ark barn rat

[Marine]

i am a new member to bmwmoa and looking forward to meeting other beemer riders also i am in the process of rebuilding the firs bmw that i have ever owned so i will be asking for a lotttt of help from everyone. the bike is a 1977 r/75/7 so if anyone is familiar with this model please clue me in on its good points and its short comings.the bike has been stored in ashed for about 15 years so i am expecting to replace a lot of parts etc.please reply with suggestions,tips,advice, anything at all that is on your mind.thanks

[deilenberger]

Marine,

I'm gonna move this over to Airheads - since that's the bike you have, and there are a bunch of real enthusiasts in that forum who I'm sure will help you out.

Hang on - the move is usually smooth but 'ya never know..

Whoooooooosssssshhhhhhhhhh...

[crazydrummerdude]

We crave pics and a good story!

Sounds good already.

:eat

[danielroth]

i hope you have a pile of cash.

please tell us where you're from.
there is usually someone within a reasonable distance who can drop in and give you a few pointers and suggestions.
between MOA and ABC (airhead beemers club), guarantee someone can be a big help and a new friend.


-dan

[rbleau]

Welcome ! Misery loves company ! :lurk

[boxermaf]

The R 75/7 was a short-lived model before they transitioned to an R80/7, and this makes it somewhat more "collectible". It is also purported to have a few extra HP and a bit more torque than the 80/7.
I would say that this is a model that is worth some effort to restore/rejuvenate if you can swing it, financially.

Good luck!

[26667]

i hope you have a pile of cash.

please tell us where you're from.
there is usually someone within a reasonable distance who can drop in and give you a few pointers and suggestions.
between MOA and ABC (airhead beemers club), guarantee someone can be a big help and a new friend.


-dan

There's quite a network of remarkably helpful airhead people out there, and several good sources of new and used parts. But just for starters, anything rubber is dried out. You're gonna hafta rebuild the carbs. There's rubber o-rings and the diaphragm. Anything greased will likely be frozen. The grease turns to glue. Like steering head bearings, wheel bearings. tho they may be cleanable. Check final drive splines and clutch out-put splines. those little-bitty springs on the spinning weights of the ignition sensor. good luck and post lots of pix

[Marine]

Here Are Some Pics Of The R75/7 That I Dug Out Of The Shed.if You Will Notice On The Right Side Of The Bike The Mice Have Built A Very Swanky 4 Story Condo.

[Marine]

Nother Pic Of Raratouillie 4 Story Condo

[Bob_M]

Welcome Marine
I know I speak for many that we look forward to your tale of discovery.

[crazydrummerdude]

Sweet! I love it. I LOVE it. :laugh

Go check out the before pics on my R90/6 thread.

Go ahead and take the heads off and have a look.. proceed from there.

[Marine]

I Am A Christian,and Have Been Most Of My Life.if U R Not We Still Will Get Along Just Fine Because Everyone Is Entitled To Their Own Belief In My Opinion.i Live In Van Buren, Ar About 5 Miles From The Ok Border And 1/2 Mi South Of I40. Best Place In The Us To Live. I Am 67 Years Old And Am Married. I Have 5 Children,11 Grandchildren,and 1 Great Granddaughter.very Proud Of My Family, 1 Serving In The Us Navy And All Others Holding Down Paying Jobs, For The Time Being. I Am Semi Retired As A Truck Driver, And Have Been To All Lower 48 States, Several Canidian Provinces, And Folks We Have A Beautiful Country,a Country To Be Very Proud Of. Time To Start Talking About The R75/7,it Has Been In My Family Since Around 1988. My Brother,who By The Way Is Member #6991,bought The Bike While Living In Frederick,md. His Son Rode The Bike To Daytona Beach And Around In Va And Md Area For A Couple Of Years Then Parked It For 4 Wheel Transportation. When They Moved Back To Ok They Rode The Bike Down There And Made A Couple Of Short Trips On It And Then The Boy Moved Out Of State And Left The Bike Behind. Eventually My Brother Pushed It Into The Shed U C In The Pics. I Have More Pics And Will Be Sending Them Soon And Will Keep Updating The Progress On Restoring, Thanks For Ur Concern And All Of Ur Replies. Marine.

[Marine]

Sweet! I love it. I LOVE it. :laugh

Go check out the before pics on my R90/6 thread.

Go ahead and take the heads off and have a look.. proceed from there.

SEEING UR PICS AND REPORTS INSPIRED ME TO TRY IT MYSELF I AM REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT U DID TO THAT BIKE EXCELLENT JOB MARINE

[mymindsok]

Wow... That bikes pretty rough!

OTOH, a projects a project and that one will keep you busy for a couple of months and very likely empty your wallet. I'll be out here checking out your problems and progress, while throwing in a little advice if you need some.

I recently completed a 1976 R-90 build that took me from a worn out bike to a real looker, so theres some inspiration for ya down there somewhere.

Just remember to take things one step at a time and order your parts in advance.

Click for Inspiration:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w238/kenwhitehawk/R-90%20BUILD/th_FULLFILE-2006-1.jpg (http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w238/kenwhitehawk/R-90%20BUILD/?action=view&current=FULLFILE-2006-1.jpg)

[Marine]

Wow... That bikes pretty rough!

OTOH, a projects a project and that one will keep you busy for a couple of months and very likely empty your wallet. I'll be out here checking out your problems and progress, while throwing in a little advice if you need some.

I recently completed a 1976 R-90 build that took me from a worn out bike to a real looker, so theres some inspiration for ya down there somewhere.

Just remember to take things one step at a time and order your parts in advance.

Click for Inspiration:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w238/kenwhitehawk/R-90%20BUILD/th_FULLFILE-2006-1.jpg (http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w238/kenwhitehawk/R-90%20BUILD/?action=view&current=FULLFILE-2006-1.jpg)

beautiful bike ideal for that part of the country to ride around on hope mine just looks half that good when finished. thanks for the encouragement.

[Marine]

the good news the motor still turns with allen wrench in alt nut after 20 years of not doing anything but housing a condiminuim of mice. Both tires were flat of course but aired them up and they are still inflated.looks like all rubber will need to be replaced,and some wiring where the mice ate the insulation. Drained the oil,got a full 2 quarts, and no metal of any kind in oil pan. BTW if there is any co out there that has lower prices on parts please let me know. this is what the "country gentleman" looked like prior to bath, naked and all.

[Marine]

rt airhead after some cleaning with brush just before bath. this was the 2nd floor of the mouse condo.

[Marine]

this is master cylinder looks i will be needing another one not with not quite so much age showing

[Marine]

this is of course the air intake cover it was one of the main dining areas in the mouse condo

[Marine]

mouse dessert maybe?

[kgadley01]

well, it looks like you've got yourself a project. Take your time, and don't take any shortcuts. you will be very proud when everything is finished. I sure hope no mice were harmed. :whistle LOL

[Marine]

more pics of mouse barbarism on defenseless bmw

[Marine]

pics of mouse attack

[Marine]

penthouse fare for mice

[Marine]

look closely and u can see the yellow wire is missing a bit of insulation look closer and u will see the wires in front of the starter were mouse bait also I don 't wish them any bad luck but may all their offspring marry cats. or better yet snakes.:usa

[Marine]

look closely and u will see the yellow wire is missing a bit of insulation,also the wires in front of the starter are missing insulation on them. most of the damage is from the mice nesting and eating the bike.

[Marine]

front wheel showing rusty bleed valve on brake chamber and a little mud on rim

[Marine]

this is the penthouse dining area in the mouse condo they must like starters for some reason:lurk

[mneblett]

front wheel showing rusty bleed valve on brake chamber and a little mud on rimOne good bit of news -- you have a set of aftermarket Lester cast wheels on the bike -- a popular alternative to the stock wire wheels in the late '70s. If you can clean them up, they will be a definite :thumb when you're ready to show off the bike to other beemerphiles :)

[rbleau]

Will you pull the heads next ?

My lesson was that the rust inside was more than a honing could deal with...hope you have better luck !

S/F, Ron

[crazydrummerdude]

This looks similar to my R75 when I first got it. It's engine wasn't seized, either, after 20+ years of neglect.

Oddly enough, I inflated the 20+ year old cracked, rotted tires in December of 2004, and they held the same pressure for my two year resurrection of it.

[mitchell0481]

Looks like a good project. I hope the insides are in better order than the outside. Over all it looks like a good start for your project.

[108625]

Marine,

With that much mouse activity (or is it mice activity?), do yourself a favor and check the exhaust for nests & stashed food. Don't ask me how I know; just visualize a guy shaking dog food out of a KDX 200 pipe.

[Marine]

very good 108625,here's a pic of left exhaust pipe, if u look up in the pipe there is a muddobbers castle. this bike is,was home to several critters i guess.

[Na Cl K9]

I purchased a BMW R75/7 in a color called "Bronco Metallic". It had gold pin stripes. When I picked it up in Nov. of 77 it had 9 miles on it out of the crate at Doc Baum’s BMW in Colorado Springs and cost me 3200.00. It had more of what you would call a detectable power band than the R80g/s that came along in 1981. I got mine sorted out such that at 115 mph indicated on a nice new section of interstate outside Gallup New Mexico one morning it felt like it was on a rail. 2 up too.

I have the remains of a bike I paid 400.00 for in similar condition to yours. (Photograph). There is a lesson in maintenance here by the way. Once a BMW rider I know told me he found a bird’s nest inside the starter cavity with three eggs in it. Ron has been telling us all about his "Barn Find" just a few posts away from yours. It will be interesting to read all the things you discover about your BMW. White is an unusual color to see on a 77 R75/7 at least in my experience. Figure out what’s left of it and then decide if you can accept the cost involved in replacing what you need to make it a ‘nice bike’ again. If you don’t have a particularly well developed sense of mechanical curiosity, I would pass on this one and find a running bike. Ask yourself if you want to “Ride or Wrench”? That said, you mentioned that the engine turned over.

The R75/5 Mouse Motel saw generations of rodents come and go from its crypt in an old shed under a tarp for 14 years. Surprisingly, there turned out to be almost 700.00 in salvage and I still have the engine although it is pretty much a lump

[Marine]

pics of carbs don't look too bad but will ovhaul anyway

[Marine]

nother pic of carb

[Marine]

carbs are really in pretty good shape

[Marine]

just hope i don't have problems finding parts(if needed)for them when i rebuild.

[Marine]

drum looks ok on the outside

[Marine]

alt,points,cond need lots of advice on these parts,i e how to set points,rebuild alt if needed, pitfalls in this area thank u to everyone for ur responses.

[crazydrummerdude]

In respect to the carb rebuild:

The throttle shaft screws are peened. Be careful when removing them or you might strip the threads.

[Marine]

In respect to the carb rebuild:

The throttle shaft screws are peened. Be careful when removing them or you might strip the threads.

thanks for the advice i found out when i took the carbs off that careful is the way to go.:usa

[mymindsok]

Looking at the photos, youre doing pretty good!

I'll make a couple of suggestions right off the bat.

1) Take everything that isnt basic bike, off of your bike. That means remove the fairing mounts, bag mounts, tail rack, etc. Just take all that stuff and put it somewhere, so you cn see and deal with the basic bike.

2) go on the net (amazon, Ebay, etc.) and buy both a Haynes and a Clymers manual and then sit down and read both cover to cover.

3) Wash, brush, scrub, and clean the bike as well as you can. Theres no profit in working on a dirty, greasy mess and ther better the bike looks, the more likely it'll be that you be enthused about working on it.

4) With those tasks completed, you'll want to take a look at the trans and engine. First, drain the engine oil and examine both the oil and the magnetic drain plug. Then do the same with the trans. You'll be looking for shards of metal and/or water in the oil.

5) Pull the heads and inspect the valves and the bores. You'll be looking for rust in the bores.

If all that stuff looks good, you have a chance of having a repairable bike and you'll be able to move on with some confidence.

Lastly.... If it turns out thet your bike is repairable and you are determined to repair it, I can send you some used small parts (Like those rusty brake bleeders!) a that are perfectly usable and WAY better than what I'm looking at.

Just keep moving ahead one step at a time.

[Marine]

Looking at the photos, youre doing pretty good!

I'll make a couple of suggestions right off the bat.

1) Take everything that isnt basic bike, off of your bike. That means remove the fairing mounts, bag mounts, tail rack, etc. Just take all that stuff and put it somewhere, so you cn see and deal with the basic bike.

2) go on the net (amazon, Ebay, etc.) and buy both a Haynes and a Clymers manual and then sit down and read both cover to cover.

3) Wash, brush, scrub, and clean the bike as well as you can. Theres no profit in working on a dirty, greasy mess and ther better the bike looks, the more likely it'll be that you be enthused about working on it.

4) With those tasks completed, you'll want to take a look at the trans and engine. First, drain the engine oil and examine both the oil and the magnetic drain plug. Then do the same with the trans. You'll be looking for shards of metal and/or water in the oil.

5) Pull the heads and inspect the valves and the bores. You'll be looking for rust in the bores.

If all that stuff looks good, you have a chance of having a repairable bike and you'll be able to move on with some confidence.

Lastly.... If it turns out thet your bike is repairable and you are determined to repair it, I can send you some used small parts (Like those rusty brake bleeders!) a that are perfectly usable and WAY better than what I'm looking at.

Just keep moving ahead one step at a time.

thanks for the advice ken. i appreciate the offer of the used parts also, and will be taking u up on that as soon as i find out what i will be needing. i have hit a snag in that the wolf is at the door and i am in the process of doing the unthinkable---working for money. yes i know this unacceptable behavuior, but this bike needs restoring, and like someone said in an earlier post a pile of filthy lucre is a must. ride safe

[Solo_Lobo]

So... what ever happened to this one?

[lbrackr756]

The R 75/7 was a short-lived model before they transitioned to an R80/7, and this makes it somewhat more "collectible". It is also purported to have a few extra HP and a bit more torque than the 80/7.
I would say that this is a model that is worth some effort to restore/rejuvenate if you can swing it, financially.

Good luck!

It was a 1 year model in the USA, only 1473 imported. I've got one, too. Just got it out of a barn a little over a week ago. Undergoing major tune up and will be for sale soon (I already have 3 others). My goal is to get as many back on the road as I can so I can foil the guys that part them out!
BTW, the R75/7 is 50HP, the R80/7 is 55HP, not the other way 'round.

Little Egypt Airheads
1952 R51/3 (ongoing restoration)
1966 R50/2
1977 R75/7 (almost ready to go)
1980 R100RT

[1074]

i am a new member to bmwmoa and looking forward to meeting other beemer riders also i am in the process of rebuilding the firs bmw that i have ever owned so i will be asking for a lotttt of help from everyone. the bike is a 1977 r/75/7 so if anyone is familiar with this model please clue me in on its good points and its short comings.the bike has been stored in ashed for about 15 years so i am expecting to replace a lot of parts etc.please reply with suggestions,tips,advice, anything at all that is on your mind.thanks

Well, you've got quite a project there. I might suggest that you hook up with the Oklahoma airhead group. You'll find them on Yahoo group site.
They're a great bunch of talented people, willing to help and provide experiences that you'll find helpfull.
Fact is, they're having a "Tech" day in a couple of weeks.
Bruce #1074

[boxermaf]

>>BTW, the R75/7 is 50HP, the R80/7 is 55HP, not the other way 'round

Not according to the BMW airhead books I have. The R80 has had lower comp pistons (I think) than the R75 as they left the factory. The "BMW Boxers from /5" book I have indicate that the R80/7 was good for 55 HP only if/as re-fitted with the flat box air filter of the later model, not the original clamshell. I don't have either an R80 or R75 at this time, so I can't personally say which is correct. Actually, the Boxers book I have indicates that both the R75/7 and R80/7 had the same 50 HP, but the R75 has 2 N-m more torque (not much difference).

[Pops]

Anybody know what happened to this project- I am looking at a very similar conditioned bike - starting to teardown now. Would love to hear what Marine ran into or if he gave up.

[mymindsok]

As likely as not he looked at a list of the parts he needed, added up the costs and dumped the project.

OTOH, you never know....