BMW Boxer origin?

[Big Dave]

Just for a short article - What year do you reckon BMW first produced a horizontal twin?

[James Deuce]

1923 I think.

[Forest]

The first BMW bike ever produced for sale was the R32 in 1923. It had the horizontally opposed twin.

More details here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_R32).


... 486 cc engine with 8.5 hp (6.3 kW) and a top speed of 95–100 km/h (60 mph)


The R32 became the foundation for all future boxer powered BMW motorcycles. BMW oriented the boxer engine with the cylinder heads projecting out on each side for cooling as per the earlier British ABC.

[Big Dave]

They mentioned the war!

[Taz]

Umm think it was 1995.....

[vgcspares]

Prior to making motorcycles they were in the concrete mixer business (which began in 1849)

[Oscar]

Saw a couple in the Moto Museum at Bassella, Spain...

[Badjelly]

Just for a short article - What year do you reckon BMW first produced a horizontal twin?

What's the matter, Dave, don't they have Wikipedia in your part of the world?

[Badjelly]

Actually, if you read the Wikipedia article carefully...

The first "boxer" engine, M2B15, was based on a British Douglas design. It was manufactured by BMW but mostly used in other brands of motorcycles, notably Victoria of Nuremberg. The M2B15 proved to be moderately successful and BMW used it in its own Helios motorcycle. ... However with the development of its first light alloy cylinder head, a second more successful version of the boxer engine evolved. In 1923, the first BMW branded motorcycle, the R32, was produced.
...they manufactured a boxer engine, the M2B15, some time before 1923.

[Oscar]

Howzabout the wierdest Bimmer in Christendom?

[Big Dave]

Like I said to Random when he accused me of 'homework fraud' - There is what I need to know - and there is what you jokers already know.



Was confident it was 'the 20's' - just needed confirmation without wikepedantry. - Like that? new word - wikipedantry. :-)

[Big Dave]

Howzabout the wierdest Bimmer in Christendom?


Ach du himmel - mein boxer ist blau!

[Oscar]

Ach du himmel - mein boxer ist blau!

Imagine what Das Publisher would make of this:

[Big Dave]

Imagine what Das Publisher would make of this:


......mayhem.

[Badjelly]

Like I said to Random when he accused me of 'homework fraud' - There is what I need to know - and there is what you jokers already know.

And there is what we can read on Wikipedia, which is generally more than what any of us already know.

So you're going to say, "BMW produced their first boxer twin the 1920s"?

[Big Dave]

And there is what we can read on Wikipedia, which is generally more than what any of us already know.

So you're going to say, "BMW produced their first boxer twin the 1920s"?

refer wikipedantry :-P

'BMW Megamoto. A minimalist machine without any bells and whistles and a configuration dating back to the 1920’s, '

[Oscar]

refer wikipedantry :-P

'BMW Megamoto. A minimalist machine without any bells and whistles and a configuration dating back to the 1920’s, '

That pretty much sums up their entire product line.
BMW GS1200. A minimalist machine without any power and handling and a configuration dating back to the 1920’s

[Pedrostt500]

I understood that BMW built air craft engines for the first World War.

[Big Dave]

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[Bonez]

I understood that BMW built air craft engines for the first World War.And the one after that.

[Badjelly]

You saved yourself a lot of time by getting us to do your homework, didn't you BD?

[Big Dave]

Remember - you are either part of the solution - or you are the precipitate.

[vifferman]

Remember - you are either part of the solution - or you are the precipitate.
You remembered your high school chem?

[Big Dave]

You remembered your high school chem?


Mid life puns.

[Forest]

Actually, if you read the Wikipedia article carefully...

The first "boxer" engine, M2B15, was based on a British Douglas design. It was manufactured by BMW but mostly used in other brands of motorcycles, notably Victoria of Nuremberg. The M2B15 proved to be moderately successful and BMW used it in its own Helios motorcycle. ... However with the development of its first light alloy cylinder head, a second more successful version of the boxer engine evolved. In 1923, the first BMW branded motorcycle, the R32, was produced.
...they manufactured a boxer engine, the M2B15, some time before 1923.

The M2B15 was an aero engine. Viktoria used it in a couple of bikes from around 1920 onwards, but the R32 was the first BMW bike that had a horizontally opposed engine.

[cs363]

Imagine what Das Publisher would make of this:

Stop fishing Oscar, you already knew the answer to that one - as anyone that knows that particular chap would.
BMW + Sidecar + Heavy Machinegun + 'das Publisher' = well, lets just say that I think Big Dave's reply was ........'ahem' .......understated!

[T.W.R]

The M2B15 was an aero engine. Viktoria used it in a couple of bikes from around 1920 onwards, but the R32 was the first BMW bike that had a horizontally opposed engine.

The BMW factory when it started 1916 in Munich was building aircraft engines, then in 1921 the M2B15 was produced as a proprietary engine and supplied to Victoria, SMW, Bison, SBD and other smaller companies and the Helios which in 1922 was built at the BMW factory.

[Motu]

And their first boxer twin was fore and aft like a Douglas,it was flipped around later.

[Voltaire]

I understood that BMW built air craft engines for the first World War.

The BMW roundel is the view from a pilots cockpit, blue sky against a rotating propeller.
They also made jet engines for WW2 bomber that didn't quite make it to production, probably as they would need to have made the badge just white.
The bikes lost something when the badge became a sticker.
BMW also started making cars....Austin 7's under licence.

Read this in a book once....remember books?

[fliplid]

books...er, papery things with wordy things on em...?

[Voltaire]

books...er, papery things with wordy things on em...?

yeah..they sit on the shelf with the recordy things..plastic with a hole in it....and interesting covers like ....Led Zeppelin 3

[Big Dave]

Read this in a book once....remember books?


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[eliot-ness]

The M2B15 was an aero engine. Viktoria used it in a couple of bikes from around 1920 onwards, but the R32 was the first BMW bike that had a horizontally opposed engine.

Wrong, BMW built the M2B15 at the request of Otto engineering who were already building 150cc BMW powered motor bikes. The 500cc engine was made under licence from Douglas who had been using the flat twin layout since 1907. The engine was mounted fore and aft. The Helios, as it was called, didn't sell and in late 1921 BMW took over production and it was completely redesigned with the forerunner of today's transverse Boxer layout. So, the first BMW powered boxer was an Otto in 1920, albeit a Douglas designed motor. The first all BMW boxer was indeed the R32 in 1922.

[Voltaire]

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Television had so much potential...."to inform, educate and entertain" ..the foundation statement of the BBC probably in the 1950's.
I remember how my parents generation were addicted to it....now its mobile phones and ipods. ( rant over...I feel better now...back to invoicing)

[Pogo2]

The BMW roundel is the view from a pilots cockpit, blue sky against a rotating propeller.

Although I believe there is a bit of debate about the exact origins of the "spinning propeller".

After WWI they were of course prohibited from making aero engines so I guess someone must have thought " might as well make a bike" and the rest is history as they say.

I remember hearing an interest factoid once, but not to sure if it is true, that said the BMW has made XYZ million bikes over time and that they reckon that 50% are still on the road.

Dunno if its fact or fiction.

[Bonez]

Although I believe there is a bit of debate about the exact origins of the "spinning propeller".

After WWI they were of course prohibited from making aero engines so I guess someone must have thought " might as well make a bike" and the rest is history as they say.

I remember hearing an interest factoid once, but not to sure if it is true, that said the BMW has made XYZ million bikes over time and that they reckon that 50% are still on the road.

Dunno if its fact or fiction.The other 50% made it home.

Sorry, but just couldn't resist.

[Taz]

The other 50% made it home.

Sorry, but just couldn't resist.

:laugh::laugh::rofl:

[Pogo2]

The other 50% made it home.

Sorry, but just couldn't resist.

Nice call that one!