This is, admittedly, not the most beautiful R60/6 you’ll ever see in your life, but it appears to be in pretty good condition, the seller says it runs, and, most importantly, it’s an R60/6. I often daydream of owning one of these.
The R60/6 was the smallest of BMW’s /6 models, produced from 1974-1979 (the others being the R75/6 and R90/6). Powered by a 599cc boxer twin, it promised 40 horsepower, which, by modern standards, perhaps doesn’t seem like much.
In fact, the last time an R60/6 appeared on Bike-urious, back in 2017, Abhi observed that its relatively low power output “might not make it the most suitable option for a full tourer.” But, of course, it is. Elspeth Beard rode an R60/6.
If you don’t know the story of Elspeth Beard, she was the first British woman to ride a motorcycle around the world. Setting off in 1982, she relied upon a 1974 BMW R60/6 that she crashed a handful of times over the next few years, but it still got her back to London in 1984. She still owns ─ and regularly rides ─ that R60/6.
I’ve long been a fan of Elspeth. To the extent that I spent some time trying to convince my wife that we should name our daughter after her. I was unsuccessful in that endeavor, so I suppose the next best thing would be to own an R60/6 of my own.
This particular model looks in good enough condition that it could handle a trip around the world (assuming you’re quite mechanically handy), and isn’t so pretty that you would be upset by the scratches and dings that such an adventure would bring.
Your journey starts in Rutland, Ohio, where you’ll find this R60/6 for sale for $3,500 here on Facebook Marketplace.