So you want to buy a classic BMW motorcycle? Here are a few things you may find helpful.
Mileage
Beware of that unicorn low mileage motorcycle that gramma had tucked in her attic and is now being offered for sale. At least once a month I have a client tell me what a great deal they just got on a BMW from the 1970’s that somehow has only racked up a few thousand miles. In general, this is too good to be true. It can and does happen, but in reality these bikes were mostly ridden to death. You can buy into the story, just don’t pay the premium. Here is what to look for:
Paint condition 1: A low mileage bike should have very good original paint and stripes. Fading and rub marks are clear signs of weather and use which usually means mileage. For bikes with the key in the headlight look for worn paint from a billion miles of a key chain flapping in the breeze.
Paint condition 2: Watch for a repainted bike. If the bike only has 9400 miles on it but was just repainted you’d have to wonder why. At that mileage the paint should be perfect and a classic BMW is always far more valuable with original paint and stripes. Pay less for a repainted bike, no matter what the mileage…..proper restorations being the possible exception.
Switchgear: The silkscreen labels on the switch gear and instruments age proportionally with time, storage conditions, and exposure to weather. If the labels are faded or missing it could be another clue to watch for when validating mileage claims.
The Odometer: It’s worth mentioning that the odometers CAN be changed. Easily.
Maintenance History 1: A low mileage bike should have a complete and documented maintenance history. In theory since the bike is low mileage (implying few owners) and people tend to care for nice things, the maintenance records should be easy to get a hold of and will usually help validate mileage.
Maintenance History 2: Every region has good BMW shops and bad BMW shops. Dealers can land in both camps. Do your homework and if your prospective purchase was serviced at one of the less reputable shops, you can expect expensive surprises. Also….low mileage bikes really shouldn’t have gone to the shop much at all so pay attention to the number of visits.
Model
Not all BMW Airheads models are created equal. And not all BMW Airheads are worth investing a lot of money into. I have my biases, of course, but here are some practical facts and feelings that might help you when buying a classic BMW motorcycle.
Pretty much anything that pre-dates the R75/5 is highly collectible and desirable and prices reflect this. Unless you are an expert yourself, ALWAYS insist on documentation and/or take the bike to a reputable shop to validate everything about it. Documented maintenance is everything! The rule of thumb is that if there is no documentation it can be assumed the work was not done, no matter what the owner claims. Even more scary is the owner who claims to do deep engine work - including slinger service - on his own. Get it cheap or walk away.
Slash 6 and Slash 7’s are the low point of the breed in terms of value and collectability. These models were transitional and the engineering developments are reflected in the various mutant build recipes. There is nothing particularly bad about these models, they just aren’t special in any way, so don’t pay special prices. They can be harder to maintain also. Keep in mind I am not talking about the R90S and R100RS bikes in this category. Just the plain Jane naked stuff.
Dual shock vs. monolever. See below for details, but in general these are like checkers and chess. The monolevers have their own character and should be considered as distinctly different from the dual shock bikes in every possible way. I mention this to highlight that if you think you want an R100S, don’t get a monolever, and vice versa. Monolevers tend to get lower prices for some reason even though they are superior in every way (spoiler alert).
Monolevers and Paralevers
The 1985 and later single shock bikes are the peak of Airhead engineering. The engines and gearboxes are built to higher standards and tolerances. The power delivery is perfect for real world riding. Handling is superior. The list goes on. If you want a bike for riding and not for bragging about, this is the one. The only exception to think about are the paralever versions which have unique maintenance concerns to consider, but this is manageable. Here are a few tips for the 1985 to 1995 bikes:
I generally don’t see these coming in as beat -up as the dual shock bikes. Condition is usually better than average across the range so it all comes down to mileage and price. Even then, these bikes seem to rack up the miles effortlessly so don’t let that be a detractor if the condition is otherwise good to excellent and the price is right.
Circlips: I’ll say it quietly….this is nearly a myth. 100% internet paranoia with some other much smaller percent of it actually being an issue to worry much about. Sure, I add circlips when they are missing, but NOT having one is NOT an issue to freak out over. Improper maintenance is the issue and if these gearboxes were getting maintained on schedule they wouldn’t blow up in the first place. And…they don’t generally blow up. I have done literally hundreds of gearboxes, many of them did not have circlips and only one had the catastrophic failure that everyone worries about. It failed because it had done three times the mileage it should have before rebuild, not because the circlip was missing. Use this fear to negotiate a lower price if you like, but don’t let it cause you any actual worry. Worry about proper maintenance instead. I wouldn’t walk away from a purchase if the circlip situation was unknown. It is easy enough to fix.
Paralevers: These were badly designed. Everyone knows it. But they do work great in terms of handling. The pivot bearings need constant monitoring and the splined driveshafts need to be checked often. The final drives themselves are okay but the crown bearings tend to fail earlier than the monolever and dual shock versions. The theme, again, is maintenance: has it been done and are you willing to take on the responsibility once you own the bike? If not, get a monolever.
GSPD: 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound bag. I mean this from the point of view that these are very densely packed and a bit more challenging to maintain. Heralded as a fabulous touring mount and often used for overlanding, these are heavy machines with a few quirks. Once at speed on a paved road these are glorious to ride but, oh my, they are tall and heavy. They command a higher price due to a cult following, but if you make sure the maintenance is up to date and don’t mind the more frequent and expensive service intervals, you won’t go wrong.