At long last, my new fuel sending unit and fuel pump have arrived and are installed in the tank. And I'm happy to report that the bike starts, idles, and revs like a brand new bike!!! I thought I'd have to send the fuel injectors out to be cleaned, but perhaps not, now that I see how well it runs. Sort of amazing to me since it sat for so many years.
Some thoughts after my first test ride are that this machine runs and rides amazingly well. Now I get why these bricks have such a loyal following!!! I'm impressed by 1. The utter smoothness of the engine, which I've heard many describe as sewing machine smooth - and am happily attest to myself now, B, the transmission, which shifts as smooth as butter - making my 30 year old newer Victory Vegas seem like a clunky 18 wheeler transmission in comparison, not to mention, III, the suspension, which soaks up bumps so really well, even with rock hard old tires that have a tendency to follow grooves in the road. And all that on a 30 year old base model BMW. It just goes to show you how well these bikes were engineered and built in the first place. Now on to the down side of things, lest you think I'm starting to sound like a commercial for used BMW motorcycles. After riding a belt driven cruiser for the last decade, this machine feels pretty darned tall and I find it easy to unsettle the bike from front to rear when going around corners and changing speeds due to the bikes suspension and shaft drive qualities. Also, while the brakes appear to be working as intended, it definitely takes a good pull on the front lever in addition to the rear one in order to slow it down even from relatively slow city street speeds. And lastly, while not really a fault of the bike itself, I find the peg position to be a bit tight for my liking. All in all, though, I could easily see this bike serving as an everyday commuter and weekend blaster for my particular comfort and tastes.
Next step before riding it much more is to get new tires on it and lube the rear splines. :2thumbup: