Hello all,

Haven't been rambling through these forums as much as usual lately due to the fact my bike finally came out of the shop since I first bought it. I've spent the last week and a half getting to know my '76 R60/6 and have been doing a good bit of re-breaking in.

Something that has amazed me is the difference in the performance with the different gasoline grades. I initially was running with the gas the garage owner I bought the bike from had in it (which to my knowledge was some mid-octane ethanol stuff with additives) and have since re-fueled it twice with the non-ethanol petrol. There is only one filling station that still sells this in the town I live in. Just a bit outside of town actually, interesting place. Dumpy, goat farm, fisherman's paradise with locks on the non-ethanol pumps. It kind of makes refueling a festive event. The difference in how the bike has responded to the new gas is amazing, puts a smile on my face.

The concern of my post though is more specific to the front breaks/shocks/forks. Let me start by apologizing for my lack of technical know-how when it comes to these bikes, I'm just getting into all of it. My lingo might come off quite amateur, but I'm trying!

So two days ago I took my little sister on it as my first passenger, as I had promised her and we did a nice little 10 mile country ride. She enjoyed it all immensely. The bike was having some trouble throttling through the gears with the extra weight (it has been having a little trouble with this as it is) but I figured this is normal considering the mechanic told me he was setting it up a certain way for the first 600 miles after the re-build. The carbs seem to be running very rich. I was caught in the rain later that night and soon after I noticed that when I applied my front hand break the bike would stop and "drop" suddenly and quite abruptly. I just took it easy on the way home and used my foot break more than not. This problem as persisted over the last day or so and with the same results. With moderate pressure on the front break the bike comes to a near violent stop, stalling it out and lurching me forward. I almost feel a dry sensation with it.

I am just curious what you guys might think could be wrong here, and how fast I should take it back to my mechanic. Part of the re-build/once-over he did was to re-build the forks so he said, because they were in need of some work.

I'm hesitant only because I really wanted to make it to the 600 mile mark before I brought it back in for a check up.

Part II.

On the way home from soccer tonight I stop and grab a bite to eat at a local bar. Parked the bike out front between the road and the parking lot in a well lighted area. Only was at the place for 20 or 30 minutes max. Upon leaving I am stopped by an acquaintance asking me if the bike was mine and then telling me that someone has just backed into it and took off. He pointed to the right muffler pipe specifically. I did a quick survey of it and found nothing immediately, glaringly wrong with it. When I got home I got a better look at it under better light to find out that there were minor damages. No scratches or broken lights just a slight bend in the right side blinker rod and when I looked a bit closer I noticed the right exhaust pipe was bowed out ever so slightly and pushed forward about a half inch or so. I'll get a better take on it tomorrow. Being that these are the only problems I think I could carefully push everything back into place no problem with a steady hand and the help of my room mate. But I am also entertaining the idea of showing my mechanic friend first, if I have to bring it in for the breaks anyways. Any thoughts on the sensitivity of these two areas? Think I'd be okay working it back into place myself?

Thanks for the help! I appreciate any input.