Description
SOLD.
I’ve owned this R60/ 5 for over 10 years and loved every minute. It is a survivor bike that came to me with some non-OEM parts fitted, and gradually it has been refurbed and brought back more closely to its original state, for example it still has its original Bosch horn – I have only ever seen reproduction units available.
There are a few minor enhancements in the interest of improving performance and reliability. Perhaps the most obvious change is the upgrade to 32mm CV Bing carburettors from the bigger bikes, undertaken with advice from well known UK boxer twin guru Mike Fishwick. It transformed starting and gave a noticeable boost to performance. BMW perhaps deliberately under-specced the R60 in this area to give precedence to the 75, but the 60s actually run a higher compression and have a different cam.
Other improvements are: Front wheel – rebuilt by SRM with stainless spokes and the shoes relined with a modern high friction material, the drum skimmed and then the shoes arced to match the drum. The brake is excellent – better than the twin Brembos on my ‘83 RT with 16mm master. Forks have been rebuilt and the speedo has been overhauled. The previous owner had already overhauled the heads and honed the barrels with new rings.
The bike is in its original very lovely paint and the pin-striper’s initials are clearly visible on the underside of the tank. I would hesitate to call it a patina bike because it’s so good; way above oily rag! Just a few age related marks. Honestly, it’s a beautiful bike and I will be sad to see it go, but I need to raise funds for other things. These machines have a surprising amount of go and have significantly smoother motors than the bigger capacity versions. In the previous generation, the / 2s, the 600cc engine was top dog and I have had no hesitation in taking this bike on long journeys. Performance and braking are up to the job of keeping pace with modern traffic and as well as trips, I used the bike for a number of years for my summertime commute. Despite this, with the single big speedo/ tachometer mounted in the headlamp shell, they have a nice vintage feel. Servicing is a doddle on airheads and availability of parts is second to none. BMW even still make some of them themselves! This bike is such a good representative of the model and marque that it is ideally looking for a new owner who will value it for what it is, rather than what they might turn it into.
* NB the Krauser panniers shown in some photos are not included in the sale, but they are pretty easy to pick up on the usual auction sites.
