BMW Boxer origin?

**Voltaire** · 19th November 2008, 18:30

Originally Posted by fliplid

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** · 19th November 2008, 18:33

Originally Posted by Voltaire

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

**eliot-ness** · 19th November 2008, 18:41

Originally Posted by Forest

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** · 19th November 2008, 19:12

Originally Posted by Big Dave

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** · 19th November 2008, 19:51

Originally Posted by Voltaire

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** · 20th November 2008, 05:03

Originally Posted by Pogo2

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.