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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

2014 BMW R nineT Production Begins

Tue, 03 Dec 2013

The first production models of the BMW R nineT roadster have rolled off the assembly line in Berlin. The R nineT is a special model for BMW, representing the company’s 90 years in the motorcycle industry, so it’s no surprise the start of production was made with much fanfare. BMW invited 100 guests including the team from German customization studio Urban Motor to watch assembly of the first three units of the R nineT including the final dynamometer testing where more than 1,000 different parameters are measured before a motorcycle can be released.

BMW Begins Motorcycle Production in Thailand

Thu, 28 Nov 2013

BMW has opened a new motorcycle assembly line at the company’s factory in Thailand. The facility will initially only produce F800R roadsters from complete knock-down kits for the Thai market, though BMW plans to eventually make the facility a production hub for other Asian markets. The Thai facility is BMW’s first wholly-owned motorcycle assembly plant outside of Germany, though the company does share facilities in Manaus, Brazil with local manufacturer DAFRA Motos.

46,061 Motorcycles Stolen in US in 2012

Mon, 25 Nov 2013

An average of 126 motorcycles were stolen in the U.S. every day in 2012, according to a report released by the the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That’s from a total of 46,061 motorcycles reported stolen that year a 1.3% improvement from the 46,667 motorcycles reported stolen in 2011.

Michelin Launches New Pilot Road 4 Sport-Touring Tire

Fri, 22 Nov 2013

Coming in 2014 is an all-new range of motorcycle tires from Michelin, available in three versions: the Michelin Pilot Road 4, Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT and Michelin Pilot Road 4 Trail. Covering virtually every category of sport-touring motorcycle, the Pilot Road 4 line is well suited for motorcycles over 600cc. They were designed to deliver maximum safety in the most common conditions of use, especially on wet roads and in particular when braking. In its press release Michelin also claims extended tire life, which we assume is in comparison to the Pilot Road 3.

2014 BMW K1600 GTL Exclusive Revealed

Wed, 20 Nov 2013

When it comes to moto-touring in the lap of luxury, BMW’s K1600 GTL Exclusive, the latest iteration of the K1600 lineup, promises the kind of high-class riding experience BMW is known for. The K1600 GTL Exclusive takes luxury touring to another level, both visually and functionally. As with the rest of the K1600 line, the lynchpin of the model range is the uber-sweet 1649cc inline-Six capable of 129 ft.-lbs. of torque, 70% of that is available at just 1500 rpm.

BMW C Evolution Police-Spec Electric Scooter Concept

Fri, 15 Nov 2013

BMW will present a new police-spec version of its C Evolution electric scooter at an upcoming police and state security trade show in Paris. Debuting at the Milipol 2013 show Nov. 19-22, the police edition BMW C Evolution concept will illustrate the potential of electric scooters for police, rescue or escort activities.

Jeremy Burgess Out and Silvano Galbusera In as Valentino Rossi’s Crew Chief

Mon, 11 Nov 2013

Valentino Rossi has parted ways with longtime crew chief Jeremey Burgess, ending a partnership that extended across 14 years and three different manufacturers while capturing seven MotoGP and 500cc Grand Prix World Championships. Burgess will be replaced by Louis CK lookalike Silvano Galbusera, a veteran crew chief and mechanic whose most extensive experience comes from World Superbike and Supersport racing. As crew chief and/or technical director, Galbusera has worked with an impressive roster of riders including Troy Corser, Noriyuki Haga, Cal Crutchlow and Ben Spies.

2006-2009 BMW F800ST and F800S Recalled in Canada

Fri, 08 Nov 2013

Transport Canada announced a recall for the BMW F800S and F800ST from model years 2006-2009 because of a problem with the rear wheel. At the moment, the recall has only been confirmed for Canada; we will provide an update if a recall for the U.S. is announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

EICMA 2013: 2014 Bimota BB3 Featuring BMW S1000RR Engine – Video

Thu, 07 Nov 2013

Italian manufacturer Bimota celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with a new change in ownership and the EICMA unveiling of the BB3 sportbike. “Bimota is really charming with an incredible brand that deserves to go back to its former glory by combining technological innovation with its rich history of passion, heart and outstanding achievements,” says Marco Chianciani, new president and c0-owner of Bimota with Daniele Longoni. “We are working to organize better all business processes to meet this challenge with the right enthusiasm and preparation.

EICMA 2013: 2014 BMW nineT First Impressions – Video

Tue, 05 Nov 2013

We were one of two US motorcycle publications to attend the unveiling of the 2014 BMW nineT in Munich a few weeks ago. The unique roadster was designed to both embody and celebrate the 90 years of BMW motorcycles by emphasizing the archetypical form of BMW’s qualities. Now, as part of the EICMA 2013 show, the rest of the world media and the public who are lucky enough to be in Milan get a chance to throw a leg over one.