You wouldn’t be stretching the truth to suggest that Scott Rabeler became a BMW motorcycle enthusiast and collector by happenstance. He likely wouldn’t have ended up with a basement workshop and a barn in Sharon filled with eight BMW models, both recent and vintage, had dealers selling other brands been better stocked or shown more interest when he walked in their door. And he certainly wouldn’t have purchased and customized a 1987 BMW K75 model, creating the one-off café creation that he’s been happily riding round the Litchfield Hills since spring.
Eleven years ago, a year before he retired as a high school principal, Rabeler decided to return to street riding after a layoff of two decades. He bought a 2013 Yamaha WR250R dual sport but soon he felt the need for a larger model. So, he went shopping.
When dealers selling other brands either failed to have a suitable model in their inventory or ignored him because of what he rode in on, he turned to the German brand BMW. The 64-year-old Rabeler now owns six classic Beemers. In addition to the K75, there’s a 1952 R67/2, a 1959 R60, a 1976 R75/6, a 1980 R80RT police model and a 1991 R100GS.
His modern BMWs are a 2018 R1200GSA and a 2021 R18. (He also had a dog named Beemer.) He acquired the K75 three years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic from a friend in Salisbury.
“It was in nice shape. Everything worked on it,” said Rabeler, recalling that it came with another 1987 K75 for parts and enough other parts to fill the bed of a pickup. The tab was $2,000.
“They’re wonderful machines and they’re cheap,” he said of the K75. “I don’t think people value them anymore. They’re really beautiful built bikes.
” Rabeler spent two years – with one year off – turning the K75 into a café model. He changed the color from blue to bright red. He took a custom solo seat with red leather to replace two-person original saddle.
He painted the frame and rims red and he took the engine from silver to black. He added forks and front brakes from a 2014 BMW R Nine T, along with LED lights. Rabeler installed a digital instrument cluster along with a keyless ignition via a CAN Bus that controls the starter, horn, turn signals, and security system.
“There’s no key. My phone is my key,” he said, referring to an app on his phone. He also installed a sportier exhaust and a rear rack — “to carry the dog.
” While Rabeler didn’t disclose how much he has invested in the revised K75, he acknowledged, “It was a lot more than I planned on spending on it.” The café project was a challenge. “It was harder than restoring a bike because with restoring you know exactly what you have to do or you can ask somebody how it’s supposed to be,” he said.
The result is a model that’s “a little more forward than the original, more rider forward” with rearset foot pegs. “I had to move things around a lot. It was fun.
” Rabeler is pleased with his creation even if some other BMW owners have questioned his conversion. “I’ve got about a thousand miles on it. It’s a rider.
It rides great, with modern suspension,” he said. “I’ve had a few people say ‘You’ve ruined what was a beautiful bike,’ but in my opinion it looked like an old man’s bike.” Oil drippings.
.. Waterbury Kawasaki dealer Land N’ Sea Powersports has added the GasGas line of dirt and dual sport models to its showroom, becoming the third GasGas dealer in the state.
“We’re a pretty big off-road and racing dealership,” said owner Bob Tiso, calling GasGas a complement to Kawasaki “because it fills the gaps.” GasGas is owned by Austria-based Pierer Mobility AG, which makes also makes KTM, Husqvarna and MV Agusta motorcycles..
. The future of the cruiser market is certainly debatable. Second quarter results from Polaris issued Tuesday reported the sales of Indian motorcycles “were down low 20s percent” from 2023.
Harley-Davidson followed on Thursday reporting that its sales were down a mere one percent in North America in the second quarter but “up slightly” in the United States thanks to a more than 12 percent increase in sales of its expensive touring and CVO models. The brand’s evolution into a niche luxury brand seems to working from a revenue standpoint, although Harley-Davidson’s overall decline over the past 10 years is still stunning. The Milwaukee-based manufacturer has seen its U.
S. sales go from 267,999 motorcycles in 2014 to only 98,468 in 2023..
. And, finally, if you’ve ever been curious about the Italian-made Moto Guzzi brand, Hamlin Cycles in Bethel is hosting a factory demo truck today. The new Stelvio, V100 and V85 models will be available for test rides between 9 a.
m. and 4 p.m.
Riders will need to have a valid motorcycle license, proof of insurance and proper riding gear. Bud Wilkinson writes about classic cars and motorcycles every Saturday in the Republican-American. He may be reached by email at budw@ride-ct.
com..
