The BMW Story - Production And Racing Motorcycles From 1923 To The Present Day

Published by Haynes, written by Ian Falloon, ISBN 9781859608548. Production and racing motorcycles from 1923 to the present day. H854 , Published, November 2003 - **VERY RARE BOOK IN UNREAD CONDITION**

In the aftermath of the First World War, and forbidden by the Allies to build aircraft engines, BMW turned to the manufacture of motorcycle engines. Encouraged by the success of their Douglas-inspired M2 B15 motor, in 1923 Max Friz created the first BMW motorcycle, the R32. So began an illustrious history dominated by the trademark boxer twin and supplemented by singles and fours. The R32 spawned a series of exclusive production machines, and world-beating racers and record breakers. The political climate of the 1930s encouraged German nationalism, and BMW responded with their magnificent 500cc Kompressor. Ernst Henne set world speed records, and Georg 'Schorsch' Meier provided Grand Prix glory.

The Second World War left the Munich works devastated, and again it was motorcycles that saved the company. Strong consumer demand during the 1950s saw new twins and singles, and the racing RS54. However, the boxer twin was most suited to sidecar racing, and BMW dominated World Championship sidecar racing for 20 years.

After almost falling into receivership in 1959, BMW rose again. In 1969, a new range of boxers heralded a broader model range, and led to groundbreaking designs such as the R905 and R100RS. BMW also embarked on several years of success in the gruelling Paris-Dakar rally with the R80 G/S.
During the 1980s BMW almost turned its back on its trademark boxer, with the introduction of the radical K-series, but the boxer returned in 1993 with the R259.

With an expanding range of new boxer models, the F650 single, and continued development of the K-series, the success of BMW motorcycles continues and looks assured for the future.

Ian Falloon is a freelance journalist and photographer, and the author of many motorcycle books. Over the past thirty years he has maintained a strong interest in BMW motorcycles and currently owns a 1976 R90S.