Post Listing Update: This R52 sold for $24,100 after 30 bids on eBay, however it looks like the sale fell through as it was relisted and then pulled off of eBay “because the item is no longer available.”
Designed to be a tourer, the BMW R52 featured a 486cc boxer twin that generated 12 horsepower. The three-speed transmission had just been redesigned for this model, during a time frame when BMW was constantly making changes. Due to this, BMW switched to pressed-steel frames by the end of 1929, meaning the rare R52 was produced for just two years.
BMW’s owner manual for the R52 has a foreword that begins with: “We have always endeavoured to obtain not only efficiency and reliability for our machines, but also absolutely simplicity, and the result is that any child can learn to ride a BMW.”
This example (VIN: 495327) has not run in 15 years, but the seller notes that the engine turns freely and there is compression in both cylinders. He bought this machine from Blue Moon Cycle in December of 1998 and says that it previously went through a “mostly cosmetic” restoration. There are several mechanical issues of varying severity laid out and the seller states that “if you are expecting a 100% restored machine that is ready to ride–this one is not for you. If you have a hankering for a prewar BMW, are looking for a beautiful example of the R52, and don’t mind some further mechanical restoration to make it roadworthy, you have found it!” I appreciate how upfront he is, and I hope that the next owner decides to make it a runner again.
Find this R52 for sale in East Hampton, New York with bidding up to $23,026.11 and the reserve already met here on eBay.