Classic Velocity

The years between 1976 and 1980 have never really had a vehicle in the garage. Well…there was the Chevy G10 van, but that does not really count. The car world generally ends for me in 1974 with the introduction of safety bumpers, and the motorcycle world goes to 1976 (BMW R90S) and then skips to 1980 (BMW R80RT). That now ends on the motorcycle front at least, with this R75/7. A whimsical desire has been to get an R75 from each slash era, /5, /6, and /7. This opportunity in the region was for a machine with a lot of the hard work done. The bike and engine had been torn down and checked by an engineer. Crank end play was reportedly spot on, valve seats were good, compression very good. The paint is excellent across all of the body work, and includes hand pinstriping.

There were a few areas where upgrades or replacements had been made that I may not have done, but which would remain for now. The most visible was Lester wheels. They looked fine, and were a period upgrade, so they will stay. The Dynamic electronic ignition seems to work fine and can contribute to better running. The left handlebar controls are not correct for the year, but are functional, as is the luggage rack which is for an RS or RT model. The Corbin seat is comfortable, but this will not be a touring machine, so a stock seat is in the cards.

overall, a nice find at a good price. Another airhead joins the garage.