1931 BMW Motorcycles

This 1931 BMW R11 was refurbished under previous ownership and acquired by its current owner in 2022. Subsequent service performed at Classic Motorcycles of Oceanside, California, in April of that year included rebuilding the transmission and carburetor, disassembling and inspecting the top end, replacing the battery, and touching up the paint. The bike is powered by a 745cc side-valve opposed-twin paired with a hand-shifted three-speed transmission and has been refinished in black with white pinstriping. Features include a pressed-steel frame, a Drilastic solo saddle, a rear luggage rack, an exposed driveshaft, a leaf-spring fork, 19″ wire-spoke wheels, an expanding drum front brake, a contracting band driveshaft brake, a SUM carburetor, and a dual exhaust system with vented fishtail mufflers. This Series 3 R11 is now offered at no reserve on dealer consignment with a clean California title. The bike has been refinished in black with white pinstriping and features a 3.1-gallon fuel tank mounted between the upper spars of the riveted pressed-steel frame as well as a Drilastic solo saddle with dual coil springs. Additional equipment includes valanced fenders, a pedestrian-slicer number plate, black rubber knee grips, a rear luggage rack, a Bosch-lens headlight, a taillight, cast alloy footboards, and a center stand. A Bosch FD6A electric horn is affixed to the upper-left fork blade, a toolbox is contained within the gearbox casing just below the kick-start mechanism, and a tire pump is mounted on the right-side frame rail below the seat. Paint touch-ups were performed in April 2022. Wire-spoke 19″ wheels with black-finished rims are mounted with Barum Polar front and Firestone Phoenix rear tires. Braking is provided by a 200mm single leading-shoe front drum and a right-heel-actuated 55mm contracting band acting on the driveshaft. The bike’s sole suspension consists of a leaf-spring trailing-link fork. A chrome handlebar equipped with bar-end hand levers and Continental grips sits ahead of the key-handle adjustment knob for a friction-plate damper in the steering stem. Instrumentation consists of a VDO 160-km/h speedometer inset atop the fuel tank and a five-digit odometer that shows 20 kilometers (~12 miles). True mileage is unknown. The 745cc side-valve opposed twin was factory rated at 18 horsepower and is equipped with a 24mm SUM carburetor, a Bosch magneto, and a low-mounted dual exhaust system with vented fishtail mufflers. Service in April 2022 included disassembling and inspecting the top end as well as rebuilding the carburetor and replacing the battery and spark plugs. Power is sent to the rear wheel through a dry clutch, a rebuilt hand-shifted three-speed transmission, and an exposed driveshaft. The bike scored 100 points in Junior First judging at the 2022 Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) Fort Sutter National Meet.