My 10cts

[Petrus]

The only way a top tier manfufacture (or any tier) get high quality goods with certainty from China is via significant "investment" in ensuring that happens. It is not a given by a long shot. Normally they would have there own staff on site and involved all the way etc. Anyway, I think we must agree to disagree. Good luck!

We do not disagree im. I know ´they´ have their plants built to their own specs etc. There is no doubt though that quite a lot is produced in China under major brand flag. P.e. some mid to high end Seikos are made in China. The crucial difference is that they will stamp it as made in China whereas the Swiss watch industry still stamps it as Swiss made if a certain % of production cost is incurred in Switzerland.
I have no problem with the Seiko custom.
The problem is when Chinese entrepeneurs use the same plans to produce replicas with lower quality control standards or sub spec materials.

Case in point is my rubber pads. I think the rubber is not the same.
Other case in point is the heel shift pedal I bought. That one is good. Fit and finish is simply ok.

Concerning our R18s btw there are quite a few German brand fans whom are displeased with BMW outsourcing parts. Like crankshafts for the superbikes are made in Berlin but those for the R18s are outsourced. As the outsourcing is to a proper specialist and specs are BMW q.c. I think it may actually be bétter than in house.

A very good example of the obtuse manufacturing sources is brake calipers. Just about NO manufacturer, whether car or bike produces those in house and often the calipers are surced from more than one supplier and some wíll come from Chinese subsidiaries. It does not matter as long as it is OEM quality control spec. And that is for brákes!

Staying on the latter subject, I have ordered OEM rear brake pads from BMW even though there are alternatives at half price probably coming from the same production line. It being brake pads I am prepared to pay the uplift for the assurance of OEM q.c.

 

[Red64]

The only way a top tier manfufacture (or any tier) get high quality goods with certainty from China is via significant "investment" in ensuring that happens. It is not a given by a long shot. Normally they would have there own staff on site and involved all the way etc. Anyway, I think we must agree to disagree. Good luck!

Actually you get the quality you pay for irrespective of where the product is manufactured. When buying cheap alternatives there is always a reason for them being cheap. Sometimes they may even be rejects from the "real" production line. In a previous life I worked for a German company and we produced products in china. If you pay for the quality then you get the same as what we produced in other locations around the world. I now work for a Chinese company and we have different product price points. and the quality expectations change based on the price point. I have a major German brand as a customer and they have very high expectations of quality and so the price reflects the extra testing and reject rate. we offer almost an identical product to low cost brands and unless you know what to look for it is difficult to tell the difference. but the quality is certainly at a different level.

As we always used to say when defining new products there are there criteria to any product development.
1. Fast development and manufacturing.
2. High Quality
3. Low Cost

however you can not have all three in one product

Just speaking from experience

 

[Petrus]

Just speaking from experience

I have been an ISO9000 consultant for years and both quality and vfm are rather a bit more flexible than ´you get what you pay for´. I mean look at HDs vs the R18

Lower cost is in our globalised manufacturing world also just about disconnected from quality.

And lastly there is marketing throwing spanners in the workss, Look at acrylic vs crystal vs sapphire. The latter is only more scratch resistant but in all other aspects nót the better window material for watches. Because of marketing it does add more price margin than cost...

 

[emgarciax]

Because I like it só much; the R18 with a bull of an engine in front of the Miura ganaderia entrance; spanish fighting bulls per excellenace.

View attachment 18646

The inspiration for one of the mostly beautiful cars ever crafted.
Great picture, by the way.

 

[Petrus]

Curious how much ´key off´ current is used.
Had not used the bike for two weeks and put the charger on the jump start points. To my surprise it was about 75%. Mind, that is with alarm off.
Menos mal that the jump start points are such a doddle for charging.

Meanwhile the maintenance stuff is getting up here in the mountains. The Kern-Stabi should be at the pick up point.
No hurry btw as have some kms to go.

 

[Petrus]

Ooops.
For all masochists:
Turns out that if you like your head being bitten off in German then mention charging the battery using the jump start points over there. It can cause the bike to go up in flames, fry the electronics and cook the battery.
Danke.
As my charger says it´s intelligent, I will keep risking it

 

[BAD MIKE USA]

I agree, the jump start points are a convenient place to directly connect to the battery with a charger and bypass the sensitive electronics.

 

[Petrus]

Just the Kern-Stabi is ?????
Since moving to the new address, in 1.5 years two times DHL both times gone wrong.
First time package ended up sent back to seller.
This one is still in limbo. Have contacted DHL three times now but it is a challenge to get through and then they respond with a non answer and a case number I can nowhere follow up.


For the rest all went smoothly and waiting for me to put some more kms on the bike to service distance.

 

[Petrus]

The sidecar idea is still burning on the backburner.
Over here the actual physical/technical bit is not the challenge; the paperwork to have it legal on the road is and thén some.
I have an independent cár garage at 50 meters, just the other side of the bridge. The owner and only mechanic is a very customer friendly young bloke.
His plaque on the outside also lists he is certified for motorcycles!!
Thus I asked him and no he does not do motorbikes anymore but yes is still legally certified and yes he will happily fill in/sign the official model form I need for tech inspection provided Í do the work.

In the next village up the road is a garage whom specialises in vehicle electrics/electronics. Have not asked them yet but if I buy them the hex-ezcan the sidecar electrics will not be an issue either.

For the processing of the óther paperwork and the ´proyecto´ I have asked a quote from a specialits in that. It is all bs but without, dealing with the other involved parties will be like pissing into the wind and ´homo sapiens non urinat en ventum´.

p.s. have recieved answer on the red tape question. It is quite costly tape

 

[Petrus]

Found vintage Jawa/Velorex combination manuals which provide data to calculate the set up basics for my R18. Lean and toe in are not an issue, the lead of the sidecar wheel is.
68.1-inch wheelbase, trail 5.9 inches is tricky.

Another non-detail is thetyre of the sidecar wheel: The ground clearance of the Velorex is significantly more than that of the R18. This offers quite a bit of flexibility in the tyre size while maintaining the advantage in left handed corners. It means a wider one, more befitting the R18 can be mounted. This has the added advantage of a higher load and speed rating; 60S means 250 kg and 180 km/h as max.
The max load capacity of the R18 itself is more of an issue. That is only 215 kgs so with the sidecar attached it will loose the passanger capacity and thus still only be rated to two persons. The driver and one in the chair.

Found a local supplier of lead ballast weights: Bricks of 12-13 kgs. Three should be enough.

 

[Petrus]

Between on/off rainy days and charming having broken a leg, not used the R!8

Lots of time to read so dug out all my docs on sidecars ánd scoured the web: One hás to love these crazy things. If anything it is amazing that in these times of Big Brother imposing nanny states they still are allowed
There is nó engineering handbooks covering the concept. Only enthusiasts sharing experience based info.

The origins are an 1800s competition in a French cycling magazine about the best idea to take the lady passenger along. In a wicker chair mounted at the side won. Direct drive, no speed the lunatic geometry was a non issue.
When a few decades later intrepid hobbyistst mounted an engine into the bicycle frame the side chair was completely established and nobody gave anything a second thought so we now had mótercycles with sidecar.
Over here in Europe the concept was a popular way of transport till mid sixties. Literally popular because it was exclusively for the populus, the blue collar working class. As such the law coud not be bothered.

Come those sixties and increased incomes meet cheap family cars thus motorcycle popularity wanes and sidecars become all but extinct in Western Europe.
A sign of these times is BMW, formerly THÉ sidecar brand, per 1969 no longer allowing sidecars to be fitted to their new models.
Behind the ´Iron Cutain´ the sidecar keeps thriving. The Ural/Dnepr brand because of military needs and a dozen of light 2-stroke propelled brands for the working class.
Fast forward to the fall of the wall and the eastern block two stroke manufacturers go belly up instantly.

Enter the réally dark ages for the sidecar. During all of the nineties the concept is on life support with just a few die hard enthusiast. It is not untill well into the second decennium of the current century that enough enthusiasts see a very timid rebirth.
Meanwhile just about no models allow easy mounting without a subframe so the cost of a combination is higher than that of a nice car. The only exception being Royal Enfield. Because of price HD is not an exception, more underlining the issue.
Imo it is thát, the near extinction, which has saved the concept from being prohibited under the ruse of for our own safety.

But, but, what about Ural/Dnepr?! Ah, that is if anything a perfect representation of the above.
When the wall fell, all changed for them too. Initially military demand kept them going but come 21st c. this too had waned and weirdly enough demand from wéstern enthusiasts kept it alive!! In fact the production was revamped by Austrian consultants.
The Russian invasion of the Krim and later Ukraine meant that the ´production´ had to be relocated to Kazachstan. Production between brackets because we are now hardly counting double digits.

Meanwhile in the rest of the world, in India and China look bright for the concept. In India because of being affordable transport and in China... well, probably because it is a húge and diverse market.

Come post Covid and agaín we get a changed market in Europe.
The initial sales boom of the R18 is imo an illustration of the general revival of motorcycle nostalgia including sidecars. Mind, only a rudimentary market but sidecars are back.
A striking aspect is that there is a romantic angle to them. They are hired for weddings and commercials. Both increasing the public acceptance big time. For some wierd psychology the sidecar is not perceived as a biker thing but instead lowers thresholds. Never mind it being a technical anachronism.

And in 2020 BMW release the R18 which doés have a frame suiteable for mounting a sidecar.

 

[Petrus]

Charming company does nót have osteoporosis. After 5 week cast was removed and X-ray showed a healed bone so a caution about putting weight on it was given but that´s it.
Yesterday we went for a ride on the R18.
I needed to readjust to the weight of the thing more than charming to being the package
Lovely ride and mán do I love that reverse gear; it just about takes the worry out of parking.

 

[emgarciax]

That's good news to end the year on a positive note.

 

[LBV]

mán do I love that reverse gear; it just about takes the worry out of parking.

I just wish they'd have not made it so jumpy/quick ... trying to reverse and turn at the same time is extra tricky.

 

[AussieR18]

a sidestep:

I have long been and still am a Moto Guzzi fan.
The brand has an incredible racing history. Even build their own wind tunnel on the factory premises. The factory is still on the same site, wind tunnel and all.
Anyway, the link to the BMW R18 is the ´California´ model. It saw the light in 1971 for the L.A.P.D. Basically the Moto Guzzi cruiser. It and subsequent models sold quite well to various US police forces.

View attachment 18938

The last version was the Moto Guzzi MGX21 Flying Fortress a 1400 V twin bagger launched in 2017. Unlike the more versatile earlier Californians, the Flying Fortress was a bagger aimed at the US market. Arguably the best on the market. Certainly the best handling and with the shaft drive most practical. But surprise! Despite the US police heritage the Americans stuck with HD; period. In 2021 Piaggio gave up on the cruiser concept terminating the Californian line. Rather striking that decision by the inventor of the Vespa scooter no?! And next BMW come with their bagger and tc... Nuff said.
For those who are not familiar, the T3 Californian is the jewel of the family. It has the racing developed Lino Tonti frame and a bomb proof engine. They are still quite easily to find at reasonable prices.
Another R18 link is the exhaust type the factory fitted to most street bikes. Here a 1953 Airone:

View attachment 18937

Mate, I've owned several Moto Guzzis from Lemans, Californians and 1100 Sport. Was interested in the 1400cc but MG dropped the models. Love the brand because of the history, but now I've lost hope with the small capacity 850 and 1000cc watercooled engines. Whats happened Aprilia to a legendary brand. The 850 could become a classic 850 LeMans but nothing. The 1000cc is ok but expensive in Australia. surely the 1000cc should be able to compete with BMW in 1200-1300cc V-Twin capacity Sport & Touring models with similar capacity. Such a waste of a new engine. Anyhow I have moved from Harleys to currently a BMW R18 Roctane.

 

[Petrus]

Mate, I've owned several Moto Guzzis from Lemans, Californians and 1100 Sport. Was interested in the 1400cc but MG dropped the models. Love the brand because of the history, but now I've lost hope with the small capacity 850 and 1000cc watercooled engines. Whats happened Aprilia to a legendary brand. The 850 could become a classic 850 LeMans but nothing. The 1000cc is ok but expensive in Australia. surely the 1000cc should be able to compete with BMW in 1200-1300cc V-Twin capacity Sport & Touring models with similar capacity. Such a waste of a new engine. Anyhow I have moved from Harleys to currently a BMW R18 Roctane.

If anything it is nothing short of baffling that some manufacturers succeed in meeting modern norms with an air cooled engine. MG has been Piaggio owned for quite some time and their marketing probably identified that there is not enough base for a new air cooled engine. They probably ascertained that better than BMW

Prices... well again marketing but the perspective is that BMW is to all extends and purpose undercutting the market with quite a few models. Even the superbike sales are lagging.

 

[Petrus]

and wubbah stops fitted; does look more neat.

 

[Petrus]

Today again a sunny day sandwiched between some rainey ones so informed charming company thayt we were going for a spin after a bit earlier lunch.

Down to the coast for a quiet drink on the beach. Yes ´on´; there are still a féw chiringuitos actually on the sand.
The A356 is a smoothly swooping joy with well maintained tarmac. Most part we pottered down in 6th at 30 beats per second.
Between Velez and Torre there is a series of roundabouts which seem to be puzzling thus needlessly causing rentention of traffic. This me and I split lanes first time with Bertha.
Is a bit tricky as only two lanes on a none to wide road thus passing between slow moving and oncoming traffic.
A bit of dirt riding at the beach front. As observed today being between wet days so a bit of mud too.

Just before sunset we went back up. What I had not counted on is that the sun goes down a bit earlier on that side as the mountain range we go uo and cross lies between tah sea side and sunset. So what? You ask. Well, it is winter here and the temperature drops like a stone when the great heater in the sky hides.
Beejeezus! The thin loose ´chino´ pants were a silly non protection against the chiling air flow. I had to stop TWÍCE to release the ´ccccóld pee´.

Apart from that a wónderful drive up. The 98 octane does make a difference when thundering up the quite steep inclines.
Now, as I observed earlier, the way the engine barks and pulls when I nail the throttle leaves me not complaning about performance in the least. Over the pass I thus signalled charming to hold on tighter and gave Bertha free reigns. Over 180 km/h my eyes started to water but she kept pulling; 185, 190 and no tailing off. At 195 on the clock I turned the wick down because I could not see enough anymore.
Now this was dówn the pass so says nothing about powah but it does highlight that mine either has a speedometer with more exagerating or has no speed limiter.
Back home charming giggled that her little backpack was trying to take to the sky That we should try again without We should; with better goggles/visor too.

 

[Petrus]

Received the sidepanels from #1 son yesterday. ingers x-ed they fit.

A week of rain forecasted so not riding = time to faff.
First buy a can of matt black spray paint.
Take the engine covers off, tape off, spray and lay asideto dry,
Take the filter box lid off, drop in the Sprint filter.
Modify the lid.
Put is all back together.





.

 

[Petrus]

The cooling saga, next episode.

As written did a top speed ´test´after a spirited drive up the mountains.

From doing full bore to parked up inside just 5 kms. Ambient temp 12 degrees C.
Arriving home, had it ticking over a few minutes while chaming opened the doors and drove inside.
Some 5 minutes after parking put my hand on the chrome valve cover.
Resume: Full bore heated up, time for the engine heat to get to the not riding air cooled heads.
Not 60 degree C. even.
Ergo does not run hot does it?!