The toppers from then are now the most sought after - and appreciated - classics. Just like the zeperds of the past. Those were motorcycles that somehow didn't make it. Motorcycles of which few were sold because… Often because they were simply not good enough when introduced. Later, better versions suffered generously under the bad reputation of their example. They could also be too progressive like the hub driven Yamaha GTS1000. Think Honda VFRs, the Yamaha TX750 and the Suzuki Wankel. And so there was the BMW R68.
And so there was the BMW R68 (1952-1954)
Things went well after the war. Money came for more than just basic transport on wheels. Clear statements had to be made again. With the production of the BMW R68 in 1952, the manufacturer met that international demand to deliver a very potent and sporty machine again.
That became the R67/2 based 600 cc overhead valve engine, the R68. It had modified cylinder heads with needle-bearing rocker arms and delivered 35 hp. This resulted in a top speed of more than 160 kilometers per hour, which earned the BMW R68 the nickname “Hundert-Meilen-Renner”, the tight translation of the famous '100 mph' designation that the British used for their 160 km/h fast toppers. and their riders, the Ton Up Boys. And how seriously was that speed taken? The rims had a transversely pressed profile on the back. This prevented a puncture from the rim at high speed.
The engine was presented on October 28, 1951 at the first post-war motor show in Germany, in Frankfurt. The BMW R68 was the highlight of the show. Germany had another bike to be proud of. A motorcycle, therefore, with a top speed of more than 160 km/h … The second seat was also intended to allow the rider to sit further back than for quiet tours with a passenger. And that the machine was equipped with sidecar connections? Well, that was just a holdover from the days when birth control wasn't as reliable as it is now.
At that top speed, it turned out that the actual pre-war plunger rear suspension of the BMW R68 really couldn't handle the violence. The handling lagged far behind the performance, a phenomenon that we also encountered with Japanese motorcycles in the 68s and early XNUMXs. The limitations of the bicycle part resulted in a number of serious accidents and alarming reports about them in the press. Those issues and publications were no doubt the reason why so few of the BMW RXNUMX were made and sold. And are left over. So now they are scarce. And wanted. Still weird.
With a little bit of then
The manual ignition timing adjustment was also a throwback to the past. But it was useful at the time: relatively shortly after the war, the quality of the fuel was so variable that the ignition sometimes had to be adjusted per refueling. In 1954 the BMW R68 got full hubs and aluminum rims. Like the pre-war top model R66, the R68 was produced in modest numbers, 1452 (or 1454) units in three years.
That rarity now makes the motorcycles true – and expensive – collector's items. New, the BMW R68 cost almost four thousand guilders. Now a perfect copy goes to a new owner for 40.000 euros. The rarity of what the Flemish call 'spare parts' is proportional to the rarity of complete engines. The perfect restoration can fall through the basket due to the incorrect key of the tank compartment and ... the valve caps. But in the end everything turned out well: The BMW R68 was further developed in the sporty line into the R69 and the R69S. And an R69S? That was once the fastest and most expensive series motorcycle in the world.
What a beautiful motorcycle. It's a pity that you can only have it in your garage if you work at a bank. But, it also makes sense. You have to see in time that something is, or becomes, valuable. look, the most discarded and undervalued are tomorrow's toppers and I would bet on Diesels now. We're going to miss those, I think.
Agree. You still buy a lot of fun for little. And if that becomes a bit ward much later…. But we don't know what will bring later. So let's enjoy each day
I had an R69S and my size one triumph trident 660 but I didn't do it for that we went to the \tt job in Assen on Sunday morning via the Veenhuister canal there it was already trying out and when we went home again I taped the lids closed with tape were worn through. what fun we had
There must be whole tribes of people wailing "That was irresponsible!" Let them moo!
With the cars you saw (and see) that too, that a blunder kills a model or even a brand.
The best known is probably the RO80.
The first series was motor “not very good”, to put it subtly.
The second series was little wrong with it, but the damage was done.
The entire brand was even shut down due to image damage, in favor of another brand.
Otherwise, we might have been able to get into an NSU 200 or NSU Q3 by now. . . .
And well, the values.
If We Could Have Saved Everything. . .
Well…. If you think like an accountant, you're missing out. But there is indeed a lot of beauty lost or forgotten
Everything that once was for me passes by here. Those visas last week. I now have gray hairs because I once gave away / exchanged an R67 with Hollandiabakkie for a Japanese! And when I see this: Why are all motorcycles so ugly these days
But we have our memories! And everything has become so ugly because marketers and designers have taken over while management has long been lost.
Great engine for the time. So beautiful. I had one too. The half seams had to work overtime to get things quiet in time in an emergency.
Difference in gasoline? Of course! I had adjusted it to Shell because I often fill up with that. At that time I was regularly in the GDR. Not out of admiration for the system, but I knew some people there. Always useful. You hear something again. They had greenish stuff that they put in your tank and they called it gasoline. The R 68 blamed me for that.
And what they pay for it now! And we didn't know that then. I sold it for 400 guilders.
Every now and then I still dream about it.
Think about 40D+ and your dream becomes a nightmare