1969 BMW R-Series

644874

Clear

I believe I’m the third owner of this motorcycle. I purchased it in 2003 and the previous owner said he bought it from the original owner in 1987. The second owner had it for a few years when he ran it with insufficient oil and seized up the engine. His mechanic at the time had the engine and drivetrain from a R69S which he installed into this R50 frame. He said that the motorcycle had about 37000 miles on it at the time of the engine swap, and that the R69S engine came out of a bike with just over 12000 miles (he was told it was a 1966 bike – the engine number is 6622XX). That would make the total mileage on the engine at approx. 35000. Michigan titles motorcycles based on the frame information, so it is titled as an 1969 R50 (and it’s a clear Michigan title.) I had a blood clot in my leg a few years ago and my kick-starting days were over for a while. My nephew has been more than happy to stop by periodically, start it, and run it around a bit. Well, I’ve had another blood clot, and I think my riding days are over, so it’s time to sell. As a marriage of parts, this bike is not a prime collection machine, but as these get more scarce, it’s the perfect bike for daily riding. At this point, the bike was not prepped for this years riding season. I’ll be critical here in assessing what I believe it needs. It has not been ridden yet this year because the rear tire will have to be replaced, (and I would probably replace the front one as well because of age). The battery is the incorrect one, barely holds a charge and should be replaced. I would clean the carbs, lubricate the cables, change the oil, and the footpegs and hand grips are hardening and should eventually be replaced. The flasher on the handlebar mounted turn signals isn’t working (though the signals do light, they just don’t flash), and the tail lights on the saddle bags aren’t connected. The mufflers are perfectly serviceable but are not BMW mufflers. It has crash bars, tho I’m not sure if they’re original BMW or not. The saddle bags, rear luggage rack, and Denfield double seat are all original to the bike. All paint on the bike is original, and the bike has never been restored. It has the typical wear evident on an unrestored bike. It does have an aftermarket Wixom front fairing (which apparently was white and painted black – the paint is flaking along the lower edge), and a couple yellow lights mounted at the front fork I’m sure were late additions. I haven’t added or subtracted anything from the bike. I’m unable to crate or arrange shipping for the bike, but I’ll cooperate however I can with any transport company you contract to ship it. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required via Paypal within 48 hours of the end of the auction, and full payment must be made within 7 days of the end of the auction and cleared before the bike will be released. This bike has always been a first or second kick start, and it never fails to attract attention wherever I’ve gone. If you have a R69 that’s fully restored and you’re guilty about riding it, or have always wanted a R69 because of the sheer thrill of riding one, this is the perfect rider for you. Please request any additional photos you might need.