Barrington Motor Works Publications BMW Vintage Motorcyle Restoration Services

After more than three years of work, The Barrington Motor Works BMW R51/3-68 Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual was completed and is now available for purchase.

Recognizing the shortage of reliable historical and technical information regarding the BMW R51/3-68 machines, we travelled to Europe, staying in Switzerland and Germany for several weeks pouring over hundreds of original documents and drawings seeking to fill in the gaps in available information. The vast amount of information gleaned in our research has been incorporated into the BMW R51/3-68 manual.

Note that this manual covers the 1951-1956 BMW R51/3, R67, R67/2, R67/3 and R68 machines in depth. In addition, comparison information is also provided for the single year 1950 BMW R51/2.

The Barrington Motor Works BMW R51/3-68 Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual is printed in black and white in an 8.5" x 11" format and bound with a Perfect soft binding and scuff-proof covers with French flaps. Bound within the book are four "hot sheets" which summarize and sequence engine, clutch, transmission and final drive assembly. These hot sheets are also laminated on both sides and provided separately for use in the workshop.

Because of the information acquired during our research, as well as the in depth discussion of all procedures relative to the BMW R51/3-68 machines, the R51/3-68 manual has expanded well beyond the size of our earlier BMW /2 and BMW R50-69US manuals. This manual consists of 572 pages including 29 pages of data, more than 625 photographs, and more than 70 original drawings.

Due to the increased size of the manual, as well as the increased cost of printing, the BMW R51/3-68 manual retails for $115 plus shipping.

A sampling of images from the BMW R51/3-68 manual are presented here including the manual cover, some of the original drawings as well as sample text pages with photographs.

Information for ordering our manual follows our reviewers comments.

READ THESE REVIEWER COMMENTS OF

THE BARRINGTON MOTOR WORKS

BMW R51/3-68 MOTORCYCLE RESTORATION AND SERVICE MANUAL

"I finished up my edit. It's a very impressive work which you obviously have spent much time on, combined with your remarkable depth of knowledge making for the definitive resource on this subjecdt of '51-'56 BMW twin. The only other book I've ever found useful is Thousand Tricks and your work makes that obsolete. I've reallyh enjoyed the pre-read, and have learned a great deal: Thank you for the opportunity.

Obviously the book is directed at the fella restoring his bike, but there so much info there that it will appeal to the owner who has an already restored machine, and even the BMW enthusiast with little hope of finding what are actually pretty rare BMW's, but who just wants it for "cultural" edification.

I thought I really knew my plunger twins, but still learned alot by editing the book!"

Stephen Ascherl

"Almost every detail, change, and modification has been covered in this book. As Chris created massive spreadsheet matrixes of parts, I would call out technical drawing numbers from the production lists as well as any written comments, chassis numbers etc. that I found. We two would then call up the respective technical drawings on our server and compare them, note the differences and changes, and jot down the same in the matrix.

We would compare the same details in the various different editions of BMW parts catalogues from 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954 etc. and record all our findings in Chris's matrixes. During this procedure, we even found some printing mistakes and errors in the BMW parts catalogues, which we could easily substantiate. Our main reference was always the original BMW "Stückliste", an original production tool, which is BMW audited and error free.

There were times that Chris, Bobsie and myself where calling out drawing numbers backwards and forwards, comparing notes and accuracy to such an extent that we would dream at night reciting drawing numbers. An early morning greeting might well be “215 1 62 254 0” and be answered by “251 4 62 460 1”. Each day was an extremely intensive, exhausting, and concentrated effort, which was only interrupted by Bobsie and Esthi bringing meals and refreshments."

Mark Huggett
Mark Huggett GmbH

"You can help a hungry man by giving him a fish to eat or you can go one step farther and show him how to catch his own fish so he will never be hungry again. After years of repairing and restoring BMW motorcycles, Christopher and Barbara Betjemann have again decided to take that next step with their third book on vintage BMW twins and share their knowledge. They have furthered their extensive commitment to BMW motorcycling history by collecting and recording information to insure the preservation of these wonderful machines and their story.

If you own a 1951 through 1954 BMW twin cylinder motorcycle, you are the temporary caretaker of a piece of history that will be passed on to generations long after you have gone. Whether you have a barn find or a rideable motorcycle in excellent condition, the state of that motorcycle depends upon you. The condition of that motorcycle, when you pass it on, is going to be the result of your care or lack of it.

As you review the budget for the care and feeding of your new purchase you may be questioning the value of a book like The Barrington Motor Works BMW R51/3-68 Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual. On the contrary, this book will be one of the best investments you make concerning the motorcycle. As the number of people willing and able to work on these early machines decreases and the cost of their skilled labor increases, this book will continue to provide you with the knowledge to more actively participate in the labor of restoring and maintaining your machine. Parts identification, specifications and sources, along with step by step process descriptions and photos are all part of a pool of information that is becoming more obscure. That information is all gathered here. It has been collected and presented by people who have spent years working on the motorcycles and traveling to the sources of information. Now all this knowledge is available to you. You may be trying to properly maintain a machine in good condition. You may be completely restoring a basket case. You may have an interest in the history of BMW motorcycles. Whichever it is, this book provides information that is critical to you and is of very limited availability. For the 1951 thru 1954 BMW twin enthusiast there is no other source of information that even comes close to this."

Ed Perry
Proud owner of an early 1951 BMW R51/3 restored by Barrington Motor Works, LLC

"Chris and Barbara Betjemann, the authors of The BMW /2 Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual and The BMW R50-69US Restoration and Service Manual have done it again.

Just like the earlier manuals, they have created the first ever hands on restoration and shop manual for the 1951 through 1954 R51/3 through R68 model BMW's. The production of BMW's first post war twins was a very convoluted affair, consistent with BMW's practice of constant design changes with no regard for the model year.

The extensive research and discovery of the design changes and variations in these models involved the BMW Archives in Germany. I personally reviewed the book and offered my on insights on various mechanical procedures which Chris graciously took into consideration in this new manual. This is another milestone book on the subject of our beloved BMW motorcycles. Anyone who owns a plunger frame BMW will find this an invaluable source of information."

Craig "Vech" Vechorik
Owner, Bench Mark Works

"As a restorer of pre-1969 BMW motorcycles, I have gathered a large library of reference materials to help assure the accuracy of my work. I have a shelf full of original parts lists, owner’s guides and shop manuals to refer to. Then, there is a group of books that I actually keep in the garage so they are quickly at hand. These are the materials that I have found are the most helpful and necessary during the course of each restoration. Two books that have made their way to the top of the “must have at hand” list are The Barrington Motor Works /2 Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual and the later The Barrington Motor Works R50-69US Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual.

When I heard that Chris and Barbara Betjemann were going to embark on creating a similar guide for the earlier – and in some cases very different – BMW R51/3-68 bikes – I was ecstatic! I have been able to review some of the chapters of this book in advance – and let me tell you – if you liked the /2 and US guides, you will love this one! Though the BMW R51/3-68 era was only one third as long as the later R50-69US era – the number of changes and updates to the design were much more varied and frequent. This book will help shed light on the differences between the variations, and will give its reader a real handle on how to CORRECTLY repair and restore these amazing machines.

Needless to say – I put my order in early for a copy of The Barrington Motor Works BMW R51/3-68 Motorcycle Restoration and Service Manual. I greatly look forward to adding the completed book to my “must have at hand” library.

Thanks Chris and Barbara for the monumental effort put forth to create this book! I can’t wait!"

Jeff Moore
Vintage Sales and Restorations, Inc

"After reviewing Chris and Barbara Betjemann's third book on BMW restoration, I am compelled to say it is the most comprehensive, in depth and scholarly tome on the subject of R51/3 through R68 mechanics, design changes and repair procedures. Like the preceding volumes, this is a richly detailed and illustrated step by step reference work. If you own or intend to restore a plunger frame twin, this volume belongs in your reference library."

Richard Sheckler
President and Editor BMW Veteran Motorcycle Club of America

ORDERING INFORMATION

The cost of the manual is $115 plus shipping. Shipping within the continental United States by USPS Priority Mail is $14. Shipping to Canada by USPS First Class International Mail is $37 and shipping to all locations outside of the US or Canada by USPS First Class International Mail is $50.

Should you wish to purchase more than one manual please inquire by email for the cost of multiple purchases and the shipping cost thereof. Shipping more than one manual within the same package can save considerably. This is especially true of shipments out of the United States.

In order to make purchase send your payment by check or money order to:

Barrington Motor Works, LLC
216 Canaan Back Road
Barrington, NH 03825
USA

For PayPal payment: brrngmtrwks@metrocast.net

Checks may be held for ten days before shipping manuals.

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