Not-quite-alive R75/5

So back in 1972 the VIN number was different to the frame number ....

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Bit of work (and a little money) should see it run, bit of polish and it will look good, then you get a big smile riding it. Well done. Might want to replace the Bowen cables, and I'd want a new seat cover to keep the rain off the seat base.

Very nice AW!

May I ask, what attracted you to the /5's?

Ha ha, finally got that call back I see! Hell that speedo bucket is worth $500! Have fun!!!

Not on my '73 ...

I can't answer for Spencer ... but for me it was that headlight bucket ... without all the 'perceived issues' of the /2 series. And something that's been said earlier ... Several people I know all say that the /5's were the most robust BMW's ever made. SImple, and bullet proof ... and 70mph all day long if you want it.

Thanks Beater.

I've owned four GS's (3 oilheads, 1 airhead). I've always wanted to get a 'older' airhead. But, was always over whelmed with the choices. Drum brakes, the most cc's and no wind protection are the only requirements.

What fubar said. It's the headlight. The classic looks of the /2, but cheaper and easier to find parts, and it has an oil filter.

Oh.

Another thing.





IT'S ALIIIIIIIIVE:




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All it needed was a can and a half of carb cleaner and now she runs. I had to kick it as the starter is VERY sluggish, even when jumped off a car battery. I'm glad I'm digging into this thing, as everything I take apart I've found evidence of SERIOUS hack work and not by the PO. He didn't do any of his maintenance. He took it to a certain independent BMW shop here in Seattle. The carbs were assembled without any regard for the locating tabs in the diaphragms, so the slides weren't oriented anywhere near correctly. When I removed the airbox I found several nuts and washers just sitting loose on top of the trans. One of them belonged on the upper right transmission mounting stud (but wasn't there). Hmmm. The clearance on the right side intake valve was massive. Someone gapped it with a flathead screwdriver instead of a feeler gauge. My nice compression gauge didn't survive the move from Mexico, so no compression readings. Dammit.

Don't worry, purists. I only put the GSPD tank on it to feed it some gas for a test run. The /6 tank that came on it needs a good flushing out and I was impatient.



Seahawks rule.

Well in '72 they were the same. Somewhere later on, shortly after someone wrecked it and bent the frame, the numbers "became" different. That's my guess anyway.

You get another frame and change over the VIN? Why not just keep the VIN that would be on the frame... less work, more beer. Surely changing the VIN on the frame would be questionable?

The headlight is very cool. I also dig the chrome side covers.

The bike is loving being owned by you already...

Oh, nice helmet...

it might be worth checking and if it comes up too fishy, go get a clear frame and swap it in. The only reason I can think that someone would remove the proper vin plate and rivet on another is if it is a stolen frame. I guess other reasons could exist, like the guy was tweaking--

As the proud rider of a /6 i have to agree that the /5 might be the better confluence of style and usability- if they had only waited a few years before changing the headlight & cluster!- everything else about the /6 is excellent (I actually like the disk brake .. even though that is anathema to most vintage types)

If it were stolen you'd think they'd at least weld or bondo over the the "hot" serial stamp on the frame and have the badge be the only ID for the frame. I think they just found a straight frame without a title and rivetted the old badge on that matches the motor number.

OMG! He strikes again. I am working on one of his students...apparently he felt the oil pans have such a high stress position in the overall picture that massive amounts of blue loctite were needed! Ugh! Then why not half a dozen heli coils because the hell with inch pound recommendations! Oh well, when done right they are a joy.
Sounds like you will investigating quite a distance into the engine innerds.
Kurt

Well, just a quick update. I dropped all the fluids and changed the oil filter, jumped it off a battery, kick started it, then disconnected it and rode it around the block a few times. The drivetrain seemed fine. Nice and smooth and no noises. I got the trans up to 3rd and no problems there. A little clunk when the rear wheel splines engages, so I should check those out. Maybe that's why it came with another rear wheel. The front brake needs some serious adjustment also. It basically did nothing. The charging system obviously worked as it kept the bike running despite a completely dead battery that wouldn't take a charge. The power was pretty lacking, but I'd bet that had a lot to do with the fact that the air filter is a bit green, moldy, and wet and probably doesn't pass much air. Time for a battery and a new air filter, I guess. Has anyone managed to source a replacement for the hella switchgear. I don't feel like paying BMW $90 for each one of them.

The lacking power and hard starting was due to a couple of factors. In my haste to just get it running to make sure there was nothing glaringly wrong mechanically, I just flushed out the carbs quickly - just the idle and main circuits - and didn't touch the enrichener circuits aside from spraying carb cleaner into the little orifice in the bottom of the bowl. That was a mistake.

Today I went back and pulled the enrichening circuit apart due to hard cold starting and found that they were assembled backwards. Left side was on the right carb and vise versa. Chalk up one more fail for the Seattle area independent BMW shop which did all work on this bike prior to my ownership and which shall remain nameless. :huh I also didn't check the timing because my timing light seems to have "disappeared" during the move from Mexico to Seattle, so I finally borrowed a friend's and found that the timing was miles off... so far in fact that I was pretty shocked that it even ran at all. I tried to check the points gap but couldn't get a feeler gauge of any size between them despite the fact that I could see them opening and closing. Huh? :huh I pulled them off and found that a bunch of of material had transferred from one side to the other and had formed a sharp spike in the center of one contact with a corresponding conical pit on the other contact so they sort of interlocked preventing a feeler from sliding between them. I filed the spike off the one side and left the pit in the other, reinstalled them, gapped them, and timed the whole mess and now she's starting up really nicely. I worked out a trade with Beater for a nice black toaster tank with munged-up petcock threads on one side. Shouldn't be too tough of a fix. This is quickly coming back to life. Anybody got any spare /5 handlebar switches they don't need? Mine work, but are a bit on the sun-baked and crispy side. Sorry, no photos fpr this post. The GF stole our only working camera to take to Mexico for a few days.

Heh. I have a set of Magura 'S' bars I could throw in with the tank .... They're better than the ones I put on my /5 ... I can send you pics?

I'm looking for the switches, not the bars. I already have S bars (or what I think are S bars) on the bike. Thanks though.

After 3 bourbons, one shouldn't quickly read a passage and quickly reply to it. Just sayin'.

Looking good! Great to hear it run!
Those switches are serviceable, but not easy to work on. There is a tiny "c-clip" which holds it together.
It likes to go sailing off into oblivion when removed. :eek1
I've read some folks remove / install them with everything in a plastic bag.
Yours' might be salvageable if the contacts are just corroded and not wore out.
My success rate on fixing them is well under 50%.
I might have an extra solo switch somewhere...I'll take a look tomorrow.


....found a switch but it doesn't look useable. Wires missing and cosmetically poor.

Nice find! GREAT PRICE!
Glad you are getting her sorted out…so cool to hear her running too.

This forum is so inspirational, all of the love for our Airheads gets me motivated.