1976 BMW R-Series

4945223

Clear

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Ground Rules: I always hate to start an auction this way but too many bad experiences (both my own and other eBayers that I’ve communicated with) force me to. For the overwhelming majority of good people out there, I apologize. This is a “No Reserve” auction. If you bid on my bike and are high bidder at the end you have bought yourself a bike. You have just entered into a contract with me to pay for and pick up this BMW. If you have 10 or fewer feedback scores on eBay, contact me before you bid to let me know you are serious. If you do not I will cancel your bid. You must be willing to comply with my payment requirements. You (or your designated shipping company) must pick up the bike within 10 days. If you are a whiner, nit-picker, complainer or otherwise inexperienced vintage motorcycle buyer, we would both be better off not doing business. Ask questions; look at all of the pictures. Ask more questions. Realize you're bidding on a 37 year old piece of machinery. Ask some more questions. Look at the pictures again; re-read the description. History (as I know it) Note: This is a re-listing because I could not make proper changes to the first listing thanks to eBay's unworkable revision policies once a bid has been received. To be fair to everyone who would read the auction description, the only option I had was to end the auction and re-list it with the proper, accurate information about the bike.Every winter I buy an old bike to restore in my warm workshop as the cold Iowa winter rages endlessly outside. This year I found this BMW (on eBay) in Los Angeles and paid an honest price for it. I’ve never had a bike shipped and wanted to see how that worked so this was a learning experience in that respect. I spoke with the seller (phone) several times and this is what he told me. The bike was owned by an old man who had 73 vintage cars and bikes in a warehouse. When he died, the “vultures” descended upon his widow and except for the good help of his friends in a local H.O.G. chapter (several of his bikes were Harleys) they would have all “disappeared” for far less than their value. My seller bought two of them from her; an older /2 BMW and this /6 which he bundled into the deal for the one price. At that time it had been sitting (indoors) for about 10 years. He listed it. I bought it. JC Motors (Irvine, CA) hauled it to Iowa for me. The seller’s original description was as follows: Fires right up and ran very well on its first five mile test drive. It was sitting in a garage for at least 10 years with a large collection of motorcycles and was put away properly so there is no rust in the tank. Speedo and tach work. #'s matching. No rips or tears on seat. Have battery covers. Here's what I did to resurrect it: New battery, new oil, filter and oil pan gasket. New plugs and points. New fuel lines. Rebuilt master cylinder. Cleaned and adjusted carbs. Well, most of that was true! As I get into my description I’ll debunk some of his claims and tell you what I found when I took it apart. General Description: The bike starts right up and runs well. The previous owner coached me on the starting procedure which is a little different than other Beemers I have owned. You must (in neutral) disengage the clutch lever just a touch and then the starter button activates and turns it right over like it should. It starts right up and comes to a smooth idle. After a couple of minutes it smooths out (Beemers are notoriously cold blooded!) and there is smooth throttle control. I took it for a short ride and it is a nice riding bike, just like the seller (to me) told me. It is still going to need some tweaking before you put it on the road but the fact that it starts, runs and rides are great! (The "tweaking" I am referring to would be adjusting the choke cables correctly and adjusting the float levels in the bowls and figuring out why the clutch cable has anything to do with the starting sequence-that's just not right.) Body & Fenders: I removed all of the body panels and repainted everything in BMW Monza Blue (the original color). Both fenders had some minor cracks (they are fiberglass) which I repaired prior to painting. The tank has one small dent on the top/left side; hardly noticeable. The inside of the tank is clean and still has the original BMW “pink” sealer coating in it. One side cover had a crack (again, fiberglass) which I fixed. New “BMW”, “750cc”, and knee guards were installed. All frame and body parts are present. The center stand and side stand are present and work properly. The front forks and fork seals are good but the fork boots are looking a little ragged; they would look better if you replaced them. Engine and Drive train and Mechanics: The engine has typical oxidation to the aluminum and (according to the previous owner) runs out just fine. It has a fresh oil change, oil filter change and new oil pan gasket installed. The clutch engages/releases properly. All cables and lines are present and work properly. The transmission shifts through all of the gears smoothly with the typical Beemer "clunk" as each gear engages. It the engine/transmission/drive shaft work well. Brakes: The rear brake works properly. The front brake is “spongy”. According to the seller that I got it from the master cylinder was “rebuilt”. I’m not so sure about that. All the parts are there and nothing is leaking but it does not operate properly. Fuel System: The tank is clean and rust-free. I replaced all fuel lines with the proper Continental braided lines (original BMW) and installed two in-line filters. The petcocks appear to work properly. According to my seller the carbs were “cleaned and adjusted”. I dropped the bowls and they were spotless along with what looked like new floats so maybe they were gone through as he said. Rims: Original factory rims would have been spokes so these are aftermarket. They are in good condition but to look perfect will need some detailing to bring the shine back out. They are straight and true, just a little oxidized from time. Tires: The tread on both tires is good but the front one is badly weather-checked and you will want to replace it. The back one looks pretty good and should be fine unless you want to replace it just based upon age. (Probably a prudent idea!) Electrical: The battery is new this year and I’ve had a Battery Tender on it since I got it. This bike had a fairing on it before I got it and I don’t know why it is that every person I’ve ever seen install a fairing always screws up the original wiring! I went into the headlight bucket and figured it all back out but I think that there is a need for a new headlight switch (left side/handlebar). The headlight works and comes on (both high/low) but only through the ignition switch, not the handlebar switch. The turn signals (both front & rear) work just fine as does the brake light switch. I’ve got two sets of keys for the ignition. Seat: Perfect; what more can I say! It even has the complete chrome back-handle (often missing on these bikes.) Misc. The tool box is there (sits over the battery) but no tool kit or owner’s manual is present. There isn’t a lot of chrome on these bikes but most of it on this one is pretty good with some discoloration and tarnish. The aluminum cases show typical oxidation/discoloration. The black frame is in fair-to-good shape, paint-wise, with scratches and fading. The odometer shows 3500 miles but I doubt that is accurate. Payment: I want payment, in full, within five calendar days of the end of the auction. That means the day after the auction you’ve got to get moving to the bank and post office. I only take two methods of payment; a USPS Money Order (no other brands) or a Cashier’s Check (drawn on a major U.S. bank). No personal checks, no cash-on-pickup, no other methods of payment. Pick-Up: I want it gone within 10 days of the end of the auction. I will store it for you during that time inside and out of the weather. If you have a transport company pick it up I will help them any way that I can. (DO NOT use U-Ship. The last time a buyer contracted them to pick up a bike from me they wanted to do it at 2 in the morning!) Legal: This bike has no liens and a clear title in my name. That means it is in MY NAME and instantly transferable to you. (Just for the record a “Clear Title” is not one that was in some guy’s name that sold you the bike 10 years ago and you never bothered to bring it current.) Warranty: There is none. This is an old BMW motorcycle that I have described the very best I can, taken excellent pictures of and am presenting myself to answer any and every question you can think of before you bid. That’s the best I can do. I have perfect feedback and that was obtained by never lying to anyone, never sugar-coating over a problem and never, ever treating someone differently than I would want to be treated. If you are not familiar with classic, vintage BMW motorcycles and you get fired up with this auction be sure to ask around. They are a special, particular animal all of their own and require that kind of respect when accepting their limitations and unique, special advantages!