1968 BMW R60US Motorcycle

Description

Some 20,133 of these 600 cc shaft-drive, opposed twin R60 (1956-1960, 28 hp/21 kW), R60/2 (1960-1969, 30 hp/22 kW), and R60US (1968-1969, 30 hp) were built. These models, except for those with the "US" designation, were designed primarily as rugged motorcycles to pull sidecars (mounting points were built in) and had duplex tubular steel frames. In the United States, all these Earle's-fork and US-fork (i.e., telescopic fork) models from 1955 to 1969 are often lumped together as "Slash-2" BMWs, even though that is technically incorrect. Not all have the "/2" designation. In 1968, BMW introduced telescopic forks on some of its slash-2 models, and they were continued into the 1969 model year. Earles fork and telescopic fork models both were manufactured for these two years and were available to customers. During the 1960s, very few motorcycles were available with shaft final drive. BMW's were the most common. The driveshaft rode in an enclosed oil bath within the right swing arm, unlike BMW's previous models, and drove the rear wheel through an internally splined cup that meshes with a coupler crown gear keyed to the drive pinion. The front brakes were double leading shoes, and the rear had a single leading shoe. Tires, front and rear, were interchangeable in 3.50 inch by 18 inch size. A variety of saddle styles were available for these motorcycles. Those delivered in the U. S. typically were supplied with a single "dual" or bench saddle, either the standard size or a wide version that came with chrome rear-quarter passenger handles. Ask any motorcyclist what he considers to be the two-wheeled equivalent of the Rolls-Royce and you will almost certainly be told "BMW".The BMW has attributes that make it unique, and it has acquired a reputation that makes it a "prestige" motorcycle - even among people who ordinarily don't give two wheelers a second glance. These earlier models are keenly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts the world over, renowned for their advanced engineering features.