Post photos of your vintage (pre-1970) BMW motorcycle

[128425]

[vechbmw]

Victoria (email) 05.jpg


This is my latest project, a 1921 Victoria, powered by a BMW M2 B 15 engine, as later used in the BMW R32 of 1923. Yes, before BMW made a motorcycle, they sold engines to other manufacturers of motorcycles. Victoria started out as a bicycle manufacturer in 1882. Victoria's first bike was the KR-1.
Notable features include BELT drive, to the rear wheel, the rear brake is a V block of wood, that presses into the V belt pully on the rear wheel. The machine has a 2 speed gearbox. The weird looking knob on the top of the gas tank is the shift lever. The clutch is operated by your foot, on the bikes left side. The rear brake by your right foot. The second brake was a hand operated band brake, on the back of gearbox pulley. This means that (probably) the brakes are even worse than the ones on my R32! We will find out one day. The bike has no generator, only a magneto. Lighting was a acetylene powered headlamp. That's right, you opened the front lens door, and lit a match, and lit the headlight, literally!

When it comes to old BMW's and their ancestors, you can't get any older than this. One of these years, when it is running, I'll bring it to a national rally.

Before then, if you happen to be riding through Mississippi, come by and have a look!

Vech
MOA Ambassador # 9462
Bench Mark Works
Sturgis MS

[ratze]

WOW, your a lucky man. i personally would be honered to restore such a time piece. sparing no expence of course.

[marchyman]

Here are the last pictures I took of my R69S a few days before the new owner took possession. In some ways I will miss it, in others, not. It was time to let it go to someone else.

[bmwdean]

Very pretty bike. How did you go about selling it?

[marchyman]

Set a lowish price (15K) and told a half a dozen people plus a posting on the slash2 mailing list pointing to the web page with the info. No dickering allowed. Told all that the price is what it was and if I didn't get it the bike would go on ebay and they could take their chances there. A few didn't believe me. One local guy did. He came to my house to look at the bike. I started the bike so he could hear it run. Then he started the bike. He wire transferred the funds to my account and once cleared (wire transfers are quick) I delivered the bike.

Quick and easy. Not trying to get top dollar probably helped a lot. Many on the slash2 list thought I was crazy. Or they thought I was somehow devaluing their bike. Unless they are trying to sell it this week I see that as a non issue. My sale will be soon forgotten. It the auction proceedings that get 2x what the bike is worth that are remembered.

One last picture since this is a photo thread.

[540964]

I too am a Beemer nut.

[20774]

Very nice looking R50. Welcome, to the forum!!

[jolang]

wow these bikes are great!

[jolang]

15k... i bet it's worth every penny, must feel totally different to riding a new model..

[129654]

Victoria (email) 05.jpg


This is my latest project, a 1921 Victoria, powered by a BMW M2 B 15 engine, as later used in the BMW R32 of 1923. Yes, before BMW made a motorcycle, they sold engines to other manufacturers of motorcycles. Victoria started out as a bicycle manufacturer in 1882. Victoria's first bike was the KR-1.
Notable features include BELT drive, to the rear wheel, the rear brake is a V block of wood, that presses into the V belt pully on the rear wheel. The machine has a 2 speed gearbox. The weird looking knob on the top of the gas tank is the shift lever. The clutch is operated by your foot, on the bikes left side. The rear brake by your right foot. The second brake was a hand operated band brake, on the back of gearbox pulley. This means that (probably) the brakes are even worse than the ones on my R32! We will find out one day. The bike has no generator, only a magneto. Lighting was a acetylene powered headlamp. That's right, you opened the front lens door, and lit a match, and lit the headlight, literally!

When it comes to old BMW's and their ancestors, you can't get any older than this. One of these years, when it is running, I'll bring it to a national rally.

Before then, if you happen to be riding through Mississippi, come by and have a look!

Vech
MOA Ambassador # 9462
Bench Mark Works
Sturgis MS

Wow!. Please post up some pictures and keep us updated during the restoration.

[36532]

Here are some pics of my 53 R25, which had a 57 Harley springer front end with a Triumph wheel. I have made some progress on it. It runs as is and still have loads to do. Also my 68 R60US.

[surfdad1060]

Here is my 1968 or 1969 R60 US, supposedly involved in a mysterious fire and salvaged or so goes the story I was told when I bought it in 1988.

[vechbmw]

Wow!. Please post up some pictures and keep us updated during the restoration.

Here is an update of where things now stand. I have temporarily mocked things up in the frame to insure everything fit and worked. (Yes, this means both major components will have to be removed from the frame, again) I wrapped rags around the painted parts of the frame, to protect it from damage if I slipped, or bumped the frame, while installing the engine and gearbox.
This view is of the bike's left side. The pin stripes are finished on the frame. The new Whittkopp leather saddle is mounted. Likewise the bottom end of the engine is finished, and the big nickel plated flywheel is on the engine. The large hole at the top of the case, is for the magneto, which I still do not have. But I have found one in Germany and it is on it's way!!!!!
The foot operated clutch pedal and rod is visible, along with the external, open gear, kick start lever and clutch actuation bridge on the side of the two speed gearbox. Yes, it has an open primary chain that drives the two speed gearbox. The chain guard has not been fitted yet. The hand gearshift, (which passes through the gas tank) is mounted also. The lower end of the vertical gear shift rod, pivots in a bushing that is in the engine case. The cable that runs into the engine comes from the decompression lever on the handle bar. When you squeeze the lever, the cable pulls a free floating set of cam lobes, (which are slightly taller than the actual cam lobes) to lift both exhaust valves. Since there are NO WIRES or electrical system on this machine, the only way one can shut the engine down, is to hold open the exhaust valves, causing a loss of compression, making the engine quit.
VechorikLeftSide.jpg

This view is of the bikes right side. The drive pulley/clutch drum, with the brake brand, cable post, and attachment linkage, all hand made, (the brake was missing from the bike) is visible.
VechorikRightSide.jpg

Yep, on weekends, some people watch TV, sleep, go shopping, but I work on my own motorcycles!

[bmwdean]