BMW is one of the few world-renowned automobile companies that also produces motorcycles. Its motorcycles are not only as good as cars, but also have a longer history. As early as 1923, the first BMW motorcycle R32 designed by BMW chief designer Max Fritz was born. In the following years, BMW's motorcycle technology advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching a staged culmination in 1937: racer Ernst Hein set a world record of 279.5 kilometers per hour, which has been maintained for 14 years. Long.
was affected by the war in the early 1940s, and production was at a standstill. It was not until 1948 that the introduction of the R24 motorcycle opened a new starting point to success for BMW motorcycles. In the following decades, BMW continued to innovate in motorcycle design and always maintained its leading position in the world.
In the motorcycle industry, BMW motorcycles are synonymous with innovation. The "boxer" engine design concept adopted by R32 has become a classic in motorcycle design: the two-cylinder opposed engine is vividly called "boxer", which arranges two cylinders horizontally, perpendicular to the forward direction, and is cooled by natural wind. ; Its gearbox and engine adopt an integrated design, and the longitudinally arranged crankshafts directly output power; it abandons the usual chain drive and adopts a cardan shaft to directly drive the rear wheels. These three design features have been successfully used for more than 80 years and are still used in the latest generation of "Boxer" series.
In 1935, BMW motorcycles were the first to adopt hydraulic shock absorbers. In 1978, the first fully streamlined motorcycle R100 RS designed based on aerodynamics was launched. The rear fork cardan shaft single-rocker central shock absorber (BMW Paralever) and the front fork lever-type shock absorber (Telelever) adopted in 1987 are both milestone achievements of BMW in motorcycle chassis design. . Recently, the design of an aluminum single rocker arm with a toothed belt drive has also become an innovation in the history of motorcycle design.
BMW is considered to be the "inventor" of the "large touring endurance motorcycle" (models include R 80 G/S, R 100 GS, and R 1150 GS, etc.). R 1150 GS is the best-selling model in Germany; In terms of motorcycles (R/RS series), BMW is also recognized as the most powerful manufacturer.
K series four-cylinder in-line engines are also unique in design. The power unit that uses the "Boxer" design concept is particularly compact. In 1993, the K engine became the first engine with electronic injection as standard. With the application of the latest digital electronic technology, it has become one of the most advanced engines in engine servo control.