Long time rider, new to BMWs

Howdy! I'm Les and have been riding for 58+ years. Spent 12 years in the Navy as a Sonar Tech on Subs. Road raced bikes fof 12 years and worked support crew for off-road rally cars for 5 years or so. Recently got my first BMW, a '73 R75/5. It is a one-owner bike with 100Kmiles. Compared to my '76 Wing, it's so smooth and agile! It was set up for touring with fairing, bags, & "King n Queen" seat. As I tend to prefer a stock look on my older bikes, I've removed the fairing & bags & am ready to replace the seat with a stocker. I've also got a '65 Ducati 250 Monza in process of rebuilding. I live on the far SW Washington coast, a half mile east of the Pacific.

Welcome from central Florida.

Welcome Aboard, Mr Bubble-Head, from the Tenn River Valley!

Looks like a fine bike you've acquired; hope it brings many local Miles & Smiles! We too have 20th century Beemers and 21st as well. Something for every occasion. Hope you can connect with some Airheads in your vicinity (my Airhead directory says Paul in Raymond is up for meetups & coffee.) PM me if'n that matters to U. FWIW I've added "Skene LEDs" to our vintage bikes: >> https://www.skenelights.com <<. They increase your Conspicuity while using very few of your electrons...

Hope you'll consider a ride to SW MO next June for the Big International Rally; MOA turns 50! Should be a lot of fun!
https://rally.bmwmoa.org

Happy Trails whenever U can ride - Ciao!
HSV-Karen & HSV-Phil
USN-Ret'd — & — USAF-Ret'd
'09 650GS-twin —— '14 K-GT
'82 R100CS ——— '75 R90S
'16 R1200RS —-— ’05 Vespa 200L

Welcome bubblehead617! Awesome looking bike you have there. Thanks for posting the pic.

Welcome. Nice toaster!

Nice ride. Welcome from Newfoundland.

Thanx all!!

bubblehead617 said:

Howdy! I'm Les and have been riding for 58+ years. Spent 12 years in the Navy as a Sonar Tech on Subs. Road raced bikes fof 12 years and worked support crew for off-road rally cars for 5 years or so. Recently got my first BMW, a '73 R75/5. It is a one-owner bike with 100Kmiles. Compared to my '76 Wing, it's so smooth and agile! It was set up for touring with fairing, bags, & "King n Queen" seat. As I tend to prefer a stock look on my older bikes, I've removed the fairing & bags & am ready to replace the seat with a stocker. I've also got a '65 Ducati 250 Monza in process of rebuilding. I live on the far SW Washington coast, a half mile east of the Pacific.

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As others have said, welcome to the family! Nice bike, but I believe it is possibly a 1972 production year just titled as a 1973. I say that because it is a SWB (Short Wheel Base) /5, and ther were very few, if any, actually model year 1973 SWB /5's. Just about all of the 1973 /r5's were the Long Wheel Base models, and in 1974 the /6 series was introduced. My black SWB R75/5 is a 1972 titled as a 1973. Back in the day, many dealers were not all that picky about model years on titles. If it was new, then it was the year it was sold.

Speaking of the 2022 BMW MOA 50th (Club) Anniversary at our rally in Springfield, MO we will be recognizing and celebrating the Slash 5 series because it was the only bike BMW made at the time of the founding of our club. You and your bike can be in what we hope is the largest group shot of /5 BMW's ever, or at least ever again.

Greg, build date was Sept. of '72. It's definitely a SWB model. BTW, we bought a small house & 6 acres just NW of Weiser in January. Love it over there! Plans are to do most of the winter there as it's a lot drier than the beach. In process of getting a well drilled so we can put up a shop/garage. The '49 Willys truck will live there as the salt air here at the beach is not kind to it.

bubblehead617 said:

Greg, build date was Sept. of '72. It's definitely a SWB model. BTW, we bought a small house & 6 acres just NW of Weiser in January. Love it over there! Plans are to do most of the winter there as it's a lot drier than the beach. In process of getting a well drilled so we can put up a shop/garage. The '49 Willys truck will live there as the salt air here at the beach is not kind to it.

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Small world! I'm in Boise and have a good riding buddy who lives in Payette. I get over to see him periodically, and often go for day rides through Weiser and up US 95 a ways, or maybe the loop from Weiser through New Meadows, McCall and back to Boise. Sounds to me like there should be a opportunity before too long to meet up for coffee, lunch, a ride, or whatever.

Yep!!