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On the Road: 1973 BMW R75/5

Calgarian makes the most of 'free vintage motorcycle' he found on Kijiji

Greg Williams
Apr 24, 2021  •  May 13, 2021  •  4 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Gord McLellan picked up his 1973 BMW R75/5 project in the fall of 2019, and performed the majority of restoration work during the first COVID lockdown. It was returned to the road late last summer.
Gord McLellan picked up his 1973 BMW R75/5 project in the fall of 2019, and performed the majority of restoration work during the first COVID lockdown. It was returned to the road late last summer. Photo by Gord and Krista McLellan

Three words not often found in the same sentence are ‘free’ and ‘vintage motorcycle.’ But that’s what the Kijiji ad stated, and Gord McLellan wasted no time sending a reply.

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“The word free caught my eye,” the Calgarian says of the 1973 BMW R75/5 he found in Kimberley, B.C. “It was part of an estate, and the lister just wanted to get rid of the bike.”

It was early fall 2019, and motorcycle enthusiast McLellan quickly sent a note and was delighted to hear the bike was still available. He contacted his nephew, who owns a truck and luckily just happens to live in Kimberley. Agreeing to help his uncle, he picked up the BMW and extra parts and took it all home.

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“Two weeks later, I hooked up my utility trailer and went to pick up the project,” McLellan explains.

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What he picked up was a BMW damaged in a front-end collision. Judging by the B.C. inspection stickers found on the bike, McLellan concluded the motorcycle was last on the road in 1980. The forks were bent, and the frame was tweaked. However, the late owner had collected several parts, including brand new fork stanchions, spokes, rim and a second-hand frame and front fender. For whatever reason, though, they never got started on the repairs.

Also, at some point in the BMW’s life, it had been stored outside in a partially dismantled state. Water had found its way into the left-hand cylinder through the carburetor and seized the piston rings in the bore. Externally, surface corrosion was on the chrome and aluminum, but the machine had covered only 12,000 miles up to the point of the collision.

McLellan opted to dismantle the motorcycle into large pieces, leaving the bottom end of the engine together. He cleaned up the replacement frame and had it powder coated black by Top Gun Coatings in northeast Calgary. With the heads and cylinders removed, McLellan had the heads serviced at Universal Cycle. The left intake valve had a hairline crack in the seat face and was replaced. All valve seats were re-cut, and fresh valve springs installed. The cylinders were bored first oversize and treated to new pistons and rings.

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  1. Calgary motorcycle enthusiast Gord McLellan with his finished 1973 BMW R75/5 — a machine he found offered for free on Kijiji. After cautiously adding several hundred kilometres to the bike since completing the project, he’s confident the machine will carry him anywhere he’d like to tour.
    Calgary motorcycle enthusiast Gord McLellan with his finished 1973 BMW R75/5 — a machine he found offered for free on Kijiji. After cautiously adding several hundred kilometres to the bike since completing the project, he’s confident the machine will carry him anywhere he’d like to tour. Photo by Gord and Krista McLellan
  2. As picked up in Kimberley, B.C., Gord McLellan’s ‘free’ 1973 BMW R75/5 motorcycle project. Victim of a front end collision in 1980, the fork and frame were bent, but extra pieces, including a replacement frame, were a part of the package.
    As picked up in Kimberley, B.C., Gord McLellan’s ‘free’ 1973 BMW R75/5 motorcycle project. Victim of a front end collision in 1980, the fork and frame were bent, but extra pieces, including a replacement frame, were a part of the package. Photo by Gord and Krista McLellan
  3. Using spray cans prepared by a local auto body supply shop, Gord McLellan painted his BMW in a colour he hoped would be close to Tiffany Blue. Calgary lettering and pinstripe artist Tom Tracey laid down the white lines.
    Using spray cans prepared by a local auto body supply shop, Gord McLellan painted his BMW in a colour he hoped would be close to Tiffany Blue. Calgary lettering and pinstripe artist Tom Tracey laid down the white lines. Photo by Gord and Krista McLellan
  4. At some point in the motorcycle’s life, it had been left outside in a partially dismantled state and water found its way into the left cylinder. The result was a set of frozen rings and a cracked intake valve, which was put right by Calgary shop Universal Cycle Services before Gord McLellan reassembled the engine.
    At some point in the motorcycle’s life, it had been left outside in a partially dismantled state and water found its way into the left cylinder. The result was a set of frozen rings and a cracked intake valve, which was put right by Calgary shop Universal Cycle Services before Gord McLellan reassembled the engine. Photo by Gord and Krista McLellan
  5. Plenty of elbow grease and polish revived many of the shiny pieces, including the headers. The mufflers are aftermarket replacements, while the seat is original.
    Plenty of elbow grease and polish revived many of the shiny pieces, including the headers. The mufflers are aftermarket replacements, while the seat is original. Photo by Gord and Krista McLellan

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“I didn’t go deeper into the engine because there was no slop in the connecting rods and I pulled the oil pan to check for any metal in the bottom and it was all clean,” McLellan says. “I did the same with the transmission. It shifted through all the gears and felt fine while turning it on the bench.”

BMW built its first flat-twin motorcycle in 1923 and it incorporated a shaft final drive. Since that time, most machines produced by the Bavarian maker have come so equipped. On McLellan’s R75/5, he inspected all splines on the drive shaft and deemed the rear drive itself to be in good condition. McLellan left the swingarm in its original factory paint but replaced all bushes and bearings before it was mated to the re-finished frame. As well, all wheel and steering head bearings were renewed. The front wheel was rebuilt, while the rear was checked and trued and fresh Avon tires installed.

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“When I went to assemble the fork, I found the lower triple tree (a component of the fork that holds the stanchions or tubes) had a slight bend in it, so I sourced a replacement off eBay,” McLellan says.

Plenty of elbow grease and chrome polish renewed many of the shiny pieces while a buffing wheel cleaned up the lower fork sliders and other alloy components. McLellan prepared the front and rear fenders and gas tank for paint. Visiting a local autobody supply shop, from a paint chart he chose a colour he hoped would be close to Tiffany Blue. The paint was mixed and delivered in aerosol cans, but after spraying the parts he discovered the hue didn’t quite meet his expectations.

(T)he BMW cruises along the road...

He left it alone, though, and had Calgary lettering and pinstripe artist Tom Tracey (@shoptrucksigns on Instagram) lay down white stripes. In the homestretch of reassembly, the original saddle was cleaned and the exhaust headers polished. Both original mufflers had rusted through, however, and aftermarket replacements were sourced and installed.

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McLellan worked on the BMW through the first phase of the COVID pandemic and had it ready for its Out-of-Province inspection by summer 2020. He’s cautiously added some 500 miles to the machine and now has confidence the bike could carry him just about anywhere he’d like to tour.

“I have a Norton Commando, and when I compare the ride between the two, the Norton is much sportier,” McLellan says, and adds, “but the BMW cruises along the road and doesn’t feel near as stressed to maintain highway speed.”

Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca

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