BMW Racer Project.

Finally after 5 years of buying and selling bits...exploring a few dead ends like 500cc...short stroke based on R65...and numerous distractions the BMW Classic Racer lives.
Started with a rolling frame bought at swap meet in Hamilton, then a sight unseen R75/5 wreck on TM.....


To today when the bike was tested at Pukekohe.

Pretty pleased with it...

and you never know who might show up....Mr BMW himself who contributed greatly to this project


The Beemer ran well for all three sessions, the fairing was removed as it needs to be shortened.
The seat started slipping when the nuts fell off....nylocs are much better.
Ride is firm bordering on a bit choppy in places...
I was running the engine in but took it up to 6000 on the back straight....not sure how fast that is but running a 3.2:1 final drive as the 3:1 is not ready.
Tyres were new but are now showing use to the edges on the front....
Seems to handle ok but as I've only ridden it less than 2 hours its too early to say.
The 2 into one is not as loud as the Manx Norton that I was next to....and was passed by....
Got a few bits to do for Puke but not too much.
Great buzz running a bike built from bits a pieces on TM, Ebay and swap meets on a race track....
Ran into Trustme and his Triumph riding wife... they must have left as when I looked they were gone.
His bike was running good thanks to BFTP tips...

looks bloody good Volty..........can see what ya mean bout the fairing length..............be hard to move around with ya knees pinned back
many bikes out there today?...........thought about it myself but still skint and mate wasnt goin either

Finally after 5 years of buying and selling bits

ok so I got mine 7th August 2010 so I still got a lot of time in hand

Looking good though, re the firm ride, you "may" find as you get quicker that might work better

Looks good Volty
lm loading my shit onto the bike tomorrow. 3 days before l leave

Cheers chaps....
Its a strange setup on 'test days'....
You pay your money and sign your life away...name address and phone number....nothing else...no briefing, flaggies, just one guy with checkered flag...I asked about what happens if there is an incident..." oh you'll know"
The sessions were cars...then bikes.....
The first session was mad....classic bikes, modern race bikes, road bikes....I thought this is going to end badly....
Then they split it up into slow and fast groups....
That was better....ish....I came out of the hairpiin tight on the apex...gassed it and set up for the left hander as this guy passed me rand wide accross the ripple strip and back on the track......Gott in Himmel...then the nutter with a pillion doing well over 200 kmph.....
interesting......

Jeez that billy goat track is rough. I did not ride lines , just stayed wide & out of everyone's way. Have to agree splitting people up was the way to go. Enjoyed the day but then I like mayhem.

We left at the same time.

At Ruapuna it used to be a free for all, I can remember being passed by a Trans Am car while out on the sidecar and spinning the sidecar on a right hander while a Formula Ford was hard out a few metres behind us, they now just split cars and bikes into 20 or 30 minute sessions, no slow or fast groups though

What's Puke cost for the day?

$90 for the day..........must have been a lot of bikes there...........thats the first time i have heard of them splittin the bikes

Originally Posted by Voltaire

That was better....ish....I came out of the hairpiin tight on the apex...gassed it and set up for the left hander as this guy passed me rand wide accross the ripple strip and back on the track......Gott in Himmel...then the nutter with a pillion doing well over 200 kmph.....interesting......

Ya, mein Gott the pillion was hangin' on for grim death . . . .

My mate commented to a guy that it was a bit crazy out there ( he was observing) and was told " if you don't like it F off...its a race day".....I thought it was a testing day but it was a uncontrolled all comers free for all....fine as long as nothing happens like most things....splitting the groups was a good idea...a few bikes went off the track...can't beat HP can you .

who told him that Volty as it is definetly not a race day...........to my knowledge there is a bit of an unwritten rule of go as hard as you want/dare..........hold your lines and no stuffing it up the inside on the hairpin if that makes sense........

I don't think I would make a regular thing of it..... young guys, no rules and HP.....

Strangely enough , none of it worried me. Just kept out of the way. Watching Chris come into the hairpin all locked up & 1/2 sideways bang it on its side & gone when he kept telling me he was taking it easy was interesting, but I never really felt uncomfortable, just mindful of who was coming up behind .

..can't beat HP can you

Why yes, yes you can, frequently, and especially if it rains

$90 for the day is pretty good I think Ruapuna is $10 more but we can use it just about any Tuesday or Friday

Touching those rocker covers down yet?

It definately wasn't a race day, it was a 'controlled testing day' as per the event calendar as found on the internet ( search for 'countiesracing'). I've done one or two these & used to take the kids down there to watch on a regular basis. They are generally worth using to sort a bike out, however, all the bikes run together, which can make it somewhat hair raising, when something passes you at a great rate of knots. One guy regularly rode a bucket racer with a top speed of around 140k's. The other riders made sure to pass him only on straights.