Ozzie passed away

Matteo · Post by **Matteo** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:19 pm

Some of you may know this already, but I just learned today that Ozzie Auer passed away a little more than a month ago. I met Ozzie over 20 years ago at the vintage races at Sears Point in Sonoma. He was racing his R51SS. His son won the category on that R51SS if I recall correctly. I was just getting into motorcycles at the time and got the vintage BMW bug. Ozzie was great to talk to.

A few years later I got a R51/2 basket case and I asked Ozzie to rebuild that engine for me. I visited him many times in Chico over the several years it took to get the engine done (I seriously thought I would never see that engine again) and we would have lunch together. He would show me his warehouse of old BMW bikes and parts. I have to say I didn't understand what I was looking at, at that time. But the little I did recongize, it was amazing.

It was Ozzie that got me interested in vintage BMW race bikes and 20 years later I am working on one. We definitely lost a great one with Ozzie. Rest in peace Ozzie.

http://www.nbcfh.com/obituaries/preview.php?id=1672

Darryl.Richman · Post by **Darryl.Richman** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:27 am

I was at Ozzie's Life Celebration a week ago. At least 150 people showed up for it, lots of great stories about Ozzie and Emmi. We will have a eulogy for Ozzie in an upcoming issue of the club magazine.

R68 · Post by **R68** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:35 am

Well that's very sad news. As the current owner of Matteo's motorcycle with Ozzie's motor in place, I can verify that Ozzie sure knew how to build up a flawless twin cam motor!