Pictures of Willy Neutkens' fabulous BMW collection in the Netherlands

Pictures of Willy Neutkens' fabulous and unimagineable BMW collection

About Willy Neutkens :
Willy Neutkens was born in 1925, two years after the first BMW motorcycle was made. He ran a dealership in the Netherlands, which he passed on to his children in the middle of the 1980's. He has been collecting BMW bikes starting in the early 60's, with an R66 that he still has. He does all the restoration work on the bikes himself, apart from the welding and paint. For him, it was a daily job from 8.30 in the morning until 8.30 in the evening, at least when he was not out on a trip, as he still covered a respectable 40.000 km a year on a new R1150R. In 1980 he was a participant in the Paris-Dakar rally on a Yamaha XT. The collection is essentialy complete, apart from the R37. Besides that one, all the air-cooled boxers ever made are there, as are the singles, including the elusive R39, of which only a few remaining examples are known. Not all the yearly variations within one model are represented though. Willy Neutkens passed away on October 3rd 2008. His death is not only a severe loss for his family, but also for BMW adepts around the world. A source of knowledge and expertise, and additionally a kind man, always happy to explain anything to everyone about his collection and the machines in it, has left us.
Technical stuff :
The pictures on this page were taken with ambient light on Fuji Superia 200 ASA 35mm film, used in a Minolta XG2 with 50mm optics. They were digitised using an Agfa Snapscan 310. Clicking on a picture will take you to a large version with a largest dimension of 1200 pixels. Clicking on the yellow links in the text takes you to a slightly smaller version with 640 pixels as the largest dimension, for a quicker download. So suit yourself. Please don't use these images for any commercial purposes without asking my permission. They're copyrighted material. And now ...enjoy ! Any additions or corrections to the captions are always welcome.

The pictures :

Small group picture of the bmwcycles club, with the R39 single and Willy Neutkens in the green coat. In the back are the R4, R25 and R20.
R50/5
The much discussed 1924 R39 single; not quite finished. The tire leaning against the front wheel has a story of its own.

Here we see part of the museum, with the R26 and R27 in the background, on the back row bikes from the telescopic fork post-war era (R67/2, R51/3 ?) and an Earles fork bike on the right. The white bike is an R69S, the black combination an R67/3.
A beautiful R11
Lots and lots of bikes, including front to back R51/3 (?), R67/2 (?), R60US, R50S, other bikes, the white one in the back is an R51

Will Neutkens' attic sanctuary, where small mechanical work is done (transmissions, engines ..)
Yet another pre-1929 ohv bike, twin carburated, but is it an R47, R57 or R63 ?
This guy's called "Tuufke", and the white bike in the back is an Earles fork R50 or R60, the black bike behind it is Georg Meier's actual ISDT R68 bike, there's a black R75 combination under them, together with assorted other old bikes, including R52 and R42. The grey bike in the front is an R12.

R50S, yes, I know, the image is blurry. Shutter speed was 1/15th of a second and I was poked in the back by an R63 handlebar.
Dutch "Rijkspolitie" R27, closely followed by a civilian specimen, and preceded by an Earles fork bike, let's call this an R50 (?)
An amazing R61 sidevalve sister to the ohv R51.

Such pretty controls, but what is that pressed steel frame bike they're on ? An series II R16 ?
This is an R17, series I.
The well known R75 m. Seitenwagen desert fighting combination.

And another one, this time in fancy black. They sure didn't leave the factory like this ...
An R47, as often equipped with an add-on auxiliary tank to compensate for the small (but stylish) triangular under-the-top-tubes fuel tank.
Its R42 sidevalve sister bike.

More bikes, if you download the large images you can read the front fender nameplates for nearly all of them.
Georg Meier's bike. You build ISDT replicas you say ? Eat your heart out ...this is the real thing! Mr. Neutkens tried to trade it for one of the two R37's the BMW museum has after they asked about purchasing it, but the deal never went through.
The R5. What more is there to say ?

The R66, standing next to the white R51, and an R35 ...with a rear-view mirror !
That's an R51/2 there, right above Mr. Neutkens' head ...
More bikes, that's an R67/2 or /3 in the back

Here it is again, flanked by an R50US on the left, and an R69S on the right. The saddle is from a white R69S.
Luxury on an R32 ...a speedo, horn and headlight.
Yes, it's 80 years old, this first series R32. Notice the thing not having a front brake.

Mr. Neutkens explaining why there are worn tires on his R32
The first BMW engine, as used in the Victoria and Flink bikes, in a longitudinal setting.
Once again, Mr. Neutkens and the R32

Small group picture of the bmwcycles club, with the R39 single and Willy Neutkens in the green coat. In the back are the R4, R25 and R20.	R50/5	The much discussed 1924 R39 single; not quite finished. The tire leaning against the front wheel has a story of its own.
Here we see part of the museum, with the R26 and R27 in the background, on the back row bikes from the telescopic fork post-war era (R67/2, R51/3 ?) and an Earles fork bike on the right. The white bike is an R69S, the black combination an R67/3.	A beautiful R11	Lots and lots of bikes, including front to back R51/3 (?), R67/2 (?), R60US, R50S, other bikes, the white one in the back is an R51
Will Neutkens' attic sanctuary, where small mechanical work is done (transmissions, engines ..)	Yet another pre-1929 ohv bike, twin carburated, but is it an R47, R57 or R63 ?	This guy's called "Tuufke", and the white bike in the back is an Earles fork R50 or R60, the black bike behind it is Georg Meier's actual ISDT R68 bike, there's a black R75 combination under them, together with assorted other old bikes, including R52 and R42. The grey bike in the front is an R12.
R50S, yes, I know, the image is blurry. Shutter speed was 1/15th of a second and I was poked in the back by an R63 handlebar.	Dutch "Rijkspolitie" R27, closely followed by a civilian specimen, and preceded by an Earles fork bike, let's call this an R50 (?)	An amazing R61 sidevalve sister to the ohv R51.
Such pretty controls, but what is that pressed steel frame bike they're on ? An series II R16 ?	This is an R17, series I.	The well known R75 m. Seitenwagen desert fighting combination.
And another one, this time in fancy black. They sure didn't leave the factory like this ...	An R47, as often equipped with an add-on auxiliary tank to compensate for the small (but stylish) triangular under-the-top-tubes fuel tank.	Its R42 sidevalve sister bike.
More bikes, if you download the large images you can read the front fender nameplates for nearly all of them.	Georg Meier's bike. You build ISDT replicas you say ? Eat your heart out ...this is the real thing! Mr. Neutkens tried to trade it for one of the two R37's the BMW museum has after they asked about purchasing it, but the deal never went through.	The R5. What more is there to say ?
The R66, standing next to the white R51, and an R35 ...with a rear-view mirror !	That's an R51/2 there, right above Mr. Neutkens' head ...	More bikes, that's an R67/2 or /3 in the back
Here it is again, flanked by an R50US on the left, and an R69S on the right. The saddle is from a white R69S.	Luxury on an R32 ...a speedo, horn and headlight.	Yes, it's 80 years old, this first series R32. Notice the thing not having a front brake.
Mr. Neutkens explaining why there are worn tires on his R32	The first BMW engine, as used in the Victoria and Flink bikes, in a longitudinal setting.	Once again, Mr. Neutkens and the R32