The 40th Anniversary celebration of the R 65 LS and R 80 GS from 18-22 September 2019 in Harleysville, Penn., will be the third and final visit for Hans A. Muth, Udo Gietl, Tom Cutter and other guests as we gather to celebrate Hans’ final design work with BMW Motorrad.
Special invited guests include:
- Hans A. Muth, Designer of the R65LS, R80GS
- George “Schorsch” Martin, assisting Hans Muth, longtime friend and owner of largest BMW dealership in Germany
- Udo Gietl (pending), who may offer a presentation or just decide to kick some tires with the gang, give advice and sign autographs
- Tom Cutter, worked with Udo Gietl’s race team in 1977-78 and also worked at Butler & Smith, instructing and writing shop manuals/procedures; Tom currently operates his own BMW repair and parts facility, The Rubber Chicken Racing Garage.
- Dr. Gregory Frazier, who will give a colorful presentation covering his many globetrotting trips around the world on “Ugly Helga,” his R 80 GS
- Armand Ensanian, author of Discovering the Motorcycle: the History, the Culture, the Machine, giving a presentation on the history of BMW Motorrad from the early days
- Karl Myers, BMW Master Mechanic for over 30 years, will offer a comprehensive tech session with visual aids
- Bob Henig, owner of Bob’s BMW; he will bring two special R 80 GS motorbikes
Highly acclaimed and talented artist as well as avid vintage BMW rider, John Ritter is currently working on designing one or possibly two commemorative posters for this event. John also designed the special commemorative poster for a recent R 90 S anniversary event; his collection of BMWs includes an R 90 S, R 80 GS, R 69 S and several others.
The itinerary is not set in stone, but the plan is generally as follows:
All attendees are welcome to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday (18-19 September). There will be camping on site with portable toilets and shower(s). Event organizers are working with local hotels for discounted rates.
Thursday can be a day to relax and unwind, or attendees can join guided or self-guided tours on nearby scenic country roads. Thursday evening, enjoy chili and brats or hot dogs and sauerkraut while watching motorbike movies on the big screen in the pavilion with your friends or while gathering around the campfire and listening to tall tales of incredible proportions.
Friday and Saturday will be filled with presentations from all the special guests. There will be a 50/50 raffle both days, door prizes, autographs and catered dinner both nights. Evenings around the campfire or watching movies in the pavilion or swapping stories at the campsites. Alcoholic beverages will not be provided, but feel free to bring your own as long as you drink responsibly.
Sunday we will be celebrating the 13th annual Das Motorrad Vintage Fest. This will include vintage motorbike enthusiasts of all marques not just BMW. Hans Muth and/or George “Schorsch” Martin may give a presentation, which will be followed by a Bavarian BBQ presented once again by Master Chef Alphons Schuhbeck. Those from the rally may join us if they wish or sign up for the Museum Tour in nearby Skippack Village, guided by Curator Mike Casale.
By the way, Hans and Schorsch, owner of the largest BMW dealerships in Germany, have been collaborating for several months on a special highly-classified project just for this anniversary event. This will be an extremely rare opportunity to witness an exclusive presentation regarding the development of the R 65 LS and the R 80 GS never before revealed to the public.
Todd Trumbore’s 50-year collection of vintage motorbikes and related items will be on display and open for perusing. Vendors will be selling commemorative shirts, hats, posters, signs, decals, medallions, coins, banners, cloisonné pins, etc. If you wish to be a vendor or sponsor, please contact Todd directly, he will be very accommodating! (send email to Todd)
At least one, possibly two and maybe even three professional photographers will be on site shooting candid and staged shots during the entire event. One will be bringing a camera drone for aerial photography.
A website for this event is up at r80gs.org and will be the best source for up-to-date information and instructions on how to register for this event. Attendance will be capped, so register before May 31st to take advantage of the early bird pricing.
