This fully restored 1954 BMW RS 54 factory racer was one of the first racing motorcycle designs to come out of Germany in the post-war period.
With its 45hp, DOHC 500cc boxer two-cylinder engine, gear-driven solid-shaft final drive, no chains and Earles-type front fork, the RS 54 sported some of the most advanced technology of the era. And all that engineering showed on the racetrack, with BMW factory riders winning multiple Tourist Trophies and sidecar world championships. Only 24 examples were produced in the 1954 model year, making the RS 54 a rare milestone in the history of motorcycling.
This RS 54 was restored to its current condition and configuration by former BMW factory racer Kurt Busch in the mid-1980s, which saw the engine, gearbox and driveshaft of Gustav Pape’s World Championship-winning motorcycle transplanted onto its frame.
The rebuild of the RS was made with purpose, and certain success, as Kees Koster, motorcycle enthusiast and racing driver, rode the RS 54 in the 1998 Centennial Classic TT in Assen, Netherlands, as homage to his 500cc championship attempt on a BMW Rennsport.
