1969 BMW R69 S engine tune-up

[@sidneybolt1099]

It would be nice to know how you set the carbs up. Is this done independently of one another or with both HT leads connected. A verbal would be good to know what you are looking for.

[@gmcevoy]

Hi there Sidney! Adjusting the carbs is done in the following manner. You must first make sure that the float levels are set at 22 mm between cover flange and the underside of the lever on the carb float. You can adjust this by bending the tab. For preliminary adjustments of the carbs, screw both mixture screws fully in, then screw out two turns. Then make sure that both throttle cables allow more or less 1mm free play at the throttle twist grip. Start the engine, remove the right-hand spark plug lead and adjust the left carburetter. Turn the mixture screw to the right to enrichen, to the left to make the mixture leaner. While doing this, make slight adjustments to the idle screw to obtain best idle for that cylinder. Once satisfied, replace HT lead to right-hand cylinder and repeat the operation for the right carb, but removing left-hand HT lead. I hope this helps! Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

[@peralangyan2023]

Thanks for creating this video. For people who want to know regarding drill bit size - 10 to 11mm would be 7/16.

[@Greg-q5g]

Always been taught to set the points first, so that the ignition does not get altered by adjusting the points after.

[@gmcevoy]

It is indeed recommended to set the points, then check and adjust ignition timing, which is why this is showed in the last steps 24:12

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

She sounds delicious. What a marvel of engineering! How sweet!

[@gmcevoy]

Agreed!

[@Mr_Dia-Tribe]

What a beautiful clean maschine I'm a big fan of German engineering i love how they solve complex problems in very uncomplex ways the simplicity is just so genius the vw beatle also has these wonderful simplistic mechanical solutions to get things done and i am always impessed by it

[@gmcevoy]

Likewise! I absolutely love the technical aspect of older German vehicles, be them bikes or cars. They are so well designed and engineered, and such a joy to work on!

[@Mr_Dia-Tribe]

@@gmcevoy Thanks for sharing some of this stuff that you work on i always look forward to see what it is your working on next i dont have any kind of preference because i love the randomness of the channel my only complaint is that i want more of this and that is purely selfish on my part because of course you are busy but i eagaly await your next video Thank you Geoff 😀

[@gmcevoy]

@@Mr_Dia-Tribe Thank you for your encouragements, my friend. I am sorry to have you wait so long in between posts, and I wish to thank you for your understanding. I know of a few other subscribers who share the same feeling, two of which have joined my Patreon page. They get insight about what is coming up, and more back-stories in relation to each video. If you can, join them today and enjoy some crispy extras, whichever tier you choose. If you don't feel like it, that's okay. I highly value you as a subscriber, eager viewer and number one comment writer! I always look forward to your feedback on my videos, Darren, it is precious to me. So a great big special thanks to you!

[@takisperreas9881]

Geoffrey, your chock-block trick, save my day and my week-end as well! An old love of mine, R51/3, came back to my lap and I trying to rest;ore her in her glory. I notice that the mark on the magneto was a bit (3°?) in advance...... (((Rest of my comment disappears. shyte Utube))) To make a long comment short I had a short circuit by over tightening the lousy German lug on the contact breaker connected to that yellow wire we see there. Everything is fine now because of your very informative and hands on video! cheers m8 and thank very much!👍 Takis

[@gmcevoy]

Hi Takis, many thanks for your comment! I am so happy that you found this video helpful!

[@albertoc5427]

Thank you for the great quality and preparation of your videos.

[@gmcevoy]

Much obliged. Always a pleasure to provide content which is appreciated. :-)

[@johneastman1905]

Bravo ! What a please to watch and learn from this fine tutorial …. Well Done !

[@gmcevoy]

Thank you for saying so John, it is the best reward I could ever get.

[@sydsacks9097]

Great video. I have an R69s and can't fault your techniques.

[@gmcevoy]

Many thanks, Syd! Great bike to ride, isn't it?

[@MalakaPetros]

Great video! Sooo useful for a guy like me. Thank you sooo much!

[@gmcevoy]

Your appreciation is appreciated! Thank you!

[@rodolfocastillo8025]

Nice video!! really good and simple step by step tutorial. Just need to adjust static time of magneto to have strong spark at start up, you seen when adjusting points gap that magneto isn't aligned with V notch. Mixture on right cylinder its too lean, which makes cylinder running hotter and bluing exhaust. Thanks for share

[@gmcevoy]

Thank you for your input, Rodolfo. And you are absolutely right, about mixture. It was indeed too lean on one side. Well spotted! Thank you for watching.

[@henrytupper6959]

I noticed that, it’s important for optimum spark.😊

[@johnmeyers8610]

Fantastic content! Really well done. Are the gaps measured the same across R60/2 models as well? (Points, spark plugs, 22mm float for carburetor, etc)?

[@gmcevoy]

I'm not entirely sure. One would have to double check the data in the workshop manual

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

Nice job! She whispers like a kitten!

[@normannew3971]

Always set static ign timing after setting points to correct gap.Opening or closing points advances or retards ignition timing.R69s hd leading link front forks.

[@gmcevoy]

You are absolutely right. I did check with the strobe light afterwards, and it was spot on though. Didn't think of mentioning that, but I will on my next tune-up video, because this applies to every vehicle with this system. Thank you for pointing it out.

[@besenwieslersepp1011]

The US-model ( ore later US-model) came from factory with the telescopic fork, wich was later mounted on the /5 model

[@blastosist]

Thanks, this is very helpful

[@raymondosseweijer2639]

Thanks, for the very nice instruction video. As I noticed the exhaust pipes turning blue, so I think the carboration is to lean. Am I correct?

[@gmcevoy]

Hello Raymond. Thank you. I would say it is the contrary, more on the rich side. However, as far as I know, pretty much all bikes with good old-fashioned chrome exhaust pipes eventually turn blue.

[@cozydram1]

firstly thank you for bringing this to us .......great instruction .......How did you know it was the spark plug that needed changing? with all the other setting ? please and thank you. more stuff would be be great and if you ever strip the engine down and resemble please in detail record it all .......please......

[@gmcevoy]

Hello Phil! Thank you for dropping by and for your kind words, they are truly appreciated. I figured out it was the plug simply by switching them from one side to the other. The problem followed the plug, which led me to ruling it as the culprit. This bike belongs to a customer, so it only seldom comes into my reach, but I will keep your request in mind should it ever come to that. Otherwise I can just try to source a used R69S engine and rebuild it for the fun. Not easy to come by though, surely. Thanks again Phil, much appreciated!

[@peterfrederiksen149]

Thank you very very much 👍

[@gmcevoy]

You are very welcome

[@aurolevrai]

thanks a lot! question: how do you clean the engine/cylinders?

[@gmcevoy]

Much appreciated. Not sure what you mean by cleaning the engine/cylinders. Could you be a bit more specific so I can better answer your question?

[@aurolevrai]

sure, I just bought a R60/2 and the engine is clearly in need of a deep clean, especially the cylinders. I wonder how you keep yours so clean here. any tip on cleaning grease and dust from in-between the fins for example?@@gmcevoy

[@gmcevoy]

@@aurolevraiWell done with your purchase! I hope your bike will bring you lots of enjoyable rides! Steam cleaning would be a good place to start. Also, dust tends to stick to oily deposits, so perhaps your engine seals are no longer as efficient, letting a bit of oil seep out. But a steam clean would definitely help to clean it all off. If that doesn't work, then a gentle dry ice blast would be your ticket to a brand new-looking engine. Then again, if seals are not as effective as new ones, the oil deposit will soon be back. Otherwise, once it has been steamed or dry ice blasted, regular maintenance helps: blowing with compressed air after each ride, followed by a gentle water rinse (garden hose is perfect, never with a pressure washer), and especially drying afterwards helps to keep it look beautiful. Enjoy your R60/2, no matter what! 🙂

[@bolti1000]

This is a brilliant video but, in respect to the timing, how does one alter it if it is wrong. A video on this would be great. While I am on the subject, this video is so clear and concise it would be great if you could do a video on changing the points. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@gmcevoy]

Thank you, Bolti. Much appreciated. The bike has returned with its owner, but next time it comes in for a service, I'll see what I can do. If timing is wrong, you can alter it by unlocking the points backing plate screws, and rotate fore or aft to find the exact moment where the points start to open. You have to be on TDC at the end of the compression stroke on cylinder number 1 of course. I hope this helps, while we wait for a video about this. :-)

[@davemegerle]

Excellent video. Is 22mm the correct spec for a normal /2 - R69S had bigger carbs, is that why mine are 20mm? Don't see that spec in the manual I have. Dave

[@gmcevoy]

I am unsure about the answer to your question. I know for a fact that the American bikes, like this one here, had slightly different specs. I would have to look that one up...

[@furkankurt6404]

Hello Geoferry, do the same settings are suitable for R51/3

[@gmcevoy]

Hello! These settings apply to R50, R60 and R69S models (the manual has columns with the settings which sometimes differ slightly from one model to the other)

[@ฉัตรชัยความเพียร]

ดีเยี่ยมเข้าใจง่าย❤

[@gmcevoy]

ดีใจที่ได้ช่วยเหลือ

[@samanyuchitte8802]

Hi Is the procedure same for 1951 R51/3 also?

[@gmcevoy]

Hi. This procedure is very similar for R50, R60 and R69S. Some settings will be different, although I cannot say which exactly.

[@samanyuchitte8802]

@@gmcevoy can I have your contact???

[@gmcevoy]

@@samanyuchitte8802 [e-mail]

[@ryanhollis2670]

Id be curious how closely related the mechanics on this and a halflinger are... both are Puch products.

[@gmcevoy]

You got me confused there, Ryan. The Puch Haflinger is a four wheel drive off road vehicle. There is little to nothing in common with this BMW, unless I am mistaken. Or is it another bike from Puch that you are thinking of? Let me know! :-)

[@ryanhollis2670]

@@gmcevoy The puch bike. Not the engine

[@enricolessanutti4988]

Nell'ultimo periodo della produzione destinata al mercato incompetente degli usa, l'R 69 S ha subìto l'affronto della banale forcella telescopica che ha compromesso la stupenda armonia estetica e funzionale che la rese la migliore motocicletta da turismo di tutti I tempi. Gli americani hanno la capacità di demolire tutto ciò che per sventura cade sotto la loro osservazione (si fa per dire). I bilancieri erano montati su cuscinetti ad aghi (attrito volvente) e i bracci oscillanti su cuscinetti a rulli conici

[@enricolessanutti4988]

i cornetti di aspirazione non sono compatibili con la R 69 S; l'assenza della forcella Earles e del volantino ammortizzatore delle vibrazioni torsionali sono una profanazione del progetto originale più evoluto

[@gmcevoy]

Peccato davvero. Come spesso accade con i veicoli di una certa età, hanno subito modifiche e raccontano la loro storia unica. Forse si è schiantata e le parti di ricambio non erano disponibili, forse è stata rubata, smontata e venduta, rimontata in seguito... Ognuna ci racconta una storia unica, ed è ciò che rende le vecchie auto e moto così belle da possedere.

[@enricolessanutti4988]

R 69 S nella sua fase finale americana, deturpata dall'assenza della forcella Earles

[@gmcevoy]

Hai assolutamente ragione. Questa era davvero una bici con specifiche americane. Ben individuato!

[@enricolessanutti4988]

l'R69S, privata della forcella Earles, perde il suo stile armonico e priva il suo utente della singolare, piacevole sensazione di morbidezza che quella forcella, pressoché perfetta, offre

[@henrytupper6959]

I like Earles too. My opinion is that BMW put the telescope forks on just to test them in advance of the /5 models.

[@norberthaase1697]

Was bitte ist ab der Minute 11.11 im Kerzenloch zu sehen?

[@gmcevoy]

Zu diesem Zeitpunkt wird die Zündkerze entfernt und Sie können sehen, wie der Kolbenboden den oberen Totpunkt erreicht.

[@norberthaase1697]

@@gmcevoy Ich stecke immer einen Stab ins Loch,ich kenne das.Aber im Video sieht das seltsam aus.Aber sonst ist das gut gemacht.Gruß

[@gmcevoy]

@@norberthaase1697 Eine Holzstange ist eine gute Idee. Ich schaue einfach auf den Kolben und drehe die Kurbelwelle, bis ich sehe, dass sie den oberen Totpunkt erreicht. Danke für deinen Kommentar. Viel Spaß!

[@enricolessanutti4988]

R 69 non R 69 S

[@gmcevoy]

You can't just say that and leave, Enrico. Please document your statement, by all means.

[@kurancy]

@@gmcevoy More accurately, this is an R69US as identified by the telescopic forks instead of the Earles. It is surprising to see one in Europe as the US versions with telescopic forks were introduced only to the US market from 1967-1969. They ware essentially the same forks as found on the next generation /5's.

[@enricolessanutti4988]

peccato questo modello (usa) non abbia più la stupenda forcella Earles. Ma gli americani, che mangiano qualsiasi cosa, non l'apprezzerebbero