BMWs are not an unfamiliar sight here at Bike-urious, and the R75/5 is a model that shows up with a certain regularity in the archives. But it’s been several years since an original R75/5 has been featured. Most have been customized or dramatically modified in some way.
Whereas this beauty is pretty much the same bike that rolled off the production line more than half a century ago. It even has its original BING carbs.
The R75/5 was part of the /5 series, produced from 1969 to 1973. Driven by a 749cc air-cooled boxer twin, the R75/5 was the biggest of the family, with its peak power output of 50 horsepower and 43 lb-ft of torque promising to deliver a top speed of 110 mph.
This particular example (VIN: 4005173) has a classic “barn find” background: discovered by the seller in a carport, then fixed up.
“The Bike cleaned up quite well,” explains the seller. “The only real evidence of the years of negligence is some corrosion on the hubs and rust spots on the spokes and mirror stems, small rust spots on the frame, and rust on the seat pan.”
Everything works “exactly as it should” according to the seller, and the bike comes with a few spares, should you be keen to use them.
“There was a time around 10 years ago when I thought I’d restore it ‘someday,'” explains the seller. “Bought a new /5 seat… and a new set of OEM exhaust pipes, but ‘someday’ never came. Just kept riding the bike and the new seat and pipes stayed on the shelf. Both are included here… Also included are the original silver tire pump, original toolkit, BMW shop towel and Owner’s Manual. ”
An interesting thing to observe about this particular example is that this bike has an iconic toaster tank, with its slim design and chrome tank panels. The bike is listed as a 1973 model, but, according to an article by Roland Brown, only the 1972 models had toaster tanks.
According to Brown, the stylish tanks were “a step too far for BMW’s conservative customers, the vast majority of whom opted for the larger-tanked, more modestly finished version instead.”
The seller provides frame, headstock, and engine numbers (all matching), so I’d guess that the reason for the seeming discrepancy in years can be explained by: a) the fact Brown was writing from a UK perspective; b) the classic weirdness/confusion between model year and production year.
With 16,000 miles on the clock, and bids currently at $2,605 but the reserve not yet met, this R75/5 is for sale in San Jose, California, here on eBay.