BMW /5 toaster-tank cafe

jkluesner

jkluesner

Been Around the Block
Hello all!

Got my new purchase shipped to me last week from Indiana (barn find). The shipping guy delivered the bike to the grocery store parking lot across the street and to no surprise the battery was dead.... so I pushed it to my place, which sucked as there is a big hill :( . A little charge on the battery and the next day, vroooom, the 599 cc started right up with both electric and kick-start. Nothing like priming those old BING carbs (ticklers) to get it running. I will probably replace these with Mikini carbs, as I hear good things. This is what it looked and sounded like 6 days ago: http://www.youtube.com/v/7zNczklITNA?hl=en&fs=1 (note: this is after removing the front fender, fairing and a few other parts)

Took her for a spin and then started tearing her down.

Below is the current state of the bike. The guy who owned it before me clearly masked (tried to at least) off the bike and painted things in place. The result, painted rubber parts (rings, etc) that are completely toast and over-spray everywhere. On a positive note the rims shine up nicely :) Parts have been ordered and now I have to decide if I should pull the engine to paint the frame... I have decided not to tear into the engine, as I had a BMW mechanic look at the bike before I bought it. He said it has great compression and needs nothing (he did a bunch of work on this bike for the previous owner). I do plan on painting the timing cover, valve covers, and starter cover black. I hear great things about White Diamond polish and hope this can bring some luster back to the engine casing. This thing is very dirty and greasy and has over-spray (black and orange) all over it.

I am planning to paint the tank and modified fenders (and possibly cafe seat) back to its original color (black) or a deep army green. Factory turn signals are going and are going to be replaced with classic (60's) BMW bar-end turn signals. Getting completely new exhaust and headers. Bought some Euro bars and am trying to decide on what to do with the seat. It came with a pretty nice corbin, but is not the cafe style I am looking for. Anyway, on to removing the original broken gauge in the headlight....



IMG

 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Got some parts when I came home from work today :) I decided to go with euro-type bars (black) and do away with the bulky/ugly turn signals and go with bar end signals combined with mirrors. Below is a mock-up of what it should look like. I sort like the combined look.


IMG_0839 by jkluesner, on Flickr

I also got some pod filters as well. I figured I might as well try to remove the big and ugly airbox... However, I didn't really want to modify the intake tract length. BMW engineering is usually pretty good... So, I came up with this mod. Looks a little weird, however I sorta like it. I will paint the intake tubes black and I might add a bracket for support, Although they seem pretty stable.


IMG_0833 by jkluesner, on Flickr


IMG_0835 by jkluesner, on Flickr

I also started cleaning the starter cover. Man, cleaning this thing sucks. I am hoping White Diamond polish with will help the cause (just ordered). The rubber air breather (in background) cleaned up nicely using basic engine degreaser.


IMG_0840 by jkluesner, on Flickr

Also, I am going to trim my fenders. What would be the best tool to use? Angle grinder, jig saw, dremel?
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Nice platform you've got here Jared. The sooner you lost those bars the other guy put on the better! :) Like the new setup you're going to use...
I usually clean up engine casings using scotchbrite and petrol... Works well for me... Pods look good - hopefully somebody knows something about BMW's and can give you some tips on jetting etc, as well as any other common issues you may find regarding the mod... Good luck. Looking forward to following this...
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Nice find Jared! Where at in Indiana did you find that and how? I am from Indy.

Can't wait to see the build unfold!
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Found this bike through a friend of a friend. The guy had the bike given to him a few years back and he recently developed knee problems, thus not able to ride it anymore. Was only asking for what he had in it, $1400. So, I got a heck of a deal :) Bike was purchased in Southern Indiana, around Bloomington. I also learned that this bike has been to South America and back, so she has some experiences under her belt :)
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

So, after the special exhaust wrench got lost in the mail I decided to continue onto painted the carb air intake tubes. I sanded down the rough and ugly gold plastic, and went for a flat black. I am trying to go for a rubber look. Below is my patented intake-tube painting stand (and my favorite brewery...Stone rocks!!).


primer by jkluesner, on Flickr


filter_tube by jkluesner, on Flickr

I also tried a combination of things to try and clean the starter cover. Engine degreaser did nothing, aluminum polish had very little impact. So, I decided to hit the sandpaper. Started with 180 grit, then went to 400, and then 600, followed by aluminum polish. Now I can see my reflection on the starter cover :) Timing cover in the background shows the condition of the aluminum. Hopefully I will get the header wrench soon (custom header nut that needs a special wrench) so I can pull the headers, sand them down, paint them with high-temp header paint and wrap them with black header wrap. Brand new mufflers should be in early next week and I am exciting to see what the new exhaust setup will look like.

polish by jkluesner, on Flickr
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

reelinfeele said:
the mirror and turn signal combo is very sano. what brands are those parts?
Click to expand...

I got the bar-end turn signals hear: http://www.caferace.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=CR60-14550-1&Category_Code=RRBT

I got the mirrors off of ebay for real cheap. I wanted to make sure I could fit the mounting bracket over the turn signal end. I probably will upgrade the mirrors to higher quality sometime in the future.
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 header

Got the header-nut wrench in the mail today. Took off the headers and inspected the condition... couple pretty large rust areas, however after a good grinding and sanding doesn't look too bad. Went ahead and put some black header-wrap on the headers.


wrench by jkluesner, on Flickr


header by jkluesner, on Flickr


header_wrap by jkluesner, on Flickr
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Just curious, did you paint the headers before wrapping them? If not the fiberglass can hold moisture and rust them out all over again.
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Big Rich said:
Just curious, did you paint the headers before wrapping them? If not the fiberglass can hold moisture and rust them out all over again.
Click to expand...

I did not initially paint the headers, I was going to use a high-temp sealant on the header-wrap. However, after the advice from Big Rich I decided to go ahead and remove the wrap and paint the header with 1500-2000 degree header paint. I plan on spraying on the sealant as well. Should be pretty rust-proof by then. Plus, I live in San Diego and it pretty much never rains :)

Decide to trim down the front fender today. Always liked the very small, stubby front fenders... so I decided to cut down the stock fender. I don't feel too bad about this because they go for like 50 bucks used on ebay. As I don't have a jig saw or angle grinder, I decided to go old school and hit the hacksaw. Below is the original fender and the cut-down version. I plan on lower it closer to the wheel with some sort of spacer. I will use a jig saw or angle grinder on the rear fender.... shouldn't take as much elbow grease :)


front_fender by jkluesner, on Flickr


front_fender_cut by jkluesner, on Flickr
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Got the new mufflers in today. Going with the long-stock look. Also tore took the shocks off and noticed they are in poor condition. Anybody have some suggestions on a good upgrade from the stock Boge shocks (not too expensive of course)? Also, put some of my books to good use :D Needed something to stabilize the block after taking off the front end (I am still using the centerstand behind the books) and didn't have anything like a block of wood.


exhaust by jkluesner, on Flickr


shocks by jkluesner, on Flickr


book_stand by jkluesner, on Flickr
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

Are the shocks rebuildable? If not, Dime City should have something to help you out.

Lookin good so far man.
 
Re: 1973 BMW R60/5 build

VonYinzer said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/13-3-8-RFY-Air-Shock-Absorbers-Banshee-YFZ-Warrior-ATV-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2a0c970b38QQitemZ180599851832QQptZMotorsQ5fATVQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Thats what Im going to run on my 1971 R5. They come pretty highly recommended, especially for that price. Look them up on EBay, as they come in a few different colors as well.
Click to expand...

Von, I really like those. Will they be enough for the bmw + me weight? My bike weighs in stock around 450 lbs and I weigh roughly 185. If so, these look they are great deal. I also like the gold-black color combo...
 
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