1959 R60

[The Plunger]

It'll take every bit of $10k to get her right. I sure miss my '56, congrats.

[stwilliams]

Sorry to say, but 8-10k will not get it done.

Even if you are handy and mechanical, you can at least double that figure.

If it were my bike, with a family connection, I'd do the following.

Strip off all the excess bits and pieces like the funky handlebar riser extensions and get rid of any rotting rubber parts and the rotten bench seat. Drain and clean out as much old oil from the engine, final drive and trans. Replace whatever bearings you can reasonably access without significant disassembly (ie the wheels). Put new tires and rubber bits on (like the drive shaft boot, etc.) and get it running. (Or get it running, then replace the rubber bits, you decide.)

Of course you should ask your relative if it was running when put away years ago, or whether it was mothballed because of a significant motor problem. This would alter your course.

In essence, you can probably do a light mechanical restoration and ride it with the years of patina it has. At least enough to find out what if anything further needs to be done to the motor.

If you get hasty and tear the whole thing down, be prepared to invest closer to 20K to get that "factory fresh" look you mentioned. About half of that in new parts, the other half in paint, chrome, wheel lacing, crank, special tools and all the other work you might not be able to do yourself.

[schrader7032]

To find out what model you have, type the engine number into the box on the left hand side of the screen.

[miller6997]

If you do decide to do a full "concours" registration, you may well spend $15-20K before you're done. However, an R69 in top condition can bring as much as $20K, so it might "pencil out" if you are concerned about not getting upside down on the restoration.

If you just sort out the mechanicals and get it into "acceptable" cosmetic condition, you can get it on the road for considerably less. It looks like it was well-used before it was parked, but you may get lucky and discover that it is still in rideable condition. Then you can peck away at it bit-by-bit as time and money permit. My R69S with 50K miles on it sat idle in my brother's garage for fourteen years before I brought it home. It took me a few days to get it running and roadworthy, and then I rode it for ten years before I had to do any serious work on it--slingers mainly.

[312Icarus]

I agree, doing a full concours restoration doesn’t make much financial sense. I think you would be surprised at how nice it can look with a good deal of elbow grease. Your wheels and spokes look much nicer than mine at present. Much of the rust on the exhaust may come off. Agree on the rubber bits, recover the seat, or buy a solo seat instead. Do the slingers as suggested, and while you are in that far inspect the heads, maybe re ring. Drain and inspect the tank, redcote it if there is rust. Give the carbs a good going over. If they sat with fuel in them, it is going to take a bit to get them clean, probably multiple times. Drain and refil the trans, the drive line and the final drive. My final drive seeped after many years, but after a few rides with no real rear brakes it has since sealed itself. New brake linings after you have sorted any final drive leaks.

My guess is that unless it “broke” before it was parked, it will run pretty well with minimal effort.

Great find, keep in touch,

Icarus

[Gossamer]

But I really like shiny things.

I hope to get it the weekend of the 23rd so I can better assess what it needs/does not need.

I dont think it broke down the owner just stopped riding then he had some personal issues
Etc.

Anyhow i.m. hoping to have some fun with this project.

I'd like it looking brand new but maybe some polish some fluids and some
TLC she will come back to life.

Anyhow I plan to be here with tons of questions so Im.gonna share
Experience with everyone as well

[Daves79x]

From my recent restoration experiences, 10-15K will get you pretty close. But that's with you doing hours and hours of research, buying manuals and special tools, finding good platers, for both cad and chrome, a good, reasonable painter and the ability to do most of the mechanicals yourself. I jobbered out my wheel lacing, transmission and differential rebuild, paint and striping. I did everything else myself and had a little over 15K in an R50 restoration, including the purchase price.

Be prepared for a lot of research and work, but it indeed will be rewarding. Yes, a well-done R69 is worth $20K.

Dave

[312Icarus]

An oil slinger is a cupped washer (for lack of a better term) that serves as a prehistoric oil filter on /2 engines. There are 2 mounted on the crank, and they take the oil, and via centrifugal force, force the oil into the slingers with the result that the slinger “captures” many of the particulates in the oil. They actually work quite well given the nature of the system. The problem is that you have to take the engin completly apart to clean them. (Take the crank out, use a pick to clean the accumulated debris and reassemble). This is suggested every ~20k miles) In the old days, BMW Service at $5/hour was not a big deal, but nowadays there are few who know how to do it except DIYers.

Any bike that has been sitting, and then is started and run, can cast loose all the debris to lunch the main and rod bearings. The Mains are big roller bearings that are fairly easy to replace, but the rod bearings are not like conventional Babbitt bearings, but roller bearings encapsulated in the big end of the rod. The only way to replace them is to pull the crank apart with very specialized tools, inspect and rebuild the crank and press it back together with proper alignment under thousands of pounds of pressure. (A very big and expensive job...don’t ask me how I know!)

In short, while it is tempting to run the bike, you run a great danger of doing very expensive damage doings so. /2 crank and rod bearings will last 100’s of thousands of miles if properly cared for, but can be lunched in short order with the slingers are not attended to, and if grit get in the rod bearings.

While it is time consuming to do a slinger service, it is not really very hard if you get a good book and an all in one tool to pull the genny, the magneto and the timing gear and case. If you DIY it isn’t expensive except for time. A few tools and a gaskets. Also give you a chance to check the heads, the cam bearings, bores etc.

Hope this helps,

Icarus

[schrader7032]

Vech discusses the slingers here:

http://www.benchmarkworks.com/articles/tech/oil.html

[Gossamer]

Ok dont laugh at me but what is a slinger?

Seen that term used a few times in the thread.

I'm sure I could search but just as easy to ask.

I'm lucky I had good mechanical skills and work for an automaton company.

Have access to lots of coaters, machine shops, CAD design is a daily experience.

I also have a good friend who races sleds and has greater skills and most tools