Help Me Mister (Dusty) Wizard NGC

[RinkRat II]

 Greetings! I'm headed out to look at a 1973 R60/5 LWB and am curious as to anything about these that is particularly offensive as far as mechanical issues. Looking for a rideable project for the future and from the bit of research I've done  looks to be a robust candidate. All of your expertise is greatly appreciated.

   Paul

[oldbike54]

 If I am the expert here we are all in trouble 

 Here is what I do know from several years riding and working on early airheads .

 1 The engines should not be noisy other than the solid lifter chatter .
 2 Of course if that chatter isn't there , that points to poor maintenance or valves that are beginning to recess .
 3 The 4 speed transmissions are basically bulletproof , and fairly simple to fix if there is a problem .
 4 Check for steering neck bearing issues . They last a long time with some basic care , but can be tricky to R&R .
 5 Check for smooth clutch operation . Grease on the splines indicates good maintenance .
 6 The Bosch charging system is simple and reliable .
 7 . Sending PM .

  Dusty

[oldbike54]

 Damn , had about 15 more points , my pooter skills betrayed me 



  Dusty

[NC Steve]

Also, see if you can determine if this bike is a later, 73 1/2 bike, as BMW lengthened the swingarm, making the bikes more stable, and more desirable/valuable. I had a link to a site showing the serial number range of these, but it seems to have disappeared. But, see if this helps any.

"Perhaps the most important structural design modification was the lengthening of the rear swing arm by some 50mm. This change was made to 1973 model year bikes. (Some bikes sold as 1973 models, however, did in fact not have the longer swing arm.) This gave riders increased clearance between their shins and the carburetors. It also improved straight-line performance of the bike, reducing wobble, and allowed more room in the frame for a larger battery. Long wheel base motorcycles were distinguishable from the earlier short wheel base by the black fuel lines and carburetor intake tubes which were originally silver. "

Good luck with the purchase if it looks good and is priced right 

[NC Steve]

Oops. I see you have already stated the bike you're looking at is a LWB model.
Never mind...    


I did find the site I was looking for though, which contains extensive info for all BMW models

http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/information.htm

[oldbike54]

 To answer Paul's original question , no real maintenance horrors . The neck bearings can be a right front bottom to change due to the design of the steering head . The outer races are hidden , requiring a special tool , or simply do like I do and weld a bead on the race so a drift has some purchase . The points can be fiddly because they are behind the bobweights , although there is a tool , a points cam W/O the weights and springs . Better yet , there is a cool solid state unit that mounts to a special longer alternator bolt , leaving the points in place , only disconnected . Greasing the clutch splines requires pulling the swingarm pivot and moving it rearward , takes a thin wall 26 MM (?) socket to remove the nuts . Other than taking some care to keep the rocker arm pillow blocks centered when adjusting the valves (easy to do) and keeping fresh o rings in the lower fork caps , also easy , just ride these old airheads .

  Dusty

[NC Steve]

Sorry to interfere again, but the socket needed for the swingarm nuts is thin walled 27mm.
Very difficult to find and many Airhead owners grind down a regular 27mm.
I found a guy on Ebay that sells what you need though, 20 bucks. http://tinyurl.com/nj89my7

[oldbike54]

Sorry to  interfere again, but the socket needed for the swingarm nuts is thin walled 27mm.
Very difficult to find and many Airhead owners grind down a regular 27mm.
I found a guy on Ebay that sells what you need though, 20 bucks. http://tinyurl.com/nj89my7

 Not interfering , yeah , never can remember the exact size , and yes , mine is just a ground down regular socket . Don't read the size , just grab the funny looking socket  The official tool is still available from BMW , but it is pricey for a tool that only gets used every few years .

  Dusty

[RinkRat II]

        Thanks Guys for all the valuable info! Looks like a little more homework is involved but knowledge is power, or some such nonsense. I'll keep ya posted on my progress.

    Paul B.

[jas67]

I got the swing arm socket from:
http://www.cycleworks.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=58

Check the oil levels in the transmission and final drive.   If the transmission is low, and the final drive is over full, then the transmission output shaft seal is leaking.
I had this happen with an R100R (last of the airheads).