mini lathes, mills, sand casting and rebuilding boxer twins

[stwilliams]

The type of bike you are looking to restore (from the 1970s) is not that hard to find in relatively good shape. There should be no need for casting parts. Many original parts are still available from BMW or licensed suppliers. There are a number of special tools needed to completely rebuild a motor, transmission or final drive for example. These tools can still be found on ebay or other places. Cycle Works also produces a line of tools for many common tasks.

It may be reasonable to pick up a service manual to get a feel for the type of work involved if you are unsure of your abilities or resources.

[VBMWMO]

Hi I am a new member interesting in rebuilding a project bike. Caveat: I have never owned a motorcycle and don't even have a motorcycle license (but I am taking the MSF class in September). However, I have always wanted a BMW motorcycle since I was a 15 years old (I am 38 now) and I like the idea of rebuilding an old BMW (perhaps an R "/5" or "/6" series) and riding it.

When embarking on such a journey, what sort of tools do you need apart from typical stuff like combination wrenches, wratchets, impact drivers, torque wrenches, etc. In particular, has anyone here fabricated their own replacement parts (because they are impossible to find or too expensive)? Has anyone used a mini-lathe or mini-mill to do this and if so what size (e.g., is a 7x20 mini-lathe sufficient)? What about sand casting parts (or is this just crazy)? I guess I'm just curious to know how people go about rebuilding old motorcycles and if I can pick up the tools and skills to do it myself as well.

Thanks,
Aaron