Hey Gang,
I was at The One Motorcycle Show last night here in Portland Oregon.
It is quite the show... hundreds of rare custom/stock bikes from all over the USA.
Around 3 slash 2's there.. maybe 10 or more 70's BMW's.
This one was by far my favorite.
1957(?) that this guy got running after sitting forever.
He says everything works, but it blows a lot of oil out the breather.
While shooting the shit and not seriously talking price, I think he would take around $5000 for it.
I'm sure he'd take $5,000 for it! He'd be crazy not to, and someone would be crazy to pay that. I bought a bike in better condition than this one for $5,000 three years ago and ended up putting $10,000 into it, not counting my labor. One would be mistaken to try to run this bike (or any old BMW with unknown history) without totally rebuilding engine, transmission, and bevel drive. There was almost nothing on the bike I bought that did not require repair or replacement once I got into it. For example, I paid $1,361 to have the crank rebuilt, which does not include the cost of removing and installing it in the engine! I'll grant you my R60/2 has new engine, trans, bevel, carbs, wiring, battery, powder coated frame, paint, striping, seat, on and on, but I am into it for almost $15,000 and eight months of work. I'm OK with that, as I do have a gorgeous and reliable bike, but your experience may vary. Looking at the condition of the bike pictured I would run the other way.
I don't think that bike is in its original color, is it? It's hard to tell from the pictures, but that doesn't look like BMW blue to me, and the rear fender looks like it may even be chrome. My sense is that "patina" only counts when it's on the original bike.
But I'm quibbling. I agree that $5000 would be way too much. Think of it as a box job that's glued together, and box jobs usually top out around $3K.
On the other hand, if the numbers match, I don't think that $2000 would be over the top.
Jon Miller
'67 R69S
'13 F800GT
Altadena, California
I would rather see some one over pay for a the whole bike to keep it rolling, rather than have someone part out a perfectly good one.(Carefully parting it out would probably yield a much higher price, give the plethora of small parts you can sell for premiums!) While parting out a bike is a great source for some of us, it takes another one away forever.
The paint looked original to me, but then again, I didn't spend too much time on it.. all the "patina" was consistent from the story he told me about the bike.. however I notice there isn't any pin striping.
This was his childhood friend's dad's bike and I do believe he said they bought it new.
I think someone in California who owns a couple R69s got it running for him.
