World's First Superbike - Page 2

funhouse · 06-30-2007, 04:04 PM

Home again......a picture of the bike at the Mobile Tradition Museum in Munich with Arturo Pineiro and Fred Jakobs in attendence.....no vintage racer ever landed in a more secure resting place.....My wife and I were, and remain, thrilled.

funhouse · 06-30-2007, 04:09 PM

New Life! Last year BMW took #83 to England to attend the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed -- one of the most prestigous vintage motorsports events in the world.......with a member of the museum staff up, the bike thrilled the crowds with it's booming exhaust note -- and was then returned to the museum's new halls to await its next day in the sun......folks, it can't get any better than this!

Thanks for the time (and the space) to tell the story that Cycle World gave me a half page to tell a couple years ago.......

funhouse · 06-30-2007, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Hombre

I saw the article in Cycle World a couple of years ago about you and this bike. With the race poster on the wall.

You should get in touch with Ken Augustine up in Marin county. That was his bike to wrench on. He told me some interesting stories about what they did and how he would do it better today.

Bike's back in Munich, isn't it?

Where did you find a Michelin PZ-2 front tire?

I wrote the CW piece......and Michelin got tires and the needed stickers to me during the restoration-- and Ken's likely just as interested in talking about old BMW race bikes as I am.....building wooden boats is more interesting now......Bruce

Bigger Al · 07-01-2007, 08:16 AM

Thanks for sharing this story, Funhouse. I'm a great admirer of what the American BMW race team was able to do with an anvil like the R90. The story in Cycle World left me wanting much more info on the bike and the way in which it "went home" to Germany, and this thread had made the light shine brighter.

gweaver · 07-01-2007, 08:40 AM

I don't know anything about vintage racing or BMW bikes, but that was beautiful. Always a good thing when something with history is saved, restored and preserved for the future. Well done!

Side note- I've seen it from the other side of the fence- with far less history. My first bike was an 83 Interceptor 750. Ran in to cam chain problems (again) after I'd put 40K miles on it (bought it with 12K). I sold it to buy a ZX-9R, and didn't look back until I visited the Barber Museum. They had a restored Interceptor there, and I've been kicking myself ever since. Last I heard, the guy I sold it to rode it for a couple of years and got rid of it. No idea what happened to it. Wish I could track it down and restore it.

G

Jeffro115 · 07-01-2007, 09:05 AM

Cool tale

Caddy82rats · 07-01-2007, 12:51 PM

Great bike and work
Happy to see this part of motorcycle history born again

AntonLargiader · 07-01-2007, 01:41 PM

Hi B,

The pics I took of your bike at mid-Ohio that weekend are in a photo album here:

http://www.largiader.com/83/

Just some detail shots to help my memory in the future...

funhouse · 07-01-2007, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntonLargiader

Hi B,

The pics I took of your bike at mid-Ohio that weekend are in a photo album here:

http://www.largiader.com/83/

Just some detail shots to help my memory in the future...

Anton: Good pix! I wonder how that valve cover got the scrape on the TOP side! Geee....my bike hadn't been crashed, right? Thanks for the reminders and that weekend will alway represent the high-point in my life as an enthusiast. Bruce

honcho · 07-01-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funhouse

Thanks for the time (and the space) to tell the story that Cycle World gave me a half page to tell a couple years ago.......

Thanks for sharing it with us! What a treat.

jehu · 07-01-2007, 06:38 PM

Does it still have the double lower fork clamp? I think I can see it.

funhouse · 07-01-2007, 06:43 PM

Indeed it does......and Anton's detailed photo study of the bike also shows other era-engineering: at Riverside in '77 the bike wobbled nastily going over the bump in turn 1.......late Saturday nite before the race, Johnny decided the swing-arm was flexing on the drive-shaft side......looking around for reinforcement material, he settled on three BMW tire irons which he welded to the swingarm. No word if it worked....

Suncoast · 07-01-2007, 07:10 PM

Thats a great story , you must feel very proud of your efforts to keep the old girl around all this time, you did the right thing BMW will take good care of her.
Thanks for telling us all

Renegade6 · 07-01-2007, 07:54 PM

Nice post and a nice bike. I bought my first BMW from Johnny.

tomfarr · 07-01-2007, 11:02 PM

Fantastic story and pictures! Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

06-30-2007, 04:04 PM	#16
funhouse ^OP Overdue Joined: May 2007 Location: Santa Barbara Oddometer: 3,044	Home again......a picture of the bike at the Mobile Tradition Museum in Munich with Arturo Pineiro and Fred Jakobs in attendence.....no vintage racer ever landed in a more secure resting place.....My wife and I were, and remain, thrilled. Attached Images funhouse screwed with this post 06-30-2007 at 05:09 PM

06-30-2007, 04:09 PM	#17
funhouse ^OP Overdue Joined: May 2007 Location: Santa Barbara Oddometer: 3,044	New Life! Last year BMW took #83 to England to attend the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed -- one of the most prestigous vintage motorsports events in the world.......with a member of the museum staff up, the bike thrilled the crowds with it's booming exhaust note -- and was then returned to the museum's new halls to await its next day in the sun......folks, it can't get any better than this! Thanks for the time (and the space) to tell the story that Cycle World gave me a half page to tell a couple years ago....... Attached Images funhouse screwed with this post 06-30-2007 at 04:18 PM

07-01-2007, 08:16 AM	#19
Bigger Al Still a stupid tire guy Joined: Oct 2004 Location: Auburn, CA Oddometer: 7,270	Thanks for sharing this story, Funhouse. I'm a great admirer of what the American BMW race team was able to do with an anvil like the R90. The story in Cycle World left me wanting much more info on the bike and the way in which it "went home" to Germany, and this thread had made the light shine brighter. __________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln

07-01-2007, 09:05 AM	#21
Jeffro115 Redemption. Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Pittsburgh (Brookline) Oddometer: 4,162	Cool tale __________________ Danger is one thing. But danger plus extreme discomfort for long periods is quite another.

07-01-2007, 01:41 PM	#23
AntonLargiader Beastly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2003 Location: Charlottesville, VA Oddometer: 3,460	Hi B, The pics I took of your bike at mid-Ohio that weekend are in a photo album here: http://www.largiader.com/83/ Just some detail shots to help my memory in the future... __________________ Anton Largiader largiader.com BMWRA.org

07-01-2007, 08:40 AM	#20
gweaver Wandering between rooms Joined: Aug 2005 Location: Sonoma County, CA Oddometer: 1,261	I don't know anything about vintage racing or BMW bikes, but that was beautiful. Always a good thing when something with history is saved, restored and preserved for the future. Well done! Side note- I've seen it from the other side of the fence- with far less history. My first bike was an 83 Interceptor 750. Ran in to cam chain problems (again) after I'd put 40K miles on it (bought it with 12K). I sold it to buy a ZX-9R, and didn't look back until I visited the Barber Museum. They had a restored Interceptor there, and I've been kicking myself ever since. Last I heard, the guy I sold it to rode it for a couple of years and got rid of it. No idea what happened to it. Wish I could track it down and restore it. G

07-01-2007, 12:51 PM	#22
Caddy82rats Beastly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: South France Oddometer: 1,075	Great bike and work Happy to see this part of motorcycle history born again

07-01-2007, 06:38 PM	#26
jehu ∩HƏſ Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Vail,AZ Oddometer: 2,961	Does it still have the double lower fork clamp? I think I can see it.

07-01-2007, 06:43 PM	#27
funhouse ^OP Overdue Joined: May 2007 Location: Santa Barbara Oddometer: 3,044	Indeed it does......and Anton's detailed photo study of the bike also shows other era-engineering: at Riverside in '77 the bike wobbled nastily going over the bump in turn 1.......late Saturday nite before the race, Johnny decided the swing-arm was flexing on the drive-shaft side......looking around for reinforcement material, he settled on three BMW tire irons which he welded to the swingarm. No word if it worked....

07-01-2007, 07:10 PM	#28
Suncoast Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2007 Location: West coast B.C. Oddometer: 447	Great Tale Thats a great story , you must feel very proud of your efforts to keep the old girl around all this time, you did the right thing BMW will take good care of her. Thanks for telling us all

07-01-2007, 07:54 PM	#29
Renegade6 Studly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2004 Location: Ft. Riley, KS Oddometer: 820	Nice post and a nice bike. I bought my first BMW from Johnny. __________________ Brandon 1993 BMW R100GS

07-01-2007, 11:02 PM	#30
tomfarr Adventurer Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Indianapolis, IN Oddometer: 20	Fantastic story and pictures! Thanks for taking the time to put it together. __________________ "life's a bitch, and then you reincarnate" ~ me

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