Things I'm Doing Before I Attempt to Start Her

So after sitting for 10 years, here's my list of things I'm doing before I attempt to start her. Please chime in if you think of anything else.

Rebuilt carbs
Drained and replaced oil
Drained and replaced gas
Transmission fluid
New gas lines and filters
New oil filter
New air filter
New points
New condenser
New plugs/wires/caps
New battery
Checked valve clearance
New gaskets/seals where needed

Again, this is my first BMW (71 R75) and I'm hoping she'll start with little effort.

Cheers!

I'm sure mine would start easier if I did all that - and it only sits for a few days. After ten years I might squirt a little lube into the cylinders through the plug holes but I bet it fires right up and only asks for some carb balancing.

Might want to clean all electrical connections, particularly the grounds.

Remove the wheels and lubricate the wheel bearings before you ride it any distance.

Oil leaks after you get it running and hot will tell you much more, though don't fix oil leaks immediately unless they are gushers; sometimes the gaskets renew themselves.

You should be commended for paying such close attention to your airhead. Many of us just can't resist starting a bike that has been sitting, risking damage.

Timing is set statically, either by test-lamp or by "eyeball"?

Make sure that the cold-start enricheners are correctly assembled (and the disk is correct left-to-right) and little hole in the brass jet at the bottom of the enrichener well in the float bowl(s) is open.

Cross your fingers, knock on wood, sacrifice a chicken, it'll start... :eek1

--Bill

Thanks for that bit of advice. I'll go through the connections also before starting. Will keep y'all posted.

For sure if you haven't, shine a light down into the gas tank to access condition of liner and the lower seams. Loose chips of liner will clog up the works again in short order if all you did is drain and rinse. In any event, low cost inline filters added help keep the float valves and bowls clean.

Once you get it running, the first maintenance you should do is to pull the transmission back and clean and lube the clutch splines.

Enjoy your new Beemer.

looks like you have things covered, one thing I would do if I planned on riding it anywhere, put some new tires on that beast! after 10 years, those old ones will be rock hard and may be a bit dangerous. tires are cheaper than hospital and bike rebuild bills!

LanceR75.....Your list is very similar to what I did to my R75/6 before starting it, but it had (supposedly) only been sitting for a few years. In addition to what you listed, I drained and refreshed the driveshaft and final drive lube. I plan to change all fluids again very soon....at about 100 miles. I didn't rebuild the carbs on mine, since removal of the float bowls showed a pretty clean appearance, but that's still on the list for this Winter. I'm new to airheads too, so don't take me as any authority, but things worked out well for me. I can't recall if flushing the brake fluid was on your list, but I'd suggest that too.

My /6 is my first airhead too, but my 2nd BMW (R1150R before). The airhead has "soul" when riding it that only a few other bikes have even come close to....and I've been through a bunch of bikes in the last 6 1/2 years.

Enjoy!

Lynn

That'll be tough on a R75/5

Or a real snap, depending on how you approach it...

--Bill

Sheesh....tough crowd! I guess my airhead noob-ness just showed. Scratch flushing the fluid. Maybe lube the cable?

Lynn

Yeah, this is the get her started phase. Once I get it started and both carbs balanced, I'll work on phase two... getting her road worthy. Thanks for all of the input! BTW, phase 3 (in case you cared) is the clean-up.

Don't lube BMW cables... they's teflon-lined and lube is a no-no.

Sorry...

--Bill

I guess I'd better just stay back and keep learning myself rather than "helping" just yet.

Lynn

Tank is clean!

baptize it in something hoppy and save some for yourself before you push the button.

Well? Did it start?

Almost there. Had to order then order some more carb bits. Should have her ready in a few days.

My R80 had been sitting for 12 years and I simply changed all the fluids, cleaned the tank and carb bowls, fitted a new battery and rode it, 4 hours to get it running IIRC.
Whatever you do now, run it for a few hundred miles then give it another full service changing the fluids again.