One Owner

[northwoodst]

Curious, how many one owner Vintage BMW motorcycles are there in the US??? (1948-1969) Anyone have any idea????

[schrader7032]

I've never heard anything along those lines. Of my three bikes, I'm not the original owner. A recent survey was taken on the Yahoo /2 forum regarding the number of bikes people owned. They plan to repeat the survey in the future. I'll suggest that the extent of ownership (1st, 2nd, etc.) be added in some way.

It can get tough. On my recent R25/2, I'm not sure I'll ever know how many people owned it before me.

[Darryl.Richman]

I'm the one owner ...of a... Vintage BMW motorcycle ... here in the US — as I am the one who imported my 1928 R52 to the US.

Ok, that's probably not what you're really thinking of. That bike had two owners in Germany after WWII, and I don't know anything about it before 1950.

[Peter D. Nettesheim]

Hello all,
I wanted to respond to this thread about how many first owner vintage BMW owners there out there. First, Im only fifty and for the record, none of my early bikes (pre 1970) am I the first owner of but that doesnt stop people in the street from asking...............

You know the saying "there are no dumb questions". Well Im not sure about that.

I was out riding my 1928 R52 when I stopped for a cup of coffee. While enjoying my break standing outside of Starbucks (OK, I go there once in a while) an excited man approached me. He studied the bike carefully and then asked "Is that yours???!! "yes" , I replied. After spending a moment or two more (and I had to believe he saw the front fender licence plate with "1928 BMW R52" on it), he asked "are you the original owner???" Man, did I feel old. I figured he didnt see the front plate so I quietly (since there were others now looking on and puzzled) said "the bike is from 1928". His response was "yeah, I'm not blind" as he pointed to the plate, "but are you the original owner???"

All I could say was "yes".

So.......I guess you can count me in to the group of original owners......at least he does.

Peter D. Nettesheim

[niall4473]

Hi,
once again, doesn't quite count but my Dad still has a 1960 R60 which he bought new, but neither he or the bike have ever been to the US, however he was still riding it up until two years ago, when arthritis in his wrists made it impossible, 48 years/173,000 miles, and he took it abroad many times up until 2003. I wonder if anyone can beat that for riding years rather than just ownership. I have some of his touring pics from the 1960s, if anyone's interested, I could post a few.

[mackenzie7548]

Although not quite the first owner, I know someone who has owned his R 5 since 1942. He stills has it, at the young age of 89.

Thomas Mackenzie

[Darryl.Richman]

Niall, why don't you post some of those photos in a member gallery? Just click Create Content -> Gallery on the left and upload some shots, we'd all love to see them!

[Bruce Frey]

Is that Bill Speight (I may have the last name slightly wrong)?

Bruce

[miller6997]

I presently ride a '67 R69S that my brother bought new in '67. I enticed it away from him in '96 or so after it had sat idle for a few years, and from that point both our names have been on the title. So, does that count as "one-owner?" It presently has 73,000 miles on it, fairly low considering its age.

(My brother is presently finishing the restoration on a '63 R50, which he put away for an overhaul around 1975 or so. He doesn't rush things. It'll soon be on the road again, and then maybe he'll start on the '57 R50 that's been gathering dust for a few decades. His usual ride, which has stayed roadworthy, is an '83 R100RT.)

[schrader7032]

Two half owners!