Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

Yes, if you are going to drive it the only safe way to go would be to inspect every bearing and replace every seal. You never really know what has happened over the past 50 years no matter what you are told. I am currently restoring an R26 that had many service receipts and then sat for many years in dry storage. After sitting that long they all need service of the steering bearings, swing arm bearings, and wheel bearings. On my bike I also found surface rust on 2 transmission bearings, and the slinger was 100% full despite an engine rebuild receipt with miles less than the distance of the old tires that were replaced at the same time. I like the comment I received for Thomas M. 808Airhead " My motto rings true......"Be ready to rebuild the whole goddam thing!" "

Of course slingers fill from running, but my point is that oil just sitting can form sludge from condensation and oxidation, which when the bike is actually run would make the slingers more likely to fill with crud. At 4000 miles over 56 years this bike on average would have been run less than 100 miles/year, thus there had to have been long periods of sitting idle. When I rebuilt my R50 33 years ago (using Ed Korn's marvelous "many-in-one" tool) the slingers were pretty packed, and since then I've changed the oil religiously every 1000 miles or 6 months, and have no concerns that I should redo the service now. If I were to buy this bike (I wish!) I would do a slinger service first thing.

Adam

Right on Vintage Jim! I am glad you can see the truth and humor in my statement. That bike is a GEM. I agree I would completely disassemble it and inspect/rebuild for riding, as a collector static display piece, no need of course. If it was in Hawaii I would easily give 20K for that.