I have a soft spot for vintage BMWs of almost every stripe, and that includes the two-wheeled variety. The post-war years saw BMW emerge as a fledgling company looking to rebound from the devastation of WWII, and its motorcycle lineup was a sign of things to come as it related to the sporting nature of its products. These were not high-horsepower machines, but the early days of BMW vehicles placed a greater emphasis on handling over raw power, and this 18-horsepower 1965 R27 is a perfect example of this approach. Find the garage-find bike here on eBay where bidding is at $2,600 with no reserve.
The seller of this R27 routinely has a crop of barn- and garage-find vintage motorcycles up for grabs, and he seems to have an eye for finding desirable machines in restorable condition. This R27 is cosmetically tired but some might also call that patina; regardless, you can certainly use it as-is once the mechanical bits are refreshed. BMWs were clearly built differently, with a variety of engineering features that stood out from the crowd. The Earles front fork was one of them, along with front and rear swing arms.
I just love the more intricate details on these bikes, like the gauge cluster. This is a jewel-like feature, along with the chrome gas cap and pronounced taillight design. This motorcycle had been with the same owner since 1978 before the seller got his hands on it, and he notes that the BMW is truly numbers matching, with the engine number, frame number, and VIN plate all telling the same story. However, while it looks largely complete in the photos, the seller notes he found it with the engine and other parts removed, including the air box, battery box, seat, and tank.
Parts are also said to be missing, including “… nuts, bolts, bushings, covers, key, etc.,” according to the seller. This box of spare parts is included but I doubt there’s anything super desirable in here. This R27 is a project and it’s always worrisome to read it was torn down to an extent and not put back together until it was time to move the bike to a new location. The seller acknowledges that it’s somewhat loosely assembled in the photos and that the engine doesn’t have any internal components installed at the moment. It’s a project but this R27 appears worthy of being rebuilt.
The seat is large, like the price.
There was an R26 & R27 which were similar except I think the R27 had rubber engine mounts to remove some of the single cylinder vibration.
Note the hinge in the mudguard just above the rear taillight. It is to raise the rear section of the guard up to allow easier removal of the rear tyre if you get a flat. Also, the front and rear rims are the same so you can “rotate’ the tyres to even out the wear. Both rims have an internal spline in them to fit the spline from the crown wheel drive.
Can you make a chopper out of this?
Can’t say that I’ve seen a chopped single but I’ve seen a boxer that was done up. Looked okay but a V-twin defines a chopper…
Probably the smallest shaft-driven bike you’re going to see along with the R26.
Stored outside for considerable time, based on appearance; before or after having been disassembled haphazardly.
Not all long-term owners are conscientious owners.
I’d like to think it could be saved, but between cosmetic issues, corrosion on the hubs and probably the head bearings, and the cost of finding missing parts…and with the engine in pieces (empty shell in the frame) a rebuild would be the only prudent route. That’s a lot of work/money, and for what is really a low-performance 250. That shaft-drive is going to soak up a considerable amout of engine potential.
The best use for this one…cleaned up…would be a display model. Save the parts for any future assembly, on the off-chance that interest develops.
Yes, got to agree…these small, single cylinder BMWs of that era are of limited appeal. but they were very high quality machines compared with the contemporary machines on the market at the time, and the singles share a lot of parts with the much more valuable R50/60/69 range though.
Well, like the monkey said as he peed on the cash register, “that’s gonna run into some money”.
Ricky, I purchased my 1959 R60 in 1970 and still have it. I have followed the sales of some BMW cycles and have come to the conclusion that they are worth more in parts than complete cycles as that is what appears to happen to some of them.
Another change? What’s the “Report-comment” stuff?” Anyways, I like the bike. I’d probably like it better if it had the full boxer engine. Beemers have got an image and the vertical single kind of irritates that. Now, all that said, I saw one of these running a Wankel engine. That was a sight that gave me nightmares; I couldn’t unsee it!
@geomechs – The new “report” feature was just put in place so we don’t have to moderate hundreds of first-time comments every day. The old rules are still in place – No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.
If you like going slow, this is your bike!
Sweet! I own 1 in Black. The Dover White I believe is more sought after. Fun little bike to cruise around town. I’ve even seen some with a sidecar although I’m sure that will make it a lot more anemic than it is stock. Note the counter clockwise speedo. That’s a conversation piece by itself. And don’t forget the R25 (pre-1955) There are still some parts available, but it’s certainly not like an old Honda.
I thought of the sidecar also but when you look at the frame, the ball that is welded to the frame on the right hand side that attaches to the sidecar is missing.
As a fellow R27 owner, I can attest to the build quality and absolute fun of this motorcycle. She can do 60….but prefers 45-50 all day long. Wonderful bike for the hilly part of PA (Amish country) where I live. Dover white was available….but I am sure it was on less than 10% of the bikes sold….