New to the disease!

[boxedbike]

Hi, Im new to this forum, and to Bmw ownership aswell. I have thouroghly gone off the deep end, yesterday I bought a 1976 r75/6 basket case. Right now the bike is more parts than bike. it is completly disassembled. I have allot of experience working on bikes and old vw aircooled engines and im told this isint too different.

After purchasing a bike that is really boxes of parts, I keep telling myself that this is some twisted motorhead right of passage and that I have a good chance of getting this thing back on the road. I recognise the challange that represents and if it gets to be too much i'll probably part the thing out.

Im looking for any suggestions you may have. I saw a "bolt kit" on another website, I was wondering what everyone thought of these kits? the bike i have is complete, its just in peices. I would be kick ass if these kits had everything labelled.

Thanks for an info you can send my way, im off to stare at parts. -BMS :doh

[boofer]

Try here.....http://www.theboltguy.com/

Tim

[bluestune]

Hi Boxed,

I bought my 1976 R90/6 in boxes. I wish I would have repainted the frame, fenders and tank while everything was apart. Also, I should have bead blasted the engine to make it really shine like a new bike. That being said, my R90 is a blast to ride and the paint and bead blasting can be some future winter-time project. Good luck with the bike.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Welcome to the forum and the BMW brand!! :D
I hope you get your 'basketcase' together and get to ride it a lot. :thumb
Most BMW bikes made are still riding today, last I heard it's about 50% of all bikes made. Even though I ride a brand new model myself, I get a kick out of seeing well restored 'old' bikes whose owners poured heart and soul into them and ride them everywhere.
I have restored old cars and can imagine the ups and downs of a project like that. Just keep in mind that the end result is worth every anxious moment. :clap
Some of the work can be daunting but there is a lot of info on the web. Best advice I can give you is to start somewhere, anywhere, and finish that particular task to the end, than go to the next piece/part. Before you know the whole project will take shape and be finished.
Good luck!!!!

[Hodag]

Most BMW bikes made are still riding today, last I heard it's about 50% of all bikes made.

I've heard 95% of all Harleys made are still on the road, which means 5% actually got where they were going.

I second the bolt guy recomendation, heard good things about his complete well marked kits.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

I've heard 95% of all Harleys made are still on the road, which means 5% actually got where they were going.

I second the bolt guy recomendation, heard good things about his complete well marked kits.

Does that include pre WWII models too?? :D :D

[James.A]

If you have been getting Owners News for a few months, I'd recommend that you look through your back issues for a Keep 'Em Flying article entitled "Block That Crank". It illustrates a potential disaster with an airhead motor where the flywheel has been removed. Not knowing how dis-assembled your bike is, I would think that the first order of business would be to assemble the chassis to the point where you could try to start the motor and hear it run. I am working toward that goal on a derelict /2 that I recently acquired. No need to wire the bike. You could use the coils and a battery to dumb wire a primary ignition and starter circuit off-board for the purpose of turning the starter and delivering spark. Is the points plate in place in the motor? You would also need to hang the carbs, a fuel tank, and an exhaust. In reference to the flywheel thing, if it is removed you should pull the right cylinder and check for thrust shims dislodged from their dogs as per Matt Parkhouse's excellent article.

More info on the state of deconstruction of your bike would be helpful.

[boxedbike]

Thanks for the welcomes and the info. The "bolt kit" happens to be from the www.theboltguy.com. it seems a good way to start, not just becasue of the nice new stainless hardware, but the bags are labled! right now I just have trays of fasteners.

Woodnsteel, the bike is almost completly apart. the crankcase is together, but the jugs are off. the tranny is in one peice but in its own box. i just got the bike yesterday, and the jugs and heads are being shipped to me on monday. as of right now i havent even opened up all the boxes, i havent had time. im going to move at the end of may and I will have better space to sort everything out. i didnt bother to look in all the boxes becasue the bike is from a trusted source and besides i got it for $200. I can sell the parts i did see for that much in case it come to that.

one more question and PLEASE excuse my ignorance :dunno but I didnt start paying attention to bmw's untill the r1100rt's came out in 97' or so. my question is how to decode the model numbers. for example I know that r is for the boxer engine and "75" is for 750cc but whats the /6 all about? I see /2's and /5's and I think I saw a /7? I want to understand as much as possible, fo r this bike and future bimmers. :drink

[James.A]

There are webpages detailing this info, but generally; /2's are pre1970. /5's are 1970-'73 with 4 speed transmissions and the type 247, airhead motor. The earlier bikes had slingers and splash oiling. On those motors, the pushrod tubes are above the cylinders where the airhead pushrods are underneath. /6 models (1974-'76) have 5 speeds and single disc front brakes. /7 models are 1977-'79 production. EO changes occur across the range and are not entirely concise with the /5, /6, and /7 designation.

[Bob_M]

Welcome to the club. Below are a couple of helpful links

http://www.airheads.org/ This link is to the airheads BMW club. Explore that site (and join if it suits you) but find the technical page and read the technical articles. They are written by guys how take the time to explain the tricks of the trade.

http://www.ibmwr.org/market/ This link is to the Internet BMW Riders marketplace. You can find parts, sell parts etc. The ibmwr home page can guide you to another slew of technical articles.

BMW airheads are very satisfying to work on, because they are well crafted, but simple. They clean up pretty nice to. Have fun

[pmdave]

There are lots of us "airhead" owners who can recognize just about every part. If you are stumped, you could take a digital photo and ask what it is.

There are some technical issues with assembling the engine, and it would be very sad if you did something wrong and caused serious damage. I second the advice about researching articles, especially from the "Keep Em Flying" and "Tech Session" columns in Owners News. Since there have been many columns covering different airhead subjects, might I suggest you obtain a collection of Owners News--occasionally for sale in the Flea Market section of the magazine.

A shop manual is essential. The "official" BMW shop manuals might be less useful to you than an aftermarket manual that offers additional tips, suggestions for tools, etc.

And, I assume you've joined BMWMOA. You will probably bump into fellow MOA members who will be willing to look over your parts and explain what's what.

pmdave

[mcollect]

Another site you might try is boxerworks.com, they are a great source of knowledge. Duane Ausherman is the current guru of airheads on that list. Enjoy the project.

[lkchris]

When you join the Airheads mail list, try to get someone to send you the ETK, which is a CD that lists all BMW parts. Illustrated. "Tiele" is parts in German, and ETK roughly means electronic tiele katalog. You'll get it free or nearly free, I'm sure, but you can pay for one on eBay if you insist.

You'll find 90%+ of all parts still available from BMW for your bike.

Yes, the BMW will be somewhat similar to a VW but no American hot rod techniques apply.

Shiny is cute, but stainless bolts generally aren't as strong as other alloy bolts. All the correct bolts are still available from BMW, and the ETK is a very good source for listing specifications of bolts required.

BMW used NO, repeat NO, goop in assembling your bike. Therefore liquid gaskets, etc., are not used. Things like oil pan and valve cover gaskets come from BMW with adhesive impregnated--the side with lettering. Elsewhere it simply isn't needed and "going the extra mile" is a mistake.

Finally, Internet lists are nice, but there's no substitute for hooking up with your local BMW club--probably plenty of guys will want to have fun helping you, and this sort of advice is the best, assuming you can recognize who's experienced. Guys with BMW cars, too, are a good clue.

[boxedbike]

Thanks for all the info guys! In additiion to the etk thing, I found this bmw dealer site: http://www.ascycles.com they have an illistrated online parts catalog.

IKchris, you dont think stainless is as strong? you bring up a good point, volkswagen has a history of making bolts so soft you would think they were cheese. my interest in a bolt kit is as much for an idea where all the bolts go as for the fasteners them selves.

I have already hooked up with some local bemmer guys and I hope I can get them to help me out when I need it. when I figure out whether or not im gonna rebuild the bike (becoming more likley daily) I'll join airheads.

[dlearl476]

BoxedBike, You'll find Larry and David, the parts guys at Irv Seaver BMW in LA invalualble. One of the best supplies of /X parts I've found in the USA. There are also some great companies in Germany that specialize in /X parts. Sibenrock is the only one I can remember off the top of my head.

[The_Veg]

I'll second the vote for the Boxerworks.com forum. I've been a regular there for about four years and those guys have a really impressive plethora of years of real-world experience and knowledge. That Duane guy was the San Francisco-area BMW dealer from the mid-1960s to about the mid-1970s. He got into it almost by accident, as he had a /2 and taught himself how to keep it running. Others noticed the skill and the demand for it presented itself. In the late 70s he was a regional guy for BMWNA but has had no connection since about '78 or '79. Do a Google on his name and you'll find a wealth of great info he's compiled on maintaining old BMWs. You won't catch him much on Boxerworks right now though as he just embarked on a month-long biz trip. He's mostly retired but goes on consulting gigs now and then for the telecom industry.
Best of luck with your project and please keep us posted!