. As you can see its smothered in cobwebs and road dirt tc. So I've soaked it in paraffin (looks half shiny!) and will start the cleaning procedure by washing it when I get back from my mornings exercise. I think it's going to need things like the belly pan and that rear wheel cover thing removed to make a half decent job of it. Still i've got nothing better to do so will crack on with it albeit slowly.

[weeksy]

Enjoy!!

[Taipan]

well it was going along well and then I thought those tank pads look awful and would look better without them, so I peeled them off,only to find it took the paint with it! A duplicate one has been ordered and will be stuck on in the exact same place!



Apart from that the old girl has cleaned up really well. I need some Harpic for the exhaust and I have to remove the belly pan to get at the engine to clean that, but I've finished for today.

Here she is hooked up to the optimate and in shade as well as sun but you can almost see how much better it looks already. Oh and I fitted the 8x6 black back number plate.

[Taipan]

Cover me boys, I'm going in!

[Taipan]

Not finished as it got too hot to bother with, but this was the first effort. It's a wd40 wipe over and i'll need to see how it drys out overnight, but things like fastners are now shiny etc. Good progress anyway...

[Supermofo]

Thats a good advert for BMW finish seeing as how you left it

[Taipan]

Thats a good advert for BMW finish seeing as how you left it

I thought the same thing but when I got it, most of the bike was dulled by some coating which i presumed was that ACF stuff? Wheelsare super shiny now thats gone, in fact the whole bike is looking very clean.

[A_morti]

When I sold my f650gs it'd been sat outside near the sea for a year and barely been used (small child).

It took some cleaning and a bit of spray paint on things like the cast alloy swingarm adjuster plates, but it cleaned up really well. The dull zinc plating they use on a lot of their fasteners seem really durable, and stainless screws on the fairings are a winner.

[Taipan]

I've cleaned spaces and crevices I never knew the bike had! I've even cleaned inside the belly pan! Still waiting for the tank protector to turn up, but it'll be getting a polish and wax tomorrow then up for sale. Really pleased with how it scrubbed up. I don't really want to ride it as I do like this bike a lot and don't want to end up back in love with it, but I need to ride it to check all the brakes work okay and burn off any oil from the exhaust.

[weeksy]

Easy isn't it. There's no secret to keeping things nice, just a bit of effort

[Taipan]

Easy isn't it. There's no secret to keeping things nice, just a bit of effort

It's why I don't like having nice bikes, as they are nothing more a commuter hack to me and get ridden all year round. Its soul destroying to clean them up so they are all shiny, then ride them in shite weather and they are filthy within miles again.

[Skub]

It's why I don't like having nice bikes, as they are nothing more a commuter hack to me and get ridden all year round. Its soul destroying to clean them up so they are all shiny, then ride them in shite weather and they are filthy within miles again.

I used to get around that by buying a Honda for Winter use,that way I get a certain amount of pleasure watching the bastard rot.

[Supermofo]

Top work. Just don't mention this forum so they can see the before pics

Looks smart mate, as I said a good statement for BMW as most people find their finish below par from what I've read.

[hilldweller]

Looks smart mate, as I said a good statement for BMW as most people find their finish below par from what I've read.

I was thinking that. My only BMW an F650SC single, I gave it a good washing and nearly all the paint came off the crank cases leaving a white powder like coating. Luckily spray silver paint was a very good match. Shame really it was a very solid motor. The electric connectors were not make for the UK, I spent hours cleaning the cheap tin plate connectors.

[Taipan]

It was smothered in some sort of coating (ACF?) which has done its job well. There is some scabbing under the coatings in places and the sump has flaked off completely (common fault), but yes, the best condition BMW i've owned for sure.

[Nidge]

You’ve worked hard there PieTin, and as I look at the picture of it standing there all shiny, I can’t help but think “ FFS cover it back up in the cobwebs and shit and hide it”

[Taipan]

Parked up awaiting its nw owner, assuming there is one out there...

[Supermofo]

Good luck with the sale

[the_priest]

I tried flogging my NC700 last month and all I got was stupid offers. So I've stuck it in the garage, insured it for another year and will think about it!

[Taipan]

I tried flogging my NC700 last month and all I got was stupid offers. So I've stuck it in the garage, insured it for another year and will think about it!

Had the same last year when I tried to sell it, but it was going into winter. So I thought i'll park it until spring and the start of the biking season and try and get maximum price for it. Then covid happened! Having sold literally thousands of vehicles in my lifetime, I know one thing, everything sells - eventually!