I’ve been happy with the Deauville as a training bike and had no immediate plans to change. But sometimes things come one’s way that prompts a change of direction. Such was the case last week when I was on holiday in France. Our host is a bike enthusiast and had just bought a Laverda Mirage. I was in his workshop lusting over this machine (I had a Laverda once and never fell out of love with the marque) when he unveiled a beautiful R80R that was now surplus to requirements. The price he is asking is right. The bike is in excellent condition having been thoroughly renovated – and I do have an ongoing love affair with the BMW boxers. This model was the swansong of the airhead boxers and only having an output of 50bhp is nicely soft tuned for training rides with CBTers.
So, we’ve done a deal.He’ll be delivering the bike at the end of the year giving me time to find a buyer for the Deauville. I’ll be sorry to see the Deauville go as it’s done sterling service this past two years, but an R80R is just too good to pass up.
Ah! A happy story, for once. It’s nice when something that makes you so pleased just occurs by chance or co-incidence.
Enjoy – when it comes!
A R 80 R? What year? From riding boxers the two that stick out in my mind are the R65 from the mid eighties, a superb wet weather bike and the same decade R 80 GS, still my only choice of older boxer twin. I have ridden the newer 8 valve R series and also found the smaller engined one a brilliant town bike.
1993/4 it’s on an L plate. The R was a naked airhead and they only made about 3,500 of them before ceasing production of the air cooled twins. So it’s a bit of a rarity and the 800 was always a sweet engine.
Pics here:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=bmw+r80r&rlz=1C1CHWA_enGB597GB597&biw=1371&bih=680&noj=1&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=SWT_U4TJK4PgapL4gNgD&ved=0CCIQsAQ
Thanks for the link, I remember the one! As it was the last of the line it will be the most sorted but probably the least desired. Very good motor in the 800, a genuinely usable bike. I just sold a bike something completely different though. Despite it’s very unoriginal state I got a good price for it. ( http://youtu.be/KwmdfyPU_tM )
Indeed. At that time, I bought an oil cooled RS, so barely gave this one a second glance other than to think that it was a nice machine, but not what I was looking for.