BMW Profiles 4: Motorcycles from Berlin

BMW Profiles 4: Motorcycles from Berlin

This BMW Profiles 4: Motorcycles from Berlin contains BMW history, technical specifications and production figures from the BMW Mobile Tradition Historical Archive. It also includes construction plans, design sketches, rare photographs and a BMW motorcycle sales brochure from 1976, featuring the BMW R100RS.

1969 was a milestone in the history of BMW motorcycles. BMW relocated its production of motorcycles from Munich to Berlin, and in the same year presented a brand new model series, a completely new development.

The economic situation at the time was far from ideal. Over the last decade and a half, the number of motorcycles on European roads had continually declined. In Germany in 1969, fewer than 5,000 new motorcycles were registered, the lowest figure for more than 20 years. Furthermore, the 1960s had seen Japanese competition constantly gaining in strength, and after cautious beginnings now challenging BMW in the important upper market sector. But there were also positive developments. These first took effect abroad, with the United States - an important export market of long standing for BMW - leading the way with steady and substantial growth. When, after a delay of several years, a new motorcycle boom came about in Germany, BMW was ready with its latest model range. Motorcycle sales increased, and the two-wheeler, once a cause of concern, again became a successful mainstay of the company, 75 years after introduction of the first BMW model.

This book presents a brief review of three decades of changing fortunes for BMW motorcycles. It is the sequel to Motorcycles from Munich 1923 to 1969: the first volume of the Profiles series. It follows the same format, with two exceptions. This new publication does not include tables of engine and vehicle number groups, nor press reviews on the various motorcycles. Reasons of space prohibit their inclusion. There are around 200 different number groups applying merely to those models no longer in production - due to variants' for different countries and specific public authorities, accessories and technical modifications.

The same applies to the press reviews. Over the last two decades, the motorcycle boom has prompted a parallel explosion in the market for specialist magazines, flooding readers with test reports of all kinds. Even a selection would have been beyond the scope of the present book. The performance% power rating of the motorcycles is given in hp throughout. This was still standard practice in 1969. For ease of readability. figures in kW are not given in the text. In the section on technical specifications, however, the reader will find both data.