1971 BMW r60/5 bike project

[BLAIR]

Figured Id update MM with what I've been up to lately. Haven't been on the site much in a couple years.

Seeing RJs bike years ago inspired me. Also a failed attempt at buying it a couple times made me want to tackle my own "cafe type" project. I have no interest in a sport bike. Going over 100 mph on one wheel doesnt appeal to me at all. Both of my roomates have bikes and I had to get something at least. The search started with the typical Honda CB bike, then one day I found this on craigslist in warrenton about 15 mins from my house.


Here is the bike when I went to go look at it.

It was last road worthy somewhere around 1994. It was in a garage under a tarp where it sat for 16 years. The owner passed away and his friend pulled it out and got it running to sell.

Surprisingly the bike fired right up and my roomate who could ride gave it a run around the block. Its seemed good! Having something different that you rarely see is always cool. shaft drive and boxer motor! and it was white. $1500 later it was mine. Paul jumped on the bike after we aired up the dry rotted tires and brushed off the cob webs and made the 20 min ride home with me following.

I already had lots of plans and ideas for this ugly stock bike!

[BLAIR]

TO DO LIST

-go over bike to see what it needed (obviously tires)
-get ride of ugly ass sissy bar, saddle bag holders, turn signals, tail light, seat, bars, mirror, crash bars, highway pegs and all that crap
-clubman type bars
-new seat/ tail section
-do something with crazy long ugly exhaust.

I started ordering parts right away. Going into this I had a 3k budget. I figured if I stayed around there I could probably sell it for around what I have into it. Escape route always planned ahead before!

In the meantime I had tons of fun putting around my neighborhood on the bike in the condition I bought it in.

[BLAIR]

day 1 removed sissy bar, saddle bag holders! Much cleaner already!

[BLAIR]

With any "cafe racer" the first thing you need in a cool seat/tail section right?!

Well this is a BMW so obviously this was going to be an issue. The R60/5 or the "/5" is a short wheel base bike. All the fiberglass tail sections where made for long wheel base bikes that have a longer frame. After days of searching the only thing I could buy "off the shelf" was a Corbin seat. Don;t get me wrong, this is awesome and way way better than what I had but not exactly what I wanted. I just decided to go with it over having to make something totally custom them having to get it painted and fitted and whatnot. I wanted a nice quality part and this was it. I called up Corbin who custom makes each order. I asked for white piping on back to carry on stock theme and white stitching with all black leather. $430 later and 3 weeks I got it!

I am very happy with it. Only issue I had is that I noticed they had the stupid corbin logo. I asked them to not put it on but they would not work with me. Nothing some black marker cant cure though!

[V1GiLaNtE]

Holy rising from the dead where the hell did you come from thread batman!!??

Looks good!

[.RJ]

Dig the seat. Nice bike.

[BLINGMW]

cool project! I wish i had the patience for such things. Paul's nuts for riding it home after sitting for that long, i'm not sure I'm that crazy. :lol:

Going over 100 mph on one wheel doesnt appeal to me at all.

good to know we have a few other sane members around here :wink:

[ScottyB]

Paul's nuts for riding it home after sitting for that long, i'm not sure I'm that crazy.

first thing i thought of too. i kept thinking "brakes!" my dad always tells a story about a ford galaxie he drove home from a barn as his first car and almost drove through his garage when the brake lines let go as he was pulling into the driveway.

cool little bike! that seat is already making a huge difference. any plans for a paint scheme change or just sort of fix up some minor details?

[BLINGMW]

or going the other way, my brother just bought an old Honda cruiser that WASN'T sitting in a barn for years and the front brakes locked up on him the other day :o

[BLAIR]

brakes are all drums, not like there are lines to leak or old fluid to worry about. It was a safe low speed back road trip anyways!

A handful more is done. I just need to get pics