Description
This motorcycle is Lot 160 of Bonhams Motorcycles Online – The Summer Sale; open for bidding 5-15th June 2026. This Lot is available for public view and eventual collection from Bonhams Motorcycle Department, Milton Keynes.
Please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Bidding on all Lots commences Friday 5 June, 12:00 noon.
Bidding closes Monday 15 June, 12:00 noon, starting with Lot 1
Each subsequent Lot will then close one minute apart unless bidding remains active.
Public Viewing (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY):
All Lots:
Wednesday 10 June, 9am - 5pm
Thursday 11 June, 9am - 5pm
Please email using the button below with your availability to schedule an appointment.
Lot 160
The Connoisseurs Collection, Part III
c. 1955 BMW 245cc R25/ 3
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. 320637
Engine no. 320637
This Lot has arrived in the UK from overseas under Temporary Admission. Shippio Ltd must complete all post-sale customs clearance administration, for import or export, on behalf of the purchaser. A compulsory fee of £195 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this service. This Lot may not be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any third-party transporter until Shippio Ltd has confirmed that this Lot has cleared customs.
If this Lot is to remain in the UK, or is not exported within 90 days of the sale, Import VAT at 5% of the hammer price will be payable.
BMW's first new post-war model, the 247cc R24 could traces its roots back to the R23 of 1938. Developed from the 198cc single-cylinder R20 of 1937/ 38, itself a development of BMW's best-selling R2, the 247cc R23 was produced between 1938 and 1940. The reintroduction of a 247cc model had been prompted by changes in German licensing laws, which had removed the favourable concessions previously enjoyed by machines up to 200cc, instituting a new up-to-250cc category instead. Powered by an overhead-valve engine producing 10bhp, the R23 came with a four-speed gearbox and featured shaft drive like the larger models. Weight with a full tank of fuel was 297lbs and the top speed around 60mph. Its R24 successor arrived in 1948 looking virtually unchanged but producing an additional 2bhp. In mid-1950 the R24 was superseded by the R25, which featured plunger rear suspension but was otherwise very similar. An improved R25/ 2 version was introduced during 1951 incorporating a stronger crankshaft and minor revisions to the front mudguard stays and seat springing. Built between 1953 and 1956, the final R25 variant - R25/ 3 - featured a new telescopic front fork, full-width alloy hubs and alloy wheel rims as the principal upgrades.
Presented in older restored condition (the engine turns over), this R25/ 3 features Pagusa tandem seats and currently displays a total of 1, 117 kilometres on the odometer (presumably since restoration).
Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/ or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
£1, 500 - 2, 000
All lots are sold ‘as is/ where is’ and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
