The BMW Rockster was an interesting variant on their naked bike of the time, the R1150R. The Rockster was BMW’s take on a streetfighter of sorts, made by pulling together the headlight from a R1150GS, gauges from the R1100S, and throwing them onto the R1150R with a distinctive paint job.
In 2004, BMW introduced the dual-spark version of the oilhead engine, which this bike benefits from. Benefits were claimed to include improved fuel economy and emissions, with no drop in power. This bike is truly a mongrel, raiding the BMW parts bin from various models. Like other BMWs of the time, it was heavier than the competition, though that paid off when it comes to high speed stability. Despite the streetfighter looks, this bike was still quite civilized. It’s ideal for those who enjoy eccentric looks but at the heart of it, want something refined. As you can imagine, there aren’t many of those personalities that find themselves riding motorcycles very often, and sales were limited. Bonus points if you can find one of the ultra-limited 80th anniversary editions, which were mechanically identical but came in a black/white paint scheme instead of the usual black/copper or black/lime green.
This specific BMW Rockster is well set up for touring with an extra low seat, Laminar lip sport screen, Danmoto Y-pipe cat eliminator, tail bag, seat pad, BMW hard cases and Rox pivoting bar risers. I’d just dump the charcoal canister and enjoy as is.
Find this BMW Rockster for sale in Elizabeth, West Virginia for $5,000 here on ADVRider (registration required).