New rider, old bike? Buying a 1974 R75/6 as a first Bike?

[schrader7032]

Seth -

Welcome to the asylum! Sounds like you've already done some homework on BMWs and this bike/year in general. Yes, the early 5-speed trannys had some design issues. If you end up needing repairs, likely the repair shop will have to upgrade to later model parts as some of the early parts are NLA. The kickstart, in general, is really just a back-up device. Rely on your electric start and using the kicker for emergencies. The front axle on the '74 is 14mm as opposed to the 17mm in later models. Not a biggee, but you'll need to be aware in terms of spacers, etc.

The '74 may or may not have a mix of parts depending on when it was built. Often times, these transition years have a way of seeing early year parts finding their way into the bike. To find out the month/year the bike was built, enter the 7-digit VIN into this website http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi .

Sounds like you have a good attitude and expect to be working on the bike some. It is not a ride-ride-ride bike without the thought of maintenance. It will require some TLC. But these bikes are relatively easy to work on and parts are still available. Plus there's quite a few support networks out there. One that you might also want to consider is the Airheads Beemer Club. The monthly magazine provides insight on TechDays that might be conducted in your area. Plus there is a directory of Airhead owners listed by city/state so you can look for help if needed. It would really be helpful for you to be mentored by another Airhead owner during the "formative" period. There are some nuances that another owner can help you with.

There's also another email forum that is loosely associated with the Airheads Beemer Club. Information can be found at http://www.airheads.org . There are quite a few BMW experts who participate over there.

There's a good Airhead guru working out of his shop in Yardley, PA. Not sure if that is convenient to you at all. Tom Cutter does fine work. There are others as well. Parts and service are really just a shipment away in most cases.

Reliability? That will come with your involvement with the bike. But in the vast majority of cases, problems that are encountered are easily fixed to get you back on the road. It's all pretty basic stuff. Spark-compression-fuel-air...that's all you need.

What to look for? It would be nice if another owner could look with you. But try it out. It will be clunky in shifting, but that's normal. The valves should be ticking away, something a little louder than a sewing machine. You'll have a single disk up front...make sure that has reasonable stopping power. It won't pop your eyeballs out, but it should be pretty good. Ask about oil usage and average gas mileage.

A full source of on-line information is at http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/techindex.htm .

Snowbum is a pretty detailed guy, so pull up a chair and bring a sack lunch. But he's got some gems on his website.

I think that bike will work for you provided the price is acceptable and you're willing to roll up your sleeves a bit.

Good luck...Kurt in S.A.

[AntonLargiader]

The bike is inherently reliable but at this point you're fighting age. A lot of people get over their heads in old Airheads that have not been maintained well. With enough work they will all come back, but you just don't know what that bike needs.

Joel Rappoport is riding his /6 (well, not much of it is still /6 but it's similar) in the Iron Butt Rally, as he did two years ago. Rock-solid bike. OTOH people bring me bikes that they found on eBay and have to decide between big repair bills up front or dealing with stuff in bits and pieces. Nearly everything on these bikes is 30 years old; that's the main thing.

If it's in correct condition, or you make it that way, it'll *mostly* be a ride, ride, ride bike. You'll always need to do little things like replacing bad rubber bits and chasing the occasional electrical issue.

[wescook]

I saw your post and had to reply (my first) last year I was talked into buying a 74 R75/6 that had been left out in the woods for 10 years to rot. I haven't had a bike in 35 years and knew nothing about this bike. I have found a ton of great info on the web and studied the moldy manuel and today I rode the bike for the first time. I now have a rolling restoration. So I think your bike is far ahead of mine. I'm enjoying learning how to work on this bike and that is part of owning one. Last winter I met a guy that had close to half a million miles on his R75 and it was going strong!

[Jake]

Lots of good responses here - depends on what you're looking to do. There probably isn't a much easier machine to ease you into maintenance and repairs, if that's part of your goal. The 30 year issues is a real one, espec for the electrical stuff. The lubing/greasing/adjusting/etc is easy to update but the gremlins can stress a fella. I'm coping w/ this on both an R750/7 and a '75 Guzzi. Good news is I"ve found local wrenches and techs that have easily helped me when I've gotten stuck b/c the bike is so easy to work on...and they know very little about "the bike" but they know motors & engines & systems. They could care less that this is a "premium touring machine" from Germany (or Italy) - it's just a machine to them. So if you have the first half to any job...the want to...then proceed with some caution and see what you learn. Just watch out you don't get something that is going to overwhelm you and get you discouraged this early in your riding career. There will always be a vintage bike to work on...and your time may be now or in the future.

[VBMWMO]

Hi folks,
I'm seth and I recently passed my MSF basics course and I'm looking for a first ride. I've greatly enjoyed perusing the wealth of information available on this site, many of you certainly are passionate owners of exceptional machines.

Down to my scenario:
I'm looking to buy a first bike and have been scouring the area craigslist and the like. Today a man in my area listed a 1974 R75/6 with 54k. I have done some perusing around on this site and others and have seen some mixed reviews about reliability, especially regarding transmission problems. However, the allure of the bike persists...

In my case I'm looking for a fun and relatively inexpensive bike. Reliability is paramount although I don't mind putting in an hour or two every other weekend in maintenance. Given that, I have no experience working with motorcycles so any more advanced maintenance would need to be performed by my local dealership ($$$) and I would definitely need to invest some hours learning the basics of the bike. The current owner only recently bought the bike and knows nothing about maintenance, however he has all the records from the original owner.

In short, would this bike suit my needs as a fun/reliable around cruiser? If so what potential problems should I be looking out for when I go see the bike? I know some basics to look for in the records such as the updating of valves and seals for unleaded, lubing of splines, any signs of oil leaks but what physical signs should I be paying attention to? More importantly, is the idea of a newbie owning a vintage bike MADNESS???

Thanks for staying with me and any advice you can give.

Seth