Trying to find a 1980 R65 we sold years ago . . .

[OUTATIME]

Hi all, this is my first post here.  Hopefully you guys don't think I'm too much of a nut with an intro like this:

Similar to the owner of Papa John's, I want to try and find an R65 which my dad sold about 10 years ago. I have an old license plate which was registered in 1987 and that is about all I have left from it. I'm searching desperately for the VIN but no document has turned up with it.

I know this sounds crazy, but I was in love with that bike and was heartbroken when I learned my parents sold it - I was 17 at the time and my parents were very afraid that I'd try to take it out one day and mess myself up. Some time later my dad admitted to me that he wanted to teach me how to ride one day but never got the chance before he passed away. I am now 27 and believe me, I have some respect for a motor and I do no such stupid things I would have done when I was 17.

What I do know was that the buyer and his wife was from California and came ALL the way out to New Jersey (where we live) to transport the bike back to CA on the dolly on the back of his truck. From what I heard they were really nice people, and were elderly and retired.

The bike was a Hell Red 1980 BMW R65. Any help would be appreciated. Humor is appreciated too. Scolding, eye-rolling, or the silent "this dude is crazy" thought are all welcome as well.

I'm just wondering if someone reads this and is like "wow that was me, I bought that bike", they could contact me.

[nhmaf]

There is - or was- a bmw R65 registry on the internet, though participation in it was strictly voluntary.   Gotta look to see if the URL is still around somewhere.  If you could find the VIN number from looking up the old registration at your DMV that would obviously help quite a bit in finding the bike, but the odds still aren't too favorable.

There are R65 bikes for sale on the internet - you can certainly keep an eye out for them here, on ebay, on ibmwr.org/market, and other places too (though registration/membership may be necessary, for example, in the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America - BMWMOA).   Maybe you can find an R65 that will give you back some of the same memories, if not exactly the same experience.

Welcome aboard, and good luck to you -
Mike

[Bob_Roller]

here's a link to the site, couldn't find the page to make an entry in the site, but it gets you there anyway !!!!

http://micapeak.com/reg/view/R65/all/2/1/YYYYYYY/

If your father purchased the bike new, you can contact BMW customer service and get the VIN .

I've called them a few times with questions and they were quite helpful .

BMW customer service # 1-800-831-1117, press 2 for motorcycles .

See if they have any more owner information after your father sold the bike .

If you get a VIN, try contacting the California Department of Motor Vehicles and see if they have any current registration for the bike, it's a long shot I know .

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Welcome Outatime!  While I can feel your pain and sympathize with you, it's going to be a long shot if you can find the same bike again.  It's like old dogs and old girlfriends, be glad you had them at the time but you can't go back.  There are usually quite a few R65's on the market, and with the right TLC they will generally last forever.  Keep your eyes open on this website, the IBMWR marketplace, the MOA Flea Market, and the other usual sites.  You will find one to suit you.

And when you do, post pix here!

[Bob_Roller]

Took a little searching, but I finally found the beginning of the R65 Registry .

http://micapeak.com/reg/bikes/R65/

Rob Valdez saw my entry there about 11 years ago and directed me to R65.org, seems like a lifetime ago !!!!!

[suecanada]

Just to make you feel a bit better, I found my old R65LS which I sold in 1988 right here on this very forum. It had gone through 3 other owners I think by 2004-5 when I hit the jackpot. Even though I had the name of the first guy who bought it, he was in the military and they would not help me find him without his tag number! I wistfully looked on occasion for years.  I just got lucky by describing the bike here when I joined, the circumstances as you have and one of the guys here confirmed he had it by the VIN number I gave him on a PM. BUT...my bike was in Nova Scotia...not California!! Gotta be a big difference there! I got pictures and a new friend outta the contact.

[suecanada]

Oh yeah..I bought another one in '03, identical but a lot more miles and actually had scratches on the paint where the orig. had none...nada! Perfect! Was a true german bike with a kickstarter on it, brought over to Canada by a young german guy working for a bit at a local nursery. He sold it to finance his trip home. Cost me a bundle too...$5900.00 in 1984. I got taken??? I was in love!

[OUTATIME]

I did not know BMW customer service would give me the VIN.  I'm going to call them as soon as I figure out what I want to say as far as why I want the VIN lol.

I can also call my insurance agent and see if their records go back as far, and if they can pull the VIN from their records.

Although I'm looking high and low for this bike, I've been searching for another 1980 R65 - there are really haven't been any in Hell Red.  Bummer.

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Your name for the color of the bike of your dreams "Hell Red" got me to wondering.  So I checked out this web sight, http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/pcodes.htm, and I wonder if the actual color is Henna Red?  A not uncommon color for the R65LS.  Keep in mind, if you do find a bike you like you can always order the appropriate paint and have it matched and repainted.

And is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that paint colors they sell in big box stores could just as easily be the names of strippers?  Misty Green?  Shady Dawn?  Sandy Shore?  Just saying. 8-)

[Bob_Roller]

Did your father purchase the bike new from a dealer ?

You mentioned it was helles rot, German for light red .

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the standard R65 colors for the '80 model year were the same as the '79 model year, bronco brown and champagne, a light metallic gold or tan .

[OUTATIME]

Yes, he purchased it new from a BMW dealer and when we sold it, it had incredibly low miles on it, like 10,000 or so.

It was this color and from what I can gather on the internet, it was called "Hell red" but I could be wrong: http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/photos/schemephotos/R%2065%20Hell%20Red%20Ralph.JPG

Honestly, I have no proof that it was a 1980, however, my memory of the bike is very clear:

1.  It has the color in that picture
2.  It has the seat design in that picture, and I believe that was changed after 1980
3.  The tube connecting the carburetor connected to a black box (with clamps housing the air filter, I believe) and I think this was a design change after 1979 in the 1980 model which changed the airbox (this was believed to have decreased the output of the engine).
4.  The valve covers were not black but I'm not sure when that change was made.
5.  The roll bars were clamped around the frame with a U bracket and not bolted into the frame

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I think this is a wonderful and valid quest you are on.  I see no reason not to give it a few months if you are so inclined.  Your insurance agent should be able to get you the VIN.

Bob - I had forgotten how we had met.  I thought you had just stumbled onto the old, original spam-infested website!  That was a long time ago...

[2dogs1cat]

Just to make you feel a bit better, I found my old R65LS which I sold in 1988 right here on this very forum. It had gone through 3 other owners I think by 2004-5 when I hit the jackpot. Even though I had the name of the first guy who bought it, he was in the military and they would not help me find him without his tag number! I wistfully looked on occasion for years.  I just got lucky by describing the bike here when I joined, the circumstances as you have and one of the guys here confirmed he had it by the VIN number I gave him on a PM. BUT...my bike was in Nova Scotia...not California!! Gotta be a big difference there! I got pictures and a new friend outta the contact.

And here's another one......http://bmwons.forumpro.fr/t986-1983-bmw-r65-for-sale......in Nova Scotia.

:^)