Vol. 1 No. 4
APRIL 4, 2021
RECENTLY SOLD
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1971 was very early in the first “superbike” era. That year only the Honda CB750, the Kawasaki triples, the Laverda 750 twin, the Suzuki GT 750 triple, the Ducati 750 GT, and the Norton Commando existed, and the last four, only barely. The big superbikes were still on the horizon, the Kawasaki Z900 and the Laverda 1000 triple. Thus, the MV Agusta really ruled the roost and this example is one of the finest. Gorgeous to behold, glorious to listen to, and grand to ride. The business in 1971! Read the full report
It is not known to me who first nick-named the bevel 750 SS, “green frame.” It must have been an American for someone from Britain would have called it “blue frame” if they had chosen the frame color for a nick-name in the first place. The same duck egg is called duck-egg blue and duck-egg green depending on your origin! No matter, this hallowed example can be considered the benchmark. It is mindboggling in its beauty no matter what color you think of. Read the full report
A remarkable BMW… ride, service, and ride some more.
What’s truly remarkable about this lovely Dunkel Blue (code 558) BMW R80G/S (G for Gelande/off road and S for Strasse/street) is that each of its five owners were of an identical mindset. Buy, enjoy, service, ride some more and here comes the lucky bit, sell to another owner with similar goals. Over nearly 40 years. Remarkable.
Before I remind you of how the R80G/S, even for a BMW, is honored with special status, let’s go through the roster of this bike’s owners.
First sold into BMW’s home market it was brought to North America from Hamburg arriving on June 18, 1984 by Peter-Gunnar Timm of Davis, California. It was next registered to a Rodney C Chew of San Francisco on October 13, the same year. Then there was a Jeffrey Bagley of Chalfont, Pennsylvania on December 12, 1998; a Richard Rockey Kay of Sonoma, California on March 15, 2005; and a Jeffrey Rogers of Lawrenceville, New Jersey on March 29, 2017. Currently registered in New York by owner # 5 – license plate # 83SZ97 with 2020 tab – it is available once more. But only if you are of the same mind set!
The service history file is full up with receipts that bring it up to date as a fully functioning R80G/S that runs so well it’s hard believe it’s not new. Of course, it’s 39 years old. It needs nothing mechanically and aesthetically. No motorcycle, dear reader, is perfect but this BMW gets darn close. And R80G/Ss in this condition are mighty uncommon.
The R80G/S was launched on September 1, 1980 in Avignon, the “City of Popes,” France… “The BMW R80G/S is designed as a leisure instrument with universal applications. The motorcycle’s sporty features and high performance in daily use will open a new dimension in traveling by motorcycling. The R80G/S is comfortable while touring, fully passenger capable, and has the capacity to carry all necessary luggage.” So read the first press release.
BMW could not have imagined the impact this simple, handsome, focused model would have on the world of motorcycling. It started, single handedly the now fully understood adventure motorcycling category where the two letters G and S mean “let me pass.”. 50 horsepower, electric starter, single-sided swingarm, three-bolt rear wheel fixing, “universal” tires that could run over 100mph on the street or trail, fully gassed up a weight of 191 kilograms. That’s “421 pounds in American.”
The bike’s excellent patina remains after a life of timely maintenance and recent painstaking recommissioning. Remarkable. More photo here
DETAILS:
Frame #6255867
Odometer reading 30,484 miles
New York registration 83SZ97, 2020 tab
Aftermarket wire-mesh cover on headlamp
Right side orange-plastic hard case pannier
bore 84.4mm, stroke 70.6, 797cc air-cooled boxer twin
50hp at 6500rpm, 8:2 to 1 compression ratio
twin 32mm Bing carburetors
5-speed
FOR SALE
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Excellent. 11,785 miles with original details and high quality repainted parts. This example was produced in 07/79 and has the engine case seal as well as the original tires, rims, brakes, shocks. Read more
ON THE BENCH
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MOTO BORGOTARO 1975 LAVERDA 750 SFC ENGINE
It was in the spring of 1975 that I saw my first Laverda engine service taking place. Back then, at least in the UK, enthusiastic owners were not banned from the workshop where their motorcycle was being worked on. I watched UK Laverda importer Slater Brothers, Roger himself, undertake the first service on my 1974 750 SF2. What struck me was how quick he was…I realized later that it was because the engine was a straightforward design with a minimum of fastener sizes, easy to get at and simple, strong and built of quality materials in addition to Roger’s obvious skills.
The second time I took my SF2 back to Roger he insisted that I should, instead of watching the servicing process again, ride his white police-spec. 750 GT. I took it to “BSA” Birmingham for lunch, and back, and had a wonderful time. That bike still exists, fully restored, having sat for 20 odd years and not in the best spot.
My next engine “experiences” were at Phil Todd’s Motodd and then Lance Weil’s shop, Rickey Racer, one in south London, the other in Costa Mesa, California. And then there was the factory RGS assembly line in 1983 but that’s for another time. Next came Minnesotan Steve Ferree race prepping this SFC engine in the late 1980s. Steve was a gas flow genius. He did wonderful work and his log includes a recorded 130 mph on the Daytona banking with me at the helm and a second place in a vintage race on the streets in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Regrettably, I cannot watch Peter Boggia disassemble this engine, once more, in his Brooklyn shop. He can, of course, send me photos and even a video. So far, I rest comfortably in the fact that after perhaps a dozen AHRMA Formula 750 races and several others out of that network, my engine is still showing its quality. Here’s hoping there’s another 45 years before it’s in need of its next rebuild. Peter’s quality will see to that.
—Tim Parker
