BMW R-27

The legendary German snot brand BMW built a single tiddler model consistently from prior to World War II until 1967. The company sold the R-23 250cc single prior to WWII, but Germany was forbidden from manufacturing motorcycles immediately thereafter. The ban was lifted a few years later and BMW released its R-24 model in 1948. The hardtail R-24 was replaced by the R-25 with plunger-type rear suspension in 1950. The 1956 R-26 brought a real swingarm rear suspension, the Earles-type front fork, a foot shift, and a fully enclosed driveshaft.

The 1963 brochure pictured here is an example taken from the center of the production life of BMW's last traditional, shaft-drive single. The R-27 was introduced in 1960 and continued through the 1966 model year. Changes from the R-26 were minimal. Its eighteen horsepower numbered three more than the previous model, but it was still offered only in black and white and rode all over. You may recognize that clever phrase from the magazine advertising of the '60's. The black paintjobs with white pinstriping were by far the more common, so the rare few painted in white with black pinstriping are highly sought collectibles. Remember that snot I mentioned? The R-27 at $849 + TTL was considered the Cadillac, uh, Beamer of the tiddlers of The Sixties. Although any Hawk or YDS-2 could blow it into the weeds, there's no price like a BMW price.