Handlebar mounted MC w/ ATE front end

Bah! I bet you're getting sick of this. I only realized in this round of pictures that you were doing this on a bike with later style HB controls. The only reason I did this whole thing was so that I could retain my /5 HB controls. I really didn't want to lose the aesthetic, and I felt that the Magura MC, while not a real match, looked like it belonged there. If I had a later /6 or newer, I surely would have just gotten an r100 handlebar mounted MC off of Ebay. You'll figure something out.

BMW parts off ebay are running a minimum of $150, need a rebuild (the last couple masters have included descriptions like "piston stuck") and you still need more parts. So add in shipping, the rebuild cost, and other bits and you're fast moving towards the $350 for all new parts through Motobins.

I'm having fun figuring this out. It's a puzzle.

p.s. more amazing is that people are asking $150 for under tank masters in need of rebuilding. :huh

Hi Knary,

Ever figure out a way to fit a Magura MC around a later /6 throttle/switch housing? Think I'm stuck at the same place you were.

Rotating the switch to position the throttle cables aft of the MC makes the turn signal switch nearly impossible to reach. Putting the cables ahead of the MC puts the brake lever up against the throttle housing and requires that the MC be mounted further inboard on the bars, making lever alignment (with repect to the grip) even worse.

Hoping to hear you've solved this riddle.

Thanks.

Dave

Not yet but I've been sidelined with other things.

I'm thinking about how to mod or replace the under tank MC on my /7 so I get better function, but it'll still look the same.

Like resurrecting the Punk's Bike. That's a project and a half!

Thanks.

Dave

That's easy - just replace your right hand perch with one that took a bar mount master. There are three styles though, and only two will work for you. The odd one is the 100GS and R that took a K style mastercylinder and switches.

The 81-4 airheads had one throttle cable coming from the controls where the rest of them had dual pull.

Nah... I want to replace the under tank MC with a different bore size MC so it works better, but still looks the same.

"But this amp is SPECIAL, it goes up to ELEVEN!"

Hey knary, i was thinking about doing the same thing but i'm giving it some serious thought and may no longer do it. Btw, that nissin master cylinder comes as OEM equipment on the sv650s and if you look hard enought you can find them used in great shape for about $50.

Dave or Knary,

Any new ideas about this? I'm looking at that $397.00 price tag for a new master cylinder (mine is rusted onto a /6), and wondering if you guys had any luck...

Hey gP,

I ended up using the Magura MC with the dual-cable throttle housing that belongs on the later /6s.

The problem was the "nose" through which the throttle cables exit was interfering with the MC.

Rotating the throttle housing backwards (CCW) and keeping the cables aft of the MC put the blinker switches too far down and out of reach for my thumb. Plus the lever was too high.

Rotating the throttle house forward and putting the cables to the fore of the MC was OK in terms of the blinker switches, but the lever was too low and the shape of the throttle housing forced the MC to be mounted too far inboard (the place where the lever pivots was hitting the throttle housing). So I ground off (what I think ) are non-critical pieces of the lever pivot area and throttle housing to make them fit as close together as possible. Placement isn't perfect, bit I can live with it.

Brakes work fine. Lever is chrome instead of black and a bit shorter than the clutch cable on the other side. Not stock, but I saved the original pieces if I ever want to go back.

Will try to remember to send pix tonight.

I've got brakes!

Big Thanks to Johnny Cash for the inspiration to do this. I went with the Magura Series 225 13mm MC. Cost $87 from Amazon. A local bloke made up the hose for $70. Here's the result (please excuse dangling wires - I'm at the tail end of a refurb)



Only problem I had was finding sufficient room on the euro bars. My solution was to lathe up some bar extensions - friction fit into the bar ID and glued in with green Loctite. These were drilled and tapped for bar end mirrors. I like having the extra leverage on the bars, and the bonus is that there is less elbow visible in the mirrors.



Improvement in feel and braking performance is startling. Two finger braking does better than the previous 'grab a handful and pray' action.

I love this brake. Please accept more thanks, JC.

^Hey thanks for thanking me. I'm glad that I've been able to help someone else on here. For the most part on here, I feel like I've taken a lot and contributed little. I like your bar end extensions, and may try that myself on the Guzzi I'm working on. It's got some really nice clip on bars, which unfortunately are about an inch too short to get my controls onto.

Hey everyone --

Thanks for this thread - i just hooked up the brake m/c and bled the system. I would love to try it out but since its raining i may as well take a shot at hooking up the front brake switch.

Unfortunately the bike came to me without a front brake switch to begin with, so i have no idea where to connect it in the electrical system to work.

Can anyone help me out and find the place to wire in teh front brake switch?

this is for a 1974 R90/6.

edit: ok i think i found a wiring diagram that indicates the connectors are in the headlight bucket:

http://www.checkas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/02c00bf4530f8b4e39dc556764469448-1339227002.jpg

so now my question is, how to i get inside the headlight bucket? does the whole thing need to be removed at the ears?

No, just split the headlamp bezel from the bucket. Not sure how it comes apart on a /6, but on the /5 it is just held in by spring tabs, which are usually enough to keep it from falling out.

Yeah, figured it all out.

Everything is working great, although its been raining here so haven't taken it to teh highway. Braking is very much improved, easily locking the front wheel at street speed.


r90mc by nilsey, on Flickr

I see the spacer! Sweet set-up!! I have clip-ons now, but might end up hating them. Thinking ahead to the handlebar that might work for me. I tried an RS bar but it bangs into the gas tank at full lock (actually the controls hit before the steering stops hit). Nice work, Cash.

Hey JonnyCash and fellow inmates, thanks for all the great info on this thread. Me and my 16 yr. old son have made some good progress on his grandfather's (my dad's) old R90/6. Got it running last Friday and rode it around the block! My son put a video on his facebook. Have not made many pics but believe me when I say it is in ROUGH condition. Been sitting in the dirt in a barn for 30 years! Will do the handlebar MC soon. Will be asking lots of questions.

It seems this thread should be moved to airheads. ???

^Doesn't matter to me, I look at both! Good for you and your son on the R90/6!