Thinking about buying this R80 Beemer

I was perusing craigslist and saw a 1977 R75 Beemer for sale at $2900. It was a pretty good looking bike so I gave the owner a call and we talked for a bit. I asked him who did his "rebuild" that he claimed on the ad and it turns out to have been Pete Homan of Bavarian Motorworks West!

This got me to thinking, I called up Pete Homan and asked him if he recalled working on the R75 and sure enough he did. He called it a fair price for such a bike and that it could probably roll to 100,000 miles with no major issues.

I asked Pete if he had any similar bikes for sale half-jokingly and damn but he did. He had a 1987 R80, fully serviced, ready to go. Long story short, I left work a little early and drove over there in the cage to take a test ride on this motorcycle.

She's a beauty, isn't she?

She felt light as a feather when compared to my R1150RT and is a bare bones bike compared to all the fancy gadgets/fairings and such that come with a 2004 R2250RT. No ABS, no fuel injections, heck, no gear indicator!

I took her for a brief ride in the neighborhood streets near Pete Homan's shop. She accelerates good, brakes very well, very nimble and light in my hands. U-turns are pretty easy as well and my feet reach the ground easily when stopped with a bend in the knee still present!

So, I left her with Pete, and resolving to think it over tonight. My loving wife has given the go ahead since I've got my Army annuity coming in next month. That and she knows the funk I get into when I don't ride enough.

The plan right now is she becomes the spare/commuting motorcycle...specially in the summer. Her lack of fairings will allow the air to hit my mesh kevlar better and hopefully keep me cooler while riding to/from work. Maria remains my long distance steed, I hope to have her back perhaps by the end of the month. The estimate is $4335 including labor! Presently waiting for the insurance company to approve the repairs.

Tomorrow could be the day I become a two motorcycle owner....stay tuned.