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R6 Muffler color

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:51 pm
by deyoung2837
Hello,

My R6 has raw steel mufflers installed.
I have seen chrome or black on the late 30's motorcycles.
Anyone happen to know which one is correct or is it what they had in the parts been at the time and either is correct?

Thanks for any information.

Lee

Hi Lee: Everything I see

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:36 pm
by R60SS
Hi Lee:
Everything I see makes me believe that the mufflers should be chrome on the R5 + R6

Pat

I think the typical 1936 R5

Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:40 pm
by R68
I think the typical 1936 R5 came with chrome rims and chrome mufflers, and 1937 R5 and R6 came with painted rims and painted mufflers. I think you could order whatever you wanted if you paid extra, and the domestic sale motorcycles may have been more basic than the export bikes? I once heard that the 1937 production motorcycles had painted parts because chrome was a strategic resource, needed for gun barrels, to to reserved for the oncoming war?

I’ve never seen period photos

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:40 pm
by Bruce Frey
I’ve never seen period photos of R5/6 with anything other than chrome mufflers. I agree that the rims on the ‘36 R5 were chrome and they went to paint in ’37 along with the R6. Period replacements were likely painted, however.

The painted mufflers seemed to appear in ‘38 as chromium was diverted to military use although chrome may have continued to be an option.

I would use whatever pleases you.

Bruce

For the R5 and R6 I have only

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2017 8:12 pm
by mdunn
For the R5 and R6 I have only seen chrome, even for Importer sellers like AFN in the UK. I have two photos and on my 1938 Berlin Auto show only the R51 display bike has black.


i have got 1937 afn sells

Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:06 pm
by lui
i have got 1937 afn sells catalog,on the fotos r6 silencer is black.Also on the fotos r5 black to.regards lui

Lui, Found the flyer on the

Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 8:29 am
by deyoung2837
Lui,

Found the flyer on the BMW archive site.
Hand written on the 1st page is 1938.
But on the 3rd to last page bottom right it shows 1937.
Looks like by mid 37 they were starting to phase out the chrome as Germany geared up for the war.
Although for a price I would guess you still could get chrome.
My R6 came off the assembly in late December of 37, so "Black" it is.

Thank you for the heads up.

Lee

Lee, Its also an artist

Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 10:26 am
by mdunn
Lee,

Its also an artist drawing so take it for what its worth. I have spent many hours in the archives, looking at photos of these bikes.

Mike

Hello I agree that the r5

Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 1:47 pm
by frankie1812
Hello
I agree that the r5 from 37 had black muffler because off the war, but in they end it's all about taste.
I like the black mufflers and also al black rims, so i decided to do that on my early r5 aswell i nice looking lugauer tank.

Greetings Frank

I like the chrome mufflers

Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 6:02 am
by Didess
I like the chrome mufflers :-)