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  gallery 4
bikes, parts, weird stuff
 
 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

This original 1965 German Polizei R27 is owned by an earlefork.com visitor here in the states. The Polizei green color looks really good on these old bikes. This beauty also sports a few other rare goodies: Hella spotlight mirror, red Hella turn signal lenses and Denfeld rack mounted breadloaf pillion saddle.

No Polizeimotorrad is complete without an ultra rare blue (and/or red) lens for the Hella spotlight mirror. Also, notice the equally rare Hella ‘eyebrow’ headlight trim ring.

Here’s another VDO 8 day clock courtesy of an earlesfork.com visitor. Restoration of this gem took over 13 months which was certainly worth the wait. Due to a lack of restoration resources and little to no available parts, it's no wonder these sell for such obscene prices!

Here’s another Rauch owned by a visitor from The Netherlands. Obviously, the speedometer is a VDO unit but I've not seen this variation of tachometer before.

What looks like another variation of an escort or parade tank is actually a very rare aftermarket chrome sided 4.5 gallon tank. The famed pinstripe artist Von Dutch of Southern California finished this tank back in the 50’s. Notice the pinstripes are reverse from the standard factory finish. The wide stripe should be outside, the thin stripe inside.

Resting above the bike in the prior photo is this well restored 1953 R68. No need to say more about this beauty!

We've all seen the famed R32, BMW's first motorcycle which was produced from 1923 to 1926. This example happens to be the oldest known BMW on earth and is owned by a collector here in the United States. The bike spends most of its time in this steel and glass fortress as a display piece. When it's time for show, this stunning time warp is a well running machine and has won many awards which are also visible in the case.

The oldest BMW on earth is also the one of the most perfectly restored bikes that I have ever seen. Restoring any prewar BMW is not for the faint of heart. An R32 on the other hand, has to be the ultimate challenge since most of the parts are non existant. If you're ever in the Southern California area, make sure to stop by Irv Seaver BMW. Evan Bell has amassed one of the most prolific collections of vintage BMW's on earth.

This stunning 1960 R69 sports a Heinrich lower fairing complete with original pinstripes.

This incredibly accurate, hand made RS54 Rennsport model sold on Ebay several years ago. It's now on display at Bob's BMW in Maryland. Owner, Bob Henig, has dedicated a sizeable part of his dealership to one of the best BMW museums in the states.

Jackpot! This R68 was recently acquired from its original owner of 53 years. The purchase included the original solo and swinging pillion saddles, toolkit, keys, steering head lock, patch kit and shop towel. The owner also had the original MSO document from Butler & Smith, handlebar hanging tag, receipt, owner's manual and very rare R68 Operating Instructions booklet. Fantastic!

I owned this matching number R68 ISDT project bike back in the early 2000's. I had to let this one go to raise funds for another bike. The buyer has since auctioned the machine for a considerable price. Wonder where it is now?

I thought it would be a good idea to clean my R68 cases in the dishwasher. My wife was not as impressed by my ingenuity (or lack thereof). Needless to say, this was the last time I tried this.

This rare and unique plunger Hoske tank features a racing style offset filler opening. I believe this one sold on Ebay several years ago. Where is it now?