Blog Metrics So Far
So, I’ve been pretty inactive in this blog since July of 2014 when I finished the rebuild of “Grover”, a 1973 BMW R75/5 that I worked on over an 18 month period. But, you haven’t. As the picture below shows, monthly visits to this site have gone way up since I started posting my progress on that project starting in December of 2012 and continued to stay high after the project completed on July 4, 2014. The material I’ve posted is averaging 5,500 to 6,000 visits a month.
I never expected that much interest, but it shows the power of the internet as a low cost way to find information anywhere in the world. In looking at statistics about where people come from and sites that have linked to this content, folks in Australia, Brazil, England, Finland, France, Germany, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland have visited.
The top 11 most popular write-ups with their [number of visits] are:
- 13 BMW R75/5 Rebuild Bing Carburetors & Karcoma Petcocks [7,051]
- 31 BMW R75/5 Rebuild Front Forks [3,775]
- Restoration Resources [3,141]
- 00 BMW R75/5 General Tear Down [2,877]
- 11 BMW R75/5 Remove & Install Flywheel, Replace Rear Main Seal, Oil Pump Cover & Cover O-Ring [2,851]
- 11 BMW R75/5 Refinish Cylinders and Refinish & Rebuild Heads [2,421]
- 11 BMW R75/5 Measure Cylinders and Install Pistons & New Rings [2,383]
- 51 BMW R75/5 Refinishing Techniques [2,342]
- 1973 BMW R75/5: Bing Carburetor Restoration [2,281]
- 31 BMW R75/5 Remove & Install New Steering Head Bearings [2,239]
- 31 BMW R75/5 Install and Align Front Forks [2,029]
The carburetor rebuild work is actually represented twice; the highest hit rate was for the work write-up and the other was for the blog post announcing the availability of that write-up.
Plans for 2015
I’ve had a list of bikes for my next project and have been cruising Craig’s List, BMW MOA, and Google searches for one of the following bikes.
- R69S
- R90S
- R80/7
- R80RT
- R80ST
- R100RS
- K75S
This week, I’m finalizing the purchase of a 1983 R100RS with 83,000 miles. My plan is to rebuild this bike and document my work as I did for the R75/5 project. So, there will be more blogs and write-ups coming soon. 🙂
I’ve become pretty active in the Airheads Beemers Club in Colorado (ABC-CO). I helped start a Down to Meet site to promote all things Airhead. If you live in the state, or are passing through, please join one of our “Parking Lot Universities (PLU)”, “Ride-to-Eat (RtE)” and our annual Tech Day which is held in April.
One idea I have is to create some PLU activities using my garage (so more of a BGU) so Airheads who want to learn more about the R100RS can participate, grab a wrench, or just hang out as I work on this project. It should be fun.
Brook,
Look very forward to reading all about your new build or should I say re-build on the 83 R100RS and from the statistics you posted it looks like a whole lot of other Airheads will be following your progress too.
David Jones
Lexington, NC
81 R100RS
abc# 11099
David,
Good to hear from you again. It looks like you can “keep me honest” based on your signature line 🙂
Best.
Brook.
GREAT idea Brook!! I’d love to drop in and hand wrenches and get educated– a chance to learn from one of the best! So if you post a schedule of pending activities we can participate in the ones that speak to us !
Dale,
Thanks for the kind words. I’ll be making opportunities known on the ABC-CO MeetUp group, so you should get those notices.
Best.
Brook.
To me this is the best illustrated documentation on the BMW slash 5 you can find out there. Having been faced with a project full of improper repairs, missing parts and mistakes, only with help of the detailed pictures and descriptions here, I was able to succeed. I have many a book about this topic and I have spent a lot of time reading Snowbum’s or Oak’s articles (which I cherish deeply), but none of these delivers this degree of detail and illustration on the same time.
It doesn’t matter how many times you read a text passage about how to assemble something, sometimes if you don’t see it on pictures from different angles, you won’t get it. One good example is the section about carburetors. I think the vistors report of this blog backs my statement (although I have to admit that I am responsable for at least 50 hits on that carburator page :). If you have to do your Bings, do it with the help of Brook and his great great blog here.
By the way, a nice list of cycles you have compiled there Brook. The 69 S is one zippy bike and IMHO one of the most beautiful BMWs out there. I maybe thought I would find a Condor or an Universal on your list, maybe on the next one? 😉
thank you Brook!
regards
Filip
Filip,
Ah, a Condor, that would be a very neat bike to have. But alas, I suspect its rare enough that finding one here in United States would not be easy. But I do know a gentleman who has done an excellent job restoring one 🙂
Thank you for the very nice words about the value of the write-ups I’ve posted. IF these have removed the mystery found in existing manuals and published text, then that’s great as it was what I wanted to accomplish. What I have done (the projects) would not have been possible without the publications of many other much more knowledgeable folks (some who you mention) who generously shared their information on the Web and via Email. I think of my material as “footnotes” to the authoritative information.
Best.
Brook.
Hello Brook,
I just want to say thank you for all your informative information on airheads and restoration. I am currently rebuilding a 79 R100 and I think your site will help out with many parts. Looking forward to the 83 R100.
Take Care,
Barkley Hunt
Hi Barkley,
I’m pleased this material is helpful to you. Best of success on the R100 project.
Best.
Brook.