For our virtual restoration we have chosen an R60/2 because this particular bike is a perfect candidate for restoration. This bike is cosmetically challenged but very complete and original. The sheet medal is straight and only showing surface rust on its factory original paint job. Most importantly, the bike's engine still has good compression. Furthermore, on this particular motorcycle the frame number and the engine number match. This is very important for getting the maximum amount of value out of a restored vintage BMW.

At the start of the restoration the speedo shows 20, 870 miles. Since the foot peg rubbers and kick start lever show very little wear we believe it could be all the miles this bike has seen. Once we open up the engine we'll know more; if the pistons are the standard 72mm size then the mileage is probably correct. The previous owners could have shown this bike a little more care simply by keeping the bike out of the weather. The speedo only needs to be lubricated and cleaned.

The standard 4 gallon gas tank has only a few slight dents and some surface rust. Inside the fuel tank the original red oxide coating is still in great shape. Even the porcelain BMW roundel survives chip free. At first look, this bike looks to be very rough but when you look at each of the components separately you see that it's mostly paint and plating that brings the bike back to life.

The rear fender is rust free, straight, and not drilled with extra holes. The hinge area of the fenders on these BMWs are often a problem and can be very difficult to repair. Luckily this fender is in excellent condition and the same goes for the tail light. Notice also that the rear shock adjusting handles haven't been cut as is often the case. Paint and plating is all that will be needed here.

The front fender and shock covers are straight. This indicates that the bike has never been in a crash. The alloy rims are only oxidized, but sorry to say that the Avon Speedmasters have seen better days.

Here we have the /2 Bosch Magneto. Although this one still works OK, it is our experience that it's more a question of "when" than "if" the 40 year old coil will fail. The old coil feels soft and squishy, indicating that the lacquer insulation is breaking down. A bad coil will make the bike difficult to start, especially when hot. This is one item we will replace with a new one before it lets us down.

The oil pan was removed and as you can see the oil was old and sludgy. Good news is that we don't see any metallic particles in the oil but it's a good thing we didn't run the bike with this oil. Always remove the oil pan before riding a newly purchased vintage BMW. At the very least you should give the oil pan a good cleaning. The /2's do not have oil filters, when we get to the slingers we will know if they are full of sludge.