Post-Sale Update: After 16 bids on eBay, this BMW/Steib hack sold for $16,000.
Built over four years, the R51/3 was introduced in 1951. It was one of the first bikes BMW released after they were allowed to start creating motorcycles post WWII, so they took one of their pre-war designs and evolved it to prevent having to start from scratch.
The 494cc four-stroke twin yielded 24 horsepower, good enough to move the 419 pound bike up to 87 miles per hour. This example was acquired by the seller in 2004 when he/she was in Turkey. He rode it for over 2 years and then stored it in a barn in Texas until last year, after which it started smoking on acceleration. Fast forward a few months (and $4,800) and the this beauty got a full top end rebuild with new OEM pistons, rings, pins, and clamps, and the cylinders were bored to the 3rd oversize. In addition, the carbs were cleaned and bhte bike got new engine oil, battery, and tires, in addition to some other work.
The sidecar is a S350, the middle of Steib’s lineup. This sidecar was created in the 1930s and was best suited for bikes displacing at least 350ccs. It features a spring suspension and of course, the iconic ‘bullet nose’ styling. Find this R51/3 for sale in Dayton, Ohio with bidding up to $9,900 and the reserve not yet met