Fri, 03/12/2010 - 21:39
My 1936 BMW R2 made it onto the bench at the Restoration shop today, after I spent over 8 years on the "parts search" Todd can finally start "spinning wrenches" on my bike!
Unclviny
- 725 reads
Sat, 03/13/2010 - 06:47
#2
Probably the speedometer (the
I'll post some of the parts-horror-stories tonight (I'm about to get off work) but Probably toughest was the speedometer (the actual instrument), I found the cable in Spain but after several false-starts a speedometer (P&S) popped up in the Netherlands on it's way from Poland, I had 1 hour to decide how much I was willing to pay for it and there were no photo's. I'm ALMOST ashamed to admit what I paid (it was under $1,000.00).
Unclviny
Sat, 03/13/2010 - 22:10
#3
The R2 story:I have a good
The R2 story:
I have a good buddy who owns a Triumph/BMW dealership and started with vintage bikes (Cliff Holland, Gulf Coast BMW/British USA in South Houston, Texas).
One day I pulled up out back and the R2 was sitting in the shop, I was captivated! so I asked the Mechanics "who belongs to this?" and I was told it was Cliff's.
I got a ramp, loaded it in my Truck, locked the tailgate and went to find Cliff to see how much he wanted for the bike.
Cliff told me it was not for sale, I told him "that's right, I have no intention of selling it", he laughed and asked me if I had already loaded the bike and since he knew I was not going to unload it he sold it to me (for almost twice what he had paid 20 minutes earlier but still a "bargain" price).
So began the journey, I found an owner (in Germany) who copied a parts book for me for cheap. I inventoried the bike to see what was missing and the list got long, fast (this is from memory):
rear end/drive shaft, oddly enough I found one in Pennsylvania through a Vincent m/c owner.
headlight lens and rim, I found a VERY NICE repop in Sweden.
toolbox, found on German ebay.
switches, nice repops found in Berlin, Germany.
speedometer, found in the Netherlands on it's way out of Poland.
carb, found in Germany (I had to go there to find it).
air cleaner, found in the Netherlands but I had to buy carb/air cleaner/manifold as a unit to get it.
tail light, nice Polish repop found at a bike show in Ulm, Germany.
gas cap, handmade in Oklahoma.
muffler, found on Polish ebay.
centerstand spring, found in Spain.
plus the damaged/unusable parts:
headpipe, found on Polish ebay.
front axle, found on German ebay.
seat cover, found NOS! in Oklahoma
horn, found in Poland.
Speedometer cable, found in Spain.
When I delivered the bike Todd said "where's the bike that this rear wheel came from?" so:
rear hub, ?
Some lessons I learned:
Follow ALL leads, even if it does not pay it might lead somewhere that does.
For a lot of the foreign ebay sites R2 can be (and is sometimes) written as R 2.
When all else fails just put the part number in Google and click on stuff until your eyes bleed.
The language barrier is not that big a deal, just learn the words you need (like Wegzahler), part numbers are the universal language.
NEVER! send $ Western Union, the only time I got ripped off was when I WU'd $700.00 to Poland.
Unclviny
Sun, 03/14/2010 - 03:49
#4
Well done! I look forward to
Well done! I look forward to see progress photos. Are you going to use the Bavarian blue accent on the top of the tank?
Here is an "It's a small world" example - Vince and I have corresponded on and off for many years. In 2003 I went to Techrama in Ulm instead of Veterama in Ludwigshaven and I knew Vince was thinking to go also. Since Ulm is close to Munich, I took the opportunity to spend a few days in the area with my wife the week before. I went to the BMW Museum (this was just before renovation) and stopped in to visit the guys at Mobil Tradition.
I am at the BMW museum photographing the R2 they have on display when I hear this voice in very American English say "I have one of those that I am going to restore." I looked up and said "ah....you must be Vince" We were both surprised.
We are both from Houston (part time for me) but we meet in Germany!
Bruce
Sun, 03/14/2010 - 05:26
#5
I don't think the blue
I don't think the blue "flash" on the tanktop is "correct" for 1936, we have gone back and forth on this but I think I'll go without it. I have to go work now.
Unclviny
Sun, 03/14/2010 - 18:55
#6
Well,
I "won" the auction on
Well,
I "won" the auction on the rear hub that I needed, it was THE last missing part (by now even I think that is funny!), I'm getting real tired of throwing money at this thing (the hub was over 165.00 Euro's plus shipping from Poland) but some good should be coming from all of this "money throwing" soon, most Prewar BMW folks seem to be rich guys and I'm not!, I'm just your basic "Oilfield trash" (I keep threatening my office that I am going to put "Shell Oil's B**ch" on my business cards), Joe 6-pack kind of guy and this project has taken INCREDIBLE amounts of money!
The BMW Mono group on Yahoo was/is VERY helpful and I have made some very valuable contacts through it.
Unclviny
Fri, 06/04/2010 - 05:06
#7
Restoration Bench
Hi
First of all best of luck with the restoration I am struggling on my R50 so don’t even want to imagine how hard it is to do your R2.
My question is nothing regarding the Bike but on the ‘Work Bench”
Would it be at all possible to give some measurement on you r work beck as I am busy building one?
Regards
Carl
Fri, 06/18/2010 - 13:43
#8
Interesting. I had an r2
Interesting. I had an r2 complete headlight. Still have the speedo. I am not sure it is an r2 original but it is pre-war VDO. Whats it worth?
Looks like it's a great candidate for a restoration. Most of it seems to be there.
What was the hardest thing to locate?
VBMWMO Webmaster,--Darryl Richman
Rider #52 in the 2012 Cannonball--follow my blog!
http://darryl.crafty-fox.com