Dogbytes' R80 ST project

Dogbytes

Dogbytes

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This is the my thread concerning the long-threatened rebuild of my R80 ST. Okay it's not a GS ...yet and it's certainly not going to become a 300mm travel desert racer because, fun though it is to ride GS's off-road, I spent most of my time on the road. Anyway certain decisions are yet to be made and advice and suggestions will, I'm sure, influence what happens along the way. Below are a couple of pics. The first in August 2004, shortly after I bought the bike and the next, in September of the same year fitted with a 24 litre tank.
 

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The world turns...

After riding the ST for a couple of years I ended up working in Australia for a year and the bike languished in rainy old Cornwall. Various other projects took up time and resources and the poor old Beemer got neglected. Unlike others, who nobly adopt the results of others' neglect and restore them to their former glory, I can claim this neglect as all my own work! This is it languishing in a mate's factory sometime in 2008.
 

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However, this week...

This week, after a some consideration of which route to take I dragged it out of the garage and started work.
 

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The incredible shrinking bike

Today's progress has been less dramatic but was slowed by the (expected) refusal of the exhaust nuts to come undone. They still haven't. I took the heads off instead.

The basic plan is to turn the ST into, well, a bit of an adventure tourer. It will though be biased more towards the 'Strasse' end of the spectrum than the 'Gelande'. The ST has a 19" front wheel, the standard fork has 175mm of travel and the standard rear strut 153mm. In comparison, I believe an F650 GS has 170/165. Back in 2000 I did one of the first BMW off-road skills courses in Wales and that 650 wasn't bad at all - certainly I don't remember the Dakar version with the 21" wheel and longer travel being significantly better. Certainly not in my hands and it's me I'm building it for. I'd like to have replaced the fork with a modern equivalent - except that I can't find one. Any ideas? I'd considered an F650 front end but can you put twin discs on those? I may just recondition the originals.
 
NA1959 said:
Very interesting report! I liked the ST as an alternative to the GS and to be honest I,d keep,er as she was an ST in RED!

Only my tuppence worth!:augie
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying and it's true that it's a lovely bike to ride. I could go out and buy a used 1150 GS, like the one I used to have, for a lot less than the ST is about to cost me. However I'm not going to - a familiar situation in these pages I imagine. It is also true that, if you put a passenger on it, it really isn't quick enough on motorways. Nor are it's brakes good enough. I could forgive that in a bike I was going to use more off-road but not in this one. I think a sympathetic upgrade would make it more useable without spoiling it.

PS Sorry, there's no WAY it's staying red!:)
 
I had an ST for a few years which I ran as a winter bike alongside my Harley. I also took it on two touring trips of the Alps. It was a great bike that handled bumpy twisty backroads with great ease. Eventually I swapped out the handle bars for those off a GS, fitted the GS sump and bashplate, a set of Avon Distanzia tyres and took it trail riding, whilst it coped ok, I felt it was better suited to the back road tourer/scratcher mode. I sold the bike to a bloke from this site who lived up Alston way, sorry I did, but I needed the cash for other projects.
 
I've not yet met Dogbytes, but I like his style, as Rob states "The R80ST is a very underrated bike"

Also IMHO is the best handling airhead ever !!

FYI......... I only give exhaust nuts one chance with a spanner, Then I split the feckers with a chisel and replace...
Lot cheaper than rethreading a heads exhaust stub......:augie
Whilst heads are off good thing is to replace exhaust valves if they're anywhere near 40k mileage mark....
 
I'm with Proff on this one...

I gave the exhaust nuts their one chance yesterday and they refused to see sense - so I took the heads off, nuts, pipes and all. They will face the cold chisel next week. Engine's out now. I have only to remove the forks and the swing-arm then I can sit on the floor sorting bits into three piles - keepers, sellers and scrap. Next will be a sub-pile, from amongst the 'keepers', which can be bead blasted next week - so that I can see them properly!:)
 
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Nice. :thumb2
this is one (of two) threads i definitely want to keep up with. ;)
 
I'm sure you'll catch up Pete - it's the weekend! Besides I have to source the special tool for driveshaft removal now. It's a pain with most of my tools in High Wycombe - I've been working with the bike's toolkit and my bicycle toolkit this week!
 

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Okay, now I have a starting point.

Frame work starts this week.
 

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Just thinking ahead...

Seats. Don't like the original and, as I have a 1000 G/S 24 litre tank to go back on it - leaving the annoying gap twixt the two, I as wondering if anyone can suggest a good substitute. Presumably if I were to buy a replacement (eg Corbin) ST seat the 'gap' problem would still exist. Would the seat that went with the tank fit on my subframe? If not, then by how much does it differ (given that I'm welding stuff onto it anyway). Easy mod?
 
Ahaaaaaa....

Morning dB...
Thought that I might find this being written up on here..!!!
A good project, I'll follow this one with interest,
(as will the familiar airhead names already on the thread!) :D

The stripdown went well then, even with just bicycle tools...:augie
Regards
C.
 
Rob Farmer "Don't forget to take the VIN plate of first. "
Click to expand...

:thumb2 I second this.. I forgot and the powdercoating process melted/twisted mine into an unreadable piece of scrap! I still havn;t found anywhere that can supply a replacement (even a blank one).
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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