1979 BMW R-Series

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THE SHORT STORY This auction is for a 1979 BMW R65 with matching frame and engine numbers. This one-of-kind cafe racer has a number of high-quality body modifications and newer-model drive train upgrades. It starts instantly, pulls strongly, shifts smoothly, and is a real blast to ride. Unlike its more common big-bore brethren, these early R65s are suitable for shorter riders. The original cafe conversion was done by the prior owner 8 or 9 years ago. When I bought it last year, it had been sitting for 5 or 6 years, so I tore it down to the frame to inspect, refurbish, and upgrade as needed. See photos, videos, and further details: DRIVE TRAIN Rather than rebuilding, I fitted a complete top end that I had pulled from a 1986 R65 with 19K miles, including Nikasil barrels, con rods, pistons, heads, and unleaded valves, using all new gaskets, seals, o-rings (the usual). The original clutch pack with monster flywheel has been replaced with a post-1981 clutch pack with lightweight carrier. The original gearbox has been replaced with a post-1981 5-speed with updated shifter linkage. Thanks to the short stroke and light clutch carrier, it spins up pretty darn quick! The carburetors are stock flat-top CV Bings; I mounted them L for R for ease of tuning and blind access to the choke pulls. I can swap them back if you like, but I think they look pretty cool this way. The shorty mufflers are probably loud enough to annoy your neighbors, but not enough to annoy me when riding. If you want to go quieter, unmodified stockers would bolt right on to the headers. I don't have any on hand, but they're easy to find and usually go for under $100. FRAME & SUSPENSION Period mods include a San Jose braced rear swingarm (try finding one of those for an R65!), shortened stock subframe & seat, and supplementary main frame braces. The front forks, rear shocks, and 18" snowflake wheels are stock. The rearsets are complete Raask assemblies made specifically for the R45/65. Alloy clip-ons are from an unknown donor bike. I replaced the original shoddy ATE calipers with fully rebuildable dual-disc Brembos. HUGE improvement! I repacked all wheel and swingarm bearings, greased all the splines with GD525, and replaced all the fluids and filters. I lucked into a pair of period-correct new-old-stock Metzeler tires, on which I've put maybe 250 miles in the course of testing & tuning. LIGHTS, GAUGES, ETC. The original speedometer/odometer shows ~50K miles, which I have no reason to doubt. I re-mounted the gauge in a custom bracket along with the ignition key tumbler and the three crucial LED warning lights (neutral, charge, and oil pressure). The headlight is a sealed Stanley unit with glass lens and standard H4 halogen bulb. The tail/brake/plate combination light is a 12V aftermarket unit. No turn signals. Who needs them?! If YOU need them, I can install indicators of your choice (not bar-ends) for the cost of parts + $100 labor. The battery is a newish sealed BikeMaster AGM, correctly sized for the stock battery holder. There's enough room under the tail piece to fit a more compact AGM or one of the various new-fangled lithium batteries, if you wanted to go that route. COSMETICS Once I had torn the bike down and inspected the components, I degreased and soda-blasted the engine, gearbox, and wheels. I re-sprayed the frame, subframe & swingarm with DuPont lacquer and the wheels with Wurth wheel paint. The sheet metal & fiberglass parts were painted by the prior owner; the paint does show some flaws, but I thought it looked cool enough to just buff it out and retouch a few spots. I have a matching-paint aftermarket cafe fairing that's yours for $20 (shipping cost) if you want it (but no mounting hardware). The bike now looks pretty slick overall, but it is a daily rider, not a show bike. If you're looking for a custom garage queen, you can expect to pay $8-10K. Please see multiple unretouched photos and videos to gauge the condition of various parts. If you'd like close-ups of any particulars, just message me a specific request. The videos that I shot today are taking forever to upload, so they might not show up until Monday. I took the photos a few weeks ago; since then, I swapped out the aftermarket ignition cables & caps for the OEM units you see in the videos. Otherwise unchanged. FINE PRINT Papers-wise, I will deliver a Bill of Sale from me to you, a clear Florida title signed open by the prior owner, and a copy of the Bill of Sale from the prior owner to me. Depending where you live, you might find registration easier using one form or or the other. That said, due diligence is the responsibility of the buyer. I will happily sign a Bill of Sale particular to any state DMV if thats what you need. Transport is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Click on the "shipping" tab to get an estimate from UShip. I'd love to have the bike out of the shop as soon as possible, but if need be I can store it up until Thanksgiving. Any questions? Ask away! VIDEOS