Bayerische Motoren Werke

or BMW, released their first flat twin shaft-driven motorcycle in 1923 at a motorcycle show in Paris. Since then, BMW has been well known world-wide for the manufacture of motorcycles of exceptional quality and beauty.

The 1923 BMW was a 500 cc cycle designed by Max Friz and based on his earlier work designing airplane engines. Earlier models created by the company, including the Flink (148 cc) and the Helios (500 cc), were chain driven and BMW even experimented with a belt driven cycle before determining that shaft-drive was the most effective and reliable way to power a motorcycle. BMW motorcycles have been shaft driven since the 1923 R32.

When the war ended in 1945, the BMW plants were in a poor state of health. The Munich works had been so badly damaged in air raids that it had closed. The Spandau plant in Berlin was damaged and under Russian control (later dismantled and carried to the U.S.S.R.). Eisenach was also in the Russian sector and only Allach (on the outskirts of Munich) was still capable of manufacturing.

The U.S. Military forces gave the Allach factory its first post-war income, enlisting the workers to repair military vehicles and establishing a small workshop. During the reparation period, dismantling seemed inevitable -- much of the machinery was shipped away. The workers at the plant, however, banded together in those chaotic years and managed to keep a certain amount of equipment.

Georg Meier, the 1939 TT winner, had run plant security during the war and looked on the post-war period as an excellent time to re-establish the factory as a center for two-wheeled vehicle production. In 1947 the Paris show had some BMWs on display but they included some French parts and were not available for purchase. The rumors at this same show were that the Russians were also making BMWs with the captured machinery. Eventually the Russians did manufacture a BMW based motorcycle known as the Ural which, in spite of poor quality in the years before the dismantling of the U.S.S.R., is still manufactured today.

In March 1950 the BMW twin was back and made its show debut in Geneva. However, the 1951 500 cc model cost twice as much as a comparable Manx Norton or Vincent Black Lightning. Since the BMW was said to have hard suspension and some other concerns with regards to comfort, it was often overlooked but all comers seemed to agree that the engine made these cycles the most reliable and dignified motorcycles available. The three twins released in 1954 had their forks improved and therefore had better handling. One of the models included a sidecar.

In 1957 the motorcycle industry was in a slump. European economies were improving and people were abandoning motorcycles for the affordable comfort of cars. BMW began heavily manufacturing of automobiles in the 1950s and motorcycle production was de-emphasised.

The 1960s saw a reemergence of BMW motorcycle sales and the BMW name became known for its reliability. In 1967 BMW introduced telescopic fork suspension but sales were not strong as the vehicles were expensive to make and costly to buy. With the insurgence of inexpensive Japanese motorcycles on the market in the late 1960s and early 1970s, BMW fought to maintain quality while finding ways to compete. Working with their now well-established automobile division, BMW began to market motorcycles to the world rather than just having them available for purchase.

BMW entered the worldwide arena in the 1970s by selling the /6 motorcycle line which featured improved handling, faster engines, and a better gear box.