ENGINE 198CC M67A SINGLE CYLINDER
OUTPUT 6 HP @ 3,500 RPM
CURB WEIGHT 286 LBS.
TOP SPEED 59 MPH
PRICE WHEN NEW RM 975 ($230)
YEARS PRODUCED 1931-’36
NUMBER BUILT 15,288
COLOR BLACK
OWNER JACK WELLS (SINCE THE MID-1990S)
LOCATION LAKE CITY, FLORIDA
#P17824
1931 R 2
BMW responded to the Great Depression with the R 2, a single-cylinder bike with a 198cc engine that exempted it from road tax and licensing requirements. The pressedsteel “Star” frame—built with technology adapted from automobile production—gave the bike a high-end look that belied its affordable price. A first-year model, the R 2 seen here has BMW’s only exposed valve train. Purchased by Jack Wells in Germany in the 1990s, it won Best in Show among motorcycles at the 2011 Amelia Island Concours.