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Complete Restoration of BMW R75/5 into Cafe Racer

Dear Les, you are absolutely correct, that is funny. Going to have to pick another model I am afraid, I have 3 kids at home.

Thanks,
Shane

Maybe a Bell Drifter.

I just recently bought a few Bell Helmets

Their new Bell Star is awesome.

The Bell Drifter I have coming today, you may want to look at it. You get a Brain Bucket look, supremely comfortable and a DOT approved helmet. Setup with a Goggle keeper on the back.
 
Bell Drifter

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I thought I'd pick up a vintage Bell Magnum for riding around town; I had one back in the seventies so they're totally "period correct". The "new" Bell retro Jet R/t comes close.

But I soon discovered that the real deal is fetching $800+ overseas, and are almost impossible to find. And the ones that are around, now, are pretty much trash. Okay for a static show display, but not anything you'd want to trust your head to.
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Retro Jet R/T

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edit - and don't forget a pair of these...

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Bell Magnum
 

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Thanks and Expect the Unexpected

Thanks for everyones input. Talked with Josh today and work continues, hopefully have some new photographs for you all very soon. As far as getting off topic, it is one of the benefits of being the author of a thread, I can mix it up at my leisure. All photographs and technical notes could be very monotonous. So expect a little humour, a little this that and the other and definately a pretty damsel now and again on a motorcycle. This is a guys thread and all guy topics may be addressed and debated at a moments notice. ;)

Thanks for continuing to follow, I think from the number of visits and hits to the thread, we are doing pretty good so far, lets make sure this thead is not boring at all costs!

Thanks,
Shane
 
Josh and Project

Josh is very excited about this build, I am essentially his first customer and from the beginning he has wanted to document the complete restoration from his own perspective which is rather cool. So we have www.beemersandbits.com and also www.btinet.net/~sharoncol/bmw.htm and with these two views of the same restoration I think we should have everything covered. Thanks again everyone for getting us over 20,000 clicks so far.

Sincerely,
Shane
 
...he pulled the plug on the story...balkowitsch

Sorry to hear this, Shane.

When you finish the cafe, you'll have to give Vince first dibs on the story, conditional on allowing Cycle World to carry it next...:D

...the Davida...

This is about the coolest classic helmet around, but the last time I checked, it had neither Snell nor DOT certification. I think the reason is the reduced head coverage.
 
Thanks

Sorry to hear this, Shane.

When you finish the cafe, you'll have to give Vince first dibs on the story, conditional on allowing Cycle World to carry it next...:D



This is about the coolest classic helmet around, but the last time I checked, it had neither Snell nor DOT certification. I think the reason is the reduced head coverage.

Dear Rinty, the Excellence thing is no big deal, my car was featured in four, count them four car magazines, my uncle Tom has been putting hotrods together for decades and he tells me "do you know what guys would do to have their car featured in just one magazine" and I totally agree and feel fortunate to pull of what we did.

As for the helmut, I just love the look but I have 3 kids at home and a wife who hates the idea of this bike so I am going to have to chose more carefully a brain bucket. I think the look of that helmet preceeds the 1970's correct guys? So what style and type of helmet would scream 1970's, would be cool to have a helmet that goes with the era of the bike, never bought a helmst before and would like for it not only to be historically correct but also safe. I took a look at some of the Bell hemets and the bucket types look too much like the chopper crowd? Not sure. I definately want some vintage goggles as well.

Thanks,
Shane
 
Jack in Football Helmet

Perfect, so the Classic Jet which is DOT approved would do the trick correct?

Thanks,
Shane

I wonder if Jack's football helmet us DOT approved? Classic show, one of our most awesome hollywood male actors of all time. All I can say is "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest" and the "Shining".

Thanks,
Shane
 
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...four car magazines...balkowitsch

You did good. :thumb

As for helmets, the whole certification thing is complex, and the results depend on which testing parameters the engineers use, and how realistic they are. Here's an article that Dexter Ford wrote in 2005, that cost him his job:

http://teamoregon.orst.edu/to_web/PDF/Blowing%20the%20Lid%20Off,%20Motorcyclists%206-05,%20D.%20Ford.pdf

Good luck in your search. I would just google some of the vintage bike forums and see what those guys are wearing.

...a wife who hates the ideal of this bike...

My wife gets stressed when I ride. But she loves the P-car.
 
I thought I'd pick up a vintage Bell Magnum for riding around town; I had one back in the seventies so they're totally "period correct". The "new" Bell retro Jet R/t comes close.

Vintage 1968 Bell Magnum (the upscale version of the Bell R/T)

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New Bell R/T Jet

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