I came across this 1979 BMW R65 and it was too good of a deal to pass. So what's wrong with this one, you'll ask?
Well, let's start with the good news: all electrical works from what I can tell and test so far. The paint job is in good condition for a 40 year old bike with close to 40K Miles. No dents, no rust, only a scratch here and there. The bike is also complete with bag carrier and passenger backrest, the seat looks brand new. The bike had a title as well. This R65 passed state inspection, carbs and front brake cylinder was rebuilt by the previous owner. There is also a new set of tires already on the bike.
The not so good news: one of the pistons shattered. This means engine work. I will probably go over the entire engine (yes, another rebuild coming up). The paint on the frame could need a refresh. There is no rust but it just doesn't look nice.
The below pictures are how I got the bike. The first few show the R65 with a full windshield. I removed it for now.
Looking into the engine...
So I know from the previous owner that something was not right with the engine. He claims it was a shattered piston because he found piston debris inside the oil pan. Below are pics of what I found after removing the left cylinder. The right side did not even come off because the piston is seized. When the connecting rod broke, it also damaged the crank case, even blew a hole into the crankcase roof. IF I decide to rebuild the engine, a new crank case is needed.
Starting the rebuild
Time to disassemble the bike and swap out the engine crankcase.
