Author: Over The Line Magazine

By Dan Rodarte, Photos by Jason Guy www.jasonguyphotography.com

Riding, and building Café bikes started for me in the mid 80’s in San Francisco. You might say I had the time of my life living and riding in the City, my hometown. My brother-in-law turned me on to BMW Airheads; he had been riding these peculiar bikes for some time. It was inevitable that I’d soon have my own. I combed the classifieds and found an ‘81 R65. It was love at first sight. It was also my first motorcycle. I had no clue how to ride. I went to the school of hard knocks as far as riding lessons go. Continue reading “Dan’s Mango Tango Café Racer”

By Adam Arcane

Fellow riders, this isn’t meant to be a complete history by any means.  Rather just a simple general progression of BMW cycles from the beginning that might whet your appetite for vintage bikes, either as riders or investments.  So kick back, maybe grab a pint, and take a look at a thumbnail history of the marque we ride, and many revere.

Photo: 1925 R32, by Steve Smith

Back in post WWI Germany, the economy was reeling from the devastating blow caused by the punitive Treaty of Versailles.  Many scholars agree that this punishment, which may have been appropriate at the time given the heinous war that destroyed much of Europe, led directly to the phenomenon called National Socialism via the ruin of the German economy.  Continue reading “A Little History of Motorrad”