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An R75/6 gets a heart transplant

Motoworks Chicago has become a fixture in the local motorcycle and scooter community. As the local Ducati, Triumph and Vespa dealer, it makes sense that people would come to us for new motorcycles, accessories and service. Yet what you might not know is that Motoworks started as a motorcycle repair shop. That’s a whole other story, but suffice it to say, we’ve built our reputation fixing BMWs for Chicago.

Any BMW is a valuable machine, and keeping them in good nick takes diligence and a willingness to keep investing in the motorcycle. Yet that doesn’t mean that there aren’t work-arounds to keep a Beamer on the road on a budget. Take this R75/6, for example. When the engine failed, there were a couple of options. Obviously it could be rebuilt. Or, we could swap the engine with another airhead we were saving for just such an occasion. This motorcycle’s owner chose the latter. The advantage was a smaller price tag, but also the added bonus of this being an R75/5 engine — a slightly less advanced unit, but a perfect bolt-up that will serve this motorcycle very, very well.

Of course an engine swap isn’t exactly a small task. It’s major surgery. Yet it allowed us to get this motorcycle back in working order quickly. The result is something only the most hawk-eyed of BMW purists would ever notice. We’re not too concerned about that. And when this motorcycle is humming along down the country backroads this summer, we’re pretty sure its owner won’t be too concerned either. Now the question is, do we rebuild that /6 engine and shelve it for some other rainy day?

In the end, what we’ve got in this R75 is a runner, and that’s what matters. Sure, a flash, brand new Ducati Panigale is a sweet thing all its own, but there’s something to be said for a faithful old classic motorcycle that just runs. You hop on and go, and in the end, isn’t that what a motorcycle is all about. Here’s to one more runner ready for Spring.

Motoworks Chicago, a prominent name in the local motorcycle and scooter community, recently undertook a heart transplant for a BMW R75. A combination of service, expertise, and passion for motorcycles, Motoworks is committed to classic motorcycle restoration and repair. In this case, the R75's engine had failed, presenting two potential solutions: rebuilding the engine or performing an engine swap with another compatible airhead. The bike's owner opted for the latter to save on repair costs and utilize a suitable R75/5 engine that Motoworks had on hand. While swapping a BMW motorcycle engine is no small feat, the Motoworks team's technical skills allowed for a successful procedure that ensured the classic R75 was ready to hit the road once again. As the R75's story demonstrates, sometimes an engine swap can be a budget-friendly and reliable alternative to a ground-up restoration.

While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors can occur. Please verify all pricing information with a customer service representative. This is easily done by calling us or visiting us at the dealership.

An R75/6 gets a heart transplant

BMW R75 Engine Swap: A Budget-Friendly Restoration

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