Advice needed - BMW R75/5

[Mallard]

I’ve had several GS’s over the years starting with an 1150, then a 12, and now a new GSA (still can’t believe the difference over my old 07).

I also have an interest in the classic scene as well, and currently have a couple of Norton Dominators, a ’63 and a ’65.

However, I seem to have developed a yearning for a cafe racer style boxer. I would like to stick to the classic looks of drum brakes and about 750cc (or more) so I reckon the R75/5 is the route to go, but I must confess to having zero knowledge or experience of air heads. Do you reckon I’m on the right route?

Is the R75 the right machine to go for? I think their production run was from ’69 to ’73, - is there a particular year that is better than others? And what would I expect to pay for a ‘reasonable’ (not mint) machine? Any advice, help, and guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, I think my cherished Nortons will have to go to finance any dreams I may have.

 

[Rob Farmer]

Keep the Nortons.

You'll pump loads of cash into an Airhead and more than likely severely devalue it in the process, it will certainly have a limited market place.

The generally piss poor handling and awkward riding position limits their appeal as a cafe racer.

There's a collection of suitably bizarre contraptions here http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163017&highlight=airhead+cafe

They all end up as a variation of something like this

Can't see why you'd want a pretender when you already have the real deal

 

[Devon]

Got to agree with Rob Farmer, selling those Nortons to build an airhead cafe racer would be a crime.


But if you do decide to sell them, I would be interested in taking them off your hands

 

[Mallard]

The Nortons have changed a wee bit since that photo, here's an update. I believe that it would me my dear wife's personal opinion that it would be impossible to spend more money on a bike than these two have soaked up over the years. I don't think that I will ever recover what I've spent, but hey, - I've really enjoyed it. I would like a manx but don't really know enough about them - and there's an awful lot of dogs out there, - I'm not sure that I would know what I'm buying, soooooo, I've started to think about an airhead................

 

[nick.ct]

As has been said already, messing with a /5 will just decrease its value. Maybe starting with a more modern (late 70s, early 80s) airhead and fitting the parts you'd like to see to that, would be a better route to go. Might mean you can keep a Norton or 2

 

[Posh Pete]

650ss?

If you ever sell it ... I'm yer man!

 

[Mallard]

Standard machine is a 650ss. Cafe racer is an Atlas.

 

[Devon]

Do one like this Mallard. This 1954 R54 sold for £143,000 last Friday at the H and H auction at Haynes museum. A Brough Superior sold for over £290,000