 The boxer layout, with the crankshaft longitudinal and two opposed
cylinders, was developed by BMW Engineer Max Friz, and resulted in the 1923 BMW R32 — the first BMW motorcycle (yes, Virginia, BMW made
motorcycles five years before it produced cars).
The boxer engine layout always struck me as being utterly
logical. The cylinders project sideways into the wind and have good
primary balance, and transmission to a shaft final drive
is relatively straight forward (or backward), eliminating any need for a
bothersome chain or belt. Moreover, because the cylinders projected
into the air stream, the engine on the opposed-twin runs much cooler
than the more common V-twins.
The R32 established the boxer-twin, shaft-drive platform layout that BMW
would use until the present. BMW used shaft drives in all of its
motorcycles until the introduction of the chain-driven F650 in 1993 and continues to use this arrangement on its boxer-twin motorcycles
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Above: Here, above, is the 500cc, side-valve, BMW R32 that started BMW's
long history of building some of the world's finest motorcycles! The
distinguished and lucky man above is the rider of a brand new BMW R32,
ca. 1925.
The R32 is, hands down, the most desireable BMW motorcycle to
collectors. In November, 2009, at an auction in Munich, an R32 sold for
$168,000.
Above is a 1924 R32 (note front brake). The original R32, of 1923, did not have a front brake. Photograph © BMW of North America.
Above are two lucky owners of BMW R32 motorcycles. Peter Nettesheim, of New York, is on the left, and Craig "Vech" Vechorik is on the right. Both were displaying their R32s at a national rally of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.
The BMW R32 motorcycle (diagram above) was a 500 cc cycle designed by Max Friz.
Earlier models with opposed-twin engines created by the company, but
that positioned fore-and-aft, were the 500cc Helios (photo above left)
and the Victoria (photo above right) which were chain driven. BMW even
experimented with a belt driven cycle before determining that
shaft-drive was the most effective and reliable way to power a
motorcycle.
The M2B15 boxer engine in the Helios and Victoria was the basis of the
later R32 engine, which was turned 90° so the cylinders projected
sideways out into the cooling airstream and the crankshaft was in line
with the transmission and driveshaft.
Below is a true 1923 R32, which has no front brake.
BMW started producing its first motorcycle engine in 1922 for Victoria
Motorcycles, and this engine was designed by Max Friz in Nuremberg.
Because BMW was successful with its motorcycle engine production, Max
Friz suggested that BMW to enter motorcycle industry. BMW agreed and Max
Friz designed a revision of his first BMW motorcycle, with his BMW
Boxer engine, which was named the Helios and was built in 1922. It had
suspension problems so it did not sell well.
After the Helios, Max Friz came up with the design for the BMW R32,
which went into production in 1923 (see photo of 1923 factory production
line above). This model was received very well, as nearly three
thousand motorcycles were sold in just three years.
The R32 became the foundation for all furture boxer powered BMW
motorcycles. BMW oriented the boxer engine with the cylinder heads
sticking out on each side for superior cooling. Other motorcycle
manufacturers aligned the cylinders with the frame as V-twins, one
cylinder facing toward the front wheel and the other, troubled by
receiving hot air from the front cylinder, toward the rear wheel. For
example, Harley-Davidison introduced the model W, a flat twin orientated
fore and aft design, in 1919 and built them through 1923.
One of the more amazing odes to the BMW R32 was created and finished in 2010 by a French BMW dealer, Jean-Luc Dupont, of French BMW Motorrad dealer Panda Moto 89.
A motorcycle he designed and built, dubbed the “R1232” (photo below),
was built from scratch to resemble the R32, but employed a modern
BMW R1200 engine. Click on the photo below too go to Monsieur Dupont's
website.
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