Pictures of an Original 1967 R60 or an Amazing Restoration?

Darryl.Richman · Post by **Darryl.Richman** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:37 pm

Well, there goes a detail I thought I "knew". Well, it's a bad day when I don't learn something new.

Allan.Atherton · Post by **Allan.Atherton** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:10 pm

... My 1969 R69US came without a flat throttle and I had to exchange with another bike's when I added turn signals.
Here's the reference:
http://home.insightbb.com/~aatherton/R69USa/R69USa.html
In the paragraph titled "THE VIEW FROM THE SEAT"

Darryl.Richman · Post by **Darryl.Richman** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:53 pm

Oh! But that's a bike you bought used. I was thinking that you might remember what your bought-new bikes looked like.

I've found the reference I was thinking of when I said that the '67 bikes started coming with a flat spot already machined. It's in Slabon's How To Restore book on pp 131-2:

The New 1967 Switches
As indicated previously in the section on levers, in January 1967 all BMW twins (and the R27) became available with redesigned throttle and clutch castings, which accommodated the new switches for the optional Hella bar end signals. The starting and ending frame numbers for their use are the same as spelled out in the switch section above.

The frame numbers he gives in the referenced section are:
R50/2, R50US: 641 437
R60/2, R60US: 629 956
R69S, R69US: 661 045

haole11 · Post by **haole11** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:27 pm

Thank you all for the input. I have come to the conclusion that this bike is not a survivor (which to me means all original, paint, wiring, etc).

The second owner has been very helpful and will see the original owners family this November. He said he will find out who did the restoration and when. This would complete the story of this bike for me.

Thanks again!

Phil

EuroIron · Post by **EuroIron** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:07 pm

it really is a nice bike

and deserves a very large album of very excellent pix

TwistyBM · Post by **TwistyBM** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:35 pm

I heard of a bike that recently sold on the east coast with 0003 miles on it! I think it was a R69US. Can anyone confirm?

ConneticutYankee · Post by **ConneticutYankee** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:49 pm

It was a 1969 R60US. Had THREE miles on it. I've heard about this bike for many years. When it came available, I called on it but it had already sold. That bike and the R69S he also had - with 180 original miles on it - were legends around these parts. The guy bought it new, put a cover on it and left it. The R69S was imported from England with those miles and likewise stored and never ridden. The same guy bought both bikes. I don't know about price, but Iam sure it was alot. I was bidding on Ebay on the 3 mile bike and it was over 24K with two days left. Iam sure it went for well over 30K. I haven't seen the bike, but someone I know who is a very credible guy has seen them, and they are what they are - genuine, mint, brand new slash 2's.

If I were you, I would believe that your bike has 23 miles on it. Don't ride it!! The value of a bike like that is darn near priceless. It belongs in a museum. The thing that convinces me is the bosch stamp number on top of the paint. Anyone restoring it would have painted the whole shell. Trust that it is what it is - don't ride it. Keep working on the lineage. It should bring a pretty penny!

jeff dean · Post by **jeff dean** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:07 am

Looking at the frame number on the head, I suspect it has been repainted.

http://motos.home.att.net/numbers.htm

updated 7/1/21 by schrader7032: https://bmwdean.com/numbers.htm

Another way to tell might be to remove the gas tank to examine the frame under it, what the ties are, and where they are placed. In the photo of the original BMW R50/2 below, the ties are placed where they were on the assembly line, are the correct material, and, logically, have rust. The harness, too, is original.

ConneticutYankee · Post by **ConneticutYankee** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:02 pm

Jeff - Iam not sure that metal (or rust) on the frame number is a always true. It would seem that all black frames were stamped after framing. But I have seen several instances of original frames that had the appearance of touch up paint on the frame. The way this touchup looks is a retangular looking "patch" around the frame number. It has a different texture than the rest of the paint....more rough and matt. This seems to be a cutout that was placed over the number to prevent overspray and then probably applied with a simple spray can. I've noticed this on many slash 2's from the mid-60's on. I think there might have been some factory workers during the later /2 production years that did this as a matter of course.

Also it would appear that frames of different colors were often originally black frames that were taken out and repainted grey, green, blue or whatever - thus the numbers are painted over. With Dover White though, I think they were painted that way from the beginning. I just think the grey and green are so rare that they just grabbed stock black frames. Just a guess.

Bottom line - like most things BMW - there appear to be no hard and fast rules on minor items. I've heard that factory workers did a variety of jobs, rather than just one....so different people, different day...changes over the years in quality control - different supervisors who had different ideas etc.

Allan.Atherton · Post by **Allan.Atherton** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:49 pm

Oh! But that's a bike you bought used. I was thinking that you might remember what your bought-new bikes looked like.
I've found the reference I was thinking of when I said that the '67 bikes started coming with a flat spot already machined. It's in Slabon's How To Restore book on pp 131-2:

The New 1967 Switches
As indicated previously in the section on levers, in January 1967 all BMW twins (and the R27) became available with redesigned throttle and clutch castings, which accommodated the new switches for the optional Hella bar end signals. The starting and ending frame numbers for their use are the same as spelled out in the switch section above.

The frame numbers he gives in the referenced section are:
R50/2, R50US: 641 437
R60/2, R60US: 629 956
R69S, R69US: 661 045
I wonder about the accuracy of that reference for two reasons. From what I can tell, the flat spot appeared at least as early as 1964, and there was no R27 in 1967.
1
The R27 that I picked up at the factory in 1966 was built in 1964, according to an email from Fred Jakobs at BMW Archives. In two photos that I have of that 1964 bike, the turn signal switch is the same plastic batwing type that goes on a flat spot, just like the switch I added to my R69US. I remember that R27 switch well, because it broke off in Barcelona and I had to return to Geneva to have it replaced.
2
In the same email, Jakobs says 1966 was the last year for R27.