Last week, I got to sample the new BMW S1000RR at Barber Motorsports Park. I’ll have in-depth thoughts for you soon here on Bike-urious, but if you’re in a rush or just want a general overview, here’s the story that I did for Maxim.
What Do You Want To Know? 2020 BMW S1000RR
Give me a moment to shed a tear – the asymmetrical headlight design has been killed off. 10 years ago, BMW redefined what a modern superbike could be, and it wasn’t just from a performance standpoint. The shark gills and oddball headlights made the S1000RR the most visually-distinctive offering in the class, while the engine (lightest and most powerful) and …
Never Ridden – 2001 BMW R1150R
BMW’s R1150R standard wasn’t a particularly sexy bike, but they’re excellent workhorses for taller commuters or people that just want to travel on two wheels. That’s why they typically cover lots of miles in a given year, and it’s what makes this example particularly special as it has just 2km on the odometer (the bike is in Canada) because it’s …
1979 Maico GS400 Enduro
Post Sale Update: This Maico sold for $3,505 after 6 bids on eBay. Thanks to a Tusk dual sport kit, this restored Maico is street legal in California. While the headlight runs off the stator, the tail light and turn signals are powered by a rechargeable nickel cadmium battery.
Factory AMA Superbike – 2012 Pegram Racing BMW S1000RR
Post Listing Update: New listing, but same result. This bike did not get any interest at the BIN of $15,000. 4-20-2019 Update: Two years later, the same seller has put this bike back up with a $6k discount. You can now find it for sale still in Palm Coast, Florida with a BIN of $15,000 here on eBay. According to …
1928 BMW R52
Designed to be a tourer, the BMW R52 featured a 486cc boxer twin that generated 12 horsepower. The three-speed transmission had just been redesigned for this model, during a time frame when BMW was constantly making changes. Due to this, BMW switched to pressed-steel frames by the end of 1929, meaning the rare R52 was produced for just two years.
1959 Victoria Avanti
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.