1969 R69

[richard t]

Did they make a US model of the R69 in 1969? BMW of OKC has one and thinks it's rare. They only want $18K for it.

[Garnet]

I'm not sure when they where actually made, but yes there was a 1969 R69US. The rarest ones where grey, green or blue, followed by red. And they where black as well. I'm sure someone will have the actual numbers.

What made them rare is that no one at that time wanted one.

[Duane Ausherman]

Did they make a US model of the R69 in 1969? BMW of OKC has one and thinks it's rare. They only want $18K for it.

The last year for the R69 was in 1960. However, they may be referring to the R69S. In 1969, very few were made, as most were the R69US with the telescopic forks. If it is truly a 1969 R69S, with Earles forks, then it is quite rare.

I would take a very close look at it, as I can only remember seeing a few, maybe less, of them in all of those years.

I do know that one of them was foreign delivery to an American.

IF it has telescopic forks, then it isn't rare at all.

[richard t]

Thanks guys, The bike at OKC BMW doesn't have the Earles fork it's a R69US

[Duane Ausherman]

The production was going down and down towards the end of the /2. So, bikes sold were not many, but nearly all of the R69S models were actually the R69US version. It is only rare in the sense that sales were way down and probably only a few hundred were sold in the USA in 1969.

For me, that isn't rare. Richard, thanks for making me dredge up old memories.

[Kurt in S.A.]

My Spring '68 build R69S (Earles fork) was sold at a dealer in December 1968 as a 1969 model. It was bought in Germany by a US soldier and brought to the US. The long time between build and sale might suggest not much demand for the /2 bikes or specifically the Earles models. The economy in Germany was also not doing well in the late '60s which probably translated to less extra cash to buy motorcycles.

Kurt in S.A.

[Flatwins]

The prices on the old bikes certainly has gone up in recent years but I don't think I'd entertain the idea of a $18k R69US. It would have to be pristine and original to bring that kinda dough. I'm an Earles man myself.

[Major Softie]

Yeah, I'm an Earles man as well. If it's really really nice, it's certainly worth 10k or more, but. as far as I'm concerned, that 18k would have to be a very low mileage original to be worth that kind of money .

[CVA-42]

The Barrington Motor Works /2 Manual shows the following production figures for the /2 run: R50/2 - - 19,036, R60/2 - - 17,306, R69S - - 11,317. The US model production figures are respectively shown as 401, 1879, and 1003.

[Kurt in S.A.]

There's a note in the Barrington manual that indicates the US production numbers are an estimate and probably included in the non-US production model numbers. The manual says that, eg, the 401 R50US units are probably already part of the 19036 number given for the R50/2. Kind of like here:

http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/specpages/R50us.htm

BMW didn't do a good job of separating the different production numbers.

Kurt in S.A.