BMW Motorrad

[7][8][9] The most popular model is the R1200GS and its sibling R1200GS Adventure, which sold 24,467 units – accounting for 28% of BMW's annual production.

With an aim for 2020 to supply 200,000 vehicles to customers, BMW Motorrad is targeting an increase of its dealership from around 1,100 to 1,500 in the future.

[2] BMW have a long history in motorsports with many successes in a wide range of disciplines including Isle of Man TT, Dakar Rally, and Superbikes.

The F Series of single-cylinder BMW motorcycles was first launched in 1994, as the F650, and was built by Aprilia around a carbureted 650 cc four-stroke, four-valve, single-piston engine, and chain drive.

The Scarver was different from the F650GS variants in that it utilized a belt drive system opposed to a chain, had a much lower seat height, and was intended for on-road use.

The latest version of the 652 cc single engine fitted in the new G650GS is now produced in Berlin after 2 years production in Loncin, China.

The G450X contained several technological improvements over the Japanese off-road racing motorcycles but the most unusual and significant was the use of a single pivot point for the drive sprocket and the swing arm.

The former benefit saves on chain and sprocket wear and the latter allows for a more consistent drive geometry and fully available rear suspension travel during heavy acceleration.

The latter uses a de-tuned version of the 798 cc engine fitted to the F800GS,[14] marking a departure from BMW's naming convention.

Approximately 34% of the cooling is attributed to the water-cooling which is concentrated in the highest heat-generating areas such as around the exhaust-valve seats, etc.

These were similar in design to their larger flat-twin motorcycles, including the use of shaft drive, but the engine was mounted vertically within the frame.

This was the event that presaged the development of the ultimate K engine in terms of size and complexity, the six-cylinder K1600 series fitted to the K1600GT and GTL models.

It is 43 cm (17 in) wide, giving the bikes a very low center of mass without reducing maximum lean angles.

[20] In October 2008, BMW announced the new K1300GT, K1300S and K1300R models, all of which feature a larger capacity 1293 cc engine producing up to 175 hp (130 kW).

It decouples torque reaction as the suspension compresses and extends, avoiding the tendency to squat or rise under acceleration and reducing tyre chatter on the road surface.

In 2005, along with the introduction of the "hexhead", BMW inverted the Paralever and moved the torque arm from the bottom to the top of the drive shaft housing (photo right).

In the event, this was the year that use of sidecars peaked and quickly fell off in most European markets (e.g. the UK) but the Earles fork system was well liked by solo riders too.

The mechanical strength of this design sometimes proved to be a weakness to the rest of the motorcycle, since it transfers impact pressure to the frame where damage is more difficult and expensive to correct.

Developed by Saxon-Motodd in Britain in the early 1980s, the Telelever fork aims to improve handling stability during cornering and braking.

During braking, the trail and castor angle (rake) increases instead of decreasing as with traditional telescopic forks.

Some riders used to conventional forks reported that the Telelever can initially lack "feel", and that the absence of dive is initially disconcerting;[34] but the R1100S BoxerCup Replika (a model with its own race series) shows that the Telelever fork provides responsive and predictable handling.

The official BMW Motorrad explanation of the duolever includes this:[38] The advantage of this front wheel suspension on the motorcycle market at present is its torsional rigidity.

The BMW Motorrad Duolever front wheel suspension is not influenced by negative forces in the same manner as a conventional telefork whose fixed and take-off tubes twist laterally as well as longitudinally during jounce/rebound and steering.

The steering commands of the rider are converted directly and the feedback from the front wheel is transparent in all driving conditions.

A kinematical anti-dive effect is additionally achieved, just as for the Telelever, due to the arrangement of the trailing link bearings.

While a conventional telefork during strong braking manoeuvres jounces heavily or locks, the Duolever still has sufficient spring travel remaining in this situation and therefore the rider can still brake into the corner extremely late yet directionally stable.BMW Motorrad has long produced protective clothing for motorcyclists.

BMW's first motorcycle, the R32
BMW's best selling motorcycle, the R1200GS
BMW K1200S
2014 BMW S1000R
Four different BMW airhead and oilhead valve covers
1954 R68's two-fin valve cover
BMW K100 motorcycle engine circa 1986
R1200RT-P police model
Revised, inverted Paralever on a R1200GS
Earles fork on a BMW R60/2
BMW's Telelever front suspension on a R1150R
The top of the Duolever suspension