The History of BMW Motorcycles
1940 to 1950
The 1940s. With WWII raging on, there was
little new development in motorcycling at BMW. In fact, development would
slow considerably until as late as 1952. BMW, like most German industrial
companies, was focused on outfitting the Wehrmacht (German army) in the
early part of the decade. And after Germany's ultimate defeat, BMW was
faced with bombed out facilities and near-dismantlement by the Allied
powers. 1940. The aeroengine 801 goes
into series production. By the end of the war over 30,000 units of this
14-cylinder aeroengine are manufactured. With a streamlined coupe based on
the 328 BMW wins the overall evaluation of the Mille Miglia which takes
place this year as a lap race with the starting and finishing lines in
Brescia. 1941. BMW's primary motorcycle
contribution to the war effort was the specially designed R 75. Equally
efficient on- and off-road, it would spur numerous imitations. 18,000 R
75s were made based on Alex Von Falkenhausen's design. With its overhead
750 cc engine it could achieve 26 bhp at 4,000 rpm and had a drive
mechanism for the sidecar wheel as well as hydraulically assisted brakes.
The extra braking being necessary to stop its 925 lb girth. With an extra
large gas tank, two seats and a sidecar, the R 75 was used for
reconnaissance, communication and attack (when mounted with a machine
gun). It is also the "stereotypical" WWII motorcycle as seen in many
movies on the subject. 1942. Motorcycle
production is moved to Eisenach. 1943.
The BMW jet engine 003 goes into series production.
1944. Motorcycle production is halted in
Eisenach. 1945. Just before the end of
WWII, the German government ordered BMW director Kurt Dornarth to destroy
the Munich production facilities. This order Dornarth promptly ignored. A
year later, the occupying American military will make the same request.
And again Dornarth will ignore it. Instead, BMW survives by manufacturing
farm equipment, bicycles, utensils, pots and pans - supplies to help the
now - impoverished German people. 1946.
The Eisenbach facility, which is surrendered to the Soviets, continues to
carry out the production of Russian imitation twin motorcycles using BMW
designs. These R 35s are branded EMW (Eisenbach Motoren Werke) and are
marked with a logo similar to BMW's, but rendered in red and white.
Forbidden by the Allies to manufacture their own motorcycles, BMW
continues to stay in business by doing repair work on Allied military
vehicles. 1947. With the restrictions
banning the manufacture of motorcycles relaxed by the International
Control Commission, BMW begins to draft blueprints for what will
eventually become the R 24. The designs are composed entirely from the
spare parts left over from pre war motorcycle manufacturing. Not ready to
roll out its own motorcycle yet, BMW keeps an adequate cash flow by making
22,000 bicycles in this year. 1948.
Using the R 23's running gear and powered by a modernized single cylinder,
BMW officially begins motorcycle manufacture again with the R 24 - its
first post war bike. Running on a 250 cc engine (the maximum size allowed
by the supervising Control Commission), the R 24 is equipped with
centrifugal ignition timing and ratchet-action pedal shifting for its
4-speed transmission. At the same time, BMW draws up the plans for its
first foray into two-stroke motorcycles. It was a simpler design owing to
the shortage of available materials at the time.
1949. 17,000 R 24s have been produced by this
time and BMW is beginning to recover from the aftermath of WWII. It is in
1949 that BMW introduces the R 50/2 and R 51/2. These machines are
criticized as the first evidence of compromise by the company. Referring
back to Karl Popp's "only the best is good enough" philosophy, motorcycle
enthusiasts are not pleased when they discover the rear main bearing had
been moved into the crankcase instead of given its own housing. It now
requires replacement every 10,000 miles. Adding to the disappointment, the
centrifuge system's "thrower plates" are unable to handle the post-war,
low-grade fuel, frequently clogging with unburnt particles and blocking
oil flow.
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