Not a GS and not mine so the campfire seems the place. '73 BMW R75/5

[oldGSfan]

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/d/costa-mesa-1973-bmw-r75-lwb/7635843128.html

Seems like a lot of bike for the money. I had one years ago got for free for some labor, got it running and rode around . It seemed very 'sproingy' the way I rode it but at a sedate pace I can imagine it is a good bike. I was full of beans and goosing it too much so it felt like it had a hinge in the middle. But this one sure looks sweet, a lot of care and attention seems to be lavished on it.

[trent]

In jr high we had a English teacher who road a old BMW, wasn't as nice as one in ad.





For the price I've seen some motorcycle go for over the last ten fifteen years, I would guess it won't be listed for long.

[Suzukian]

That bike will sell, especially with the period correct fairing and bags. The bike is ready for a collection, or some nice easy cruising. I don't think it will last long either.

[alke46]

I've seen similar bikes on BaT bring some outlandish prices. IMO, the owner should have put it on that site.

[oldGSfan]

In jr high we had a English teacher who road a old BMW, wasn't as nice as one in ad.





For the price I've seen some motorcycle go for over the last ten fifteen years, I would guess it won't be listed for long.

My son was in Jr High 4 years ago and I'd drop him off, one day I noticed a CB350/4 in green with full fairing and bags/trunk parked. He said oh that's the principal. I always looked out for it, and it was there most days. I know people toured everything back in the 70s but it was just so incongruous to see one being regularly driven in around 2019. I enjoyed seeing it there.

[trent]

My son was in Jr High 4 years ago and I'd drop him off, one day I noticed a CB350/4 in green with full fairing and bags/trunk parked. He said oh that's the principal. I always looked out for it, and it was there most days. I know people toured everything back in the 70s but it was just so incongruous to see one being regularly driven in around 2019. I enjoyed seeing it there.

My uncle told me when he was in highschool ( late 70's) he had been owning several KZ 900's and then in early eighties he bought his dream bike a very nice built KZ1000,
He worked nights as a janitor and it was stolen, several months later it was located but was strip down and what was left was ruined.

He went to local suzuki dealer, that had a dozen or so used bikes. But the only one that he liked , also the most inexpensive bike was a 1977? Think, red honda 400 /4cyl.$200 bucks he said.

My uncle said it had a four into one header that looked stock, he said back then all his friends gave him the bizz for getting it, since all of them had been on 900cc and up bikes for years.

uncle said he enjoyed it for the rest of summer sold it and went to a GPZ 1100

I don't know If it's true,
but my uncle said few years back if he still had the gpz and the Honda 400/4....the Honda would've been more sought-after outta the two?

[trent]

Nothing like oldGSfan's original post BMW,
But decided to look in my local craigslist for BMW motorcycles.

https://iowacity.craigslist.org/mcy/d/tipton-classic-bmw-airhead/7632590514.html

Some nice looking BMW motorcycles on local craigslist, most in the years 2000 -2010 and anywhere between $5000-$10,000 range
This one is several hundred Miles north.




Screenshot_20230626_005831_Chrome.jpg

[Suzukian]

I've had some ridiculous offers for my 1975 CB400F, which was my first bike, I purchased new, and assembled out of the crate for $900 bucks. It now has a Kazio Yoshima 458cc kit in it, and I was clocked at 135 mph on it. I was much lighter then. Kaz Yoshima helped develop the Honda Fours. He started his own shop (Ontario Motor Werks) and used the CB400F to make his business take off. His bike regularly ate up 1000 cc bikes of that era. I could hang with anything made. Red line on mine is 14,500 rpm's (stock is 10,000). The motor is extensively worked on. Anodized aluminum D.I.D. rims with Stainless Steel spokes. Kaz hand bent a complete exhaust for me, and turned my carbs into smooth bores, ported the head, and flow benched the whole top end for me (in the '70's, smooth bores for that bike were unavailable). He did stuff that within a year was not offered to the general public anymore, only to racers. I felt very lucky to have the long conversations we had.


Yoshima Cafe Racer 499cc.jpg

[Rob S.]

Red line on mine is 14,500 rpm's (stock is 10,000).

Sorry, that's wrong. Stock is 14k. (Or 14.5).

That was what made that bike such a standout. The highest red line of the day, and that sexy bend in the head pipes.

[Nessism]

Sorry, that's wrong. Stock is 14k. (Or 14.5).

That was what made that bike such a standout. The highest red line of the day, and that sexy bend in the head pipes.

No. Redline is 10k, which in of itself is ironic, because peak power is at 8500 rpm.

And why are we talking about a CB400F is a thread about a BMW twin? Too much thread drift...

[Sandy]

Ed. How about an XS750 then? It is along side my brother's R75 though somewhere on the California coast, 1978 IIRC. Yeah, not much power, hinge in the middle and felt like you were riding couch.



Year1978 by soates50, on Flickr

[Rob S.]

No. Redline is 10k, which in of itself is ironic, because peak power is at 8500 rpm.

And why are we talking about a CB400F is a thread about a BMW twin? Too much thread drift...

I was wrong. It seems that 10,500 rpm was indeed where the red line is on the original 1975 CB400/four. BUT...

That was still the highest in it's day. Virtually all other Japanese bikes redlined at 9k back then.

A friend bought one new, and he told me I could rev it to red line. So I did, in first and second.

[Brendan W]

Something about old motorcycles.....
DSC01867.jpg

[Suzukian]

I was wrong. It seems that 10,500 rpm was indeed where the red line is on the original 1975 CB400/four. BUT...

That was still the highest in it's day. Virtually all other Japanese bikes redlined at 9k back then.

A friend bought one new, and he told me I could rev it to red line. So I did, in first and second.

My CB400F is NOT stock. The heads were Ported and Polished by Kazio Yoshima. The over head cam chain which cost me $275 dollars in 1977 is rated to 24,000 rpms. Kazio told me not to go over 14,500, which he considered the red line for the upgraded engine now. The pistons are forged high compression pistons, and the carbs were turned into smooth bores by Kazio himself, as that kind of carb did not exist for that bike in 1977. I had the Rods shot peened, plasti-gauged every bearing on that engine. The valves were polished at SIkorsky Aircraft by a friend of mine, the part that faces the cylinder looked like chrome. I had cut, and lapped the valves into place. The Camshaft was provided by Kazio, it was frighteningly expensive.

Kazio Yoshima flow benched the cabrs, head and the hand bent exhaust system he made for me to get maximum flow. This is a very unique CB400F, it's actually "458 c.c." now. The red line is 14,500 rpms on this bike. and it has seen those rpm's many times, and I have blown off many 1000 cc bikes on that era. I reached a top speed of 136 mph at an open day race track. Not racing, just wanted to see how fast I could get it. Very high pucker value, considering the famous Honda "wobble".

The stock bike had a 10K rpm redline. You could get about 115 mph on the stock bike with 350 x 18 inch tires on the rear. If you ran 400 x 18, you could get a much nicer highway bike. You lost a little top end, but with 6 gears to chose from, it wasn't an issue. Just don't power downshift into first, as it tends to bend the shift fork.

Kazio Yoshima was on the design team that made the first Honda Four cylinder bikes. He is a renown bike builder. His vintage stuff is worth a lot of money.

Please remember, the bike I speak of is NOT stock. it is heavily modified.

Thread drift happens. You're right, but let's not be so rigid. trent mentioned the CB400F, so I chimed in, as I have one. There aren't many Japanese bikes that can claim to be classic.

I've always wanted a BMW. I can never find one at the right price, and where I live people pay top dollar for them. As I get older, and am running out of time I doubt I'll run across one I can afford. Who knows though, finding one that needs work, and a willing seller could drop one at my door step. I am a big fan of the Boxer BMW's, tractor shifting and all.

[Rob S.]

I have blown off many 100 cc bikes on that era.

I'm assuming you mean 1,000 c.c.

I think we'd all like to see pics, many pics of your classic, custom Honda. Does it still have those sexy, wavy head pipes that came stock?