7 Tips When Buying Your Cafe Racer BMW Airhead Donor Bike
INTRODUCTION
How’s it going Folks? My name’s Marcus and welcome to montmoto. In this blog I’m going to talk about where to buy your BMW airhead motorcycle, what to look out for - both generally when buying a used motorcycle and specifically with the old BMW R-Series bikes. So let’s do it.
Ok, first of all - where should you look for your bike? This first section of the blog is intended for folks looking to buy a bike in the US and as a result is possibly not as relevant for folks living in other parts of the world. So if you prefer just the tips on what to look for when you’re checking over a potential bike, feel free to skip to the next section.
Craigslist
The first place I always look is craigslist. Every time I go there I see something that I could make work. Honestly it’s a bit of a dangerous site to go on and search bikes because there are so many options on any one day. If you’re looking for a specific model like an R80 in my case, or specific year of that model (older than 1981 in my case), you might have to wait a while and be patient - but I have found this by far to have the most motorcycles for sale within my local area. In fact, the day after I decided I was going to take this project on, I went onto craigslist and found my very own R80/7.
One of the main advantages of using a website like craigslist is the search capabilities and filters. You can filter:
to your local area and set mile ranges.
by vehicle specifics like mileage, price and title status.
by a private seller or dealership. For an old bike like this that you’re going to tear down and rebuild, I really don’t think you want to be paying the premium that a dealership charges but I’d certainly recommend getting a bike that has a clean title (more on this later).
Some of the down sides of craigslist though are, it is a little riskier because you are going to meet a stranger and you may or may not have cash on you to purchase the bike. There have been some horror stories of opportunists taking advantage of situations like this, so just be careful, bring a friend and meet in a safe place.
BMW Airhead Forums
The second place I looked we’re on specialist motorcycles or BMW airhead forums. Websites like www.advrider.com and www.airheads.org have rooms dedicated to selling used motorcycles.
I think one of the main advantages to this is that if you are buying a motorcycle from an active forum member you can get a feel from who you are buying from as well as maybe some of the work they have documented doing on the motorcycle. It, to some degree, takes a little bit of the risk of buying from a complete stranger knowing that the person selling the bike is at least passionate about it.
The real downside here is that you can’t filter by location and have to be patient for the right motorcycle to come up for sale. I’ve often found great bikes on there that I would love to buy, but they’re 3000 miles away and not worth all the hassle involved in getting them home.
Other Sources
As with any motorcycle, there are other places to keep an eye out like www.ebay.com and www.cycletrader.com and www.facebookmarketplace.com
OK - on to the next step - you’ve found a bike you’re seriously interested in, what are the next steps. Before you go to see the bike, ask the owner not to start the bike before you arrive. This might not be possible if it’s being ridden to a location that suits you both, but if you’re going to visit the seller, there is no reason why the bike can not be cold-started when you arrive. We’re going to break our inspection into two parts, (a) Bike cold and (b) bike warm + test ride.
BIKE COLD CHECKS
Check paperwork and VIN Numbers
When you arrive the very first thing you want to check is, does the title VIN number match the numbers stamped on the motorcycle. On the R80/7 the VIN number can be found on a flat rectangle or space on the lower left side of the motorcycle. This number should match the VIN number in the title document. If it matches, then check the VIN number stamped into the frame of the bike, which on the R80’s is on the front right hand side of the frame between the gas tank and the front forks. If either of these numbers are different from each other, or the VIN number on the title document, something is up and I’d walk away. While you have the title document in your hand, you should make sure it has no “liens” and that it’s not a duplicate title document. Ask to see the sellers ID and makes sure the names match on the title.
2. General Inspection
The next thing you want to do is just a general inspection - what some people call “kicking the tyres”. What you’re asking yourself here is “has this bike been taken care of?”. It doesn’t matter where you start this inspection, what you’re doing is building up a big picture of how this bike has been treated. While you’re doing this part of the walk around with the bike still off, you’re asking the owner as many questions as you can about the history of the bike - again, to build up this mental model of the life it has had. Here is a non exhaustive list of things you could look out for.
2.1 TANK
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Check the tank - has it been dented or scratched. Small dents are not too difficult to repair - but they may indicate that this bike has been in an accident “(and by the way - if you’re buying a 40 year old bike, chances are it has at some stage been on it’s side. Here is my tank on the bike I bought for example. While you’re looking at the tank, open the fuel cap and have a look inside. Does it look clean and no rust/ old paint floating around in there?
2.2 BRAKE LEVERS AND BAR ENDS
After the tank check the clutch and brake levers to see if they’re bent or broken. If they are, it might indicate the bike has been dropped. Are they new? Another possible red flag - why buy levers for a bike you’re selling? Damaged or new clutch or front brake levers mean take a closer look at the cylinder heads on these Boxer Engines.
2.3 CYLINDER HEADS
Moving down from the tank, look at the cylinder heads. Are they scratched and scuffed or do they look new? If they’re new, why did the owner replace them? With these R80 cylinder heads extending out, they can easily be damaged in a fall - so get as much information here as possible. Sticking with the cylinders, have a look at the cylinder fins. Remember, these fins are used to keep the bike cool, so are they damaged? Do they have lots of chips and dings from years of rocks chipping away at them?
2.4 ENGINE
Check where the cylinders connect to the engine housing. There are two rubber grommets under each cylinder. Check for signs of leaking oil from here. Time to get on your knees and look under the engine, any signs of oil dripping or pooling? Does the gasket between the oil pan and engine look clean and free from oil? If the bike is parked near or in it’s usual spot, are there signs of oil on the pavement that it rests? If there is, ask why? Mine was an oily mess - but I was reasonably happy that I would be able to resolve this when rebuilding - let’s see if I was right. Check the oil dipstick for both level and color. If the oil is a dark black it hasn’t been changed in a while.
2.5 FRAME
While you’re looking under the bike, check the frame, kick stand, engine, exhaust manifold for signs of rust. A little rust is not a major problem but excessive rust is a red flag that this bike has not been taken care of and could mean worse problems are hidden in the engine for you. Also try and judge “is it straight”. This one is super tricky unless it’s a real mess, but look to see if the frame is true, and not warped or bent anywhere indicating an accident and may mean you have to scrap the frame.
2.6 RIMS
Looking for any dents or fractures in the rims. Check the tires. Are they worn bald? If you want to be super thorough, check the tire date codes - I’ll have a link in the description to a Revzilla guide on exactly how to do that. Not a problem in itself, but another indicator that the bike wasn’t serviced or cared for. On the front rim check the brake disc. Is it rusty from lack of use and sitting outside? Does it have grooves in it from where the previous owner didn’t change the brake pads in time? Chances are that if they haven’t even changed their brake pads, they haven’t done more important maintenance like changing oil regularly etc.
BIKE RUNNING CHECKS
OK so you’re all done with your cold bike walk around. You’ve got a general feeling about how well this bike has been cared for as well as an idea how honest the seller is with you about some of the issues that exist. It’s finally time to start the bike.
These old bikes often throw out a lot of white smoke and can rattle about a bit when they start. Ask the seller to do the start up sequence for you, so you can watch - because you need to pull the choke on the carburetors on these old machines. This is done with a metal switch dial on the left hand side of the bike but could also be done individually on each of the carbs depending on how it has been set up. And don’t be too alarmed if it is a little unsteady or irregular in it’s rhythm when it first starts, it needs a minute of two to settle down, push the choke back in and warm up.
So, the initial cloud of white smoke has passed (hopefully), the choke is back in, and the bike is running and warm. What are we looking for here? At this stage we’re really doing 2 things. We’re listening and we’re waiting.
3. Listening
First we’re listening for any knocking sounds on either side of the engine. We want to crouch down next to the cylinder head and really listen. A broken rod might sound something like this - and would result in me walking away.
Second we listen to see how the bike sounds when you gently rev the throttle (make sure it’s in neutral). Does anything get louder, or does it become irregular? Place a hand on the each end of the exhaust pipes (careful not to burn yourself - it doesn have to be a seal - just enough to feel the pressure. Does the pressure feel the same coming out of the exhaust?
4. Waiting
While the bike is heating up we’re waiting to see if any engine warning lights come on. To help kill time you can check the headlight and high beams are working, that indicator lights on front and back work and that the brakes feel good when you sit on the bike.
Get off the bike one last time while it’s running, and look for any oil drops forming around the engine, gearbox etc. Check it all over one last time.
Hopefully no red flag here, so you it’s time for a test ride. In my experience I would only ever let someone test ride a motorcycle if they paid full price cash first, knowing that if they crashed it, or decided to never come back, I wouldn’t be out of pocket. So expect the same from the seller you are working with.
One last thing - before you go for your test ride - check the brakes check the brakes check the brakes before you get on a motorcycle you’ve never ridden before. I can’t emphasize enough how important that is. With the R80/7 the single disc on the front and the drum brake on the back means that stopping is likely faster putting your legs out and dragging your heels on the ground. It just doesn’t stop. Expect the same from your vintage ride, treat it with respect and go easy. You’re really just trying to get up and down the gears (to make sure they’re all there) and that the bike is running reasonably well. This is not your Rossi moment.
That’s all the advice I can give when buying your own project bike. I hope this was helpful, but if there is something I didn’t answer here,or you think I missed an important area to check when buy a vintage BMW, drop a comment below. In the next blog I’ll be running through my own craigslist buy, some of the problems I spotted when I was buying it, and some I didn’t, so if you’re interested I’ll see you in the next one.
Thanks. Bye.
