BMW Motorrad is celebrating over 100 years of history! Together with Fred Jakobs, the long-standing head of the BMW Motorrad Corporate Archives, we take a look at some of the most significant motorcycles and racing machines BMW has ever built.
From the early aircraft engines and the legendary 1923 BMW R 32 to the famous supercharged racing bikes and Ernst Henne’s land speed records: This video tells the story of a brand that has permanently shaped the world of motorcycle engineering.
Featured in this video:
The BMW R 32 – the very first BMW motorcycle
The rare BMW R 37 racing machine
The legendary BMW R 5
The supercharged racing motorcycles of the 1930s
Ernst Henne’s record-breaking machines
The development of rear suspension and the telescopic fork
Motorcycle production before and after World War II
The comeback of BMW Motorrad with the R 68 and post-war Boxer models
The evolution leading up to the BMW /5 series
Fred Jakobs shares countless technical details, historical background, and fascinating anecdotes—ranging from the first Boxer engines and motorsport triumphs to the innovations that still define BMW Motorrad today.
A special highlight is the story of Ernst Henne, who set a land speed world record of 279 km/h (173 mph) in 1937 on a supercharged BMW machine—a record that stood unbeaten for many years.
#bmwmotorrad
Timestamps / Chapters
00:00 Intro – The fascinating history of BMW Motorrad
01:15 From aircraft engines to motorcycles – How it all began
05:30 The BMW R32 – The first Boxer from 1923
11:30 Why the Boxer was ahead of its time
18:40 Engineering of early BMW motorcycles
26:30 First racing successes and motorsport
35:10 The supercharged racing Boxer – The fastest motorcycle in the world
43:45 World records as a marketing tool
49:20 The legendary factory racing machines of the 1930s
54:40 Racing tech in detail – Spark plugs, riding position & endurance races
58:30 Motorsport development and the hunt for the final percentages
01:03:00 Comfort over rigid frames – The first rear suspension
01:06:50 Luxury on two wheels – Who could afford a BMW?
01:11:30 BMW in WWII and the R71
01:16:30 Ural, Dnepr & international BMW copies
01:19:30 A new beginning after 1945
01:27:30 The motorcycle industry crisis
01:34:30 The way back – The /5 series
01:41:30 Chassis over horsepower – The new BMW philosophy
01:48:30 The R75/5 in detail
01:53:40 Berlin becomes the home of BMW Motorrad
01:55:00 The R100 RS revolution – The first full production fairing
02:03:00 Pushing the Boxer engine to the limit – New concepts emerge
02:09:30 BMW K1 – ABS, catalytic converter & high-tech
02:11:40 Aircraft engines, Rolls-Royce & the end of an era
02:12:30 Conclusion – Over 100 years of BMW Motorrad history
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