1977 BMW R-Series

6043253

Clear

Here is a machine that will keep your friends guessing. It is neither a "frame-off restoration" nor a slapped-together Franken-Bimmer. It is rather a well-matched hybrid whose components were carefully curated from two (or three) machines and correctly assembled by an experienced enthusiast (me). The main frame, subframe, swingarm, and sheet metal are from a Euro 1977 R100/7. The motor, gearbox, wheels, suspension, and primary electrics are from a US 1972 R75/5. Seat and brackets are custom. Handlebar is from an RS, with new throttle cables to match. Nuts & bolts are 99% German originals, with a number of items having been re-plated in zinc rather than replacing them with Chinese mystery metal. Please address complaints to "yourself" at "opinions are like . . ." I painted the frame and body parts with Montana Gold, the top-quality rattle-can (just ask your local graffitist). The satin (not "flat" or "matt") black unwaxed finish compares favorably to that of the Ducati Monster. I painted it about a year ago and it has held up quite well. I only recently acquired the drive train etc., which would have been a stock slash-5 resto had I not found that its main frame was bent. Boo hoo. See my other auctions for various extras. The motor has fresh seals at the oil pan, pushrod tubes, base, head, and valve covers. The 32mm (9/10 series) carbs have been rebuilt with new o-rings & needles and the addition of slide return springs to improve mid-range throttle response. I went through the wiring harness wire-by-wire; there is neither a strand out of place nor a single stray. Inside the bucket, I mated the slash-5 harness and relays to a slash-7 fuse plate and ignition key assembly. Bosch number and color codes are consistent (even on VWs, Audis, etc.), so everything matched up quite well. For good measure, I labeled all the leads with white electrical tape, so you won't find yourself scratching your head. Because the slash-5 ignition switch has 4 positions (including "off") and the slash-7 has 3, it can no longer run with the headlamp turned off (or at least it can't without substituting a Euro-market ignition switch, which I didn't happen to have on hand). Slash-7 Bosch H4 headlamp and Hella tail/brake lights operating correctly. Slash-5 high/low/flasher/horn and starter/indicator switches rebuilt. Indicator wires are in place should you choose to add them. Led warning lights arranged and functioning correctly (blue for high beam, red for charging, green for neutral, yellow for oil pressure). The bike starts, goes, and stops as it should. Hooray! Compared to various airheads I've owned, this one feels remarkably light and snappy. Less is more. It has brand-spanking-new Dunlop tires and Yuasa battery. I will add more info, pics, and videos over the next few days (search completed listings for "cafe scrambler" to see my last R75/5 build); I just wanted to get this listing up tonight, and I blew the whole weekend driving around in a van looking for an RT. Stay tuned. I expect a non-refundable $500 deposit via PayPal within 48 hours, and the balance delivered via cashier's check or money order within 3 days. Vermont does not issue titles for older vehicles, so what you will get, papers-wise, is a Vermont bill of sale signed by me as well as the New York title signed by a previous owner. What happens after that depends entirely on the requirements of the state you live in, in regards to which I cannot even begin to guess; due diligence is the responsibility of the buyer.  All the usual disclaimers apply, such as that the bike is sold as-is where-is, with no warrantee express or implied. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. I will gladly coordinate with any legitimate shipper; eBay has a mechanism for getting quotes & whatnot. I will happily deliver the bike to anywhere within 10 miles of White River Junction VT, where US 89 meets 91 and Amtrak meets Greyhound -- or Hanover NH, where Dartmouth Coach services NYC/GCS and Boston/Logan. My only reservation about a fly-in-ride-away arrangement is the short time that I've had the bike built. That said, if you are soundly equipped with airhead experience and your own tool kit, I won't rule it out. Happy bidding! On Nov-06-13 at 10:12:59 PST, seller added the following information: Okay! We finally got a nice day, so I just took a bunch of new pics. Videos will follow, hopefully tonight (so long as I don't hit any YouTube embedding snags). On another note (and in case you haven't read the Q&A section), I just renewed the Vermont registration, which is in my name. There are blanks on the reverse which allow for me to sign the bike over to a new owner. The New York title is signed by a prior owner with whom I had and have no contact, and the buyer section is left blank. SO: if your state requires either a current registration signed by the seller, or a title of some kind, you should be all set, papers-wise. See Q&A for more details.On Nov-06-13 at 17:40:29 PST, seller added the following information: So here's a few videos. The collar on my cold-weather jacket was interfering with my GoPro helmet-cam, so it's tilted up a bit higher than I would like, and it makes horrid noises whenever  I turn my head. You can't have it all! Hopefully the embedding will work, otherwise I'm just typing a lot of hot air. Speaking of which, compression-wise, I'm getting a repeatable 130psi on both sides. See new pics. On Nov-09-13 at 15:50:29 PST, seller added the following information: I thought I should file one more report before the windows close on (A) my additions to the listing and (B) your contemplation of bidding strategy. Today I rode the snot out of the bike, clocking around 100 miles, of two-lane blacktop and a couple of short runs on the freeway. Having just built and sold a R75/5 of a different sort, I have a pretty good basis for comparison. This bike behaved itself as I would have it, shifting easily and predictably, up and down, with no false neutrals, crunchy noises, or skipped gears. On the two-lane, it pulled past cars on steep uphill grades in 2nd or 3rd with no sweat. On the freeway, I did not find myself looking for the non-existent 5th gear (I am accustomed to R100 bikes), so it does seem to like having the stock gearing throughout. The LWB drive shaft has no effect on power transfer, and the LWB subframe does add some peace of mind at high speed; the /7 main frame is definitely stiffer than the /5 (beefier steering head gussets, cross-members, etc.). Front brakes work better than the last dual-disk ATE setup I had. Very pleased with stopping distance/smoothness. Forks dive a bit more than I like under heavy braking, but of course that can be adjusted to taste. I'm about to be late for a movie, so I'll see if I can't add a few more comments later tonight (eBay cuts things off at strange times, I don't know why). Of note, I parked it overnight on side stand & got no smoke on startup. All good.