Anyone into BMW motorcycles?

[76ohtwo]

Hello all,

I've been looking at old BMW bikes online as of late and am really starting to like them. I was curious if anyone on here shares this interest and could point me in the direction of a forum like the FAQ that's dedicated to BMW bikes, or just old bikes in general. I'd also appreciate a referral to some parts retailers, so I can see the different upgrade parts available, as I did with Ireland Engineering/BavAuto/Rogers Tii before I bought my 02. I love looking online at all the different aftermarket options for vehicles even if I don't plan on purchasing one for a while - as it helps me to learn more about the vehicle and its capabilities.

Thank you!

[Kidasters]

Here's a thread for you:

 

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/136951-i-am-now-an-airhead-new-1974-r906/

 

It's funny, because I say I'm at capacity with vehicles.  After I wrote this, I renovated the garage and bought the ferrari.

 

Ha.

[darrinm1]

Hey!

I ride a couple of '83 BMW R80RT bikes. I have had one for almost twenty years and the other was my Dad's. He had it for 15 years. I love riding and working on these bikes. Much like the '02, they have soul and character.

Google Airheads.org. Great group of people. There is a list serve and a club.

http://micapeak.com/mailman/listinfo/airheads

That will get you to the list serve.

Hope to see you around.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[76ohtwo]

Here's a thread for you:

 

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/136951-i-am-now-an-airhead-new-1974-r906/

 

It's funny, because I say I'm at capacity with vehicles.  After I wrote this, I renovated the garage and bought the ferrari.

 

Ha.

When you find something you really like, you make space for it even if you're at capacity.

 

Also, that's a really beautiful R90. In a perfect world, I'd like one of the 900cc models as well - hopefully when the time comes along, there's one there for me to scoop up!

 

Hey!

I ride a couple of '83 BMW R80RT bikes. I have had one for almost twenty years and the other was my Dad's. He had it for 15 years. I love riding and working on these bikes. Much like the '02, they have soul and character.

Google Airheads.org. Great group of people. There is a list serve and a club.

http://micapeak.com/mailman/listinfo/airheads

That will get you to the list serve.

Hope to see you around.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Great resource, thank you very much for pointing me over there. I don't have a bike yet, so I won't be "around," but I'll certainly be reading up about them!

[M3M3]

I prefer the bricks over the airheads..

Try searching the forum on "beemer". There are a few motorcycle threads.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/167043-beemer-riders/

Edited September 15, 2015 by mlytle

[Beemeup]

I've been a vintage BMW motorcycle enthusiast since 1977. I've probably had 100 go through my hands and currently own 14 old beemers. Yes, I have a problem! Lol. Great bikes, lots of fun. Lately I've been finding derelict airheads and resurrecting them into cafe racers and scramblers. Fun stuff to repurpose these old machines.

Adventure Riders forum has a dedicated section for us old Airhead fans: http://advrider.com/index.php It's a great site for those of us that wrench on our own bikes.

Also, the IBMWR.org site, but this forum has morphed into a place for yuppie GS owners that know very little about wrenching, lots about which style boots to buy.

Anyway, if you have any questions about these great steeds, feel free to ask me.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Beemeup

[adawil2002]

Just getting into BMW Motorcycles, looking at R26s, R27s and early twins. I really like the aesthetics of the early models.

[Kidasters]

Me too.  They come in any color - as long as you like Black.  Some people don't know it, but BMW was doing really badly in the 50's and 60's.  What kept the company afloat?  The motorcycle division.  That's what it was until the 2002 came out.

 

I looked at an R50, but it cost way too much.  I had a shot at an R69 for 10,000.  I passed.  Wish I hadn't.

[76ohtwo]

I've been a vintage BMW motorcycle enthusiast since 1977. I've probably had 100 go through my hands and currently own 14 old beemers. Yes, I have a problem! Lol. Great bikes, lots of fun. Lately I've been finding derelict airheads and resurrecting them into cafe racers and scramblers. Fun stuff to repurpose these old machines.

Adventure Riders forum has a dedicated section for us old Airhead fans: http://advrider.com/index.php It's a great site for those of us that wrench on our own bikes.

Also, the IBMWR.org site, but this forum has morphed into a place for yuppie GS owners that know very little about wrenching, lots about which style boots to buy.

Anyway, if you have any questions about these great steeds, feel free to ask me.

 

Cool! That's exactly what I wanted to do - find something a little rough and make a cafe racer out of it. I want to have the style handlebars that angle downward a little bit with mirrors on the ends, and then get a similar seat to yours. I'd spray the gas tank Chamonix to match my 02 and then do a black seat.

 

What are the most common performance upgrades for them? Suspension, brakes, engine - anything. Where could I go to look at a parts catalog online or something?

[Beemeup]

Cool! That's exactly what I wanted to do - find something a little rough and make a cafe racer out of it. I want to have the style handlebars that angle downward a little bit with mirrors on the ends, and then get a similar seat to yours. I'd spray the gas tank Chamonix to match my 02 and then do a black seat.

What are the most common performance upgrades for them? Suspension, brakes, engine - anything. Where could I go to look at a parts catalog online or something?

I would look for a mid to late 70's R75, R90 or R100 as these are plentiful and cheaper than the earlier versions which the purists care too much about. Drum rear brakes is what you want, the rear disks were horrible and quite useless. Dual-shock R100RT's are probably the cheapest to find, and are a great foundation for a cafe racer.

Suspension upgrades usually consist of upgraded rear shocks, and Progressive suspension spring kits for the front. You can also swap out the front forks with newer type inverted forks if you want to go wild. Engine upgrades usually consist of lightened flywheels, better carbs (Mikuni, Dellortos, etc). Some folks also upgrade the rotating assemblies and top ends with kits from Seibenrock. Personally I like to use as many stock BMW parts as possible because they work, and are easy to work on, easy to get parts for, and easy to troubleshoot. The BMW gauges kinda suck, so upgrades to an Acewell or Motogadget are common.

As far as cafe parts are concerned, there are a few sources: Boxer Metal in Chico, Ca, Flatracer in the UK (the best/coolest source, IMO), Dime City Cycles, OSHMO, Toaster Tan, just to name a few.

This one is cool, I'm using it as inspiration for another build. http://www.retrowriteup.com/bmw-r100-cafe-racer/

Edited October 3, 2015 by Beemeup

[Frank Nowakowski]

Have an 83 R-65 that has been a garage queen since 1985. My wife rode it for a few years and maybe 2K miles.

 

I just sold a 2004 R1200GS.

 

Currently looking into finding a 2002 as a fun car/project. So my first post.

 

FN in MT

[Lee]

Have a 2001 BMW "facelift" K1200RS (brick motor) and 2006 Anniversary R1150GSA. Plus a euro Honda 650 Africa Twin. My son has a Honda CBR1100XX and a Honda VT 500 Ascot. Oh, and a 1969 Velosolex S3800 ;-) The garage is full. But I'm buying another Africa Twin in May in France and touring the Middle East. Hopefully to Iran.