Monday, May 9
I rode out on Brigitta, my '87 R80 Beemer, just for a short run to get some stuff from the VRRV at the storage yard. All was well until I was on Arapahoe Road heading home. Then, I went to engage the clutch lever and there was a pop and then no resistance! Yep, the end of the cable had snapped at the lever.
I was able to get within one mile of home before I could go no further without being able to engage the clutch. So I parked Brigitta at the corner and started walking down the hill towards home after crossing the busy intersection of Smoky Hill Road and Himalaya Road.
About a block down, it occurred to me that since I was walking downhill, that I could easily coast downhill with Brigitta! So I walked back to her, pushed her across Smoky Hill Road at the pedestrian crossing, then mounted and rode her down the hill.
Got within a half block or so of the house before she lost all momentum, then I pushed her a bit closer before getting Patrick (Thing One) to come out and help me push Brigitta onto the cul-de-sac and into the garage.
I had a spare clutch cable at home fortunately, so I mounted it after using the old clutch cable as a routing guide. Got the ends connected; then realized something:
Note, in the picture above, the small grey cap that is the end of the new clutch cable. (red arrow). This bit is apparently called the nipple.
Seems to be a lot of room inside that cavity huh? It had also been a remarkably short interval since I last changed out the clutch cable. (Less than 3000 miles).
I suspect, that I didn't realize that what BMW calls a Nipple Holder, is what you mount the end of the clutch cable to, then you insert the nipple holder onto that round cavity under the clutch lever! Doh!
Nipple Holder
I ordered the parts (replacement clutch cable for spare and two nipple holders) and they came in today and Brigitta is whole once again.
Yesterday, May 11, Wednesday.
I drove the Sammy about 7 of the 8 hours it took to go and wander about the camping sites along Rampart Range Road, in the Rampart Range Riding Area. The driving was a combination of highway, surface and dirt road driving. Lots of slow driving from one campsite to the next, checking each out for future usage.
The view from the Cabin Ridge Picnic Area
I believe this is near the junction of Rampart Range Rd
and Forest Road 507
After returning from the Rampart Range Riding Area, I detoured to Bee Rock for pics:
I would end up returning home via US85 to Castle Rock, then the Crowfoot Parkway to Parker and "enjoy" the stop and go traffic of Parker to Lincoln Avenue and thence homewards via Inspiration Drive and Gartrell Road.
I'm happy to report no issues with the oil pressure gauge leaking at the fitting anymore (I'd tightened it slightly). It also had no coolant issues even in heavy stop and go traffic with the outside temperature approaching 90 degrees!
I did see the temperature gauge's needle, reach the 3/4 mark on the gauge and a bit beyond three times during the drive. Each time, the gauge's needle would, after a few seconds, then start to move back towards the middle of the gauge.
After a conversation with RichardM, he suggested perhaps there's air in the coolant system, causing the gauge's behavior but that as long as it drops each time, all should be well.
The Sammy's oil level was about a quart low once I got home (yep, she continues to burn oil) so I topped it off. The oil pressure gauge never fluctuated so it appears the oil level has to be more than one quart low before it'll affect the oil pressure gauge. Good info for me to know. RichardM explained to me that when you see the oil level on the dipstick below the low mark, that means the engine is about a quart low.
Later in the evening, a couple of cheap sun visors I'd ordered from Ebay from a vendor in India arrived. The finish was "meh" and I had to adjust the placement placement of the mounting holes for the visor to align correctly. I guess that's what you get when you go cheap.
Still, the Sammy's got visors now, no more starting into the sun in the early morning or late afternoon.
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