Back to the Future on BMW’s Classic R51/3

There is no better way to go back in time than to ride into the past. Ducking under the wind with boxer engine blazing, it felt of 1951. And that is the exact year that the machine I’m riding was manufactured – all original, in mint condition, as preserved in the bountiful storehouses of BMW Classic, Munich.

You’re allowed to ride these things? Isn’t there some law of the universe that ensures all works of art remain in the galleries, and all artifacts stay in the museums? Apparently not, as I was pleasantly surprised by a BMW executive from Canada. “We’ve made arrangements for you; you can choose between seven different classic vehicles to drive for the weekend.” The list was lengthy and legendary from the Isetta 300 of 1962 to the BMW 3.0 CSi of 1973. There was only one motorcycle on the list, and it stood out immediately. An uncorked Remy Martin Louis XIII. An untouched classic in glossy black paint. Love at first sight.source