1953 BMW R-Series

535289

Clear

1953 BMW R 51 / 3..........VIN : 535289..........Odometer reads: 76705..........Matching #'s in all three places! This motorcycle was owned by a family member who was forced to terminate his motorcycle enthusiasm due to the relentless aging process, complicated by increasing health issues... Since his subsequent passing, we have been, very slowly, placing the contents of his shop back into circulation for the benefit of his widow... We may not have all of the answers, but we will do what we can to encapsulate our recollections and observations to the best of our ability... That having been said, the following observations represent the downside of things as we see them..........Although the kick starter depresses smoothly, and seems to show plenty of compression, this bike has not been ridden, much less started in several years, and may require a little TLC to get it to fire up... The custom in our uncle's shop was to always to put bikes away properly, ie: drain the tank, disconnect battery leads, etc. etc. etc... Unfortunately, when we uncovered this bike, we found a bit of fuel in the tank, which of course, has turned to varnish, so the inside of this tank will have to be professionally blown out and cleaned, and even, perhaps, recoated...We tried to drain the varnish, but upon opening the fuel tap, nothing was released, meaning that the fuel tap is gagged with varnish... The tank appears to be dent free, and only shows a bit a modest wear. A bit of scuffing, but nothing more. The tool box hinge, however, will eventually need to be replaced. The lid is basically held in place by the factory hex nut at the top of the lid... The headlight bucket appears to be in perfect shape, but I believe it is not the original, and is probably a replacement from a later year... The chrome, overall, is certainly better than serviceable, but the speedo bezel is a bit pitted, and the handle bar risers are flaking a bit... The sheet metal, front and rear, and the fender stays, are all straight and true, but the rear fender has a couple of tiny dings down low, and the front fender has a sizeable dent in the back, up high, where it looks to have collided with the top of the crash bar... The back edge of the saddle has some weird sort of scrape, and surprise, surprise, the battery is dead, and the tire pump is missing... The rims look great, but the spokes have a bit of pitting, and have been touched up with silver paint... The tires look like new, but can't possibly be so, so be advised... The following observations represent the upside of things as we see them..........Matching numbers, 535289, in all three places!... It would seem that this motorcycle would be a great candidate for "getting it up and running now", to ride, and as a really fine restoration candidate, for later..... As mentioned, when the kick starter is depressed, there appears to be plenty of compression, and the push rod tube rubbers appear to be relatively fresh, indicating that the top end may be somewhat fresh as well?.... The front fender has one of those cool, curved identifier plates... There is a heavy gauge headlamp guard surrounding the headlamp ring... The left headlamp ear has a British registration roundel... The header pipes are complete with heat shields, and the exhaust system finishes off with a pair of very stylish fishtail silencers... A single piece "crash bar" is in place, and in pretty good shape... The handle bars are tipped with a pair of older, British stadium mirrors. The left glass is flat, and the right glass is wide angle... In the passenger quarters, there is a "like new" Denfeld passengers pillion... Farthest to the rear, you find a very cool, and somewhat rare, "Heckuies" heavy duty folding parcel rack..... Two modern reproduction items would include a pair of leather panniers, and a diminutive drivers wind/fly screen... An added bonus for California bidders would be a period perfect, Ca. yellow on black license plate, albeit restored, with the correct 53 metal tag in place, along with the registration risers... When deciding if this motorcycle might be for you, please make no mistake, it is not in mint condition... It looks pretty good in the photographs, but there is an unquestionable patina of age and use present.......... PLEASE do bear that in mind if you plan to engage in the bidding process ...................This sale / auction goes forward AS IS / WHERE IS, with no warranties or guarantees either expressed or implied... The shipping and / or transport is to be the sole responsibility of the buyer, however, I will be happy to assist in the coordination and / or logistics..... For interested parties with 2 or less positive feedback, please contact me in advance of bidding..... All others with 2 or less positive feedback will be blocked or deleted Thanks for looking!... And have a nice day