1973 BMW R-Series

4001606

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 For your consideration is a beautiful and fully functional example of the desirable long wheel base R75/5. This is a classic bike that you can ride just about anywhere with comfort and style. The original Colorado owner traveled to Germany to purchase this motorcycle in 1973; after touring Europe he had the bike shipped back to Colorado. My father purchased the bike from the first owner in 1978, and he drove it in the summers until the early 1990s. It then remained in storage in his garage in Colorado for the next 15 years until I brought it to California in 2009. As this bike was purchased in Germany, it is a European-spec model. This differs from the USA-spec bikes in the following ways that I am aware of: The speedometer and odometer are in kilometers rather than milesThe headlight brackets have no side reflectorsThere is no separate license plate holder or rear side reflectors, rather the license plate is just attached directly to the flat section of the fender itselfThe bike has the narrow handlebars and the large touring tank rather than the wider handlebars and smaller toaster tanks often common to the US-spec bikes; the riding position is very comfortable for long rides Overall the bike shows extremely well given its age and mileage, with the type of wear that you’d expect from careful use over many years. All the paint is original, and is in very good condition with very few blemishes. The inside of the tank shows some peeling of the coating just inside the filler neck, but the rest looks fine. The paint on the frame around the battery holder has suffered from corrosion due to battery acid dribble; cosmetically this is the worst area on the bike. The pictures show this well. I have posted many larger pictures online, at the following website:https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/3447319/1/BMW%20R75?h=a7996b The engine and frame numbers match at 4001606, which according to Phil Hawksley’s website indicates the bike was manufactured in February 1973. The identification plate on the frame is a re-stamped /6 plate; I imagine this was put on as part of the importation process into the USA as it does not fit snugly like a factory installed plate would, and the manufacture date stamped on the plate is from the /6 period. The engine has never been rebuilt; I don’t think it has ever been disassembled beyond what’s required for routine maintenance. The bike runs quite well, and everything works as it should. I have done the following maintenance/updates to the bike since 2009, which is to say during the last 4000 miles: New Conti Twin tires (front looks near new, rear shows some wear) with new tubes and rim strips H4 Halogen headlight upgrade; much brighter than the original New carburetor vacuum bellows, gaskets, floats, and rubber mounts New Magura grips, throttle cables, and rubber cable end coversNew fuel petcocks, fuel line, fuel filtersNew battery and battery hold-down strapsNew oil pressure switchNew updated engine crankcase breather (reed version vs. older disc type)New Givi windscreen (note: there is some slight clouding at the bottom of the screen due to me removing the Givi emblem with too-strong solvent)New BMW mirrorsReplaced fork oilGreased engine output shaft splinesChanged gearbox, driveshaft, and final drive fluids with syntheticGreased hub drive splinesGreased swingarm pivotsGreased wheel bearingsReplaced oil pan gasketNew air filter, recent oil change and filter, timing/valve adjustment The pushrod tube seals seep some oil as would be expected at this age, and have been on my list for replacement. I have all the parts to do this (seals, cylinder base gaskets, piston pin snap rings), but I haven’t gotten around to it yet, and won’t before the end of the auction. I’ll include all of these new parts so that you can do this when you want to. The left muffler has a minor scrape/dent on the lower outside edge with a small rust-through spot, and another very small rust through spot on the underside. These flaws aren’t very noticeable unless you are looking for them and they don’t seem to increase the noise level that I can tell. You may want to plan on new mufflers at some point far down the road, but these originals still work fine and look very nice, as does all of the chrome on the bike. The odometer currently shows 76,557 km (47,570 miles); this will likely be a bit higher before the end of the auction. The speedometer and tachometer needles are quite steady in normal running, however the tachometer needle can bounce sometimes in very hot weather. This may be due to the tachometer drive cable binding a bit at higher temperatures, but I haven’t tried to diagnose this any further. The original owner had previously installed a windscreen which required drilling two holes in the top fork triple crown. The newer Givi windscreen mounts to the bar, so I have used stainless Allen bolts to fill these two holes. The original owner also installed the chrome engine protectors, made by BMW. They have some scrapes on the lower sides. The bike includes the pair of vintage Wixom fiberglass saddlebags. These have some scuffs and scratches on the sides and some fading of the finish on the lids, but are very functional and match the bike’s style very well. The left bag had some cracks at the top right corner which I repaired with a single layer of matching fiberglass on the inside. I do not have keys for the latches (inexpensive replacement latches have been available on eBay). I have replaced some of the aluminum rivets on the bags. The bags would certainly look a bit better if refinished, but are presentable as-is (they appear in the photos with some fresh Armor All; they’ll look a bit duller as the Armor All wears off). Note that the right bag some small paint splatters on the lid in the same blue color as the bike; I suspect the original owner was painting some accessory or another bike and got some on the bag by mistake. I can see some similar color very fine paint mist on the taillight as well. Also included is a chromed steel luggage rack in similarly very nice shape, which is not currently installed; I believe this is a Reynolds brand rack. This rack is designed specifically to fit these long wheelbase BMW twins. It was purchased by the original owner and was installed on the bike until 2009. The bike includes the following spares/old parts/tools/etc: Vintage Haynes manual which covers all /5 modelsFull original BMW tool kit and pouchExhaust nut wrench½”-drive socket custom machined by me to fit the swing arm nutsNew pushrod tube seals (8), piston pin circlips (4), cylinder base gaskets (2)Three keys – the original, a new reproduction of the original, and a flat wallet keyTwo new oil filtersSeveral copper crush gaskets for the various drain plugsUsed original 35W headlamp, original fuel petcocks, original engine crankcase breather I do NOT have the key for the steering column lock. I may have an original-style air pump to fit the bike (recent production, not the actual original). The design doesn’t work very well in my opinion so I’ve carried a small mountain bike pump instead. If I can locate the air pump I will include it. The bike has current CA registration valid until March 2012, and has a clear CA title in my name. Payment Terms: The high bidder must make a $500 deposit via PayPal within 72 hours of the end of the auction. The remainder must be paid within 14 days by cash, certified bank check, or US Postal Money order. Pickup Terms: The motorcycle is available for pickup in San Luis Obispo, CA. I would prefer that the motorcycle be retrieved within two weeks after the end of the auction, but longer term garage storage is possible with our prior agreement; I understand the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend may make pickup difficult for some of you. If you want to ride the bike home, you can fly into the nearby San Luis Obispo airport (SBP) and the city is served by Amtrak as well. I myself would not hesitate to ride the bike long distances provided I was well outfitted and carrying proper spares, but I would not recommend this unless you are familiar with the model, just in case something does need attention on the road. Remember it is a 38 year old motorcycle which is being sold as-is. Shipping Terms: If you desire to have the motorcycle shipped by a third party, I am happy to cooperate with your shipper, but you must make all of the arrangements. San Luis Obispo is a bit over 200 miles from either Los Angeles or San Francisco, along Highway 101. My garage is in a readily accessible location. Foreign Bidders: Understanding that classic motorcycles have appreciation worldwide, I am happy to sell this bike to any interested foreign bidders. However, please research your shipment options very carefully before bidding on the motorcycle, and as stated above you will be responsible for organizing everything related to having the motorcycle shipped. I will not build a shipping crate for the bike. Please ask any questions you may have. I reserve the right to cancel bids from users with insufficient or negative feedback. Please do not bid on this motorcycle unless you actually intend to follow through on the transaction. I do not intend to end this auction early.