Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

Hi guys. Can someone pls confirm if the 1967 R69S should have the Weinmann low or high shouldered rims? I have read and seen conflicting things. According to https://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/rim/index.htm it seems that the 1967 R69S should have high shouldered rims? However, most pictures I see of the bike has low shouldered rims. Thank you in advance for enlightening me!

If alloys - high shoulder. If chrome steel, low, of course. Low-lip alloys were gone at the start of the /2 era.

Dave

Daves79x wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 4:49 pm

If alloys - high shoulder. If chrome steel, low, of course. Low-lip alloys were gone at the start of the /2 era.

Dave

Thank you Dave. Would you know if 1967 R69S had steel rims? It would seem so since all pics I see are low shoulder.

The /2 models were available in both Aluminum and Steel rims. It was up to the dealer and/or buyer to choose. There were years the Steel were advertised and others the Aluminum was advertised as stock.

So, both are good to go.

Questions ...
What about if you're running a side car? Are steel wheels a must or will the high rim alloy work for some occasional use? Im running a light weight Globe GS200 sidecar.
Chuck

If you fit a side car to any 1955 - 1968 BMW, According to BMW service bulletins, you are supposed to run STEEL rims. The aluminum rims are much more fragile, and warp more easily. Think about this. Once you fit a side car, it is no longer a motorcycle. Motorcycles lean in corners, side car rigs are steered through corners. That means the entire weight of the rig is SIDE LOADING the wheels in corners. A solo bike does not side load the wheels at all.
While you might get away with aluminum rims short term, eventually you will end up with loose spokes and warped rims. They simply are not strong enough to handle side loads.

Hi Chuck-
I like the Weinmann alloy rims both for their historic value and good looks, even though they seem to be made of a too soft of an alloy.
And at this point in time the lip edges generally have got dents/bends if they've seen much of any road use, whether from tire spoons, road hazards, or just stern looks.
But I would not trust them in sidecar use.

As Vech said, solo usage loads the wheels only vertically, but with sidecar use the axles are also pushing and pulling at the spokes sideways, which tries to pull the spokes out of the soft rims, and which is no doubt what BMW found happening, and caused them to issue the steel wheel only decree.

But that said, all aluminum rims are not the same.
Many modern alloy rims are way stronger than the soft /2 originals.
The Barrington folks have had success running the Excel alloy rims on their conversion /2/6 sidecar outfit.
Do you really want to find out how long the Weinmanns hold up?
Certainly there are folks who would swap steel rim wheels for alloy with you.
Best-
George

Thanks guys. Points well taken. I will leave the side car to the R60/2 with steel wheels.