To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Taj Ma
Garaj Collection event, 28 September 2019.
Estimate:
$5,000 - $10,000
- BMW R60 powered by hopped-up VW flat-four
- A mechanical marriage of two German automobile giants
- Make a statement at any motorcycle gathering
Volkswagen's compact flat-four engines have a habit of showing up
in the most unusual places. There is one in an experimental Porsche
tractor at a museum in Austria, which to the average enthusiast may
seem far more logical than tucked between the frame of a 1967 BMW
R60 motorcycle.
Yet to Dallas oilman Lee Fikes in the fall of 1967, nothing made
more sense. Using a VW engine, Fikes surmised, would not be enough.
He'd modify it into what was essentially a Porsche motor and
finagle it into the BMW he bought new in 1967 to ride to the
Yucatan Peninsula for his honeymoon. Fikes, who counted working on
a Sherman tank as one of his hobbies, was not deterred by the fact
that the VW engine would more than double the displacement of the
boxer-twin originally installed in the rugged BMW motorcycles.
"With a Porsche engine, you'll be way out in front," Delbert
Needler, who had already installed a VW engine in his BMW
motorcycle, advised Fikes in one of many letters the two exchanged
as the build commenced. Eventually, Fikes located a 1,500 cc VW
engine, installed Thomas Tomahawk valve covers and various other
performance parts, and christened his creation the Fikobike. The
custom creation terrorized the streets of the tiny Highland Park
enclave where Fikes lived. Eventually the bike was passed to
another local enthusiast, who gushed in 1998 that it sounded like
an Offenhauser Indy engine as it barked at idle.
This well-documented creation is offered to its next caretaker in
stunningly preserved condition with extensive service and parts
receipts, as well as correspondence between its former owners.
Please note that this lot is offered on a Bill of Sale only.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/tg19.