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R50/2 First start in a number of years.

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kingcowie
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:29 pm
Location: Wollongong

R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by kingcowie »

Folks,
Life has thrown a couple of significant family curve balls my way over the last two years and to give me some distractions i decided to get into some BMW airhead restorations.
I have been recently working on a couple of different BMW bikes and have appreciated this site for info and guidance.
Back in the 80's i had a R50/2 to restore for a friend, spent 6 months on it but never finished it as i moved countries for work. It always felt like an unfinished item and a burr in my side.
I was lucky to secure recently two R50/2 barn bikes here in Australia.
So i recently started working on these two R50s. The first has a few issues, the petcock was completely blocked and i think the carbs are the same way, i worked it on for a few days but came to the conclusion it needed a new coil, condenser, refurb carbs and points as the spark was ,,,well just not up to it. It wasn't strong on either-side and intermittent.
So this morning i put all the parts back on the original and put a sheet over it for a later date.

I then looked at the second bike.
The carbs were excellent, the floats had no cracks and definitely no fuel had leaked in them, the floats were the originals.
The jets were clean, the tinkler worked.
I tested the spark on this and it was stronger and had a good blue hue.
I then inspected the magneto and found a good coil, new condenser and the points looked good.
I checked the gap on the points and also cleaned them.
I checked the static timing location of the magneto, all good.
I checked the compression and not as impressive 75 lbs on the RHS and 100 on LHS.
I replaced the plugs with a new set and set the gap to a closer 0.5mm.
I disconnected the magneto earth (the bike needs a new loom which i am going to make) and jury rigged a fuel system from a set of tomato sauce bottles.
I ran the fuel for a while and low and behold the carbs didnt overflow or leak.

Anyway i gave it about 10 kicks and the beautiful lady kicked over and ran. Unfortunately the throttle cables supplied were the wrong ones and too short holding the slides to high and it ran about 3000 rpm. Luckily my mate was with me as i thought how am going to stop it, but he calmly blocked the inlets to the carbs.

Anyway i dropped the cables out of the throttle and started it again with a couple of kicks and idling at a more calmer state. Look guys it was really a thing of beauty, a 56 year old bike just idling on. It was a moment i will remember for a long time.

I hope you don't mind me rattling but the moment was significant for me.

Still a lot to do but i feel that i have taking the first step.
Attachments
B259B33F-2DA3-434B-A91B-935202E75A72_1_201_a.jpeg
B621198F-D106-4A1D-990A-863E4666E7BD_1_201_a.jpeg
Shane
Wollongong, Australia
Tooo many projects —— oh well
53 R25/3 Project
57 R26 Project
62 R50/2 Restored
64 R50/2 Project
67 R69S Original
71 R75/5 Original
77 R100RS Project

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malmac
Posts: 796
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:10 am
Location: Toowoomba, Australia.
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Re: R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by malmac »

Shane

Great to hear you have two bikes to wrestle back to health.

The thing I really warm to on the old bikes is the sound of the crankcase breather, chuffing away.

Great post.

Mal
Toowoomba
Australia

R69s
mal - R69s
Toowoomba- Australia

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kingcowie
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:29 pm
Location: Wollongong

1964 R50/2 front brake switch

Post by kingcowie »

My restore bike was delivered with no handlebar switches, LHS clutch and hence i am sourcing some replacements. I have referred to the Clymer manual for detail but cant find ...

1/ Did the bike come with a front brake switch, (the rear is sorted) and if so can you send me a photo.

2/ Also where is the Neutral switch, is it on the clutch level controls.

Thanks in advance
Attachments
SAM_2648-min-1536x864.jpg
Shane
Wollongong, Australia
Tooo many projects —— oh well
53 R25/3 Project
57 R26 Project
62 R50/2 Restored
64 R50/2 Project
67 R69S Original
71 R75/5 Original
77 R100RS Project

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schrader7032
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Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Location: San Antonio, TX
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Re: R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by schrader7032 »

No front brake switch at the hand lever...that didn't show up until the /5s.

There's also no switch at the clutch hand lever...again, that showed up with the /5. The neutral light is controlled by the internal position of items inside the transmission. The wire connected to the back side of the transmission senses when internally the mechanism grounds or not...when grounded, the light lights up.
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.

312Icarus
Posts: 458
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2016 1:53 am

Re: R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by 312Icarus »

/2 did not have a front brake switch. Mine is a late production ‘68 and doesn’t have one.

If I recall properly, the neutral switch is on the back end of the tranny.

Hope this helps

Icarus

PS too slow!

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schrader7032
Posts: 9016
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Location: San Antonio, TX
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Re: R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by schrader7032 »

Nice to get confirmation!! :D
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.

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kingcowie
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:29 pm
Location: Wollongong

Re: R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by kingcowie »

Thanks fellas..
Shane
Wollongong, Australia
Tooo many projects —— oh well
53 R25/3 Project
57 R26 Project
62 R50/2 Restored
64 R50/2 Project
67 R69S Original
71 R75/5 Original
77 R100RS Project

312Icarus
Posts: 458
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2016 1:53 am

Re: R50/2 First start in a number of years.

Post by 312Icarus »

You are welcome..

Not that you asked, but since this has been sitting for so many years, consider, at the very least changing all the fluids, especially the engine oil. Also consider doing slinger service if you don’t have a history on the engine. I know it it a big job, but if crap from the slingers casts itself loose into the oil flow and lands in the rod bearings, you are looking at a very expensive repair.

Mine sat in my own barn FOR 20+ Years. I did slingers (they had never been done, as far as I know, and I have owned the bike since it was 5 years old.). Also give you a chance to have a look at the bores/pistons etc.

Have fun. Mine was a daily driver until I parked it in ~1995. Now it is my sunny summer day (or cool fall spring) fun. Pretty cool to kick over a 50+year old machine and have it fire right up and run reliably. In their complexity, these are really pretty simple machines. Ignition easy to dial assuming good coil, carbs simple as falling off a log as long as you can keep them from leaking, run forever with no battery or generator so you almost always can get home unless you have a major part break.

Icarus

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kingcowie
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:29 pm
Location: Wollongong

R50/2 Front Mud Guard Bracket Rivets

Post by kingcowie »

We have been pulling and rubbing down the front mud guard and have found a good amount of rust under the permanent guard support bracket (see attached Image). We have pulled this bracket off repaired the guard and need to reinstall the support bracket. Does anyone have any tips for replacing these rivets ie what to use as i dont want to use a modern day rivet as it has the small hole at the top and dont want to use a nut and bolt.

Thanks
Attachments
IMG_6042@0,5x.jpg
Shane
Wollongong, Australia
Tooo many projects —— oh well
53 R25/3 Project
57 R26 Project
62 R50/2 Restored
64 R50/2 Project
67 R69S Original
71 R75/5 Original
77 R100RS Project

User avatar
Airhead77
Posts: 85
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:27 am

Re: 1964 R50/2 front brake switch

Post by Airhead77 »

kingcowie wrote:
Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:01 pm
My restore bike was delivered with no handlebar switches, LHS clutch and hence i am sourcing some replacements. I have referred to the Clymer manual for detail but cant find ...

1/ Did the bike come with a front brake switch, (the rear is sorted) and if so can you send me a photo.

2/ Also where is the Neutral switch, is it on the clutch level controls.

Thanks in advance
I might be wrong but from the picture it looks like an Allen's import bike?
Current: 1977 BMW R75/7
Sold: 1960 BMW R27, 1972 BMW R50/5
Christos @ Brisbane, Australia

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