Hey now !! Congratulations on a GREAT find and welcome to the Club.

Comments...
• Don't miss this thread which covers most of the important points on bringing the engine back to life.

• With the bike running and ride-able, the question often comes up "Where to start ?" My answer would be Tires and Brakes. Tires are date coded and you should not run tires older than 5 years, of course fitted with new inner tubes. Air pressures are 10-15% higher than those in your manual because tire technology has changed. Start with 34F and 30R and see how that goes.

• Drum brakes need little maintenance, but there will be a slight rust coating on the drums and probably some aging of the friction linings. You can help the bike help you by applying the front and rear brakes emergency style about once every 15 minutes while you ride the first 500 miles. This will insure everything is re-"bedded in" for the first emergency stop when you really need to make one.

• I would actually be more concerned about the oil in the forks, drive shaft and final drive before the engine. Everyone checks the engine oil. No one checks the forgotten lubricants that contribute heavily to good handling.

• Grease will have oxidized due to extended age. 1) Hit all the grease nipples with fresh grease soon. 2) Some items like the head post bearings will need to simply be disassembled, washed clean, grease manually replaced, and front end re-assembled. 3) Another one of these is the 2 sets of wheel bearings. DO NOT ignore these unpleasant tasks.

• It is a recurring story that new owners often find mouse nests in their starter and air filter housings. Let me encourage you to explore those 2 easy to open covers sooner rather than later.

Hope this helps and ask all the questions you need.

Another easy prudent action would be to pull the oil pan cover to check the sump and strainer.....under the filter screen are two bolts which secure the assembly to the engine. A couple years ago I also acquired a 1971 R75/5 which had also sat for many years. I found both the bolts under the filter screen barely finger tight.
Sump contents (or lack of) is a good photo of what's going on upstream....sometimes debris / old gasket silicone can be found there....or hopefully nothing.

Thanks for the great advise. I changed the fluids (oil / transmission / final drive / fork), and replaced the 20 year old tires. Adjusted the valves, and it is running well. I will drop the oil pan this winter and check the sump and strainer. I have since put about 250 miles, and had a great opportunity to meet some fellow airheads. I have a carb that is leaking fuel, so I am working on troubleshooting that, but so far it is going well.

I have a carb that is leaking fuel, so I am working on troubleshooting that, but so far it is going well.

Your carb innards are probably pre-ethanol versions. BMW highly suggests you get the later model floats and float needles which are rated for Ethanol fuels. To install those you'll need new float bowl gaskets.

Hope this helps.

Ok, I just bought the rebuild kit from Bob's BMW, and replaced all the like parts, with the exception of the brass float needle wells. (I was not sure or comfortable trying to pry them out) Now that I have leaked fuel onto a local airhead's driveway, he gave me some good advise on how to remove the old wells from the carb. Not sure if this was friendly help, or preservation for this driveway, but I will take it none the less 🙂

Bings have been known to mark their territory.