What would you do if you were me?

I was searching for a gas tank and valve cover for one of the projects last year, and found one of my friends has a 71' BMW R60/5 in his garage for years.
This is where it was when I found her.








So I found my gas tank and valve covers, and the rest of the bike just came with it. I paid his asking price which was little high, but I was kinda helping out a friend through his financial hardship.









It has been served as a great "OEM" part bike for my others in many ways, and never make a complain.







Now, the /7 has gone and been enjoying by the new owner, and this is it's turn during the process of "down size" my garage. This is also the very first time that I have a chance to take a deep looking of her.







And found this....... it appears to me that gas over flow over the carb and get into the engine. This is also the reason why the engine is NOT turning.








The interesting part is the carb is clean, and only the chamber is messed up and still wet.













At where I am now, those are the options,

1) Sold it "as it". This is the easiest way.
2) Part it out. This is the most profitable way, but with the time of taking parts off, Ebaying, emails, and shipping, for few hundreds bucks. It doesn't really look that much profitable.
3) Bring it back to life. I can either do it back to as OEM as possible (found another "part bike" in boxes for the same year and same model), or I can cafe/bobble/scramblers it to whatever I want (which supposed to be done 4 bikes ago).



Option 3 might seem to be the most costly option up front, but consider I really like to have something newer, lighter, and has a red frame, Option 1 and 2 are actually cost me more in the long run.
So, if you were me, what would you do?

Against my better judgement, I ressurected a 1978 R100S engine which had set out for at least a dozen years. It had similar H2O penetration to one side and both rockers had developed rust. After a thorough cleanup, it wasn't really that bad. ended up just honing the cylinders as the rust hadn't pitted anything. The cylinders had a visual "stain" after honing but in "mic'd out fine and with some new rings / valve regrind we were on the road. While I was in that deep I went ahead and pulled the rods to take a peak at the rod bearings. They showed some discoloration ( maybe from heat?) but were probably OK, I changed them anyway since I was in the neighborhood. The one thing I over looked was a tiny pit on an exhaust valve spring which later caused the spring to break, slightly swallowing an exhaust valve and "dinging" up a piston.
Might be worth a deeper look before piecing her out. I think the R60 engines are pretty good candidates for rebore's (if needed) since there is a lot of "meat" on those cylinders.
Guess it really comes down to "how much can I afford...or want to spend".

Save it, or pass it on to someone who you feel confident will. I'd hate to know that these bikes are being dismantled, never to run again.

An old friend stopped by the shop today and found me working on a /7. Somewhere in the conversation I said, "These are the bikes that made BMW"

If BMW hadn't developed the new and radical /5 series in 1969 the company probably would have bellied up by 1970. Can you imagine competing against the Japanese onslaught with an R90/2? :eek1

No, but I`d love one to haul a sidecar.

It looks like the kind of expensive, pointless but ultimately satisfying projects I would tackle, go for it.

Your /5 looks like a 72. I would keep it and fix it, there is a ton of R60/5 and 74-75 R60/6's engine parts out there.

That would be awesome...

Fix it or sell it to someone that will.

the year on the head says 71.
i've got some r75/5 heads, pistons, and valve gear (no extra barrels) that i could let go of for a deal if you decide to keep the bike and work on it.

i vote for bringing it back. i'm sure everyone else here will as well. you're asking junkies if you should go for another fix.

This.

I don't think the 60 barrels would take R75 pistons, right?

I really like the way you are thinking

Yes, Money talks, but after I test rode a 12' Ducati Streetfighter 848 for about 30 miles, I realized those <400 lbs bike with 131 hp does nothing to me. Maybe that says I am old, 36 yrs old here BTW.

It looks like everyone here suggests fixing it up and making it runs again.

After this powerful clip which I believe many of you might have watched already.

http://vimeo.com/49920522

And spent some time on this thread,

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=678840


I have a pretty clear direction about this bike at this point. Let's having the fun begins.


For taking the engine off, the exhaust must be off first. Those 2-1 is major pain in the butt to take off with everything all connected together and sealed with rusty.




After some cooking and working on the top end and the cylinder, it's actually not as bad as I expected.

I mean I actually cooked it,












The problem is the piston is sized .....










Any suggestions??

you'd have to bore your pistons, but you have enough material in the sleeve to handle it. also, as i learned the hard way, the r50 and r60 have a different cam than the r75, so if you go with bigger jugs you'll need a cam as well. pretty sure i have another sitting around that would work for you.

as for the stuck piston, i'd want to work on it with the jug still against the block otherwise you'll be fighting the just moving all the time. if you can get the motor out and sit it on it's side you could put penetrating oil on top of the piston and let it soak. patience and heat will be your friend.

I don't know if this will work but might be worth a try.
Soak the piston with a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF for several days.
Fab a cross brace of stout steel that will go across the bore between the two studs that are part of the cylinder.
Drill and tap a center hole for a large fine pitch threaded bolt in the center of the brace.
Bolt the cross brace to the cylinder at the studs.
Place a piece of stout aluminum between the center bolt and the piston top. Tighten the center bolt to drive the piston out of the bore.
Let us know if that works

Penetrating oil - the acetone/atf mix is supposed to be the best - and let it sit for several days. Heat the cylinder with a propane torch. Heating/cooling cycles with penetrating oil making its way in there is what will do it.

Do not try to use force! Only a light rocking back and forth. Force will break the piston. Remove that wrench and fasten down the cylinder again so it won't move (It bothers me seeing tools abused like that).

I've freed up stuck cylinders and found they were still serviceable. Putting a lot of force on the piston could very well break a ring land or bend the rod. Don't go there!

It won't move till the rust has been penetrated and somewhat dissolved. So apply a large dose of patience and realize this won't come free in the next hour - more like next week.

While the engine was socking with ATF, I have no stopping searching for parts like gas tank and possible replacement engine.


When I was in a conversation with bunch friends couple weeks ago, someone mentioned he has a "maybe" BMW in his shade and has not been touched for a very long time.
It was the trade in with a car he was selling to a guy many years ago. He also stated it has many extra parts comes with it. Therefore, I went down to take a look last Thursday night.
We checked out the "bike" and the parts with two flash light in a cold dark shade. It has a very solid gas tank and I knew I wanted it.
After I got home, I wrote him a very nice long email saying how worthless that bike and parts are and I would love to offer him this amount of $$$ for cleaning up his shade.
O ... Boy ... he just can't wait to get rid off that thing.

here we go ... he moved the bike and parts outside for me to pick up while nobody was at home. (this shows how much he cares about the "bike")





It appears to be a 72 R60/5 with a number matching engine and frame, and a free moving engine and transmission.... what the chance is that ....






and the pile of "parts" appear to be a 72 R75/5 without a frame ..







After putting two R60/5 side by side, the new picked up one looks just weird .... and this was discovered.










so, what I got here are ... from the very right hand side ... A 71 R60/5 with a good frame but a seized left engine which used to be my part bike, but it's the project now. In the middle is a 72 R60/5 with a banana frame, but a free moving engine. At the most left hand side is a 72 R75/5 with everything but a main frame.







It looks like I have more than enough parts to put up ONE runner. However, what kind of comibation I should do?


1) just replaced the left cylider with the good one by cutting down the connecting rod.

2) engine swap with the good R60 engine on to the good frame

3) swap the R75 engine on the good frame and conver it into a R75 "offically"

4) ....others?

I'd put the good R60 motor in the good frame. Same cables, carbs, etc makes it easy.

I have a pair of good R-60 cylinders,no pistons $80 for the pair plus postage if you want them. std. bore

Time has passed by and some works have done for this so called "FRANKENSTEIN" R60/5 project.

I have decided to bring back ONE R60/5 back to life as "stock" as possible using all the parts that I have with the LOWest cost.

First, I have to take off the seized engine with "tools".






After two hours of hammering ...









It doesn't look so bad after all





Now, going to the part bike ...

ya... so NOT surprised







For all the work, this is what I needed





Both had no left ball ....





Now, with all the new base, head, valve gasket and new pushrod seals, the engine is move free.





What I learned was ... 71 and 72 have different push rods, even with same length

72' on the left and 71' on the right