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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lee Davis on August 15, 2017, 01:45:24 PM
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I know this is dangerous, but here goes... When I was with my girlfriend hitchhiking to Banff in 1970, standing at the cutoff to Chief Mountain, (we were Glacier Park Employees, on the road just past Babb, Montana), a motorcycle drove up and stopped. The guy was on a long road trip and needed a break. He got off the bike and started up a conversation. His bike was a brand new BMW R 50/5, and he had plenty of gear... a terribly nice fellow. That was the first time I ever saw someone on a long road trip on a bike, and waves of envy flooded over me. Ever since then I have wanted that bike, but have never owned one (24 and counting now). I have been doing a search for equivalent BMWs for quite a while now, but have never found one... or lost out in the bidding. Any leads? a 1970 or 71, 500 or 600 would do. Basket cases or running, As long as it has the big tank (I don't like toasters). Now, as I said, this can be dangerous, for I have loads of projects right now... but what the hell? Lee Oh... the girlfriend didn't last, sadly, but the desire for a small BMW sure did.
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I know this is dangerous, but here goes... When I was with my girlfriend hitchhiking to Banff in 1970, standing at the cutoff to Chief Mountain, (we were Glacier Park Employees, on the road just past Babb, Montana), a motorcycle drove up and stopped. The guy was on a long road trip and needed a break. He got off the bike and started up a conversation. His bike was a brand new BMW R 50/5, and he had plenty of gear... a terribly nice fellow. That was the first time I ever saw someone on a long road trip on a bike, and waves of envy flooded over me. Ever since then I have wanted that bike, but have never owned one (24 and counting now). I have been doing a search for equivalent BMWs for quite a while now, but have never found one... or lost out in the bidding. Any leads? a 1970 or 71, 500 or 600 would do. Basket cases or showroom condition, it doesn't matter. As long as it has the big tank (I don't like toasters). Now, as I said, this can be dangerous, for I have loads of projects right now... but what the hell? Lee Oh... the girlfriend didn't last, sadly, but the desire for a small BMW sure did.
So she didn't share your love for small things Lee ?
BTW, did anyone have the common sense to take you up on your extraordinary offer of a bike to use on a long trip. Stuffed if I know what some blokes are waiting for! An unbelievable offer, bet my ass no one's said yes please!
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I know this is dangerous, but here goes... When I was with my girlfriend hitchhiking to Banff in 1970, standing at the cutoff to Chief Mountain, (we were Glacier Park Employees, on the road just past Babb, Montana), a motorcycle drove up and stopped. The guy was on a long road trip and needed a break. He got off the bike and started up a conversation. His bike was a brand new BMW R 50/5, and he had plenty of gear... a terribly nice fellow. That was the first time I ever saw someone on a long road trip on a bike, and waves of envy flooded over me. Ever since then I have wanted that bike, but have never owned one (24 and counting now). I have been doing a search for equivalent BMWs for quite a while now, but have never found one... or lost out in the bidding. Any leads? a 1970 or 71, 500 or 600 would do. Basket cases or showroom condition, it doesn't matter. As long as it has the big tank (I don't like toasters). Now, as I said, this can be dangerous, for I have loads of projects right now... but what the hell? Lee Oh... the girlfriend didn't last, sadly, but the desire for a small BMW sure did.
I look for those quite often too ... I've always been intrigued by them, their quality, their handy size.
People today will give you a million reasons why they are "too small" or "too primitive" (brakes etc) or whatever to ride today, but people put millions of transcontinental miles on them in the early 70s and thought they were riding a top-quality bike, fully functional bike ... which they were ....
If I see any I'll point to them ....
Lannis
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I look for those quite often too ... I've always been intrigued by them, their quality, their handy size.
People today will give you a million reasons why they are "too small" or "too primitive" (brakes etc) or whatever to ride today, but people put millions of transcontinental miles on them in the early 70s and thought they were riding a top-quality bike, fully functional bike ... which they were ....
If I see any I'll point to them ....
Lannis
Yeah damn right Lannis. These grissle gutsers who go on about how bad bikes were, should realise that their Griso or Panigale et al.. will be tomorrow's pile of underpowered underbraked pile of pus, so why don't we all piss our current bikes off and wait 20 years 'till all the bugs have been ironed out. No bike has lights or braking ability that are good enough.
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there's a guy by me who does, I'm told, world class work.
Airhead Restorations and his name is Jim Selvia or Silva (something like that). I'll bet Google can find him.
I saw some of his bikes at last years BMWMOA rally and oh my were that pristine.
he comes to our monthly BMW club meeting on a lovely R69S that he rides all over the east.
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afriend has one in Spring Green WI.If you are interested I will have him contact you when I GET HOME ON 88/25.
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The BMW /5 is a pleasant bike. I enjoy my '73 R75/5.
Why limit your search for an R50 or R60, include the R75 as well, which was the top of the range at the time.
They seem to be a little more common, and have more power and torque for today's roads -- about the same as V7 (small block).
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Less
Ask for John. He is the owner.
http://www.bluemooncycle.com
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Here yago....
http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/machine/details.aspx?ID=10328
Max bmw is a four store group of bmw dealers. I counted 25 1960 beemers lined up ready for restoration the last time I walked thru tha Brookfield store. (Name Removed) is a master mechanic over there. He drives an Eldo............... ................... .....
But I'd say those guys are pretty smart stashing all the potential R60 and R50 rebuildables.....an d keeping the staff busy cranking them out for, oh, I don't know mostly $25,000 bazillion dollars.
I had an R60 for 120k miles. Fantastic. Loved it. Until I discovered disk brakes. But Madison Ave obscounded with the, shall we say, attitude? And the prices have followed to bizarre heights. It's a classic collector bike. Steve Jobs rode one and eventually put it in the front lobby.....
If you want one, MAX pumps them out. It'll cost. But lots of free viewing on their website! A man's got to dream, doesn't he?
Alternatively, there are the ones in the second row of beauty queens that can certainly haul the mail for you but don't have the collectors aura around it. I like this beast...but of course they'll show you all the little bits you "should" repair or replace....to M a k e I T P R I S T I N E
Don't buy this one tho it's junk for the rust pile. Motor locked up. See above about the mechanic.... :evil:
This is sold, but not an uncommon overhaul to prep for sale for you to see what they do:
http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/machine/details.aspx?ID=9114
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Two words , Matt Parkhouse . Think he has retired , but he probably knows more about /5's than anyone .
Dusty
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Hold on guys. I suppose I should revise my search parameters. Latest year would be a 1973, for they still had kick starters. Private sellers only. The Max BMW R60 holds no interest for me. That same model and year can be had (running) within 20 miles of me for $2000... in pretty good shape. But I don't like the later /6 models (don't like the dual instruments, etc). Don't want to talk to a guru or restorer... I am a restorer of loopframes myself. Ideally, I would like to find a worn out (complete) 1970 R50, running preferable, but not necessary. And please, no R75s... I have had that before.
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Maybe you should change the name of this topic to reflect the exact make, model, and year-range that you want to find.
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Do you ever spend any time poking around in here?
http://marketplace.ibmwr.org
I'm seeing a nice '70 R60/5 in GA, https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/6255269992.html , as well as another R60, 1973 LWB in MA, not cheap, and a restored, expensive, '69 R50 in OR.
The stock there rotates regularly, and some good deals can usually be had if you're watchful.
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Hold on guys. I suppose I should revise my search parameters. Latest year would be a 1973, for they still had kick starters. Private sellers only. The Max BMW R60 holds no interest for me. That same model and year can be had (running) within 20 miles of me for $2000... in pretty good shape. But I don't like the later /6 models (don't like the dual instruments, etc). Don't want to talk to a guru or restorer... I am a restorer of loopframes myself. Ideally, I would like to find a worn out (complete) 1970 R50, running preferable, but not necessary. And please, no R75s... I have had that before.
Yes, the headlight nacelle speedo/tach combo is artwork compared to the /6 and later dual instruments, that is for sure.
I understand, no R75's. One cool thing about getting an R50 would be you'll likely be the only one at bike night or breakfast. I've only ever even seen one for sale once, and have never seen one in person.
Are you preferring the 6 gallon tank with the rubber knee pads, or do you like Toasters too ('72-'73)?
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Thanks for the understanding. You read my mind. No, I don't like the toasters at all, and, like you, have never seen an R50, except for that one in Montana in 1970. I am the same with Loopframes... I don't care for the dual instrument versions. For me, the single speedometer in the aluminum housing is artwork. I like classic old designs... I am the same with vintage cars. My Grandfather bought a used 1930 Hupmobile A Model (notice, I didn't say 'Model A') in 1932, and my Father drove that when he was a teenager growing up during the depression. I have owned 7 different Hupmobiles in the past... one was a beautiful 1925 E Model touring car with a straight 8 cylinder Lycoming engine and leather seats. I bought it in Upstate New York and drove it back to New Mexico, at 40 MPH. Now, that was an adventure that I relished. All the better because it was a rare and somewhat unique car that made people gravitate to me to ask questions. That is what it is about, for me. Sold that to a Rolls Royce collector (5 Rolls, 1915-1928). I was brought home from the hospital in a 1937 Ford 2 door Humpback, and the first bike I ever sat on (at age 3) was my Father's 1951 Ariel Red Hunter 350... Lee
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Yes, I agree, single speedometer in the aluminum housing is definitely artwork -- wish my Eldo had that.
I guess I could give up my tach, and replace the whole assembly with one, but, of course, then the bike wouldn't be correct.
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Lee,
I've had a number of older airheads and my favorite was my 1973 R75, plenty of power (something around 46HP) and wish that I had never sold it. The R50 is a dog (they only sold it for a couple of years here), even the R60 still doesn't have the grunt that one really needs, especially on longer trips. To me, the R75 was the ideal bike and yes, I had the big tank that I several times used to get my Norton riding buddy out of trouble. All three bikes were within a couple of pounds of each other in weight, the difference was basically just power difference. I'd have one now if I were not old and light and weak. So now I am happy with my Breva 750. One can tell that it is a more modern bike than the old R bikes, more responsive, adequate grunt for passing and light weight. More fuel capacity would make it my favorite.
Jurgen
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..... even the R60 still doesn't have the grunt that one really needs, especially on longer trips.
Jurgen
I've never figured out what that means. I've seen R50s and R60s with half-a-million miles on them.
What is "needs" and what does the length of the trip have to do with it? Those old Beemers are sort of like VWs (at least VWs with the oil topped up). They're not really fast, but they'll run at full throttle all day with no strain ... ?
Lannis
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I've never figured out what that means. I've seen R50s and R60s with half-a-million miles on them.
What is "needs" and what does the length of the trip have to do with it? Those old Beemers are sort of like VWs (at least VWs with the oil topped up). They're not really fast, but they'll run at full throttle all day with no strain ... ?
Lannis
And I guess I don't understand what half a million miles has to do with "grunt". If you like to shift a lot in the mountains, by all means get an R50. Like the old VW's (and I've had those also) you get to enjoy the scenery.
Jurgen
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I've ridden with my friend Paul a bit - me on my Ambo and Paul on his low mileage, nice R60/5. On a few of the steeper grades around here, the BMW was really having to work hard, downshifted a gear or two, just to make it up. Fine on the flat roads and gentle rolling hills, but lacks the power for anything longer and steeper.
Meanwhile, the Ambo just thundered up the same hills like a steam locomotive with a string of empties behind...
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And I guess I don't understand what half a million miles has to do with "grunt". If you like to shift a lot in the mountains, by all means get an R50. Like the old VW's (and I've had those also) you get to enjoy the scenery.
Jurgen
So "needs" means "I don't like to shift". That's OK I suppose, but falls more in the category of "First World Wish List" than "Motorcycling Needs". I just got back from a 1000 mile trip on a 56 year old 35 HP bike and sort of have my mind right ... :laugh:
You can go ANYWHERE on these things, I promise you can. For what Lee wants to do with it, an R50 would be perfect. The old A10 certainly does the job for me ....
(Gotta click on these to see the full-sized pic ...)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/ntPjGa/DSCN3714.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ntPjGa)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/i0St9v/DSCN3621.jpg) (http://ibb.co/i0St9v)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fZvD9v/DSCN3620.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fZvD9v)
get url photo upload (http://imgbb.com/)
Lannis
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I have a 77 R75/7. The last of the 750's. It is a wonderful bike. There were a lot of little improvements made between the /5 to /6 and /6 to /7. The earlier ones will have a kicker and drum brakes but basically the same motor save for the move to a 5 speed from the 4 speed.
Agreed that you might open up your selection to any airhead from the 70's. No matter which one you get you feel like your riding and airplane with the cylinders sticking out like they do.
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Here you go. Sounds like just what you've been looking for.
https://buffalo.craigslist.org/mcy/d/1971-bmw-r50-5/6204146082.html
Gian4
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Lannis
Good on ya mate..........now that's a byike......(archaic play on words Crocodile Dundee knife reference lol).
Gian4
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Lannis... Now, that is great! I especially like the panniers... are those Cravens? Take a look at this 1970 Ambassador that I have (I have changed the seat):
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fVm9HF/Craven.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fVm9HF)
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Lannis... Now, that is great! I especially like the panniers... are those Cravens? Take a look at this 1970 Ambassador that I have (I have changed the seat):
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fVm9HF/Craven.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fVm9HF)
I do like the old-style Cravens. They're not the toughest things in the world (I've changed the latches on mine for more modern ones) but they get the job done and look right.
Had an Eldorado once, will probably have an Ambassador like yours, or maybe a V700, again someday. Partly just to get that old art-deco speedometer!
Lannis
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I restored one back in the nineties,fun bike, not fast but would cruise the highway at 70 all day. Sold it to a guy who took it back to Germany.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/k4saPv/BMW018.jpg) (http://ibb.co/k4saPv)
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Lannis... Now, that is great! I especially like the panniers... are those Cravens? Take a look at this 1970 Ambassador that I have (I have changed the seat):
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fVm9HF/Craven.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fVm9HF)
That right there would melt the R bikes of equivalent years into molten dropped valves seats with corresponding tattoos on the cylinder head...but, I'm only one example....
I'll take that hulk if you don't want it Lee!....
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No I wont. I'm at my 3.25 avg limit.
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I had an R60 17 years ago. Got it in a deal for a 90S. My girlfriend wanted it, and since I didn't, she got it. It was a little bike after all, and I was into the bigger stuff.
It wasn't running when I got it, so got it going for her. On the test ride I was amazed how much pep it had. It was a sweet little bike. That experience converted me.
I've got a 1970 R50 project. Bill of sale but no title. The owner had died and they couldn't find the title. It's got the large tank. When I got it, I was thinking no one would want it and would probably part it out - never did. It's complete, and the engine turns free.
I've since gotten into the R65 and have an 82 R65LS. Sure is a fun bike! I'm curious now about the V65 and how it compares.
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If you're okay with the color, here's what sounds like a very nice R60 on Ebay, in Jersey.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-BMW-R-Series-/222612650946?hash=item33d4bf7bc2:g:khkAAOSwfMtZhM6S&vxp=mtr
(http://thumb.ibb.co/m4esMa/yellow_r60.jpg) (http://ibb.co/m4esMa)
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Wirespokes... PM me. Lee
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The highest mile bike I ever saw was an R60, it had multiple "mile club" stickers on it ending with 650,000 mile club.
I spent the afternoon of that Heath rally talking with the owner. It was quite a discussion! He had bought it new.
I heard the gentleman died not too long after that. I believe his name was Frank Traub?
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Aaron - I think you're close on his name, but I know who you're talking about. Last I heard, his bike was on display at Bob's BMW in Jessup MD. I'd heard it had the mileage you say, and it had never been apart. He rode it easy never pushing it hard. One story I recall was some sport rider types passed him several times during the day, only to find him at the rally all set up when they arrived.
NC Steve - that looks like a good one. Those 600s are peppier than you'd expect. And it's low miles.
Sent you a PM, Lee.
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Aaron - I think you're close on his name, but I know who you're talking about. Last I heard, his bike was on display at Bob's BMW in Jessup MD. I'd heard it had the mileage you say, and it had never been apart. He rode it easy never pushing it hard. One story I recall was some sport rider types passed him several times during the day, only to find him at the rally all set up when they arrived.
NC Steve - that looks like a good one. Those 600s are peppier than you'd expect. And it's low miles.
Sent you a PM, Lee.
Hmm , the veracity of that legend is suspect . Having owned and ridden a couple of /5's , one for over 60K miles , and one for about 30K , they won't run that long W/O some issues . The valves and seats last about 100,000 miles , the cast iron bores about the same . Rod bearings will go 200,000 if the oil is kept fresh , main bearings maybe 300,000 . Sounds kinda like the "Grandpa's ax story" , entertaining , but simply a legend not supported by evidence .
Dusty
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Oh, the owner never claimed it had not been apart. In fact he told me 200,000 miles was the max before needing rings. I now forget all the other stuff. I'm sure there were pistons involved.
Leaked well enough that he may not have needed to change oil, just add as needed. He definitely preferred riding to cleaning. And he rode all over the place!
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Oh, the owner never claimed it had not been apart. In fact he told me 200,000 miles was the max before needing rings. I now forget all the other stuff. I'm sure there were pistons involved.
Leaked well enough that he may not have needed to change oil, just add as needed. He definitely preferred riding to cleaning. And he rode all over the place!
It's something I've always "wanted" to do, and always had the "ability" to do, but my impulse control is poor in that area ... and that's keep a bike for hundreds of thousands of miles, and get SO comfortable and familiar with it that it would be like an extension of your body and nerves, and be able to fix anything on it (or at least know what needs fixing).
But I don't do it, for some reason. And when I see a bike that's been kept and ridden like that, I always wish it were me ....
Lannis
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Not sure how many miles Matt Parkhouse put on his first R75/5 purchased new in 1970 , but last I heard it had 600,000 plus . He could rebuild the engine in about 2 hours .
Dusty
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Lannis, I do understand. I have a lot of things in my life that I've owned for many years and they work well for me-a bow, a particular handgun or rifle-but I have changed too much in the way I use motorcycles for me to have done that with a bike.
I think older bikes lend themselves to that very well-something like a VFR has a reputation for going 300,000+ miles without a lot of effort, but they aren't so easy to work on!
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Well, thank you for putting me straight on that one! You know, there always is the possibility of a vehicle going that many miles without major attention, especially if it's never over stressed. I used to be into the older Volvos and it wasn't unusual for them to go that long if maintained.
I do recall that he didn't believe in washing the bike - riding in the rain took care of that.
So it very well could have been false data it had never had major work, but it did have that many miles.
I, too, admire those guys who ride the same bike for years and years and years and just keep it going. I tend to be interested in many different ones so my attention is spread out flitting from one to the next.
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Took me a bit to remember his name - Fred Tausch. Here's something that was printed in a thread at the time of his death in 05 on Adventure Rider. The formatting didn't transfer too well - you can get the original here:
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/fred-tausch-passes-on.69044/
The YB / Fred Tausch Eulogy,
Saturday, 19 Feb 05, Lexington, Massachusetts
Tauschs: Mildred, Karen, Fred Jr., friends, Romans, countrymen…I’m Jeff Stein a motorcycling Friend of Fred; for the next minute or two I am going to try to give voice to some thoughts brought here today by so many more of Fred’s friends.
In the last few weeks we have lost several people who brightened our lives:
Johnny Carson; the playwright Arthur Miller; Philip Johnson – America’s most famous architect; and now Dr. Fred Tausch. All 4 of these men were entertainers, storytellers, public figures, and they all lived full and interesting lives…
But none of us ever camped with Johnny. And we never rode to breakfast with Arthur Miller, even when he was married to Marilyn Monroe (maybe we shoulda…)
We didn’t hang out around the coffee pot with Philip Johnson, even though we could have – he did a lot of work in Boston. So, the loss of Fred, someone we shared our days with, is a bit more personal, and frankly a little harder to take.
So my question is this: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!? And I don’t mean ‘how did Fred Tausch die?’, a perfectly good, 70-year-old Father, Scientist, Student of Foreign Affairs, Conversationalist, Friend, Motorcyclist. What I mean to ask is ‘How did all of US, men and women from all over New England, from all walks of life, come together as a community to find ourselves HERE, on a Saturday in February – the day before Fred’s 71st Birthday – at a Unitarian Church in Lexington Massachusetts celebrating the life of our friend, whom we now miss so much.’
The answer is pretty simple really.
Some 30-odd years ago, in 1973, Fred Tausch bought a motorcycle; and re-invented himself in a way that was startling to some and wonderful to us.
That’s it, by the way, just outside, that very one, a 1970 BMW R60/5.
The first modern BMW; the first to be made in Berlin; THE one, according to Dr. Helmut Bonsch, who in the 1970’s headed the BMW Motorcycle Engineering Department, and a man whom Fred later met – just like everyone else connected to BMW motorcycling, Fred met them all…
According to Bonsch, this model, the R60 – 600cc – had the most reliable of all BMW engines, the one that had the possibility of lasting longest. Because of the low mass/weight of the pistons, the engine is under-stressed…so it runs really easily. The job of this motorcycle was, and I’m quoting BMW literature here, “to carry people over mixed roads at Maximum efficiency with minimum effort.†That was BMW’s primary goal, and Fred’s too, turns out. And this particular one, the one just outside - Fred’s - seems to have done this better than any other. 632,978 miles later, we can say this with certainty.
But I digress.
On Fred’s first day on a BMW Motorcycle, that one, he picked it up early in the day from the private seller (You thought he bought it new? No way!). He climbed aboard, checked out the controls, and rode out of Boston, headed north, up route 1, onto 127, through Gloucester; and then a little further, getting the feel of it now, up through the lower tip of New Hampshire and on into Maine, riding along the coast in the salt air. About sunset, Fred pulled into a little motel on the Maine Coast and called his wife from the front desk.
“Honey? I’m up here in Maine. Yeah. 300 miles. Uh-huh. Mm-hmm. Well, I’m going to be late for dinner…†(How many of us have made that call!?) 300 miles the first day he owned a BMW motorcycle! Fred was hooked! And he was not afraid.
He stayed in Maine that night, and next morning Dr. Fred Tausch did not look back, he did not check his 6 – he woke up with the sun, and he was a motorcyclist, and he saw that that was good!
He went up through the rest of Maine on that first trip on a BMW, and on into Canada, back down through New York, across Pennsylvania. When he finally did arrive home, and return to work – Fred was fully employed at the time – he had put several thousand miles on the bike, and he knew how he was going to live the rest of his life:
it was going to be a life lived in perfect balance, beyond the grasp of the ordinary, a life that he alone would direct. That’s what he did, too.
Fred never had much to do with cars after that, after 1973. He rode his motorcycle – to work, to the grocery store, to church, in the rain, to public events and family vacations – he even had a sidecar for that, and for riding in snow and ice.
Fred liked to tell a story of a sidecar incident involving his son Fred, when young Fred was around 11 or 12 years old. The two Freds were motorcycling with sidecar up Whiteface Mountain out by Lake Placid, New York. The road winds around hairpins, in and out, and it is quite steep, too. At one point it was too much for the little engine; and the clutch began to slip, someone had to get off the bike.
Fred the father, educated in the ways of Scientific Method, knew at once what had to be done – the kid had to get out and walk! While Fred drove the motorcycle. Even that wasn’t good enough, though, and Fred jr. was called back to PUSH.
So there they were, running uphill on an inside hairpin curve, just – if you’ve ever been there yourself – just around the corner from where visitors to the top park their cars, in full view of those folks, and within earshot, too.
I mention this last to you, because Fred was worried the bike wouldn’t make it, so he was yelling at young Fred, “Faster, Faster!†Loud enough to be heard above the engine noise. “Faster, Faster!†echoing across the mountain. They did make it to the parking lot, where a bunch of frowning people were standing around waiting to see just who this evil madman was, making a young boy push him up the mountain.
“Boy did I get a lot of dirty looks!†said Fred.
Fred wasn’t an evil guy, though, he wasn’t even MEAN; and he never had a bad word for anyone, ever (even if they deserved it!) .
In the years that most of us have known him, the last decade of his life, it turns out, when Fred was a full-time motorcyclist, criss-crossing the US, attending all the BMW rallies, there was never a time that he had anything but good cheer for anyone that he met. And he met everyone! He counted among his friends University Presidents, groundskeepers, heads of state, truck drivers, German ambassadors, geologists, waiters, booksellers, BMW designers and mechanics, magazine writers and network news correspondents….and all of us in this room. He was often critical of the work these folks did, I must say, but he always had good words for them personally. And he had their respect, too.
My wife, Emilie, understood Fred from the moment they met. “He’s an inventor!†she said. And they spent some interesting times together talking about that over the past few years. Fred Tausch invented a life for himself that allowed him balance, travel, a way to constantly meet new people and make new friends. He invented a way out of the materialistic dead-end we have created for ourselves in this culture – he beat the system! - and instead he lived on ideas, thrived on them. His datebook, found after his death last week, where he wrote down where he would be, who he was seeing, what event he was going to next, was filled-up right to today.
A lot of us thought Fred was FRUGAL, to put it mildly; but what he WAS went far beyond that: Fred Tausch was a rebel. He was fully conscious of what he was doing outside the mainstream of American life. He was the embodiment of freedom, a term that I would say has been somewhat devalued of late. He lived his life as an experiment, and each day was a new test to see just how far he could go on brains and heart alone. Not on somebody else’s money, not on government largesse, not on the newest thing. He was focused, self-contained, and even though, in the end, his heart let him down, his experiment was a huge success.
I have some notes here, 35 pages of them, comments and pictures posted this past week on the Yankee Beemers’ website by some of the people who knew Fred. In these notes are remembrances of first meetings, of Fred talking people through fixing their bikes, how famous Fred was among people all over US, of Fred winning the “Most Free Advice†award a couple years ago at the Charter Oak Rally in Connecticut. There’s also a lovely story from the MotoLit site, and the first look at a remembrance of Fred that Victor Cruz has written about “Fred the Storyteller†that will appear later this month in the Yankee Beemers’ Boxer Shorts, and in the national BMW Owners magazine. I’d like to give these to Fred’s children, now. And just say to them “Fred was our friend, he was so much fun, thank you for letting us have him all these years.â€
Long Live Fred Tausch!
Jeff Stein, YB
19 FEB 05
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Thank you for that! I will have to dig out the photo I took of his bike that day.
So that dates my meeting him to August 2004, Heath BMW/Guzzi rally. I am glad I went.
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/kipiE5/20160820_154205.jpg) (http://ibb.co/kipiE5)
TEST . . . my 1970 R50/5, #2900510, 510th one made 01/70. looks great from 10 ft. away :wink: has the button that was optional for the R50, added brown side stand, cush drive, MAC mufflers replaced rusted originals. can't bring myself to sell it. . .yet . . .
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I know this is dangerous, but here goes... When I was with my girlfriend hitchhiking to Banff in 1970, standing at the cutoff to Chief Mountain, (we were Glacier Park Employees, on the road just past Babb, Montana), a motorcycle drove up and stopped. The guy was on a long road trip and needed a break. He got off the bike and started up a conversation. His bike was a brand new BMW R 50/5, and he had plenty of gear... a terribly nice fellow. That was the first time I ever saw someone on a long road trip on a bike, and waves of envy flooded over me. Ever since then I have wanted that bike, but have never owned one (24 and counting now). I have been doing a search for equivalent BMWs for quite a while now, but have never found one... or lost out in the bidding. Any leads? a 1970 or 71, 500 or 600 would do. Basket cases or running, As long as it has the big tank (I don't like toasters). Now, as I said, this can be dangerous, for I have loads of projects right now... but what the hell? Lee Oh... the girlfriend didn't last, sadly, but the desire for a small BMW sure did.
https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/mcy/d/bmw-r75-5-rare-european/6212782845.html
search is your friend , this one is a long wheel base, 750cc which is the same bike as 50/5 or 60/5 but with a more generous motor.
seen this one at this shop, great condition...price seems high to me but ...who am i to tell ?
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/mcy/d/amazing-1971-bmw-r75-5/6248600615.html
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Lee,don't know if bought the yellow /5 but another just popped up on north jersey cl.. 1973 r75/5 at $1k.
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Lee,don't know if bought the yellow /5 but another just popped up on north jersey cl.. 1973 r75/5 at $1k.
This one? :shocked: Needs a lot of work. Lee has said he doesn't want an R75/5, only an R50/5 or R60/5.
(https://images.craigslist.org/01717_fTjNJp0yWmr_600x450.jpg)
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Less
Ask for John. He is the owner.
http://www.bluemooncycle.com
They have some nice bikes!! For example... :thumb: :1: :cool:
(http://thumb.ibb.co/cKWVXQ/Screen_Shot_2017_08_24_at_9_13_21_AM.png) (http://ibb.co/cKWVXQ)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/g2W8K5/Screen_Shot_2017_08_24_at_9_13_34_AM.png) (http://ibb.co/g2W8K5)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/ghg8K5/Screen_Shot_2017_08_24_at_9_14_08_AM.png) (http://ibb.co/ghg8K5)