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By Debbie AndersonJuly 28, 2020August 26th, 2020No Comments

Cool Wheels

By Meda Kessler
Photos by Ralph Lauer

A vintage BMW motorcycle and Steib sidecar please this pooch and his owner

But it’s his quirky collectibles that make us smile. We love sightings of the lanky physician on his vintage BMW motorcycle with a Steib sidecar. Even better, his passenger typically is an 11-year-old pit bull mix named Bodhi, wearing his Doggles and a tongue-out grin on his face.

“I bought the bike about 15 years ago from an airline pilot,” says Cadambi. The 1966 R60/2 is cream with black pinstriping, chrome wire wheels and the Earles front fork, which defined the look of the ’60s-era BMW and enabled it to corner hard and haul a sidecar. While BMW designed the R60 for long-distance touring, it’s capable of going 90 mph without the sidecar. But Cadambi likes to putter around on it rather than push the speed limit.

The curves of the sidecar are evident in the wheel well and the swooping chrome light.

But it’s his quirky collectibles that make us smile. We love sightings of the lanky physician on his vintage BMW motorcycle with a Steib sidecar. Even better, his passenger typically is an 11-year-old pit bull mix named Bodhi, wearing his Doggles and a tongue-out grin on his face.

“I bought the bike about 15 years ago from an airline pilot,” says Cadambi. The 1966 R60/2 is cream with black pinstriping, chrome wire wheels and the Earles front fork, which defined the look of the ’60s-era BMW and enabled it to corner hard and haul a sidecar. While BMW designed the R60 for long-distance touring, it’s capable of going 90 mph without the sidecar. But Cadambi likes to putter around on it rather than push the speed limit.

The bike’s elegant bullet-shaped sidecar, also made in Germany, adds to the total package. “The Steib came from Blue Moon Cycle in Georgia via Perry Bushong.” (Bushong, who passed away in 2017, was the owner of Perry’s Motorcycles & Sidecars.)

“After Perry restored it and painted it to match the BMW, he made me practice turning while he watched. The sidecar definitely makes you handle the bike differently.”

Bodhi, who was rescued as a puppy after he had wandered into a grocery store, has been riding in the sidecar since he was young. Cadambi now has to help the aging dog get into the hauler, but once he’s settled, Bodhi sits back and enjoys the scenery.

“We usually don’t go too far from the house, but he’s always happy to go for a ride.”

The metal plate officially identifies the Steib.