BMW twins of the 1950s and 1960s are considered some of the most rideable classic motorcycles of all, and even a long road trip can be undertaken with relative confidence. Even today, something like a 1967 BMW R50/2 would still be up for such adventures, even with a sidecar. For years, little had changed with the boxer twins, and that included the Earles-type leading-link front suspension with hydraulic damping.

Now, though, BMW created the R50US, which used a telescoping front fork developed in endurance racing. It provided 8.4 inches of travel and sufficient resistance to dive to make the Earles fork obsolete. The air-cooled, overhead-valve horizontally opposed 494cc twin produced 26hp at 5,800 rpm, and when the rider flattened out over the tank the top speed was 87 mph (62 mph with a sidecar attached). The R50/2 accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 10.3 seconds, which was at least as quick as the average six-cylinder, midsize car of the day.

With a bore and stroke of 68 x 68 mm and a low 7.5:1 compression ratio, the boxer twin was fed by a pair of inclined 24mm Bing carburetors. Unitized construction mated the engine to the four-speed gearbox, and of course there was shaft drive. Like its R60/2 and R69S siblings, it had a six-volt, 60-watt Bosch electrical system with magneto, as electric start was still a few years away for BMW motorcycles. Tank capacity was 4.5 gallons, but an oversize 6.5-gallon tank was available. More than 2,600 1967 BMW R50s were produced.