The first BMW motorbike, the R 32, designed by Max Friz, received the green light for production at the Berlin Motor Show in September 1923. The primary distinguishing feature of the firm will be the legendary boxer engine.
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BMW four-valve boxer engine history
The boxer engine has been a mainstay of the German manufacturer’s engine lineup ever since the R32 became the first production bike in 1923, and it is as deeply interwoven into what defines BMW motorbikes as it is possible to be.
Since 1923, a lot has changed with regard to the odd engine design, which features two horizontally opposed cylinders splayed across the motorcycle with one cylinderhead protruding from each side.
The engine is ready to enter the next stage of development as emissions and noise rules tighten, according to a recent announcement from BMW.
With air cooling, two-valve cylinderheads, and little genuine desire for much more power, BMW’s boxer powertrain remained relatively unchanged in terms of development for decades, although improvements were required as bikes got more specialized and as legislation increased.
One of the largest changes was going from a two-valve to a four-valve design for the boxer, and we’ve looked closely at the development of the four-valve BMW boxer engine through time.
History of BMW Motorrad
Founded in 1916 in Munich, BMW AG built aviation engines for the First World War. In 1921, it started producing motorcycle engines for other producers before producing its first motorcycle, the R32, in 1923. (This R32 served as the cornerstone for BMW motorbikes for many years; shaft drive was still in use in 1994.)
The business was permitted to resume motorcycle production in Western Germany in 1947 after World War II, but it had to start from scratch because all of its surviving drawings and plans were at the factory in Eastern Germany that was under Soviet control. Motorcycles built at the Eisenach facility in East Germany sported a red-and-white roundel bearing the brand EMW (Eisenacher Motoren Werke) to distinguish them from BMW following a trademark lawsuit in 1952. (You’d be right if you thought the bikes were in high demand as collector’s goods right now.)
BMW stopped producing motorcycles when?
After producing more than 40,000 examples, BMW will stop producing cruisers because it realizes that the engines in its bikes’ 1200cc classes are inadequate for the cruiser market.
BMW will stop making cruiser motorcycles when the final 2005 R1200C model leaves the factory, reportedly for the foreseeable future. Dr. Herbert Diess, President BMW Motorrad, the man in charge of BMW’s motorcycle division, explained to the crowd at the Intermot Show in Munic that BMW just doesn’t have an engine to satisfy the preferences of contemporary cruiser purchasers. The 2005 Montauk will only be made in a small quantity as a type of remembrance model.
Diess is quoted by BMW as saying: “In our following model generation, there won’t be a straight replacement for the Cruiser. Technical factors account for this: The new engine, which you are familiar with from the GS, is purposefully designed to be lightweight and so provides very little room for an increase in engine displacement. A Cruiser in its former, traditional appearance with a smaller engine would no longer fit into our plan for the future, since the trend in the cruiser market has been pointing way beyond 1400 cc for quite some time. However, this does not imply that we are permanently abandoning the use of BMW bikes for cruising. On the contrary, it would be entirely possible for us to reinterpret this theme in the future in a very different way.
“As a result, the R 1200 C and CL as we currently know them are entering their final model year. More than 40,000 copies of the Cruiser have been delivered to clients in the seven years after its 1997 launch (memo: 40,218). And through this fruitful procedure, we have attracted a lot of new clients. We have a special, limited edition version of the R 1200 C Montauk here at the Intermot Show with appealing twin-tone paintwork, a special chrome package, and a wealth of standard amenities. This model, which has only been produced 350 times, is currently on display at our booth and will go on sale in the fall.
“Having developed a supply of R 1200 C models for 2005, we have already anticipated demand for next year and will use the production capacity thus made available to more swiftly and effectively meet the significant demand for additional Boxer models.”
BMW began producing motorcycles when?
The Berlin Motor Show in 1923 served as the launchpad for BMW motorbikes’ success. With the BMW R 32, the producer of aeroengines debuted its first motorcycle. The machine’s quality was a crucial element in the project’s success.
Was the first motorcycle produced by BMW?
The R32, the first motorbike produced by BMW and sold under the Motorrad brand, debuted on the market in 1923. The flat-twin boxer engine from the R32 is still manufactured by the business today along with several other engine types.
Do BMW motorcycles exist?
BMW’s motorcycle brand, BMW Motorrad, is a component of the company’s Corporate and Brand Development division. Since 1923, it has been making bikes, and in 2015, it recorded record sales for the sixth year running. With a total of 136,963 vehicles sold in 2015, BMW had an increase in sales of 10.9% over 2014.
An R1200GS served as BMW Motorrad’s two millionth motorbike when it was constructed in May 2011.
When was fuel injection introduced on BMW motorcycles?
R259 “oilhead” boxer engine, which was fuel-injected and twin-cylinder, was initially used in the BMW motorcycle lineup with the R1100RS, a sports touring bike, which was introduced in 1993.
Who manufactures the engines for BMW motorcycles?
Loncin, a Chinese manufacturer, has been producing various engine parts, motorcycle parts, and entire engines for BMW Motorrad since September 2007. The business today employs more than 5,000 people and is one of the biggest makers of motorcycles and scooters in China. There is a research and development facility owned by Loncin. The BMW F 750 GS and F 850 GS engines are currently produced by Loncin. Additionally, the BMW C 400 X and C 400 GT midsize scooters are manufactured here.
BMW motorcycles are they dependable?
The typical lifespan of a BMW motorbike is around 200,000 miles, though this might vary depending on the model, how well the bike is maintained, and the type of riding it is exposed to. A properly maintained BMW motorcycle can last 50 years if you ride it 4000 miles year on average.
It’s not unusual for a BMW motorbike to reach 200,000 kilometers, according to our study and experience with BMW motorcycles.
Which BMW motorcycle sells the most?
Still out front is the boxer. The boxer models continue to be the foundation of BMW Motorrad’s success, having sold close to 80,000 units overall. With the introduction of the 1800 cc displacement R 18 engine in 2020, the already dominant position of the signature BMW Motorrad drive was further enhanced.
What motorcycle made by BMW is the fastest?
Unlike many Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, BMW Motorrad inherits its racing DNA from its parent company, BMW. With a top speed of 224 mph, the S1000RR is the fastest BMW motorbike to date.
The BMW S1000RR was completely redesigned for the 2019 model year, elevating it to the company’s flagship supersport motorbike position. The motorcycle has a brand-new 999cc engine with 204 horsepower and 113 Nm of torque. At 197 kg, the bike is not very heavy.
Why do BMW motorcycles have the nickname “Airheads”?
The Airheads are where the history of BMW motorcycles and BMW motorcycle engines begins.
The term “airhead engines” refers to the vintage 2-valve air-cooled boxer engines produced before to 1992, when the final one was produced. Because they were all produced by BMW, nobody at the time called them “Airheads”!
BMW R 32, their first motorcycle, was produced. In 1923, BMW unveiled it at the Berlin Auto Show. The BMW R 32 had an air-cooled twin-cylinder, four-stroke boxer engine, a friction clutch-driven manual gearbox, and shaft drive. If that sounds like the 2021 R NineT (although it is also oil-cooled), it’s because I could have just as easily said that.
Many of the BMW Airhead engines that came after the R 32 for many years were air-cooled. They had a single camshaft that used pushrods and rocker arms to operate the overhead valves. Each head featured two valves, one spark plug, and was fed by a carburettor.
The bulk of “vintage” BMW motorcycles that you see (typically priced higher than average or rebuilt into cafe racers and displayed on BikeEXIF) are Airheads. There is a unique following for airheads. The term is protected by the owners, and I’ve had to be corrected a few times in the past when I mistakenly believed an oil-cooled engine to be an Airhead when it wasn’t!
Over the years, various Airhead BMW motorcycle engines with a maximum capacity of close to 1000cc were built. The R 100 GS, which was manufactured until 1992, was one of the final Airheads. Its engine was a 980cc air-cooled boxer twin.
What does the name BMW Motorrad mean?
Since 1923, BMW Motorrad, pronounced “Moto-rad” (which is German for “motorbike”), has served as the company’s motorcycle business.
Beemer/Beamer: Traditionally, the term “Bimmer” refers to BMW automobiles, whilst “Beemer” or “Beamer” is used to describe motorbikes. Why? The etymology, however, dates from the post-World War II era. BSA, a British bicycle manufacturer whose bikes were known as “Beesers,” competed with BMW. In an effort to avoid giving the impression that BMW was a steadfastly German company, the bikes were given the nickname “Beemer.”
BMW’s signature engine design is the Flat Twin, which has two cylinders positioned across the frame in a horizontally opposed pattern.
Airhead: The two-valve-per-cylinder, flat twin engine that was built from 1969 to 1995 and is cooled by air.
Oilhead: The flat-twin boxer received partial oil cooling in 1995 when two additional cylinder valves were added for a total of four.
Precision Cooling: The combustion chamber area of the engine, which is the hottest region, is given a glycol/water coolant mixture. This makes up 35% of the cooling for the engine; the remaining 65% is made up of air and oil. In 2013, the GS family of bikes got precision water cooling.
GS: Gelande Sport is another name for Gelande Straße, which is a German word that literally translates to “Off-road/Road.” The R80/GS, the original BMW GS model manufactured in 1980, is still in production today. The bikes in this range are immediately recognized by their lengthy suspension travel and upright riding position, and they frequently have long-distance touring gear added.
Shaft Drive: Since the R32’s introduction in 1923, BMW has preferred this type of drive system. It consists of a shaft that joins a gear inside the gearbox to another gear inside the hub of the rear wheel.
The BMW boxer engine’s age is how old?
Almost exactly 70 years after the first appearance of the R32, the BMW R100RS in 1992 marked the beginning of the four-valve boxer engine’s history.
The R100RS’s boxer engine was entirely redesigned and had a mixed air/oil cooling system, but it still had a two-valve head. However, the first serial manufacturing motor to be used in a BMW boxer motor debuted in the R1100RS.
The necessity for improvements was brought on by modifications to the permitted mechanical noise of the engine as well as changes to the legal noise limitations, which were restricting the levels of air intake and exhaust noise.
In addition to producing greater heat, more power also increases the demand placed on the cooling system.
Although a combined air-oil cooling system has a number of advantages over air cooling, the improved oil cooling system was more efficient.
With air-oil cooling, the engine reaches operating temperature more rapidly, resulting in less deterioration of the engine’s internal components and a longer engine lifespan.
The R1100RS’s 1085cc boxer engine, the world’s first four-valve boxer engine, produced 88 horsepower.
A timing chain that ran behind the cylinders and was driven by a countershaft that was positioned beneath the crankshaft controlled each cylinder’s single camshaft.
In comparison to the previous design, the cam followers were relatively short and promised considerably stiffer and constant valve-gear, which also offered more future potential for further power. Additionally, this system lessened mechanical noise.
Bosch Motronic fuel-injection was initially launched, and when combined with an oxygen sensor, it enabled the use of a three-way catalytic converter, greatly reducing emissions.
The four-valve, air-oil cooled, boxer BMW engine took 15 years to build.
The motor’s cubic capacity was raised in 1999 to bring the new R1150 models up to 1130cc, then in 2004 this was further expanded to 1170cc with more major work on the overall engineering.
The first counterbalance shaft was originally incorporated into the boxer motor in 2004.
This was done to lessen engine noise while also improving smoothness, and it had the added benefit of drastically lowering the engine’s propensity to “rock” the bike—a behavior that had been a hallmark of BMW boxers ever since they first appeared.
Power increased to 105 hp from 98 hp thanks to additional engineering improvements in 2007, and the model range was updated from R1150 to R1200.
Two years later, in 2009, the boxer motor made the switch from single in cylinderhead cams to double overhead cams (DOHC), which was a significant development in the boxer design that increased power to 110 hp, increased torque, and provided the crucial pulling power across a wide rev range required by GS and RT owners.