1973 Bmw R75/5 Swb Cafe Scrambler. Number Match. Thoroughly Revivified. Fast. on 2040-motos

I have here one R75/5 SWB classic with matching engine, frame, and badge numbers; it has a model year of 1973 and a build date of 1/1972, so the wiring is fuseless and most of the parts are stamped 1971. I got it as a basket case in the Spring and spent an unreasonable amount of time this Summer reviving and refinishing various components and making a few reversible (non-destructive) modifications. PO replaced the head & base gaskets, pushrod tube seals, etc., got it fired up then lost interest. 

REVIVAL (I would not call it a "restoration")

I stripped & painted the frame and swingarm (spray lacquer; 3 coats black, 3 coats clear) and polished most of the engine casings. All the knurled BMW casing bolts looked great, but much of the other original hardware (hardened nuts & bolts, bushings, motor mounts, brake linkage, seat latch, steering damper, etc.) had a "lovely patina" (ahem), so I de-plated and re-plated all (zinc; 2 to 4 strikes).

The tach is rock-steady, the speedo is twitchy, and the clock stopped at around 32K. All fluids & filters changed; all bearings & races cleaned, repacked, and correctly preloaded. All splines good to excellent. The original 32/10 final drive was about to ask for a rebuild, so I bolted on a 31/9 with nice fat splines that better match the rear wheel. Gearbox shifts like a BMW (smooth when given the right touch, clunky when kicked by a brute). Compression measured three times, at 136-138 on both sides. Carbs synched and balanced. 2-1 exhaust sounds a bit impolite but not rude. Starts on the button and goes like a berzerker. 

WHEELS & BRAKES

I de-laced the wheels, polished the rims, burnished & painted the original spokes (etching primer, VHT enamel), re-laced, trued, and balanced with new Dunlop dual-sport front and matching Cheng Shin rear. I was quite pleased with the results, as I am used to dealing with bicycle wheels, which are a much greater PIA. The shoes and drums were not grease-fouled (hooray!), so I only had to give them a good work-over with a wire brush.

The shoes need more mileage to readapt to the drums, so the front shudders a bit under HARD braking, without any apparent lateral movement or effect on handling. The rear brake, of course, will lock up the wheel if you stomp on it, because that's what they do. Around town and on/off the highway I wouldn't even guess that the wheels had been re-laced; actually, they stop better than the early (ATE) disc models that I've owned. I have a clean, straight pair of chrome "pie plate" covers which are included with this auction, I just don't care for their look. Ditto the original battery box and the matching rear fender.

ELECTRICS

I went through the entire harness wire-by-wire, removing oddities and replacing the usual suspects. The dodgy "anti-start" relay has been replaced by a /7 Bosch unit with the correct bypass & joints. The thermal flasher has been replaced with a variable-load electronic unit that allows for any number of indicators. The rear wiring is still in place and fully functional; I will include a mounted pair of (OEM, black plastic) indicators. 

The original headlamp has been replaced with a blindingly bright H4, I believe from an R1100R. I thoroughly cleaned and rebuilt the ornery switches -- power/headlamp/park, hi/low/horn, left/right/start. That was not the fun part. Neutral & brake switches, etc. working properly; starter, coils, alternator, regulator all operating within spec. Original seat pan customized to stow AGM Yuasa beneath. See pics and vids for more details.

MISCELLANY

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, so I will likely add more info over the next few days. I expect a non-refundable $500 deposit via PayPal within 48 hours, and the balance delivered via cashier's check or money order within 3 days. Vermont does not issue titles for older vehicles, so what you will get, papers-wise, is a Vermont bill of sale signed by me as well as the Massachusetts title signed by the previous owner. What happens after that depends entirely on the requirements of the state you live in, in regards to which I cannot even begin to guess; due diligence is the responsibility of the buyer. 

All the usual disclaimers apply, such as that the bike is sold as-is where-is, with no warrantee express or implied. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. I will gladly coordinate with any legitimate shipper; eBay has a mechanism for getting quotes & whatnot. I will happily deliver the bike to anywhere within 10 miles of White River Junction VT, where US 89 meets 91 and Amtrak meets Greyhound -- or Hanover NH, where Dartmouth Coach services NYC/GCS and Boston/Logan. My only reservation about a fly-in-ride-away arrangement is the short time that I've had the bike built. That said, if you are soundly equipped with airhead experience and your own tool kit, I won't rule it out. Happy bidding!

VIDEOS

Well, blast it all, I apparently cannot get the video embedding to work right. I have two videos so far; the YouTube numbers are RObRiWG-5kA and VhtxnhYGcX8 so go to YouTube and type them in to see the thing start, go, and stop. Meanwhile, I'll try to figure the video embedding out. It can't be any more of a PIA than rebuilding the headlamp switch, right?

I have yet to make the embedding work right (it keeps superimposing the video player window over the listing info...any suggestions?); so, here's some links. More later.

Walkaround

Demo Ride

Okay, let's try this again. I made that last update on my iProd, so the links are to YouTube mobile. These should work anywhere. I hope. Argh.

Walkaround

Demo Ride

EMBEDDED VIDEO! So it turns out you need to NOT use the "new" YouTube embed code but rather the "old" code. Live and learn.