R75/5 Original?

[Tom H Ca]

The '73 I have was green with pinstripes on the tank. I'm way from an expert on BMW, but I noticed a few things.

The battery covers. I believe were chrome with black painted panels. Yours look like blue panels. Also the tube from the carb to airbox I don't think was black. Not sure what color originally, but the ones I have look a bit goldish.

Whatever the minor things. SWEET BIKE!!!!!

Tom

[Rob Frankham]

The '73 I have was green with pinstripes on the tank. I'm way from an expert on BMW, but I noticed a few things.

The battery covers. I believe were chrome with black painted panels. Yours look like blue panels. Also the tube from the carb to airbox I don't think was black. Not sure what color originally, but the ones I have look a bit goldish.

Whatever the minor things. SWEET BIKE!!!!!

Tom

I think the battery covers are probably correct. The contemporary brochures show blue 'toasters' with colour matched covers, although all other colours show black insert panels. The parts lists also list battery covers in blue and black.

Not sure about the air tubes... some of the early ones were certainly brownish but don't know when that changed. Certainly the '72 brochures seem to show black tubes in as much as the pictures are detailed enough to tell.


Rob

[stoutgoose]

Seat has got to go!

There is no "Toaster Model"

Looks like a good bike!

But it's so comfortable!

I was fortunate to pick up a good original condition seat with the fluted vinyl and rear grab rail on ebay, however although it ain't pretty it is nice to sit on and part of the bike's history. It was recovered in Idaho in the 70's I imagine. I think I'll keep the standard seat for if I ever sell.

Thoughts on US high and European low bars?

[stoutgoose]

The '73 I have was green with pinstripes on the tank. I'm way from an expert on BMW, but I noticed a few things.

The battery covers. I believe were chrome with black painted panels. Yours look like blue panels. Also the tube from the carb to airbox I don't think was black. Not sure what color originally, but the ones I have look a bit goldish.

Whatever the minor things. SWEET BIKE!!!!!

Tom

I think the battery covers are probably correct. The contemporary brochures show blue 'toasters' with colour matched covers, although all other colours show black insert panels. The parts lists also list battery covers in blue and black.

Not sure about the air tubes... some of the early ones were certainly brownish but don't know when that changed. Certainly the '72 brochures seem to show black tubes in as much as the pictures are detailed enough to tell.


Rob

The intake tubes are replacements. The original types were painted silver and which I read, went brittle and turned brown/gold over time.

When I changed the engine oil, the old oil was clean and new; as if it had been serviced and then stood. However when I removed the oil filter, it had 'made in West Germany' stamped on it, so either old stock or last changed in the late '80's.

[melville]

Seat has got to go!

There is no "Toaster Model"

Looks like a good bike!

But it's so comfortable!

I was fortunate to pick up a good original condition seat with the fluted vinyl and rear grab rail on ebay, however although it ain't pretty it is nice to sit on and part of the bike's history. It was recovered in Idaho in the 70's I imagine. I think I'll keep the standard seat for if I ever sell.

Thoughts on US high and European low bars?

I like the low bars on a naked bike. When reviving my /7 with high bars which had sat for 30+ years I took the giant fairing off and felt like the wind was trying to push me off the back of the bike in top gear. It was tiring to ride it for even a short distance. I'm much happier with the fairing back on it.

My /6 is naked with low bars and I've done 500 mile days on it just fine.

[Tom H Ca]

I didn't know they made blue painted panels for the blue bike. That is cool!

Tom

[Rob Frankham]

The intake tubes are replacements. The original types were painted silver and which I read, went brittle and turned brown/gold over time.

You may be right... all I can say is that the 1972 sales brochure appears to show black tubes...

When I changed the engine oil, the old oil was clean and new; as if it had been serviced and then stood. However when I removed the oil filter, it had 'made in West Germany' stamped on it, so either old stock or last changed in the late '80's.

German made oil filters are still made for airheads. The German maker 'Mahle' was the original equipment manufacturer for BMW filters in the day and still makes filters. The filters sold by BMW were Mahle filters with BMW printed on them.

To my mind, it is always better to source and use Mahle filters even though theose from some aftermarket sources are cheaper. There is a tendency for airhead engines to suffer from danage caused by oil filter collapse and this almost always seems to be associated with aftermarket filters.

While on the subject of oil filters, it is important to be aware of the change in design that happened quite early on. Originally, oil filters came with two rubber 'O' rings to be placed on the central tube of the filter cavity at either end of the filter element. At some point, the 'O' rings were replaced with rubber seals glued to the element itself. A great change since it means you don't have to firk about with a long hook to get the inner 'O' ring out when replacing the filter. I don't know exactly when the change happened but i isn't relevant anyway since both types were in stock at the same time. The point is that there were a lot of problems including engine failures caused by owners and sadly mechanics failing to remove the inner 'O' ring when changing from one type of filter to the other. This put excessive pressure on the filter causing it to buckle and fail. To get to the point... if the filter you have is as old as you think it might be (do it anyway) make sure that there isn't a stray 'O' ring lurking on the central tube right at the back of the filter cavity.

Rob

[stoutgoose]

Thanks Rob. When I did the oil change and removed the old filter and had a good look inside, and found, as you said, the old rubber O-ring at the far end of the tube. I hooked it out. Fortunately the filter hadn't collapsed.

Are the German-made filters still marked 'West Germany' or have they unified now?

[stoutgoose]

http://5united.org/history/brochures/1972.pdf

This picture still has the older style pet-cocks.

[Kurt in S.A.]

The bendy filters I source at my BMW dealer say "Made in Austria".

Kurt in S.A.