You will never be a rock god or drumming GOAT like Rush’s Neil Peart, but you can buy his 2004 BMW R1200 GS, you know, if you’re a Working Man. Who needs a Red Barchetta when a great motorcycle like this is Closer To The Heart? This Marakech Red machine was purchased new by Peart from McBride Cycle in Toronto and it appears he’s put lots of miles and lots of love into his ownership. Now is your chance to buy this bike when it comes up for auction in February at Mecum’s Las Vegas Motorcycle Sale.
There isn’t much information about this bike, Mecum doesn’t even list an odometer reading for the bike. It must have been through a lot, however, because it looks like it’s been dropped a time or two, it’s scratched to hell, and there’s a big patch of peeled clear coat on the tank. But you’d rather have a celebrity-used motorcycle than a celebrity-owned-and-never-ridden one anyway, wouldn’t you? The ass print in that saddle is Neil’s, there’s no denying that.
Disregarding the celebrity ownership aspect, this is still a pretty rad little bike. Peart apparently had a set of hard Jesse cases added to his bike, which match the set on my own GS. He also had an Akrapovic system added to really liven up the exhaust note of the throaty flat twin. A very well-used magnetic tank bag is also included with the sale. This bike will mountain goat over damn near any trail, carry a bunch of stuff in the cases, and sound good doing it. It’s a hell of a machine, even considering it’s 20 years old.
Also included in the sale is a Fortieth Anniversary Tour keychain and a pair of Peart’s concert-used sticks. Mecum claims the pre-auction estimate for this bike is between $40,000 and $50,000, meaning the Peart ownership history is allegedly “worth” tens of thousands of dollars on its own. A nice-condition R1200 GS typically sells for around $7,000. Is ownership paperwork going to make your riding experience any better? Absolutely not. But if it’s worth it to you to pay up to ride where the best band member of the best rock band of all time (fight me), then more power to you. Rock on.
