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What is this on an R68?

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therealkennyboy
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What is this on an R68?

Post by therealkennyboy »

This is a well-known picture of journalist Marianne Weber in 1952, putting an R68 through its paces. (When told the new bike could do 100mph, she jumped on and got it to 99mph--in civilian clothes, with no gear other than gloves!).
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marianneweberR68.png
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In looking closely at this pic, there appears to be something on the far side of the headlight shell.
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R68Headlight.jpg
R68Headlight.jpg (14.28 KiB) Viewed 942 times
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What is the round object that can be partially seen? It almost looks like a horn, but makes no sense for one to be mounted there. I've looked at various R68 manuals/pics, and have never seen anything attached to the headlight shell on that side. Am I looking at the picture wrong? What could this be?
Ken Walker
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1960 R60 (currently), 1974 R75/6 (past), 1981 R100CS (currently), 1984 R100RS (past), 1989 K100RS (past)

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caker
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Re: What is this on an R68?

Post by caker »

Good eye.

A tax disc, maybe?

-Chris
Last edited by caker on Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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therealkennyboy
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Re: What is this on an R68?

Post by therealkennyboy »

>A tax disc, maybe?

Wow! I googled "tax disc vintage motorcycle" and this was the first picture I got:
road-tax-disc.jpg
Change the mounting angle a little bit and it certainly looks likely! Using the headlight mounting bolt appears to have been standard practice. This is obviously an instance where the factory manuals/parts lists would not provide any insight, so a little 'real world' knowledge goes a long way in filling in the holes in my understanding.

Thanks for the quick ID, Chris!
Ken Walker
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1960 R60 (currently), 1974 R75/6 (past), 1981 R100CS (currently), 1984 R100RS (past), 1989 K100RS (past)

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Re: What is this on an R68?

Post by caker »

There are a few listings on eBay with more pictures, too -- but none quite matching the back as in the main photo.

I wonder whose bike this was? Are there more photos of it? Does a tax tag imply only UK? I wasn't able to find a good source for the full story here - only what's been briefly repeated over and over.

-Chris

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Re: What is this on an R68?

Post by therealkennyboy »

She was a Belgian journalist and was supposedly reviewing the bike for a French magazine; her review is supposed to appear in the Aug 1952 edition of Motorcycle (Motorcyclist?) magazine. Couldn't find a copy, but it would be in French anyway; that article would probably answer your questions.
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This is a very similar 1951 picture of her on a Vincent Black Shadow, where she got it up to 112mph! Again, no helmet, but at least she had real motorcycle boots and gauntlets.
Vincent-1951-Black-Shadow-Marianne-Weber.jpg
The picture was taken by the owner of the motorcycle.
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She was one of the first to organize motorcycle rallies/tours for cycling enthusiasts in Europe after WWII.
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I'll bet she was cool as hell!
Ken Walker
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1960 R60 (currently), 1974 R75/6 (past), 1981 R100CS (currently), 1984 R100RS (past), 1989 K100RS (past)

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