Classic Velocity

Right there, between the doors of the two door garage, in a pair of cubby holes designed to fit them, were a pair of Krausers. This is one of the irrefutable signs of an interesting garage. Someone was using every available space. Someone had taken the time to adapt or construct something in an unused space, to house luggage for a vintage motorcycle. You don’t do that unless you care. Someone cared. If you cast your eye about the suburban garage, you would glimpse a Wixom fairing, and red Brembo brake calipers behind Fuchs wheels, and a 2 into 1 exhaust for a /5, and a 2 into 2 exhaust for a 911 SC, and 2 R100RS tail sections, and DOT race tires hanging from the ceiling, and a 915 gearbox, and lots of other stuff. Stuff that someone might need if he really liked machines from Germany of a certain era, that had air-cooled horizontally opposed engines. He does. The number of wheels that touched the ground could be 2, or 4. Either is fine, some of both is better. This is our kind of someone.

These things are scattered around 2 Porsche 911 SC cars parked nose to tail with one punched through a wall at the back of the garage so they could fit, and a BMW R1200GSA. And lest you think that is the only “encroachment” into the house, there is more. A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I had a VW beetle engine in my kitchen. I rebuilt it over a month in the winter. A few years later, I had a slash 5 I was repairing on a tarp in my apartment for the entire winter. Both were before marriage. Since then, efforts have been redirected toward getting adequate heat in the garage. Not someone. He has managed to put 6 motorcycles into a carpeted fully climate-controlled room of the house, and his wife is fully aware. We don’t know what kind of a deal had to be cut to get this to happen. Better not to know.

The lineup includes an R69S, an R100RS, a /5 toaster, an RT cafe conversion, and an R90S. All are nice, none are pristine. Some high mileage, a few need work. A few have unique tail racks, or fairings. All have a story. One took a very long time to find. Another was owned, sold, and then owned again. We can relate (see repeat offenders and recidivism). The walls are adorned with posters and pictures. If all the bikes were show quality, this would be an eccentric arrangement. Since they are mostly “riders”, this space is a real coup. We met many years ago, at a 2 wheeled event, and neither of us had any idea that there was more than BMW motorcycles in common, until we met again at a 4 wheeled event. This is our kind of someone.

Back to the garage, one of the SCs is being transformed into a street legal “Driver’s Education (DE)” car. It has the engine out, roll cage in, rear seats out, coilovers in. It is the winter project. Another set of wheels is the rear of the garage next to the drill press and the miniature lathe. The SC has a Wevo shifter, modified guage package, dual oil coolers, 5 degrees negative camber, Kirkey seats, 5 point harness, etc. It will feature a Kronenburg engine management system from the Netherlands. Cool stuff. A year ago someone did his first DE event. Someone is on the slippery slope.  This is our kind of someone.