Dutchblog

Now this looks like a whole lot of fun….find out all you need to know here….

Certainly seems to be a ‘little different’ from the average ‘bike trip to Africa….

Not at all sure I’ve got the right ‘bike for this but then again I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing next June….!

Now….I wonder if there are any places left….?

Since Max Friz first mounted his innovative M2B32 opposed-twin engine in a motorcycle frame in 1923, the history of BMW motorcycles defines a constant and relentless search for perfection. Over the next 85 years the company would create the most innovative and technologically advanced motorcycles produced anywhere on earth.

A new book, The Art of BMW – 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence, captures the elegant beauty of these amazing machines, both in their details and in the sum of their parts, through the masterful photography of Henry von Wartenberg and the brilliant writing of author Peter Gantriis.

There’s more to a BMW motorcycle than just innovation and technology. Even though the company earned a reputation for doing things differently than other companies, its motorcycles are not different just for the sake of being different.

Each difference represents a brilliant and elegant solution to a real problem, leading BMW to be the first company to introduce many of the features than are now commonplace among other manufacturers of production motorcycles, such as anti-lock brakes, telescopic forks, full fairings and catalytic converters.

The history of BMW motorcycles defines a constant and relentless quest for perfection. Interestingly, fifty per cent of all the motorcycles that BMW has manufactured are still flying down the world’s roads today.

The Art of BMW – 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence is a sumptuous 85th birthday feast for BMW and motorcycle fans alike. The book is largely picture-led and features the motorcycles of the Peter Nettesheim collection – one of the world’s premier collections of BMW motorcycles.

These wonderfully restored motorcycles exemplify the design and engineering prowess that define the BMW motorcycle tradition, and the book showcases the progressive engineering refinements integrated into each successive model.

These motorcycles are the best, and in this book, the best of the best get their due. With exquisite full-page studio photographs, along with detailed descriptions of each bike’s features, a concise history of this legendary marque is beautifully captured.

From the first of BMW’s bikes, the R32, and the models that catapulted the company out of the ruins of World War II, through to the latest bikes with the revamped opposed-twin-cylinder ‘boxer’ engines, The Art of BMW – 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence features many of the machines that made BMW great and continue to make today’s model line-up so desirable for all fans of the legendary brand.

Author Peter Gantriis is founder and president of RPM Research, a market research and consulting firm that works with the world’s leading automotive and power sports manufacturers. Peter is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and lives in Minnesota.

The Art of BMW – 85 Years of Motorcycling Excellence is available now, with a recommended retail price of $40 or £25. The 192-page hardback (ISBN: 978-0-7603-3315-0) also has a foreword by BMW’s Fred Jakobs, who is responsible for BMW’s motorcycle heritage collection and archives at BMW Mobile Tradition.

Dutchman says:

Santa was kind to me this year so I’ve got first hand experience of this fine book. It’s a little short on narrative text but decent photographs form the bulk of the content. Certainly a welcome addition to my library.

Sixty years ago, on December 17 1948 the first post-war BMW motorcycle rolled off the Munich production line. The single-cylinder R 24 was the motorcycle that would bring BMW back from the brink of extinction.

At the end of WWII Germany lay in ruins with industry destroyed and the population dislocated and dispirited. BMW plants were badly damaged and there was an Allied plan for the company to be broken up. The future looked bleak.

However the American army was in need of a vehicle maintenance base and BMW had a trained workforce, some buildings and equipment, so the company was given the contract. This arrangement would keep the Americans mobile, give much-needed employment to the German people and give BMW time to work on a future.

Under Director Kurt Donath, BMW gained a manufacturing licence to produce pots and pans, agricultural equipment and bicycles but behind the scenes, company management was working on plans to return to motorcycle production.

In 1946 BMW was given approval to produce motorcycles up to 125cc. Work began on the creation of a two-stroke Boxer and the R 10 was quickly developed to a running prototype. Donath, believing that the capacity restriction would be lifted to 250cc, had Alfred Böning and his engineering team secretly begin work away from Munich on a new motorcycle.

This would be a difficult task as all the production plans and technical drawings were either destroyed or located at the Eisenach plant, which was in the Soviet-controlled sector and out of BMW control. A pre-war R 23 was located and it was disassembled and every part measured in order to produce new plans.

The restriction on capacity was increased to 250cc and work on the new model continued at an increased rate.

Designing the motorcycle was only the first step; there were other problems to encounter such as sourcing production equipment and the raw materials needed for manufacturing, as both were in short supply and rationed. Donath went about gathering all the much-needed machinery from businesses in worse condition than BMW.

In March 1948 the R 24 was unveiled at the Geneva motor show and the initial reaction from the press, public and motorcycle dealers was positive. In May the R 24 was again on show in Hanover and by the end of the exhibition there were over 2,500 forward orders for the new single. There was now a sound economic basis for the rebirth of BMW.

The R 24 looked very similar to the R 23 but there was considerable redevelopment in the M225/1 motor and – for the first time – a four-speed gearbox. Much of the technical improvement came directly from the wartime R 75 as well as the two-piece rocker cover, giving a clean and up-to-date style. The 12 hp R 24 was a quality motorcycle.

The first R 24 was not destined for life in a museum. There was a draw from within the BMW workforce to see who would own this historic motorcycle. The winner was Mr Erdinger but unfortunately nothing more is known of him or the fate of the first R 24.

The R 24 was the most expensive motorcycle available in Germany but by 1950 when the R 25 replaced the model, 12,020 had been sold. It was an undoubted success and paved the way for the return of the Boxer in 1950 and the restarting of car production in 1951. December 17 is indeed a day to celebrate.

BMW R24 images may be found here.