Anthony,

Go to the menu bar. Put cursor on AirLore. Select Airhead Friendly Shops from the drop down menu. Enter NY in the search box. Start calling.

Familiarize yourself with the menu. It may not be immediately intuitive you would find a list of shops under that heading but you can get the hang of it really quickly. The info on this site is amazing and is itself worth the membership.

Good luck.

I've been working on motorcycle engines professionally since ~1969, so when I say I'm not a big fan of the "blow down test" maybe you'll hear me out. Now, in full disclosure, none of these were BMW dealerships but I did stints with all the other major brands at one time or another.

► Without judging the intent of this shop or your present mental state, I am awfully suspicious in that your actions and their thinking violate the number one Mantra of Motorcycling, which is (in case you have forgotten): "Ride motorcycles in the summer, pick up chicks, have fun, get laid. Work on motorcycles in the winter." 😛

► Without judging the honesty of your shop, in my book the leak down test prays upon those who think of engines in static terms. When in fact a running engine only needs to hold compression for a fraction of a second. For me, a standard compression test, done with the electric starter and the throttle held WIDE OPEN will render a far more realistic picture of the mechanical state of the engine.

► As your digital mechanic, here's what I'd ask...
1) Was the bike able to crank and run when you took it in ?
2) Was the bike noticeably loosing or burning oil when you took it in ?
3) Was the bike able to idle smoothly enough that you didn't need to whip the throttle at a traffic light ?

If your answers are: the bike would crank and run OK, did not smoke like a mosquito fogger, and would idle smoothly once warm, then I would tell you to 1) go get the bike right now, 2) buy you own compression tester and do your own testing, 3) install 2 new plugs, and 4) ride the bike the remainder of the summer (and of course, pick up chicks, have fun, etc, etc).

► Why ? Because most of the bikes I see simply need a new set of points, new plugs, and 2 tanks of fresh fuel run through them. It's simply amazing how much better they run after a 200 mile jaunt. Running the engine re-seats the valves and rings; cylinder compression goes way up. Using a fuel with additive cleansers cleans out the carbs. The battery gets charged. The bikes absolutely love it and respond well to attention.

► It may well be that your engine will need some help this winter, but are you aware that (as long as you don't run out of oil) there is nothing on this bike that YOU can't fix at home. It is the simplest of engines snuggled inside a superb rolling chassis. The operative word here is "Simple". The operative message here is that "you can do it", usually with the tools in the tool kit. The operative reminder here is that it is summer and you are missing out on picking up chicks, having fun, etc, etc.

All the best ! 😛

Great advice Wobbly. Here is an article explaining the differences between the tests from a motorcycle perspective.

http://powersports-blog.denniskirk.com/5188/powersports/how-to-do-compression-and-leak-down-tests/

Thanks, Jagarra. As your article pointed out, the leak down test has some application, but only in conjunction with the compression test.

Without commenting on the integrity of the OP's shop, let me say that as it was reported (a leak down test by itself) is to me very suspicious. If I were an unscrupulous mechanic, this is the very same single piece of evidence I would present to the customer to prove the need for expensive (and entirely unnecessary) engine repair.

I'm not saying the work wouldn't be done. I'm simply saying 'if it ain't broke, then don't fix it'.

I wish the OP would come back and clarify the model and comment.

Thanks for the replies. I was able to speak with the mechanic from country rode BMW and further clarify what is going on. When he was adjusting the valves he noticed some burnt / browning on the right side of the engine. He says I'm looking at a $1700 repair bill to change gaskets and send out the heads.

Anthony -
I simply cannot believe "a little brown stuff" if the technical reason they gave as a need to spend $1700 !! You must be leaving something out.

Make an effort to go to the shop and witness a compression test. Have them remove both spark plugs, insert the spark plugs back into the wires, and lay them on the cyl head so they can spark freely. Then screw in a compression test gauge, into one cylinder at a time. Hold the throttle wide open (this is very important). And then let the electric starter turn the engine over at a fast rate until the compression reading stops climbing. This starter action will take about 10-15 seconds per cylinder.

Is the lowest reading higher than 120psi ? Are the 2 readings within 10% of each other ? If the answer to both questions is "Yes", then you may not need any repair.

► Every BMW twin made before 1985 needs new valve seats, so your mechanic isn't lying. But it also may not be the whole truth. The test for failing valve seats is for the owner to notice that the valve lash clearances are closing more than 0.001" between 5000 mile adjustment intervals. Click Here and Read About It !

► Valves and valve seats simply do NOT instantly fail. You have a range of 10-20,000 miles where it shows evidence of needing to be done. Therefore, you want to wait until the heads are off for other repairs, such as leaking push rod tube seals or piston ring replacement. THEN, while this other work is in progress, you send the heads off for valve seat repair.

► Lastly, if you have the typical 1976 R90/6 with 25,000 to 40,000 miles on the clock, and you merely ride around on nice days during the summer months, then you simply don't have enough miles on this bike to warrant this repair.

If you simply cannot feel right unless you spend some money, then send me $850 and I'll mail you back a nice certificate (suitable for framing), and you can feel better for half the price.

Sound good ?