Owning and collecting BMW motorcycles
(Page 2 of 4)
May/June 2007
By Bill Stermer
But why collect BMWs rather than other brands? “I used to like some British stuff myself, but the reliability and ... I don’t know ... the ‘toughness’ and the practicality that BMWs present appeals to me. I like the quiet ‘get-r-done’ engine, enclosed drivetrain and the longevity, but the colors are a sure appeal,” Kirkpatrick says.
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Kevin Brooks, who restores BMWs, says, “Personally, I prefer the R69S. My wife and I log 12,000 to 15,000 miles annually; she on her Dover White 1965 R69S, while I am riding either my black 1968 R69S with Steib S501 sidecar or my Turf Green 1968 R69S. And we are not alone in our affection and enthusiasm for these fine old machines; many consider the 1950s and 1960s BMW twins to be the most rideable classic machines of all time. Got a little trip you’d like to take, say 10-12 days and 2,500 to 3,000 miles? No problem.”
Other considerations
Darryl Richman lives in California and restores old Beemers. “There are different eras of bikes, and you have to put yourself in touch with the right vendors and service people according to era,” Richman says. “While Craig ‘Vech’ Vechorik has significant experience working on prewar bikes, and both he and Mark Huggett have parts for them, you still probably have to turn to European vendors when you really get into such a project. One of the difficulties in going to a European vendor is that most of them only speak their native tongue — you’ll need to learn some German.
“Another problem is money. In Germany, it’s expensive and somewhat difficult to get a merchant account to accept credit cards. On the other hand, interbank wire transfers within Germany are free, and nearly so within the EU. The Germans are used to sending out parts, and then waiting for the money (or the parts) to come back. Add to that the expense of sending a wire from the U.S. (my bank charges me $50), currency conversion and the fact that most bank branches don’t know how to send a wire, and the whole experience can be mighty frustrating.
“I have friends in Germany who have Paypal accounts. I send money to them through Paypal, then they withdraw the money from Paypal, deposit it into their own accounts and transfer it for me to the vendor. It’s extremely cumbersome.”
Richman also recommends obtaining copies of the parts and owner’s manuals (the parts books make ordering parts a lot easier), and a shop manual. “There’s a Clymer manual for 1955-69 BMW bikes, which is quite helpful. In general terms, however, there are three books, all now sadly out of print, that show up on eBay and at used book stores, that can be really helpful in choosing a bike and determining completeness and correctness.”
The books Richman alludes to include "Bahnstormer, The Story of BMW Motorcycles" by L.J.K. Setright, "How to Restore Your BMW Motorcycle - Twins 1950-1969" by Roland Slabon (be careful when searching for this book: Motorbooks has issued a new edition by a different author which appears to be a step backwards) and the "Illustrated BMW Motorcycle Buyer’s Guide, 2nd Edition", by Roland Slabon and Stefan Knittel.