BMW Motorcycles

About BMW

BMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. Motorcycle manufacturing now operates under the BMW Motorrad brand. BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) introduced the first motorcycle under its name, the R32, in 1923.

BMW merged with Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922, inheriting from them the Helios motorcycle and a small two-stroke motorized bicycle called the Flink. In 1923, BMW's first "across the frame" version of the boxer engine was designed by Friz. The R32 had a 486 cc (29.7 cubic inches) engine with 8.5 hp (6.3 kW) and a top speed of 95 to 100 km/h (59 to 62 mph). The engine and gearbox formed a bolt-up single unit. At a time when many motorcycle manufacturers used total-loss oiling systems, the new BMW engine featured a recirculating wet sump oiling system with a drip feed to roller bearings. This system was used by BMW until 1969, when they adopted the "high-pressure oil" system based on shell bearings and tight clearances, still in use today.

The R32 became the foundation for all future boxer-powered BMW motorcycles. BMW oriented the boxer engine with the cylinder heads projecting out on each side for cooling as did the earlier British ABC. Other motorcycle manufacturers, including Douglas and Harley-Davidson, aligned the cylinders with the frame, one cylinder facing towards the front wheel and the other towards the back wheel. The R32 also incorporated shaft drive. BMW has continued to use shaft drive on its motorcycles and did not produce a chain driven model until the introduction of the F650 in 1994.

In 1931, BMW introduced the single-cylinder shaft-driven R2, which, as a 200 cc motorcycle, could be operated in Germany without a motorcycle licence at that time. The R2 headed a series of single-cylinder BMW motorcycles, including the 400 cc R4 in 1932 and the 300 cc R3 in 1936.

The BMW R12 and R17, both introduced in 1935, were the first production motorcycles with hydraulically damped telescopic forks.

In 1937, Ernst Henne rode a supercharged 500 cc (31 cubic inches) overhead camshaft BMW 173.88 mph (279.83 km/h), setting a world record that stood for 14 years.

Construction was so good that during World War II Harley-Davidson copied the BMW engine and transmission—simply converting metric measurements to inches—and produced the shaft-drive 750 cc (46 cubic inches) 1942 Harley-Davidson XA.

The terms of Germany's surrender forbade BMW from manufacturing motorcycles. In 1946, when BMW received permission to restart motorcycle production from US authorities in Bavaria, BMW had to start from scratch.

In 1955, BMW began introducing a new range of motorcycles with Earles forks and enclosed drive shafts. These were the 26 hp (19 kW) 500 cc R50, the 30 hp (22 kW) 600 cc R60, and the 35 hp (26 kW) sporting 600 cc R69.

On June 8, 1959, John Penton rode a BMW R69 from New York to Los Angeles in 53 hours and 11 minutes, slashing over 24 hours from the previous record of 77 hours and 53 minutes set by Earl Robinson on a 45 cubic inch (740 cc) Harley-Davidson.

For the 1968 and 1969 model years only, BMW exported into the United States three "US" models. These were the R50US, the R60US, and the R69US. On these motorcycles, there were no sidecar lugs attached to the frame and the front forks were telescopic forks, which were later used worldwide on the slash-5 series of 1970 through 1973. Earles-fork models were sold simultaneously in the United States as buyers had their choice of front suspensions.

In 1970, BMW introduced an entirely revamped product line of 500 cc, 600 cc and 750 cc displacement models, the R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5 respectively and came with the "US" telescopic forks noted above. The engines were a complete redesign. The roller and ball-bearings in the bottom end had been replaced by shell-type journal bearings similar to those used in modern car engines. The camshaft, which had been at the top of the engine, was placed under the crankshaft, giving better ground clearance under the cylinders while retaining the low centre of gravity of the flat-twin layout. The new engine had an electric starter, although the traditional gearbox-mounted kick starter was retained. The styling of the first models included chrome-plated side panels and a restyled tank. The /5 series was given a longer rear swingarm, resulting in a longer wheelbase. This improved the handling and allowed a larger battery to be installed.

The /5 models were short-lived, however, being replaced by another new product line in 1974. In that year the 500 cc model was deleted from the lineup and an even bigger 900 cc model was introduced, along with improvements to the electrical system and frame geometry. These models were the R60/6, R75/6 and the R90/6. In 1973 a supersport model, the BMW R90S, was introduced. In 1975, the kick starter was finally eliminated.

In 1995, BMW ceased production of airhead 2-valve engines and moved its boxer-engined line completely over to the 4-valve oilhead system first introduced in 1993.

Moto blog

S1000RR vs. Goodwood

And before you say it, no it's not "Start and finish a journey on two wheels without falling off." I rode up Goodwood's hill. And I did it on BMW's mighty S1000RR. Ok, so it wasn't infront of thousands of on-lookers and it wasn't at any great speed.

Bridgestone BT-023 tyre tested

Replacing the BT-021, the 023 has a uniform carcass construction but has two different compounds of rubber to alter its performance. The inner rubber is harder for increased life while the rubber on the tyre’s edges is softer for outright grip. On the brief dry sections of our ride the 023 seemed to get up to working temperature rapidly and delivered good dry grip, certainly more than enough for most road riders if you are honest about your riding ability.

BMW Puts New Spin on Old Trick [video]

BMW has gone viral! The German bike maker put together a very cool video showing its new S1000RR sportbike in action and millions of people have already seen it on YouTube. The video in question shows the Beemer attempting the old tablecloth trick.

Puig launch new screen for S1000RR

SPANISH motorcycle accessory expert Puig has launched a new high-performance screen for the BMW S1000RR superbike.The new dome Z-Racing is made from acrylic 3mm plastic, offering good flexibility and high resistance to impacts and scratches, says Puig.The Z-Racing has been tested in a wind tunnel and now gives a claimed 12 per cent aerodynamic improvement over the original screen.The Z-Racing does not require any modification for installation and can be fitted using the original screws.The screen's priced at 68.3 euros (£61) excluding shipping and import duty.You can find more information by visiting Puig.tv

Tested: Metzeler Sportec M5 Interact

With its clever Interact technology Metzeler has created a tyre that has a varying carcass construction to alter how the rubber performs. Without going too deeply the M5 consists of five bands of belting that vary in stiffness. At the outer edges of the tyre the carcass is quite flexible, allowing the rubber to move around and generate more heat and therefore grip, while nearer the tyre’s centre the carcass is stiffer, reducing the rubber’s movement and decreasing its wear.

Hi-Def video of BMW S1000RR on the dyno

THERE'S SOMETHING rather cruel about ringing the nuts out of any bike on a dyno - a bit like poking a lion through the bars of a cage with a long stick... Anyway, not quite sure where I'm going with that one, so here's a rather lovely clip of BMW's much-lauded S1000RR getting a stationary pasting on a dyno. Not sure I'd be standing at the rear, mind you.

Is there anything you CAN'T do on an S1000RR?

WE'VE SEEN videos of BMW's stunning new S1000RR pulling wheelies, stunting, sliding, racing a 700bhp Corvette, featured in a music video - we've even had a look inside the engine and now the company are using the 190bhp superbike as part of a new-style drag act - but not the Danny La Rue type. Real or not, the clip makes for amusing viewing.  Have a look.

BMW S1000RR stars in new Black Eyed Peas video

WE'RE NOT quite sure exactly what the Black Eyed Peas are trying to say in the video to their latest single 'Imma Be Rocking That Body' but they're cool enough to be using a BMW S1000RR superbike in the new film.Check out Fergie as she gyrates her stuff; from what we can gather she's going to be over there on the next left, rocking her body to a bass clef, while taking pictures with her crew and licking something at the same time. Does her Mum know she talks like that?

BMW S1000RR Valve Train Working at High RPM [video]

I’d like to ramble on about a dozen different things relating to this video, but the 3- minute, 19-second clip speaks for itself. However, once the engine is revving at high rpm, watching the cams, finger followers and valve springs seemingly freeze in action due to the incredible speeds, I was reminded of that whole “Dude, the faster I went the more everything around me seemed to slow down,” experience we’ve all heard about or experienced. Enjoy!

Charge Up you iPhone While You Ride

Motorcyclists can now enjoy total freedom on the open road confident in the knowledge that their cell phones, GPS, MP3 players and latest generation of iPhone/iTouch devices will remain fully-charged and in-service for the duration of the ride thanks to Powerlet’s plug and play systems. “Our product line was inspired by personal experience and the realization that there were no worthwhile options for clean, reliable on-board power for cell phones, stereos and GPS devices,” says Powerlet Products founder Adam Bonislawaski. “Before we came on to the scene, riders would bust out the black tape and wire strippers and cut into their bike’s fragile wiring to tie-in a cheap cigar lighter to power their devices.