In a lot of my posts, I talk about the history of BMW motorcycles. Sometimes though, we can see actual history in these machines. One such bike is the R51/3.
Picture Intermission – The BMW R68
With less than 1,500 examples produced, the R68 is BMW’s rarest postwar motorcycle. Because of that, many riders don’t get the chance to enjoy one in person – so here’s the next best thing.
1930 FN Sahara M70
Post-Listing Update: This Sahara was pulled off of eBay before the listing ended. In 1923, FN brought out a new unit construction single that quickly usurped the popularity of their four cylinder powerplant. Initially, the singles were popular with sportier riders, but FN wanted more of a standard model – hence the M70. In 1927, two French army officers (along …
1991 Suzuki Bandit GSF400
Post-Sale Update: Well, that was quick. This Bandit was snapped up for the BIN of $2,200 within 30 minutes of this post. Americans typically think of the Bandit as a 600 or 1,200, but Suzuki also made them in 250 and 400 variants – the latter of which was exported to the US for only a couple of years. The …
31 Miles in 30 Years – 1955 BMW R25/3
View PostCover Girl Survivor – 1975 Honda 550F
Today’s mid-size motorcycles are sporting 800-900cc engines, but there was a time when the class was closer to 500cc. After Honda’s stunning success with the first-gen 750F, the next stop would be the smaller 500K in 1971. True to Honda fashion, this was a new design, not a shrunken 750. The finished product was a jewel to behold and a …
Verde Legnano Special Edition – 2015 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer
In 1971, Guzzi introduced the instant-classic V7 Sport, and they made the first 150 models extra special with green bodywork and red frame. The initial bikes were known as Telaio Rosso (red frames), and some people consider them to be the prettiest Guzzis ever built. You may not agree, but you can’t deny that they were special. To commemorate that …
God Save The Queen – 1977 Triumph Bonneville Silver Jubilee
For some reason, Triumph decided to honor the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of Queen Elizabeth’s reign with a limited release of the Bonneville. They sold 1,000 examples each in the US and UK and another 400 for the Commonwealth of mostly former British colonies.
Start a Classic BMW Collection!
None of these bikes are individually a smoking deal or anything, however it’s cool to see one guy cranking out restorations (and we’ve seen the R50 Hot Rod before!)
In Belgium – 1970 Velocette LE Police
Post-Sale Update: This Police Velo sold for $4,026 after 22 bids on eBay. The Velocette was a commercial flop but it did have some success with British police officers – leading to the nickname of “Noddy bike”. Here’s an example that served with the London Metropolitan police force before it was acquired by a Dutch rider in 2010.
BSA Style From Japan – 1966 Kawasaki W1
In 1960 Kawasaki Aircraft acquired part of the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan, Meguro. Meguro had a license to produce the BSA A7 and Kawasaki’s money allowed them to introduce it to the world. In 1963 Kawasaki completed the takeover of Meguro and by 1966 had brought out the W1.
1937 DKW RT100
Just another rare bike from a once large manufacturer? No particular significance? Not exactly.
1963 Moto Guzzi Falcone 500 Sport
Despite the fact it was built between 1950 and 1963s, the design of the Falcone is impressively similar to the first production Guzzi from back in 1921. The 499cc single produced 23 horsepower, good for a top speed of about 85 miles per hour.
1953 Hoffman Gouverneur
Best known for bicycles and Vespa Scooters (60,000 from 1949 to 1954) the firm Hoffmann-Werke Lintorf hired a noted designer to develop this bike and brought the Gouverneur to market in 1951.
1968 Sears Allstate Puch 250 Twingle
Post Listing Update: This Twingle did not get any interest at the BIN of $1,850. It’s early March 1967. Our basketball team had qualified for the State Tournament and I had 4 days in the big city with nothing to do except one game per day. Much of my ‘unsupervised’ time was spent looking at motorcycles (I was already hopeless). …