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Pipe
dreams
New exhaust system for our 1975
BMW R75/6
(Guy 'Guido' Allen, December 28,
2024)
Our recently-acquired
BMW R75/6 has turned out to be money well spent. It's
an easy-going and thoroughly enjoyable ride –
perfectly capable of tackling just about any long trip
you care to throw it at.
This is a machine we
bought earlier in 2024 and you can see
the feature on it here.
The one fly in the
proverbial ointment was the exhaust system, which was
getting tired – something we were warned of when we
bought it. Old age had simply got to it and components
such as the crossover section at the front (above)
were being held together by a mix of optimism and
delicate welds.
After a bit of casting
around we came across a stainless steel set that
looked promising, made by Keihan Systems in the UK
and retailed by Motorworks. It landed in
Australia for Au$1500 (US$920, GB£730).
The new system is a very
close visual replica of the original and better
finished. That's the two side-by side, above, with the
original at the top of the pic.
Removal of the headers requires a special tool to
tackle the finned nut. Ours (above and below) is a
cast aluminium unit that fits to a socket 3/4-inch
socket wrench.
Some lubricant and a
gentle tap with a rubber mallet got things moving.
Fortunately a friend reminded me to apply a little
copper grease to the threads when it was reassembled.
The headers are sealed
with what appear to be two tapered brass flanges, with
no requirement for pastes and the like – simple and
very effective.
One very happy surprise
was how easily the new system went together, There was
no swearing, bending or hammering involved.
Incredible! This was by far the easiest exhaust
installation I've ever tackled.
The quality of the
system is excellent and it sounds identical to the
original. Great stuff.
That, for the time
being, is the final job on the R75/6. It's in good
survivor rather than concours condition, which is how
it will stay. I don't see any point in going down the
restoration rabbit hole and would prefer to simply
enjoy it. Happy days!
See the video review
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