Mecum calls the Victoria Avanti the little sister to the Tin Banana. Victoria’s advertising called it “the ideal light weight motorcycle”. Whatever you call it, the Avanti is a distinctive 50cc moped with some exquisite details.
1961 BMW R50S with Steib LS200
The R50S was the little brother of the legendary R69S, and it was a relatively rare motorcycle in BMW’s history as just 1,634 were produced 1960 and 1962. This example was restored in 2012 and it’s been paired with a beautiful color-matched Steib LS200 sidecar.
Land Speed Record Holder – 1955 BMW R50
Owned by Kevin Brooks, this R50 held the P-PV (Production – Production Vintage) class record at the Bonneville Salt Flats for several years, and it’s said to be the “first 500cc motorcycle of any make to break 100mph while running in the production class.”
Lithuanian Custom – 2007 BMW R1200RT
Post Listing Update: This custom RT did not get any interest at the BIN of $6,499. I share this not because I’m in love with the end result, but because I’m stunned someone decided to start with the RT as a platform to customize with. Called the “White Swan”, this bike was created by Mantas Simanauskas, who goes by Si …
950 Original Miles – 1973 BMW R75/5
No, it’s not restored. The seller of this bike says that it has 950 “original verified miles” and it sure looks the part thanks to an extended stay at a dealership.
2004 BMW R1150R Rockster
BMW announced the Rockster prototype in 2002 with asymmetrical headlights and an attention grabbing paint scheme. Despite being a parts bin bike, it caused enough of a stir to go into production. Though heavily based on the standard R1150R, the Rockster was the first boxer engine to have twin spark cylinder heads that later became standard fare. Other differences from …
First Ride Review – 2019 BMW R1250GS and R1250GSA
The GS and GS Adventure are BMW’s most important bikes – in a lineup comprising of nearly 30 motorcycles, 27% of the German firm’s sales come from the GS and its bigger “Adventure” brother. Any sort of update is therefore a big deal.
Sport Touring – 1975 BMW R90S
Post Listing Update: This R90S did not meet reserve despite 39 bids up to $8,000 on eBay. The R90S is one of BMW’s most famous bikes, and it was an instant game-changer when it was released in 1974. With oversight from Hans Muth, this bike was built to show the world that the German firm could make more than just …
1935 Victoria V98L
Post Listing Update: This Victoria did not meet reserve despite 46 bids up to $3,300 on eBay. Founded in 1886 as a bicycle manufacturer, Victoria produced motorcycles from 1901 through 1968. In the beginning, they used third party motors, but they produced engines in-house starting in 1923 – though this 98L uses a 125cc Fichtel & Sachs powerplant.
What Do You Want To Know? 2019 BMW R1250GS/R1250GSA
UPDATE: Here’s my review on ADV Pulse! I’ve said for years that if I was forced to only have one motorcycle, it would most likely be the newest BMW R-GS that I could afford. I will admit that I’ve had some reservations about my opinion as the big GSes have been getting way more complicated from a technological standpoint over …
1964 DKW Hummel 115
Post Sale Update: This DKW – sold for $8,700 after 22 bids on eBay. In the early 1960s, Zweirad Union was comprised of DKW, Victoria, and Express. The first two companies shared a model that was boringly named either the DKW Type 115 or the Victoria Type 155. Both bikes got a much more interesting nickname from the public: the …
German Postal Service – 1962 Heinkel Tourist Model 103 A2
After World War II, the Allies banned manufacturers like Heinkel from producing airplanes. They decided to try their hand at personal transport with the production of vehicles like microcars, bicycles, and scooters like the Tourist you see here.
Don Vesco-Bodied – 1982 BMW R65 w/ Rabid Transit Fairing
Don Vesco was a prolific name in the motorcycling world for several decades. On top of being a (US) Grand Prix winner, drag, and dirt-track Racer, he set well over a dozen landspeed records and ran a successful California-based motorcycle dealership. Vesco also famously sold a bevy or moto parts and accessories under the Don Vesco Products banner.
Endurance-Inspired – VTR Customs’ BMW K100 “24 Hour”
BMW motorcycles have become increasingly popular choices of donors for bespoke builds, and while plenty of shops utilize the German machines for one-off projects, very few do it better than VTR Customs. Be it a vintage flying brick or modern R1200R or R9T, the Swiss shop has one hell of a knack for customizing the Bavarian bikes, as demonstrated by …
Sold At Mecum – 1974 BMW R90S
Post Listing Update: This R90S did not meet reserve despite 34 bids up to $10,100. The R90S is a fine motorcycle, but I’m specifically featuring this bike so we can see an example of people trying to make some money after snagging some steals at Mecum.