2013 Montréal Moto Show: V-Strom 650 “à la CMG”

Many motorcycle manufacturers lack opportunism when it is time to showcase their adventure bikes to the public…

 

…either the bikes are presented with road tires, or no skid plate, or with an inefficient windscreen, etc etc.

The people from CMG magazine were right on the spot presenting a rugged version of the popular V-Strom 650 at the 2013 Montreal Moto Show. 

Their “Adventure” interpretation of this motorcycle is pretty much what adventurers ultimately aim to achieve when customizing their bike for off-road/adv use.

Not only did they choose 50-50 Heidenau tires, but they also upgraded to more shock resistant tubeless wire wheel rims.  The alu cases are superb and the skid plate fits like a charm; both add to the nice rugged look of this motorcycle.  The windscreen seems more than sufficient to protect the driver from the elements even at high speed.

Also note the enlarged kickstand base, off-road handguards and most likely heated grips – the list seems complete to enjoy any adventure ride.

Well done!

ciao!
DSAQ

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Triumph Safety Recall: Tiger 800, Daytona 675, Speed Triple and Street Triple for Flashers issue

On March 21, 2013, Triumph Canada filed a safety recall on multiple 2012 and 2013 models.

As stated on Transport Canada recall # 2013089, on certain motorcycles, supports for the front and rear turn signal lamps were manufactured incorrectly and could break, causing the lamp assemblies to hang from their electrical wires. As a result, the driver’s intentions to turn may not be conveyed clearly to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury.

To correct the problem, the dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the turn signal lamp assemblies.  413 Motorcycles are potentially affected by this issue.

[SRC: Transport Canada]

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Manawan Reserve ride: part 4, a maze of trails

See part 3 

The last part of my ride to Manawan.  I was pleasantly surprised when I deviated from my plan and took the path that led to Zec Collin.

 

There is something spiritual about adventure motorcycling – as one never knows what’s ahead, some faith is required to make the ride a success.  Of course, that depends on one’s definition of adventure motorcycling – mine is rather simplistic: ride and have fun – which does not leave much place to planning. 

 

Well, such an approach paid off as you can see below… 

A lot of nice trails, lakes, rivers and also some challenges.

Here is how I got there:  after I adjusted my bike suspension (see part 3), I continued on the Manawan road for a few miles.  However I was still far - 30 miles away - from the Manawan Indian reserve and I had no more business on this road.

As I was riding, I saw many road signs indicating ZECs (Exploitation of natural resources…Controlled…Zone: an area where you can do many outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, camping, riding…but have to register before - obviously something I had not done – I’m learning it as I write this review.)  So, to make the ride more exciting, I took the next path for the ZEC Collin.

That was a pretty good idea:  the road was a lot more interesting for adventuring and very quiet – no more SUVs or trucks. 

After a short moment riding on this road, the path forked into 3 branches.  So, how do I decide which one to use and also, will I get lost?  Only one way to find out!

So I went with the outer left fork.  I rode as far as I could on that path, crossing a wooden bridge, flooded roads (most of the time the floods were caused by a nearby beaver dam) and creeks.  Finally a bit of this, a bit of that – everything that makes a good recipe for an adventure ride.  In conclusion: a nice ride in the forest. 

Then I stopped at Herelle lake; it was a dead end.  After reading the signs, I wished I had known more about this place.  I would have paid for a day pass and brought along a fishing rod.  That’s what happens when you don’t know a sector – you miss out on a lot.  Anyway, something else to try in the future.

So I went back and I saw another fork.  I decided to go see where it led to and stumbled upon a potential mud hole.  “Oh…no!, not today thank you.”  I would have gone through it without hesitating with a smaller/lighter bike like the 350 EXC-F that I tried earlier in the season, but it was not the case.  I must admit from the picture on the right that this mud hole did not look that bad, but the path was already quite degraded even before reaching this place.  Anyway, I still had many trails to discover and it was not the right time to waste energy “playing” in the mud.

I used this strategy for the rest of the ride: I turned around each time there was a risk that could negatively impact the ride.  That gave me more riding time and more potential discoveries.  Since I was riding in a totally unknown area, the strategy paid off.
 

Then I discovered this bridge.  It was in very bad shape.  I could see the river flowing thought it, 10 feet lower.  There were also nail heads (visible from the picture) all the way along the bridge.  “Hmmm…not very inviting.  If I get a flat trying to cross that bridge, I’ll hate myself to death especially since I am 160 miles away from home in the woods.  It’s not worth it.”  I have an emergency tire repair kit and a bike hand pump under the seat but I sincerely wish I’ll never have to use it – touch wood.

The trail on the other side of the bridge, however, seemed very interesting.  I’ll probably never know what I missed!

I went back to check out the second of the three forks I had seen earlier.  It was a winding truck road with plenty of hills – a real rollercoaster ride.  It was a nice place to test my off-road riding skills.  The path became more technical, with big rocks and holes further on the way, finally ending with a forestry exploitation.  Trees were lying on the ground along the road– it looked like a war zone - but unfortunately we need wood to build our houses.  The road abruptly ended after a few miles and I had to go back.  The suspension adjustments I had done earlier were useful here as well and made the return pretty satisfying: I was able to push the bike much faster than I usually do in similar road conditions.

Then the last fork.  That section was not bad as well.  After a while, from the top of a mound, the road below snaked along the mountainside as far as I could see. 

I was looking forward to seeing where the road led to, but with a little stress as well.  It is difficult to explain the feelings that spark when adventuring: a mix of excitement and dizziness, irrational fear of the unknown and admiration when facing a nice panorama. 

Any fears of getting lost or running out of fuel vanished quickly when I finally got back on the main road at the 29 km milestone.  “Wut?!  That’s it?.”  I thought I was up further north, but that was fine.  After 2 hours of off-road riding, I was ready to go back home - some 3 extra hours to go. 

On my way back, still on the Manawan road, after 2 hours of off-road practice and a couple of energy drinks, I started taking chances passing SUVs.  I got the scare of my life when my front wheel started to uncontrollably oscillate after I hit a sand patch at 70 mph.  Ouch!!  I don’t know how I got out of this situation, but it was enough to cool me down until I got back on the paved road. 

Anyway, that was a pretty nice ride.  I would do it again, but there is so much more to discover in this area!  As an example, the ride around Taureau lake… certainly one of the most beautiful places in Quebec for trail riding as per an ATV rider told me…  I’m already dreaming about it!

Ciao!
DSAQ

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BMW R1200GS 2013 Recalled for ASC software update

With the increase of electronics in modern vehicles, it is not a surprise that an update is required in the latest BMW adventure motorcycle software. 

As the number of lines of code required to drive all the new electronics increases, the potential for programming errors grows accordingly.  Software companies have to deal with bugs on a regular basis and the transportation industry now faces the same reality. 

Fortunately, once discovered, software issues can be easily fixed and only require an update of the vehicle computer code.  In this particular case, the problem reported by BMW is related to the Automatic Stability Control (ASC) system which may not reactivate following off-road use in the “Enduro-Pro” mode. As the ASC warning lamp is no longer illuminated, the rider may be unaware that the system is still currently deactivated.  This could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury.

To fix the issue the dealers will install an updated ASC software.

Only 31 models have been recalled.

[SRC: TRANSPORT CANADA]

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Manawan Reserve ride: part 3 The Manawan road

See part 2

Riding the Manawan road turned out to be a life-sized mechanical lab that revived recent painful experiences – and with some thought, older ones too…

If you ever ride a motorcycle on the Parent road, you will feel quite at home on the Manawan road.  Both roads have the same vocation: fast fire roads that have been tortured by loaded logging trucks.  Both roads send the same painful sensations to the rider: intense vibrations in the handle bars… strong enough that one cannot keep his hands tight on the grips – imagine yourself trying to stop a Harley Davidson engine from vibrating with your hands.

It was quite stressful to ride the Manawan road under those conditions with a pickup following closely at 45 mph (75 km/h).  I could not go any faster because of the intensity of the vibrations transmitted by the washboard-like road and I was under the impression that the guy behind me was losing his patience.  I let him pass as soon as I had a chance and I made a first stop.

If I had not brought along a ratchet with the appropriate socket that fits my suspension adjusting nub, I would have turned around without a second thought.  But fortunately, it could be fixed.

Time to experiment.  For this first stop, I reduced the preload on both sides of the fork by turning the adjustment nubs counter clockwise by about 2 turns (making sure to turn each of them equally.)

A few minutes and that was it!  So easy when you have the right tool.  I still don’t understand why there is no tool that fits the front adjustment nubs with the Versys basic toolset.  It would have saved me a lot of frustration.

Alright!  Back on the road.  Wow!  It was amazing how much smoother the ride felt!  But still, there was room for improvement.  So a second stop was required – 2 other turns off on each side and off we go.  Unbelievable!  The road that was almost impracticable a moment ago was now transformed – almost no vibrations at the handle bars!  Terrific!

Third stop.  Why not continue the experimentation.  I removed all I could: 2 or 3 more turns off.  Voila.  That was it.  All the vibrations transmitted by the road were filtered by the suspension.  Then the 4th stop…

I had to stop a last time.  The rear suspension was still pretty stiff and there were a lot of vibrations coming from the back wheel.  Fortunately Kawasaki had provided the required tool (a hook wrench) for the rear suspension adjustment nub, but it was not as efficient as I would have liked. 

Adjusting the rear suspension is quite a challenge as it is required to balance the bike on the kick stand to take off the the weight from the rear wheel, then use the dedicated tool on the rear nub – this tool, the hook wrench, grabs one of the teeth of the nub (I included a picture of a similar wrench on the left) and it is necessary to pull upward to reduce the preload.  It would have been easier if the kick stand had not sunk into the sand due to a very small contact area with the ground (a flat foot kick stand would have been appreciated!  See the picture on the right) and if the darn wrench did not snap off every 2 seconds – sincerely…Kawasaki could have chosen a better wrench to include in the toolset.  Anyway, with a bit of patience I got the job done.

The result: a pretty well adapted suspension for this type of road – no more vibrations no matter how deep the washboard peaks were or how fast I was riding.  Who would have thought the Versys had all the required qualities to ride in such conditions?  Pretty well hidden qualities, but the name fits the bike for sure.  After all those adjustments, I was able to follow any pickups or SUVs on the road but this time I was pushing on their back.

This experimentation revived the pain I went through at the engineering school understanding the theory on filters (mechanical filters as well as electrical ones).  All this theory I had gobbled 20 years ago, without realising its real life application is now much clearer in my mind – engineering schools should probably send their students to ride bikes on similar roads Braaap!

Next part: a maze of trails.

Ciao!
DSAQ

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2013 BMW R1200GS Recalled

On February 6, 2013, BMW filed a safety recall with Transport Canada for the 2013 R1200GS.

The reason of this recall is the transmission oil pressure that may be too high on certain motorcycles, causing the output shaft sealing ring to leak.

An oil leakage ahead of the rear tire could render the vehicle unstable. This could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury.

To fix the issue, the dealers will install an oil restrictor to reduce oil pressure at the transmission output.

Only 31 units are affected.

[SRC: TRANSPORT CANADA]

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The Montreal Motorcycle Show 2013: Win one of 6 pairs of tickets!

The Montreal Motorcycle Show will soon be here to make us dream about new bikes brilliantly engineered by the manufacturers.

I recently contacted the Director of Communications of the Show and I was pleasantly surprised by his willingness to collaborate!

He offered me 6 pairs of tickets to access the event that I could use to organize this contest.

1. So how does it work? 
   

You may participate and win one of the 6 pairs of tickets by:

1. Subscribing to the DS Adventure Quebec mailing list – submit your email address in the box titled “Follow by Email” on the right side of this page (this box is not visible on smart phones.)  You will receive a confirmation email.  With this option, you will be automatically enrolled to future contests as well; or
2. Simply send an email to dsadvq@gmail.com with the title: “DS Adventure Quebec: Win one of 6 pairs of tickets! contest”.

This is as simple as that…and please, share this information with your friends!  The draw will be held on February 19^th, 2013.  The winners will be required to provide their first name, last name and city of residence.

And the winners are…

Hugues-Frédéric Brouillette
Gatineau

Marilyne Lavoie
Lachine

Jean-Paul Bernier
Laval

Denis Ouellet
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu

Sabrina Layek
Paris

Sylvain Beauvais
Gatineau

Thank you all for your participation and have a great day at the Montreal Motorcycle Show!
DSAQ

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Manawan Reserve ride: part 2

See Part 1

The Dakar ended a couple of weeks ago: congratulations to the winners and to all participants!  Now there are no more excuses to delay my ride report heading to Manawan, and hopefully I will be able to complete it before the Montreal Moto Show… many new adv bikes this year!

But one word about the Rally: it is fascinating to see the sand dunes and fantastic landscapes of South America that we discover through the Dakar- definitely something to add to my bucket list.

On the down side however, none of the Canadian TV networks – even sports channels – made any coverage of the Dakar. In MHO, such an event should show up at least on evening news, right?!

Right…back to the main program…Manawan…Dorwin falls…yeah, those falls were an unexpected discovery worth seeing!  I spent too much time there taking shots and videos.  When I left and realized how long I had been there, I took the resolution to stop stopping every ten minutes for a bloody picture!

I stopped at least 10 more times after taking that resolution...  I saw this windmill along the road and I was curious to know what it was used for.  No luck, the area was deserted and there was a for sale sign.

As one distraction led to another, I saw an advertisement along the road for a free visit day at “La Terre des Bisons (The Buffalos Land)”…

It was not easy to ignore this sign but I succeeded!  However, I turned around 1 mile further.  Well, Buffalos are not part of Quebec wildlife – I don’t remember having seen a Buffalo crossing sign in my whole life! – that’s my excuse for this other shot!

So in Rawdon, Qc there is a buffalo farm called: “La terre des bisons” and it seems well established.  I passed pretty quickly and I did not dare to visit inside the installation, but back home, I took a look at their web site and found all the information I needed to know: http://www.terredesbisons.com/

I’ll probably go back with my kids – they are eager to see this – and buy some goods: since my visit I can’t stop thinking about buffalo steak on the charcoal…

 

From a motorcycle adventure perspective, the ride to get to the farm is not bad.  I took this shot on the Parkinson road.

9:20 am.  Waterdome at Lake Cloutier.  I continued riding north and I crossed this Waterdome on the “Riviere Blanche” road (White River road).

***
So this was a brief outlook of the “La Pocatière” area in Quebec near Rawdon city.  I just scratched the surface of it but it was very nice to discover with many interesting roads.  An area that has many hidden treasures and deserves more attention.

I got back on track for a moment and followed my GPS to reach the 131 north which leads to St-Michel-des-Saints - and the Manawan road - through St-Zenon village.

10:23 a.m.   This picture shows a trail that I saw from the 131 road in St-Zenon. 

I went to see where it led, and I met a resident who was taking a walk.

He told me that he just saw a couple of bears in the area.  I had mixed emotions about that  – it would be nice to take a picture of a bear, but at the same time they have unpredictable behaviour.  Apparently they are easily spooked – so am I.

 

Next part – the untamed Manawan road.

Ciao!
DSAQ

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90 Years of BMW Motorrad - The R 37 – BMW goes racing…

The immediate success of the original R 32 established BMW as a serious player in the motorcycle industry some five years before the company even started the development of cars. Furthermore, this iconic motorcycle also paved the way for a sports model that took the brand into racing at the highest level. Enter the R 37…

With 494cc, 8.5 hp and a top speed of over 90 km/h, the original 120 kg R 32 had quickly earned a good reputation as a safe, well-handling motorcycle, with its easy maintenance and well-known reliability. Having achieved these important objectives, the talented engineers in the BMW factory were soon thinking about ‘tweaking’ the engine and chassis so they could go racing competitively on it.

Undoubtedly convincing his colleagues that ‘racing improves the breed’, a young engineer – and active motorcycle racer – Rudolf Schleicher, was put in charge of the project, despite the fact that he has only been with BMW since 1923. This gifted engine designer, still only in his Twenties, developed the first light-alloy cylinder head for the R 37 in 1924. The brand’s long experience and unsurpassed expertise in the field of light alloys is the key to the success of this – and the single-cylinder R 39 engine that follows – the first standard-production engines with aluminium cylinder heads.

Of course, there is a big difference between road riding and the exciting world of motorsport, and this is what spurs BMW engineers on to further develop the high-quality Boxer concept, using knowledge gained from aircraft engine manufacture, but adapted for motorcycle production and professional racing – which always places the highest demands on materials and technology. The R 32’s standard output of 8 bhp is considerably enhanced with the R 37 competition version – in fact, it achieves twice the power of its predecessor with 500cc and 16 bhp.

More than just a ‘tuned’ R 32, the R 37 featured a more efficient overhead valve system that was both oil- and dust-proof, which was a big improvement over the exposed systems that could be vulnerable to the weather. The cylinder heads were made from lightweight aluminium and the lights were removed to underline the sporting character of this machine.

The R 37 was a little heavier than its predecessor, but the increased horsepower propelled it to a more than respectable 115 km/h (70 mph). Fuel economy suffered slightly (4 litres/100 km) but the excellent performance made up for this. With a sales price of 2,900 Reichsmarks the R 37 was the most expensive motorcycle in the German market. As a result, it was not a sales success (only 152 were produced in its 1925-1926 lifespan) but this racing derivative of the R 32 took the brand into all sorts of motorsport competitions across the world, helping establish BMW’s reputation as a premium manufacturer.

Success in motorsport was very important at the time to prove not just reliability and endurance qualities, but also performance in all conditions. For the R 37, success was immediate, and long lasting. BMW test rider Franz Bieber won the 1924 German 500cc championship, with Rudolf Reich winning it in 1925 on the R 37. Although new to the world of racing, BMW enjoyed a wave of success: 91 wins in 1925, 105 in 1926, and 171 in 1927. In Germany, BMW won every single title in all classes up to 500cc between 1924 and 1929.

But it was abroad where the biggest headline came, when none other than Rudolf Schleicher won BMW’s first major international trophy – a gold medal in the International Six Days Trial in Great Britain in 1926 – the toughest cross-country event in the world at that time. As it was the first time that a German rider had won the event, this helped bring the BMW brand to the attention of the world and prove it meant business. In reality, it was just the start of a long relationship with performance, speed and competition that continues to this day.

Schleicher would later assume responsibility within BMW for the development of engines for standard-production cars and racing models, but thanks to his love of engineering, his passion for motorsport and his belief in personally using these products to prove their worth – both on and off-road – the seeds had been sown for many more exciting models on which to satisfy a rider’s thirst for competition and adventure.

[SRC: BMW]

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KTM owner buys Husqvarna motorcycle brand from BMW

(Reuters) - The owner of offroad motorbike maker KTM (KTMP.VI) acquired rival brand Husqvarna from Germany's BMW (BMWG.DE) on Thursday in a consolidation move that helps shave costs as the industry copes with a slump in Europe.

Entrepreneur Stefan Pierer, who owns a majority stake in KTM, told Reuters he was taking a page out of Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) book by buying the Italian-based company, whose one-cylinder enduros and motocross bikes are dubbed "Huskies" by their fans.
"Almost ten years ago we started a small platform strategy just like what Volkswagen does on a far larger level," he said in a telephone interview after the deal, declining to provide financial details.

"Even though this is a niche business, you have the same problem as in the car industry. Development costs for modern, sporty motorcycles are so high - especially for engines - that a small brand (like Husqvarna) can no longer shoulder them on its own."

Pierer's KTM also owns the Husaberg, a Swedish brand founded by two engineers in 1988 after Husqvarna motorcycle moved its operations toItaly from its Scandinavian home.

"I want to see Husqvarna sales double in five years time to 20,000 motorbikes," he said, adding that his immediate focus would be on rejuvenating the ageing line-up of offroad models.

Instead of fully integrating both companies, Husqvarna and KTM will be managed separately, while reaping the benefits of using common components.

"This way we can use common engineering platforms to develop a variety of models that have completely different characteristics for each brand," Pierer said.

Husqvarna generated roughly 65 million euros selling roughly 10,000 bikes, he said, while KTM sold 107,000 motorcycles with revenue of 612 million euros.

In a rare acquisition, BMW scooped up Husqvarna at the peak of the market in 2007 to improve its position in the field of light, sporty motorbikes and extend the range to include younger customer groups as well as the entire off-road and supermoto sector.

The market in Europe, however, has shrunk almost by half since the deal, and BMW never attained sustained growth of the business in the face of such harsh headwinds.

BMW said it was selling the brand as part of a strategic realignment of its motorcycle business to focus on urban and electric mobility "in the context of changing motorcycle markets, demographic trends and increasing environmental demands."

KTM by comparison has a strong position in the segment in which Husqvarna competes, with roughly 30 percent of the global market share in motocross and 50 percent in enduro, according to Pierer.

When asked whether he was concerned the two brands might cannibalize each other's sales, he admitted there would be a slight effect.

Overall, however, the Husqvarna brand would help it take share away from Honda (7267.T), Yamaha (7272.T), Kawasaki (7012.T) and Suzuki (7269.T).

"It's never 1 plus 1 equals 3, but it's certainly 2.7, and there are still four Japanese brands from which there's plenty to grab."

(Reporting By Christiaan Hetzner; editing by Andrew Hay)

[SRC: REUTERS]

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90 Years of BMW Motorrad – Max Friz

The aircraft engine manufacturer BMW unveiled its first motorcycle in late 1923, and it was a passionate aircraft engine designer – Max Friz – who was behind its creation. Forever credited as the father of the first BMW bike – the R 32 – Friz’s story leading up to this groundbreaking motorcycle is as interesting as it is varied.

Born nearly 130 years ago on 1 October 1883 in Urach, Max Friz started his apprenticeship with the Kuhn steam engine company in Cannstatt at the age of 15 – an incredibly exciting time to be involved with engineering development of any kind. From 1902 to 1904 he attended the Royal Building Trade School in Stuttgart-Esslingen before moving in 1906 to work in the design office of the Daimler company.

There, he started to make a name for himself in motorsport, where he made a major contribution to the design of the racing engine for the 1914 Mercedes Grand Prix car that won the French Grand Prix of the same year. However, it is in aviation where Friz’ passion truly could be found. After all, he would have been an impressionable 20-year-old when the first powered flight by the Wright brothers made headlines around the world in 1903 – and no doubt inspired countless young men to become engineers.

Although the aviation industry had by many scarcely been considered worthy of attention in its infancy, the outbreak of war in 1914 changed everything and offered great opportunities for companies such as Rapp Motorenwerke – a predecessor of BMW.

At the end of 1916, having become frustrated with his suggestions for engine development being ignored by the chief engineer at the Daimler engine company, Friz applied for a position with Rapp.

At this time, war was being waged in the air for the first time, and the aerial battles demanded continuous improvements in aircraft and aero engines. A significant challenge for the engineers was the constantly increasing average altitude at which the fighting was taking place. Basically, the higher you were able to fly, the better the strategic advantage, as long as your engine didn’t lose too much power, or worse, stall in the decreased atmospheric pressure.

At Daimler, Friz had tried in vain to develop an oversized high compression engine that would not lose as much power at altitude as other engines, but it wasn’t until he moved to Rapp Motorenwerke in Munich in 1917 that he was able to put his own idea for a high altitude engine into practice.

In spring 1917, a commission from the Reichswehr were inspecting the Rapp engine plant to decide which engines – Daimler or Benz – would be produced under licence at the Rapp engine plant. General Manager Franz Josef Popp seized the opportunity to present Friz new concept to the commission of experts – even though it only existed in his design drawings, with no prototype to show.

However, the commission were suitably impressed with the potential of this high altitude aero engine with its innovative carburettor and many other technical details. The Reichswehr placed an order for 600 units – even before a single working prototype had been produced – turning Rapp Motorenwerke into an essential contributor to the war effort virtually overnight. Orders flowed in from the military and by the end of the war, more than 3,100 IIIa aero engines had been commissioned – and Rapp had become BMW.

Friz’ BMW IIIa aero engine was in fact far superior to any other German aero engine of that period and no doubt saved the Rapp company of the time, which would almost certainly have disappeared without the effort and talent of this excellent designer.

But after the conflict ended in November 1918, the impact on the entire German aircraft industry was huge – especially for BMW, which had been building nothing else but Friz’s IIIa engine in 1918. The Treaty of Versailles then forbade BMW to build aero engines at all, but before the ban came into effect, Friz had already designed the successor to the IIIa – known simply as the BMW IV.

This Treaty would in fact ban the production of aircraft in Germany for many years, but just before the ban came into effect, a test pilot, Franz Zeno Diemer, took off in a DFW 37/III from Oberwiesenfeld airfield next to the BMW plant. His plane was powered by BMW IV six-cylinder engines and reaches the previously unattained altitude of 9,760 metres during an 87-minute flight. This world record is to be the first of many for BMW, although post-WWI Germany is not allowed to join the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, so the record is not officially recognised.

Not only had the Allies banned Germany from building aircraft and aero engines, they had in addition demanded that all aviation assets manufactured up to that point be handed over or destroyed. As a consequence, BMW Managing Director Franz-Josef Popp began looking for alternatives to keep the employees working, so tasked Friz and his design department with making new products to sell to the peacetime market.

Engines were designed for boats, cars, trucks and motorcycles. One of these engines was the M2B15 ‘boxer’ that was developed by Martin Stolle and supplied to quite a number of other motorcycle manufacturers to power their machines. However, the management felt that BMW could do better than just supplying the engines and should build its own complete motorcycle.

Friz was asked to come up with a suitable package. The result was the R 32 of 1923 (see separate story) and the rest, as they say, is history.

[SRC: BMW]

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Dakar 2013: Best of Bike

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Dakar 2013: Stage 14 - Car/ Bike - Stage Summary (La Serena - Santiago)

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90 Years of BMW Motorrad – where it all started

 

With more than 106,000 motorcycles and maxi-scooters sold to customers worldwide in 2012, BMW Motorrad celebrated yet another all-time sales high, making it the perfect way to start its 90th anniversary celebrations. This sales record was set in difficult economic conditions too, but the company has had more than its fair share of challenges to overcome ever since its origins more than nine decades ago. A look back through history reveals a story of restriction, adaption, intense competition and constant innovation – all of which have helped shape the brand we know and admire today…

Chapter one: the years leading up to the first BMW motorcycle – the R 32
BMW is set up in Munich during World War One as the successor to Rapp Motoren-Werke, an aircraft engine plant founded in 1913. Its first product is the IIIa aircraft engine, containing legendary engine designer Max Friz's altitude carburettor, which, in comparison to rival products, greatly decreases loss of performance at high altitude.

On 21st July 1917, Rapp-Motorenwerke is renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. The ongoing war means that the small company grows quickly. With expansion in mind, the firm builds a spacious plant right next to the Oberwiesenfeld airfield in Munich and continues to build engines for army planes until 1918.

The war ends in 1918 and the production of aircraft engines is banned in Germany under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. This Treaty would in fact ban the production of aircraft in Germany for many years, but just before the ban comes into effect, a test pilot, Franz Zeno Diemer, takes off in a DFW 37/III from Oberwiesenfeld airfield next to the BMW plant. His plane is powered by BMW IV six-cylinder engines and reaches the previously unattained altitude of 9,760 metres during an 87-minute flight. This world record is to be the first of many for BMW, although post-WWI Germany is not allowed to join the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, so the record is not officially recognised.

With a need to survive and diversify, large six-cylinder aero engines displacing 19 litres and developing a maximum output of 226 bhp are replaced in 1920 by 500cc power units developing just 6.5 bhp (BMW had also built four-cylinder series engines for lorries and boats, but with limited success). The outlook for the fledgling company brightens up with the development of the two-cylinder M 2 B 15 engine – which is also supplied to several motorcycle manufacturers. In consideration of the two cylinders arranged opposite to one another, as well as the pistons operating in the opposite direction, these power units are referred to as ‘Boxers’.
This engine found its main use in Nuremberg-based Victoria motorcycles, helping them to outstanding success in 1921. The neighbouring aircraft manufacturer, Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke, also fitted the BMW engine into their Helios model, together with a transmission likewise supplied by BMW.
In 1922 it sells its engine production and the name BMW to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) and moves into their factory. The aircraft-maker's founding date, 7 March 1916, thus becomes the new founding date of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.

With Victoria now developing their own models and with the Helios motorcycle suffering from technical problems, BMW’s General Manager Franz-Josef Popp and his engineering colleagues decide to make a big move, realising that the best way to support BMW’s good reputation as an engine manufacturer is for the company to build its own modern motorcycle, rather than being a sub-contractor.

The engineer given the task of building BMW’s first motorcycle is none other than Max Friz, who had made a great name for himself as an outstanding engineer even before World War I. After working on a sensational Grand Prix winner in 1914 (the four-valve ohc Mercedes) Max Friz had joined BMW in 1917 and designed the Type IIIa aircraft engine, the most progressive power unit of its day.

And while the aforementioned small M 2 B 15 motorcycle engine developed by his colleague Martin Stolle is no particular challenge to Friz, the job of building an entirely new motorcycle around the Boxer configuration certainly aroused the ambition of this successful engineer.
Developed on the drawing board in 1922, the first BMW motorcycle – known as the R 32 – would cause a sensation when it was unveiled at the Berlin Exhibition in 1923…

[SRC: BMW]

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