Well, it’s been a couple years since I bought the 1969 BMW R69S, and I never thought it would take so long just to go for a ride on this thing. But yesterday, I went for my first ride. Not very far – a couple of miles at the most, but it ran pretty well, and everything worked great.
My plan was to just get the bike cleaned up, put back together, and see how it rode before working on the cosmetics. This winter will be a good time to get the body work done and painted.
What took me 2 years? Good question. The bike came with a sidecar and had been sitting in someone’s front yard under a tarp for several years. The bike and sidecar were supposedly in an off road excursion and went through a ditch.
I replaced the bent sidecar wheel and put new SS spokes on all 3 wheels. My last post here was looking for help with the wheels.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/600182-bmw-r69s-motorcycle-wheel-rebuilding-help-needed.html
I finally got that straightened out and purchased a wheel truing stand. I rebuilt the trans, installed a solo saddle in place of the original bench seat, and fired it up for the first time a year ago. That’s when I realized that the front forks were hitting the front of the engine when you turned to the right. There’s a company (one man show) in California that straightens these old BMW frames, and I sent him my Earles Court front forks. After installing the newly aligned forks, I kept blowing the main fuse. I spent a couple of weeks rewiring the voltage regulator, starter solenoid, and tail lights. Finally, it’s all together.
Yes, I did say starter solenoid. This motor is out of Messerschmitt bubble car. It’s an R67 motor that BMW modified for Messerschmitt and includes a Bosch DynaStart. It’s a starter motor and generator all in one. The very worn solenoid and regulator looked like they needed replacing, but go for about $800 if you can find them. I replaced mine with a 1991 Ford F150 starter solenoid and a 1969 VW Squareback voltage regulator. Now all seems fine.
You’ll also notice the battery is mounted on the side. This will sit between the bike and the sidecar, and eventually will be covered with saddle bags. The larger battery is needed for the starter, which the original bike never had.
