1971 BMW R-Series

Clear

I rescued this bike from a barn about 10 years ago with the initial intention of using some of the parts for a sidecar conversion project. However, upon further consideration I could not part out a complete, numbers matching /5 BMW motorcycle, and I eventually found the parts that I needed elsewhere. The bike originally was a black R60/5 with a large tank with 17,000 miles on it and in need of a full restoration both cosmetically and mechanically. As the restoration project progressed, I had misgivings about restoring a sluggish R60/5, and having freed myself from the grip of the "Originality Police," I decided to create a combination of the best of the 1970s BMWs: a long wheel base /5 toaster in my favorite color (Grenada Red) with a R80/7 top end and 5-speed transmission. All of the modifications to this motorcycle were improvements that BMW made between 1971 and 1978 and were made by me in an effort to combine the best aesthetic qualities of a /5 with the best mechanical qualities of subsequent models of the 1970s. Rather than making conclusory claims, such as "runs great" or "well maintained," I will attempt to provide a thorough background on this bike in order to provide prospective buyers with the facts that I have learned are important in assessing the condition a BMW airhead of this vintage. Since 1973, I have owned 15 BMW airheads from the 1960s (8) and 1970s (7) and have performed frame-off restorations on six of them. I started doing my own restorations after being disappointed with the restorations performed by others. The restoration that was performed on this bike entailed no cost-cutting compromises with the thought of making a profit on a future sale. When in doubt, I replaced parts with new parts for the long-term benefit of the bike. Mechanically, the bike was entirely rebuilt. The engine was entirely rebuilt from bottom end (new bearings and seals) to top end. As mentioned above, the bike is now a 800cc with a R75/6 top end bored out to accommodate new R80/7 pistons. A valve job was also performed. A 1976 R75/6 5-speed transmission was rebuilt and installed. The final drive is a rebuilt 32/10. The rear main seal was replaced, as were the pushrod tube seals. The carbs were replaced with the correct rebuilt Bings and correctly re-jetted for a R80/7. The headset, swing arm and wheel bearings were replaced with new ones. The forks were rebuilt with new seals and gators and progressive fork springs. I replaced the rear shocks with NOS Konis that I managed to find. The wheels were rebuilt with Buchanan stainless steel spokes. For tires, I put on Metzler Lasertechs. I recently replaced the rear tire, so the tires should be good for another 3000 miles. As with the other alloy cast parts, the hubs were bead blasted. The speedo/tach unit was rebuilt by Palo Alto at considerable expense and reset to zero miles. The handlebars were replaced with new euro bars and new stock mirrors. All of the cables were replaced with new ones. Recently, I replaced the battery. I also installed a new Brown side stand. Cosmetically, the bike was completely restored. All of the frame parts were powder coated gloss black. The headlight bucket and ears were repainted gloss black. The handlebar controls (perches) were repainted satin black. The tank and fenders were repainted Grenada Red with the correct Glazurit paint from Holt BMW and the fenders were correctly pinstriped. The saddle was replaced with a new correct /5 saddle for the long wheel base conversion. I also replaced the entire exhaust system with new stock BMW /5 parts. Alloy parts have been polished, and cadmium plated parts have been replaced with cadmium. All of the fasteners were replaced with stainless steel fasteners as were the axles. I also put stainless steel battery covers on the bike, which appeared when the Toaster first came out in late 1972. While the foregoing discussion may seem tedious to some, I would like to provide the necessary information to prospective buyers in order for them to make an informed decision on whether to bid on this bike, as well as to understand what I believe its value to be. My experience with these bikes has led me to the conclusion that while there may be many seemingly pretty bikes for sale, unless the buyer knows exactly what work has been done with them and when, many costly and time-consuming surprises are likely to rear their ugly heads. To the best of my knowledge, this bike will provide no such disappointments. Since I completed the restoration about eight years ago, I have ridden it for about 4000 miles and have sorted through all of the inevitable post-restoration issues. The bike has been ridden every year with frequent oil changes and has been stored in my heated rec room in the winters. This is a gorgeous example of a /5 Toaster, and it runs and handles beautifully. The original tool kit is included. I also have the original large tank, which has been restored in Grenada Red with the correct pin stripes, for an additional cost.