Interesting that the stars of the show rejected it because it was priced too high at $9K, not because it was an obvious fake. The prewar brake and clutch levers alone should have raised some red flags.
Not quite correct. BMW was not allowed to build any large displacement motorbikes during that time period. However, a few R51 twins were assembled from spare parts and sold "under the table" for cash. Those bikes had engine and frame numbers, but those numbers don't show up in the BMW production archives. And yes, the Chinese replicas are annoying, especially when somebody slaps BMW emblems on them. But it's like killing cockroaches - - - even if you succeed, more will always pop up. There are better ways to spend time, like riding.
Look Beater, I've never doubted the collective wisdom of the group. I simply asked if someone has personally looked at these in closer detail. The sad part is that I live about an hour from this seller and it is in an 'economically depressed' area. I've been trolling the CL Inland Empire for years and have found many real, underpriced bargins from folks selling their stuff. Believe it or not, there are also towns in the IE that are trying the gentrification route too. For years, people put ocean containers, antique cars and boats in their large fenced yards to rot. Cities are now cracking down on this and requiring clean up. People now need to get rid of their 'junk' or face stiff fines.
if we stopped all the "gilding of the lily" regarding cl motorcycle listings, we'd be looking at six listings per state, per day. and that might be a little optimistic. caveat emptor.
I may not understand, but why should I worry about this for more than a fraction of a nano second? Does this affect me in any way? Why should I care? I don't get it. (Maybe the fact that I peruse CL less than once a month and have never encountered such a thing keeps this issue off my radar.) Just curious.
[hijack on] [rant on] And there's the problem. What "people" should do in such cases is revolt in the strongest possible way. New laws are fine for new peeps, but it should be unconstitutional for any bunch of little demi-gods to inflict their whims on anyone who does not agree to it, and that includes raising taxes on any "established" properties for anything other than maintaining the level of service in effect at the time of original occupancy of the property. Need a new, larger school; more water; increased sewage treatment capacity? Charge it to the peeps who cause the need, the n00bs. Many years ago, Vagina Beach instituted a surcharge called "sewer maint" added onto water bills that had nothing whatsoever to do with sewer maintenance or usage (examples: water supply $15.26, sewer maint $18.97; water supply $15.26, sewer maint $19.28; water supply $19.24, sewer maint $18.66; water supply $9.95, sewer maint $18.35; water supply $13.93, sewer maint $18.35; water supply $13.93, sewer maint $19.59. That's the entirety of the bills for 1988 in reverse order. Yes, I still have my tax returns from 1988, and earlier). What it was was a tax to subsidize the expenses of developers so that they could overbuild cheaply and cause established residents to have to spend countless extra hours on their commutes to and from work because new or expanded roads had not been built and the existing arteries were clogged to the point of gridlock. Yet when election time came the charlatans cried, "We did not raise your taxes." Liars! Same thing with your "gentrification" crap. A bunch of bleedin'-hearts who do not care whose lives they trample in their drive to create their own little Utopia. You (general "you," not quoted poster 'you") want it your way? Found your own damn town! As long as "you're" not aiming to crap in my rice bowl, Peace, Out! {To OP, I realize this has nothing to do with faux BMWs, but it has everything to do with liars, crooks, and thieves, and I believe that's what we're talking about.) [/rant off] [/hijack off]
BMW does not care about any bike made prior to the oilheads. They live in their own little universe and are very happy there. Let buyer beware.
Well I have one. And for what I use it, driving the kids and dog around town, it is great. It always need tinkering to get it to run and that it's also one great things about it. I do not try to sell it off as a R71, just ask any of the old skool rally guys. It is what it is, a bad copy of a R71. Have I told John Doe on the street that it is a BMW when he ask, yes. But only because I do not want to get into a long discussion of what it really is. Do I tell the motorcycling public it's a Chang, you bet. Is the BMW name so sacrilegious, I don't think so. it's a bike for god sake. So if any of you guys decide to show up at the OLD School rally, I will give you a ride on my 1938 R71 Kung Fu version
A friend of mine posted this on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...370482471964&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:MOTORS:1123 Here are the three best things about this bike... #1 It runs! #2 Clear Florida tile in Hand. Bike is in Los Angeles with me. #3 It is inexpensive because I don't want it anymore! Now here is a very long list of what is wrong with it. Transmission needs repair. It is almost impossible to find third gear. There are no grinding or crunching noises while shifting or riding. I have been told it is a shifter fork problem, but it has not been opened to verify this. It jumps out of first sometimes too. It is missing parts: The gauges, the ignition switch, the horn, the left control switch, and I am sure lots of things I forgot. It needs almost every consumable part like: both tires, the chain, both drive sprockets, fork seals, brake pads, a new battery, and I am sure the list goes on. It is UGLY in a rented redheaded step mule sort of way. Surface rust but no rot through. Multiple bad paint jobs. Bad chrome. Please look at the pictures. Know that the bike looks worse in person. This should be considered a rolling, running, basket case. It is ideal if you are looking to do a bobber from the ground up as it does run good. It starts right up on the electric leg and settles into a nice idle right away Not a smoking belching POS. It has good numbers and papers. That way you avoid special construction paperwork and the headache that comes with it. The bike is located in Los Angeles. Email me if you want to come see it. I prefer you see it before you bid. It is probably not worth shipping, but I will cooperate with the shipper you set up and pay for. I will deliver it to Forward air, or Titans for an additional $50.00 $500.00 due via paypal or cash within 48 hours. The balance within a week via paypal or cash in person. The deposit is non refundable. This is not an invitation to look at it and haggle. Your bid is a contract. Ask your questions early, I work odd hours and my schedule is subject to change. The bike is for sale locally and I reserve the right to end the auction early based on a local sale. I will not do so if the reserve price has been met. In that case, it will run its course and go to the high bidder. Reserve is set under the LOW buy it now price. Think hard about this one, it needs work. On the other hand you know what you are getting by my description and pics so at least there is no BS with it. Think about it. And it sold in 1/2 hour!
The CJ-750 is a Chinese version of an R-71 (not an R-12 as you pictured). A Chinese CJ-750 (and a Rooskie M-72) and an R-71 are virtually identical to the untrained eye. They can be made almost indistinguishable. The easily identifying factors (though not always) are CJ's have re-inforced gussets near the rear plungers, a distributor lump on the side of the engines (but early ones don't), and larger 22ℓ gastank instead of a 17ℓ tank. Mostly, too, CJs have the knee pads on up-side-down if they have them at all. And R-71's won't have blinkers.
BMW never even contested Russian M-72's even while they probably had a valid complaint before the statute of limitations ran out. Part of the reason is that the Soviet M-72 was probably a licensed copy of the BMW R-71, although neither side will admit it.
