BMW RENNSPORT RS54

The 1956 BMW Rennsport RS54 is a great example of what the Germans can achieve when they get their heads together and decide to go racing against the Brits and the Italians.

The bike itself is an engineering marvel, the frame is entirely lug less and is made from welded oval-section tubing. The swingarm housed the driveshaft behind its 5-speed gearbox, the front forks were a remarkable design patented in 1953 by the Englishman Ernie Earles, whose design was exceedingly light and much stronger then traditional telescopic forks.

This unique BMW Rennsport RS54 has a distinctive Bartl-style ‘duckbill’ fairing, the duckbill was thought to split airflow around the fairing and improve the “slipperiness” of the bike as a whole. The DOHC engine was advanced for the day and is directly traceable as one of the forefathers of the modern, BMW boxer engines.

This Rennsport is to be placed for sale at the upcoming Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction with Bonhams on the 10th of January 2013, it’s estimated that it’ll sell for between $145,000 – 165,000 USD, which seems pretty reasonable considering how much history this bike contains between its wheels.

Check out the official lot listing here.

from SILODROME

The ABCs of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

FROM

 

There are many, many reasons we attend AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The bikes, the swap meet, the racing and the overall atmosphere created by motorcycle enthusiasts is an experience we don’t wanna miss. We were fortunate to have worked with the good folks at the American Motorcyclist Association to help convey the vibe of VMD (see the video at the end of the post). After going through our pics, here’s an alphabetical and photographic rundown of why we love attending this event.

And, if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a vid we put together to give you a taste of the sights and sounds of VMD:

Honda CB750 Named Motorcycle of the Century by Motorcyclist Magazine

Motorcyclist Magazine is celebrating their 100th anniversary and they thought it would be appropriate to choose a "Motorcycle of the Century," which turns out to be the 1969 Honda CB750. They call it the bike that changed everything, which is exactly what I said, several years ago. Good choice.

There are lots of memorable motorcycles that created waves over the years, many people have their own favorites, but it was the Honda CB750 that rearranged the entire motorcycle market as soon as it came out. They offered comfort, reliability and performance, all combined into a single package at a great price. Competitors stood there, slack-jawed, as they watched their own product mix get stale overnight. I wrote about the dramatic transition of the Harley Sportster fromperformance king to bar hopper and Harley's decision to immediately forfeit the performance title, pretty much without a fight. Kawasaki responded with the Z1 and the market took off, but it was the CB750 that made it happen.

In recent weeks the price of pristine early CB750s has been moving up rapidly, probably helped a bit as word of the magazine's choice got out, but the Honda has always been a great bike to own and ride and if you have the room, it's a good one to put in the garage along with anything else you might have. The aura seems to have transferred to other classic bikes of the period, too, and quite a few models are selling at a premium to what they were bringing only a short time ago. They've been once again identified as "collectible" and money is rolling in, trying to find the next big thing in an otherwise stagnant market. I had a few things to say on the subject some years back and it's worth thinking about again.

So, congratulations to Motorcyclist magazine for 100 years and congratulations to Honda, too, for the CB750, the bike that changed everything.

by PAUL CROWE from thekneeslider.com

IN 2013 : ...... SCRAM Africa !