Before I go any further maybe I should explain that I learnt to ride in the thrash it ‘til the world moves game of schoolboy motocross. If the bike didn't scream it wasn't being ridden properly or it had seized. Dad's teutonic toy had other ideas and the change was rather pleasant. The bike itself was a green example of 1978 vintage and had been picked up for a miserly four hundred quid. I say miserly because it had been stored for three to four years and had only clocked up some 7000 sunshine miles. One of the silencers was a bit rotten and it needed a good clean, but once attended to it proved to be in outstanding condition. A pattern silencer, costing around £35, got it back on the road. The first lesson of BMW ownership: genuine items are expensive, and from what I've seen and heard they aren’t worth the extra outlay.
I've always subscribed to the theory that the only way to appreciate a bike is to ride it as far and as often as possible; and I did. The first journey I did was a round trip of some 600 miles. Two Wicked were immediately apparent. One, that you could thrash the motor as hard as you liked and it didn’t do any good. I suppose it would do just over 90mph flat out, but if you kept to around 70 or 80 on a motorway it would stay there all day with no complaint.
The second thing I noticed was the fuel consumption. Even with two people on board, neither of us small, it was the most fuel efficient thing I’ve ever ridden. To illustrate the point let me tell you a little story. On the motorway back from Gloucester to London we had been close to flat out all the way, having had about half a tank of petrol when we started out. Just before Heathrow we chanced upon a hapless DR who‘d run his out of juice, so we stopped and drained close to half a gallon (hope you got home OK). We then carried on and didn’t hit reserve until Hastings - some 60 miles south of London. A five gallon tank and a stingy bike are pretty useful (I think that works out at about 80mpg - Ed).
The handling, on and off motorways, is superb once you get used to the back end of the bike rising under acceleration due to the shaft drive. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it is one of the best back road scratchers I've ever ridden solo or with a pillion! I still can’t get the pegs down and believe me I've tried! Overall comfort is excellent with the riding position suiting my five foot six frame perfectly. Taller riders might not find it so good but I wouldn’t know cos I'm short. The seat is fine over any distance for both rider and pillion.
Unlike the larger R65, the baby BM' has only a single disc at the front. The lug is left free on the other fork so you could fit a second caliper if you really wanted, but the braking is more than adequate as standard. Tyres should last a lifetime on such a mild machine - the Metzelers that came with the bike don’t seem to have worn much, anyway, in the several thousand miles that I’ve put on them. The lighting and electrics have proved to be totally reliable with the headlight being infinitely better than its size would indicate.
Now to the bad points, if you can call them that. After a while all BMW flat twins seem to leak oil somewhere. The R45 leaks from a seal behind the clutch at the rear of the engine. It’s not serious if you keep an eye on the level but since I happen to be a complete mechanical gorilla that particular job will get left to father for fear of paying BMW prices. The carbs go out of balance at the least excuse and the left-hand carb floods on this one, occasionally covering the floor of the garage in petrol. Several strip downs have failed to find the cause. The handlebar switches seem to be fragile; the indicator switch drops off when least expected; hand signal time. Apart m these minor quibbles everything else is of the quality expected from such an expensive bike.
If you can find a R45, which aren’t as rare as some people would have you believe, then seriously consider it. It won't top a ton and it is a bit heavy but it is economical, it does le well and it is a cheap BMW. I'm still a bit of a boy racer at heart, but I like the R45 so much I think Ill buy the company with the money that I manage to save in petrol.
Jim Izzard