If you like our site, please consider joining our club!
By joining you will help ensure that we can continue to provide this service
JOIN HERE!

1977 R75/7

Post Reply
Geocali84
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 4:52 pm

1977 R75/7

Post by Geocali84 »

Hey everyone I am probably the newest newbie to not only BMW motorcycles but motorcycles in general. I have been in search of what I feel is a reasonably priced airhead. I think I have found a winner today and am hopeful to get some feedback on what to look for and ask before I make the buy. The reason I am drawn to airheads is it’s unique engine design and simplicity (non electronics by today’s standards). My dad was a technician for a General Motors dealership for 29 years before Pontiac went defunct. I think this bike will be a great way for us to connect before we both get a little bit old. Sorry if I dragged on a bit :lol:
Attachments
C36FE172-1198-4866-88EB-2A7D1AB28115.jpeg
5A5DC0D7-2C8B-4307-81BC-9F2161236DE7.png

User avatar
schrader7032
Posts: 9016
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Location: San Antonio, TX
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: 1977 R75/7

Post by schrader7032 »

Welcome to the forum! The 750cc models are very good bikes, smooth with enough power. You probably know that the 1977 model was updated to the R80/7 the next next year. But the 1977 was also the last year before the US EPA began to get involved with detuning the engines.

I would just ask about mileage, maintenance records which lets you know where you are with respect to the health of the clutch. If it's lots of miles, then the valves might be an issue with older valve seats but you've got to be well north of say 80K for that to be an issue. But generally, how has the bike been treated over the years.

Good luck on your visit and let us know what you end up doing!
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.

Geocali84
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 4:52 pm

Re: 1977 R75/7

Post by Geocali84 »

1977 R75/7
$3500
24k
Professionally painted and pinstriped by PO, was blue
Euro low bars
Deep oil pan
Under-seat tool tray
Toolkit
Tire pump
Wired for tender

Not installed but included:
Hard luggage
NOS Hot Grips heated grips

Trip meter not working; speedo and odometer do work.
New tires and tubes
New battery
New stainless battery hold down
Clean title in his name

User avatar
schrader7032
Posts: 9016
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Location: San Antonio, TX
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: 1977 R75/7

Post by schrader7032 »

Seems like it's all there. At that mileage it's just getting broken in and hopefully the bike has been well cared for. Looks like the seat might be missing a chrome grab rain that went around the back end of the seat. I wonder if the previous owner has a small inseam...the right side driver's foot peg is rotated 90 degrees around the post...I suppose the rotation got another 1/2" of reach back. Prices seems reasonable. You can enter the 7-digit VIN at this site to get an idea of when the bike was built.

http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.

User avatar
srankin
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:45 pm
Location: Spencerport, NY USA
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: 1977 R75/7

Post by srankin »

Kurt has covered a lot of stuff in his posts,

My first motorcycle I ever owned and not borrowed (I had good friends and family who used to let me ride their extra bikes) was a R75/7. I loved the bike. At the time, I was riding my brother in law's Harley FLX and switching to the BMW was amazing, like stepping from a farm tractor to a motorcycle. Smooth, easy to shift powerful with the power in the right range. As it was my brother in law who owned both the BMW and the Harley, he chose to adopt the Harley style and sell me the BMW.
I rode the 75 for a few years and loved it. Then in 83 I traded it in for a R80RT. Not because I didn't like the 75 but because the RT had a full beautiful factory fairing, twin Brembo disc brakes and most importantly electronic ignition, no points.
The ONLY problem I ever had with the 75 was points going wonky wearing out at inopportune times. When the points went out of adjustment, the timing would go out of adjustment and the bike would start to ping. The 77 year bikes were pre EPA meddling and were pretty strong and ran well when tuned up properly. Anyway, that was the only problem I ever had with the bike.
The 77 R75/7 was a one year bike, in 78, the changed it to the 800/7. Parts are not a problem because older 75 parts and newer /7 parts will fit. BMW has good microfiches available now on many dealer websites making it easy to look up part for the bike.

Now I am at 30 some years with my RT, and many miles it is still my main ride. Knowing what I know now and if I could go back and do it over again, I would have kept the R75. Now with fairings and other various parts becoming available, I could mount the RT fairing to the 75, and added a dual brake set up. It was possible back then but expensive, not so now.

Also, I would have ditched the points as I did with my 78 R100RS and gone with one of the now available electronic ignition systems available now.

I keep looking at R75/7's for sale, and think I may have a place in the garage for one, LOL there are a lot of bikes I would like to make room for so it hasn't happened yet.

Good luck if you buy, have fun with it, St.
Owner of a 84, R80RT and 78, R100RS

Post Reply