80 years of BMW Motorcycles

80 Years of BMW Motorcycles. Contents Page 2 The first BMW motorcycle - the R 32 as a big surprise / Max Friz turns around the Boxer engine Page 3 Making its debut in Berlin / Setting a new standard of quality Page 4 Success in motorsport / Ongoing development and innovation Page 5 The German world of motorcycle construction / World records and championships Page 6 Offroad motorcycle with three wheels Page 7 Making a new start with one cylinder / Unique technology Page 8 Modern motorcycles for global success / Ongoing development along proven lines Page 9 Racing through the desert / Another BMW - entirely different yet still typical of the brand Page 10 Safety for the rider, protection for the environment / One million BMW motorcycles Page 11 The new Boxer generation / A new one-cylinder BMW Page 12 Ongoing success with the Boxer / The four-cylinder takes on new challenges Page 13 Cruiser, athlete, luxury tourer / Big surprises in the Paris-Dakar Rally Page 14 Entering the new millennium with a new name / The BMW C1: a truly innovative concept Page 15 Berlin operating all-out / All models with catalytic converter and ABS Page 16 BMW Motorrad BoxerCup / A bigger model range than ever before Page 17 BMW Motorrad becomes the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe Page 18 Milestones in the History of BMW Motorcycles from 1923-2003

Milestones in the History of BMW Motorcyles from 1923-2003.

1923 BMW's Chief Designer Max Friz builds the R 32, BMW's first motorcycle
launched at the Berlin Motor Show. The R 32 already has all the characteristic
features of a BMW two-cylinder - a Boxer engine fitted in transverse
arrangement, the gearbox connected directly to the engine, and shaft drive.

1924 Rudolf Schleicher, BMW's Chief Test Engineer, develops the first ohv
sports engine fitted in the R 37. Franz Bieber wins the first German
Championship for BMW on this machine.

1925 The year of the first single-cylinder BMW, the R 39 displacing 250 cc
and developing maximum output of 6.5 bhp.

1926 Rudolf Schleicher wins a gold medal in the Six-Day Offroad Trials in
Britain.

1927 The R 62 and R 63 make their appearance as the first BMW motorcycles
with 750 cc. This remains the largest engine size in the range until 1973.

1929 Riding a 750 cc BMW on Ingolstädter Landstrasse near Munich, Ernst Henne
sets up a new motorcycle world record: 216.75 km/h or 134.39 mph.

1931 BMW counters the world economic crisis with the 250 cc R 2 selling very
successfully in the market.

1933 The BMW team wins the first International Six Days.

1935 BMW introduces the first telescopic front wheel fork with hydraulic
damping on the R 12 and R 17.

1936 The all-new BMW R 5 enters production, for the first time featuring a
tubular frame welded electrically under protective gas.

1937 Riding a streamlined 500 cc compressor BMW, Ernst Henne sets up a new
world speed record: 279.5 km/h or 173.4 mph.

1938 The 100,000th BMW motorcycle is delivered to its proud owner.

1939 Following his European Championship a year before, Schorsch Meier riding
a BMW compressor racing machine wins the Senior TT on the Isle of Man, the
world's most famous and difficult motorcycle race. His British team-mate Jock
West finishes second.

1942 Production of the R 75 military motorcycle with additional drive of the
sidecar wheel is moved from Munich to Eisenach.

1945 Production of the R 35 starts in Eisenach under Soviet administration.

1947 Schorsch Meier wins his second German Championship after his first title
in 1938. And he repeats this success as a BMW works rider in 1948, 1949, 1950,
and 1953.

1948 Introducing the 250 cc single-cylinder R 24, BMW once again starts
motorcycle production in Munich.

1950 Launch of the R 51/2 as BMW's first post war Boxer.

1952 The R 68 is the first German production machine to reach a speed of 160
km/h or 100 mph.

1954 Wilhelm Noll and Fritz Cron bring home the first World Championship in
the sidecar category on a BMW RS.

1955 BMW launches the R 26, R 50 and R 69 with their new all-swinging arm
suspension.

1960 Powered by a 42 bhp 600 cc Boxer engine, the new R 69 S boasts a top
speed of 175 km/h or 109 mph.

1969 BMW motorcycle production moves from Munich to Berlin and the new model
generation with the top-of-the-range R 75/5 makes its debut in the market.

1973 Enlarging the engine for the first time, the Company launches the R 90/6
and R 90 S.

1974 Klaus Enders riding a BMW RS wins the Sidecar World Championship the
sixth time. And BMW wins the manufacturer's title in this championship 20 times
in a row.

1976 Presenting the 1000 cc R 100 RS, BMW launches the first production
machine in the world with a full fairing.

1977 The R 45 and R 65 round off the model range.
Annual production of BMW motorcycles exceeds the 30,000 mark for the first time.

1980 Riding an 800 cc BMW, Rolf Witthöft wins the European Offroad
Championship.
The production version of the Enduro is launched in the guise of the R 80 G/S
with BMW's Monolever single rear wheel swinging arm.

1981 Hubert Auriol (F) wins the Paris-Dakar Rally on a BMW enduro.

1983 Introduction of BMW's first four cylinder motorcycle, the K 100 model
series.
Hubert Auriol once again wins Paris-Dakar on a BMW.

1985 Launch of the three cylinder K 75.
Following his first victory in 1984, Gaston Rahier (B) clinches his second
title on a BMW in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

1986 In response to great demand, the R 100 RS and R 100 RT - now with a
Monolever swinging arm - make their return to BMW's model range.

1987 Introduction of the largest enduro in the world market, the BMW R 100 GS
featuring the first double joint rear wheel swinging arm, the BMW Paralever.

1988 BMW becomes the first motorcycle manufacturer to introduce anti-lock
brakes on the K 100 models.
With sales amounting to 5, 865 units, the R 100 GS is the best-selling
motorcycle in Germany.

1989 The BMW K1 features a specially streamlined sports fairing and a
16-valve power unit with Motronic Digital Motor Electronics.

1990 BMW takes the offensive for the environment, introducing the catalytic
converter for motorcycle engines.
Motronic paves the way for the first fully controlled three-way catalytic
converter in the motorcycle entering series production in 1991.

1991 The K 1100 LT becomes the first BMW motorcycle displacing more than 1000
cc.
The 1,000,000th BMW motorcycle since 1923 comes off the production line in
Berlin.

1992 Riding her BMW R 100 GS in standard trim, Jutta Kleinschmidt wins the
ladies cup in the Cape Town Rally after a distance of 12,700 km or 7,874 miles.

1993 The BMW Boxer celebrates its 70th birthday with the R 1100 RS as the
first model in the new generation featuring a four-valve Boxer engine.
The single-cylinder F 650 is the first BMW motorcycle without shaft drive.

1994 The R 1100 GS enduro and the R 1100 R roadster as well as the R 850 R
round off the range of new BMW Boxers.
BMW opens its Enduro Park in the small German town of Hechlingen.

1995 The new R 1100 RT touring Boxer is ready for the market.
BMW Motorrad builds the 100,000th machine with ABS.
For the first time the Company sells more than 50,000 motorcycles in one year.

1996 Production of the two-valve Boxer ends with the R 80 GS Basic and the
special Ultima version of the K 75.
Developing maximum output of 130 bhp, the new K 1200 RS is the most powerful
BMW motorcycle so far.

1997 The first BMW cruiser, the R 1200 C, is presented in the USA.
The Motorcycle Division of BMW AG reports sales for the first time exceeding DM
1 billion.

1998 Starring as the most sporting and dynamic Boxer for the road, the BMW
R 1100 S enters the market.
At the Munich Intermot Show BMW sets a new benchmark in the tourer market with
the K 1200 LT.

1999 Richard Sainct (F) wins the Paris-Dakar Rally on the rally version of
the single-cylinder BMW F 650.
The standard R 1150 enduro receives a larger engine and a six-speed gearbox.

2000 Four BMW works riders finish in the top four places in the Dakar-Cairo
Rally.
The new F 650 GS and the highly innovative C1 two-wheeler enter the market. BMW
becomes the only motorcycle manufacturer in the world to fit all models as
standard with a G-type catalytic converter and ABS.
Schorsch Meier, BMW's legendary motorcycle racer, dies at the age of 90.

2001 Equipped with BMW's unique Integral ABS, BMW motorcycles simply brake
better.
Production figures in Berlin increase so quickly that Euro 117 million is
invested to significantly expand the Plant.
The Tourer, Sports Tourer and the new Roadster are all fitted with the 1,150 cc
Boxer engine. The F 650 CS, the very agile Scarver for road use, enters the
market.

2002 The second international season of the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup. The
R 1100 S BoxerCup Replica for road use is presented to the public and both the
K 1200 GT as a dynamic tourer and the R 1200 CL luxury cruiser make their debut
at the Intermot Show. Record breaking annual production of 93,010 units
underlines BMW's top position as the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe.

2003 Responding to great demand, BMW introduces the production version of the
R 1150 R Rockster design study. The Boxer models are equipped with dual
ignition and the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup moves to the USA for the first time,
with the first race of the season in Daytona.