Please opine on this R-60/2

[Connor1]

I have the opportunity to buy this bike, and the folks on this forum know a lot more than I do about them.
Have been looking for a daily rider R-60 for a while, and I need to get serious as the prices keep going up.
I know you can't tell a lot from a couple of pics, but if you could give it a quick peek and let me know if you see anything out of order, that may be helpful.

[312Icarus]

Looks like a nice clean rider. Muffflers don't appear to be original. Find out it the oil slingers have been done and when. If not, budget ~$1000 to do them to save a very expensive crank repair. Any other history would be nice. What is the ball park price?

Icarus

[miller6997]

It looks like a survivor in pretty good condition. It should clean up nicely, if you are good at detailing. It all depends on how it runs, of course and the price.

[Connor1]

Thanks John, very helpful.

Any idea how involved a job it is to switch to a solo Denfield Tractor and bread loaf rear seat?

Are there mount holes that will show and paint wear from the bench seat?

[Daves79x]

Seat switch is easy. Should be no marks left on the front mounting area, but the rear seat tabs likely will have left some marks on the fender at the rear shock tower mounts. May not be that noticeable. Holes are already in the rear fender for a rack or solo rear seat.

Dave

[schrader7032]

If the seat "kit" doesn't come with it (which I don't think it will), you'll need what's called a silent block or the #10 rubber mounted shown here:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=52_2555

Maybe some miscellaneous hardware as well.

[johnpst]

Aloha,

Changing the seat is easy. You'll have to buy one. The original Denfield or Pagusa are about $365.00 or so. There is a seller in Turkey who, I have purchased from with no issues, for $175.00.

You will have to remove the gas tank because the front pivot for the solo seat is under it. That can take some work depending on how corroded the original bolts are.

Yes, there are holes which will show, a little bit, but, the paint on the frame, if original is pretty tough stuff and will clean up very nicely.

So, as I always try to get across, schedule the time to do the job right. If you're in a hurry, you will inevitably run into an issue which will consume any margin of time and frustrate you.

Carefully clean all of the bolt holes. Run a tap through them to remove corrosion if you have one. borrow one if you have to. They are pretty cheap on eBay and Amazon. Use the right tools. Replace fasteners that fail.

If it were I, I would.

Buy a fuel tank petcock rebuild kit.
Buy fuel hose and 2 filters.
Buy a fuel tank rubber kit along with all of the fasteners for it. Just in case. The original are cadmium plated. There are Stainless kits out there.
Obviously, buy the seat if you don't have one.

Remove and clean the interior of the fuel tank while it's off. Just fill it with kerosene/diesel fuel or acetone (comfort level and disposal is the only question for which to use), and shake it out and rinse out any loose "stuff" that might be rolling around. Take a good look inside with a mirror and identify any possible corrosion you will eventually have to deal with. This will help you plan re-coating the interior now or at some time in the future. The greatest benefit is to remove crud that will stick in the filter or worse, in a carb jet or float valve.

Remove the bench seat and carefully clean, dehumidify, protect, and store it for later reconditioning. It's valuable.

Take a close look at the wiring under the tank. Repair any abraded areas and make sure it's cleanly fastened to the frame. Clean the frame under the tank. Dirt will not allow water to evaporate as quickly and if over thin spots in the paint, may accelerate corrosion. Just clean it off and touch unpainted parts up with spray paint to protect the steel.

Install the front pivot bolt through the frame and seat pivot.

Install the two bolts through the pan in the frame to hold the back down.

Adjust the seat front or back to suit taste.

John

[Connor1]

Great, doesn't look too involved...if I ever have the chance to do this, (and I hope I do) I will be referring to this post again!

What is the quality of the seats from Turkey? Are they original Denfields or repros?

Are the stainless fuel tank fastener kits preferred as opposed to the Cadnium plated? I would assume so....

Thanks!

[Daves79x]

For the purist, cad plating is a must, for the rest, stainless is fine. One thing about using acetone to rinse out a tank - it will work on the factory red lining if left in contact too long.

Dave

[johnpst]

Aloha,

The slinger question is a great one and likely, without records, not one you will be able to answer without disassembly. Be prepared for anything when you buy a 45 - 50/60 year old motorcycle. There is no way any of us can tell how long it will run well.

It's my opinion that you're right, they are getting more expensive as time goes by so, you stop the escalation the moment you get a signed title in your name.

So, the things you can tell before you buy:

1. If the VIN numbers match, engine and frame. Only a big deal if you plan on building a concourse winner but, it's also a way to tell if major repairs were done in the past.
2. Compression and leak-down test will tell if there is a pending top end job. Tools are readily available and all it takes is removing the spark plugs and kicking it over a couple of times.
3. Un-even timing. Bring a timing light and check timing on both spark plugs. If they are not equal, you know you've got a modest expense fixing it up front. Anywhere from a small $5 spring to a couple of hundred dollar cam/advance unit. Easy fix but good to know up front.
4. Smell/look at the oil. This may not tell you everything you need to know but, it will give you an indication of maintenance. Dark dirty smelly oil may not have been changed lately/often. It's not a guarantee but, just an indicator. Dirty oil may also indicate the condition of the slingers. If the oil has not been changed, odds are the slingers are full of crud.
5. Bounce up and down on the shocks. it's very likely they need a rebuild. Again, it's just a cost that expecting it up front will help you know in overall cost of ownership.
6. Run it and watch for indications that the generator/voltage regulator are working properly. At idle, with an original voltage regulator, the generator light will most likely be glowing. Increasing engine speed a little the light should go out. Now, do the same thing with the headlamp on. The headlamp will almost if not completely extinguish at idle unless the battery (I think I see a battery) is fully charged. This is again, just a test. The voltage regulator is a few buck to replace with a solid stage and a couple of hundred to replace with OEM.
7. Fully maintained and properly set brakes will stop the bike very competently with a rider who has experience with drum brakes. Again, just an indication of potential work to be done.
8. Check the head bearings for looseness or notchiness. With the front brake tightly held, push the bike back and forth. Look for and feel for the head to move. Having a friend to put their thumb at the bearing a feel for this helps if they know what they are feeling for. Now put the bike on the center stand, push down on the rear wheel until the front comes off the ground. Turn the handlebars side to side. If you feel notchiness, you will have to replace the bearings. No big deal.
9. Run you gingers across the spokes. They should all have a nice ping to them. Thuds or looseness indicate a broken or stripped spoke. Again, not terminal but, it's good to know what needs to be repairs. While still up on the center stand, roll the wheels and look for straightness. Wobbles from misadjusted or broken spokes, no big deal. Bent rims require expertise or replacement.

In my job, I run around the world fixing fairly simple things that other folks did not expect so, let me help you with my years of experience. This is a 50 year old piece of machinery. You have to decide how much you want to pay for it then know what you can and cannot predict:

The swing arm bearings are probably shot on both ends (rear and Earls fork). The shock dampers are probably shot. The silencer blocks on the shocks are probably dried out and rotted. The steering head bearings are probably at least dirty if not brinelld and shot. The engine seals are probably dried out and ready to leak. The screws fastening the conductors for the wiring harness are probably loose and need tightening. The cables for the clutch, throttle, brakes, and speedometer are probably dried and abrading the interior of their sheaths. There is probably corrosion on the engine bearing retainers which could grenade the bearing at some point. The slingers are probably full of iron/carbon particles requiring cleaning. The rear drive oil REQUIRES changing and put a magnetic drain plug in it.

My point? You are buying a used old and just way-cool bike. I've got a lot of memories of me and my son and grandsons wrenching on mine over the years. I do not regret the decision to buy it.

Also, the SAF (Spousal Approval Factor) is high on these, in my experience. My wife has actually recommended I park my $20k R12RT on the street during times when room was limited in the garage.

Good luck.
John