Ex-Hans-Otto Butenuth, BMW RS500 Racing Motorcycle

• Purchased directly from the BMW factory
• Widely campaigned throughout the UK and Europe
• 50 year history of active racing from 1964 - 2010
• Winner of the German 500cc Championship in 1971
• Offered for sale by the Devlin family

Hans-Otto Butenuth rode this BMW 500 Rennsport throughout his time as a works rider and privateer, a period of some 40 years. He began street racing in 1957 aged 27 on a BMW R51 and caught the racing bug. Hans then moved to an NSU 250 Max and a 350 Manx Norton, and in the early 1960s progressed to an ex-Ernst Hiller BMW 500 Rennsport. Over the years he campaigned three different Rennsports, and as late as 1971 won the German 500cc Championship on the last of these – a 15-year-old motorcycle!

Moving on to semi-works BMW production racers, he also rode for the Honda France Endurance Team at the 1971 Bol d'Or. As a privateer, he raced, among others, TZ350, TZ500 and TZ700 Yamahas, RG500 Suzukis, RC30 and CBR600 Hondas, and an MuZ 600 single, the latter up to 1996. Hans rode in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races from 1962 to 1996, his best results being TT 1976 1st place with his team mate Helmut Dahne and 2nd to Mick Grant in the Production TT 1,000cc Class in 1974. In total, he won 18 Replicas.

Hans competed at the Isle of Man TT on many different makes; however, his three racing 'Boxers' were his love. The 'little one' (RS500) was acquired by Hans directly from the BMW factory through Hans-Gunther Von Marwitz. By 1990 this machine, together with the 750cc and 1,000cc BMW racers in Hans-Otto's stable, had achieved many documented successes on the circuits of mainland Europe, the Isle of Man and further afield in Norway, Sweden, Ireland and the Eastern Baltic States. He remains in perpetuity the 500cc lap record holder at the old Avus circuit in Berlin.

Towards the end of his career Hans mainly concentrated on Classic and Historic events, with successes all over Europe on a stable of very fast pushrod BMW Boxers. As the only competitor in Europe campaigning these machines, Hans was BMW.

In the early 1990s Hans found himself in the care of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after a very big 'off' at the Ulster Grand Prix. There he had 10 weeks of recuperation, laughter and many conversations, further cementing a profound friendship with fellow racer, Larry Devlin. Larry began his racing career aged 34 in 1976. He began competing on a Honda CB400/4 (later sold by Bonhams) which he rode to the circuits before removing the lights, indicators and registration plate in order to go racing. For the 1977 season an Aermacchi 350cc saw the Honda returned to 'paddock bike' status.

Hans-Otto Butenuth died on 19th August 1997 aged 67. His last TT was the 1996 Production Race, in which he rode a Yamaha YZF750. On his passing, the BMW RS500, affectionately known as the 'little one', was given to his friend Larry Devlin. As Larry always said, "you can't have a bike like that and not ride it". Larry continued to race what Hans lovingly and laughingly referred to as the 'BMTroubleyous'; he did this with pride to honour his dear friend's wishes that the BMW's roar would be heard for many more years across Ireland, the Isle of Man, Germany and the UK. Larry resurrected his international license and began his second racing career in 1998, riding the Butenuth RS500 from then until 2010, as evidenced by the numerous stickers on the fairing. Unfortunately, new knee joints in 2011 did not allow the required flexion to race, and the BMW was stored until his death in 2021. The ex-Butenuth Rennsport is offered for sale now by the Devlin family.

LJK Setright affectionately states in his book Bahnstormer: "Only mad men and Germans race BMWs." While this may be true, the Rennsport 500, a testament to BMW engineering, enabled two very happy men to do exactly what they loved to do – race.

The vendor advises us that the left-hand side piston needs replacing as there is a crack in the skirt (the machine has been put together for display purposes). The BMW also comes with a substantial quantity of entry forms and results from Hans' time racing on the Continent and at the TT. An exhaustively researched and copiously illustrated Powerpoint presentation is available also.
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