Restoration Photos and Progress 1932 R4 Series 1

[vechbmw]

For some reason the visual diameter of that header pipe looks big! Maybe it's sized for the R4...my R25/2 pipe isn't that big. It even seems bigger than those used on the /5-on bikes.

That is because it is! The R4 is a 400 cc single, and it has a 40mm header pipe!

That is bigger than the 38mm pipes of the /5.....

Here is a close up view, of the extension piece that I made in the lathe, that shoves up into each half of the existing header. This brought the pipe down to the more or less correct level in relation to the frame, and let me tuck it in towards the frame so it would line up with the muffler, when the muffler was bolted to the frame...

The brass hex plug, just behind the pipe, is an access hole, to the timing chain, so you can check the timing chain for excessive play, and adjust it, by turning the eccentric generator on the side of the engine, to take up timing chain slack...

The round nickel plated cover is over the points. You can see the cable attachment, with the spring, which forces it to the full advance position when the lever on the handle bar is shoved forward..

[20774]

The brass hex plug, just behind the pipe, is an access hole, to the timing chain, so you can check the timing chain for excessive play, and adjust it, by turning the eccentric generator on the side of the engine, to take up timing chain slack...

What a novel idea! Can I retrofit that to my other bikes?

[vechbmw]

I laced and trued the rear wheel over the weekend, and mounted a 350 x 19 Metzler block C tire on it. Within a few days, I will have the gas tank back from the painter. The tank is two tone, (as painted originally) with the top being the same blue as the emblem. I still lack a rear fender. The one that was with the bike is wrong, not even a BMW fender. I've been waiting for a fender from Europe, that I am having hand made. It has only been 6 months now. One of these days........

[vechbmw]

I finally got the nickel plated header pipe back from plating.
After the previous modifications, it turned out looking very good, and fits fairly well.

In this photo you can see the header installed with the odd fish tail muffler that R4 and R35's used. If you look closely, you can see the cigar tail light, on the end of it's wire, laying on the work bench top at the rear of the motorcycle.

The gas tank is off at the pin strippers as I write this. The installation of the tank will be the last thing I will be able to do, (besides start it for the first time) until I get the hand made rear fender from Europe.

[Ken F]

Thanks for the update. Header looks amazingly stock.
I would love to come to work with you for a couple of years!!!! lol

Ken

[RINTY]

Thanks for posting, Craig; this is just exotic work.

[Walking Eagle]

This is some fine, fine MotoPorn.

Thanks for including us in this fantastic project.

Walking Eagle

[vechbmw]

Over the weekend, I got the tank back from the pin stripe artist. I have installed it, with the original English type, brass slide blade petcock (which I had to hand make the internal cork sealing disks for) on the tank. After installing the tank, I sat down on this machine for the first time. I discovered that the curved mounting plate that the nose of the seat mounts on, was badly worn out, the bolt hole was a very sloppy fit of the bracket to the 8 mm bolt. I removed the bracket, and drilled the hole out to 9 mm and made a VERY thin walled tube, out of of nylon round stock, on the lathe. I fitted it to the bracket, shoved the nose bolt through, and eliminated the horrible side to side wiggle the seat had. One one problem solved. The top of the tank, as you can see, is BMW emblem blue. Yes, it is supposed to be. The R2 and R4, on the introduction year, had those distinctive blue tops to the tank..
If you look close, you can see the gas cap in the right, and the speedometer on the left, of the top of the tank. Word out of Europe is that my hand made rear fender will be shipped to me in Oct. Cross you fingers!

[Ken F]

It would be so much fun to ride a bike like this in the Cannonball!

Outstanding resto.

Ken

[henzilla]

Just started coming over here more often...fantastic resto...Have to go see it close up when I drop off a engine soon. And the other beauties there as well.