Atomic
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 118
- Location
- Washington
Hey everyone, I'm new and haven't really posted, just been lurking around, but I thought you folks might appreciate this.
Its the 1934 BMW R7. This bike is actually a prototype that was built by designer Alfred Böning who wanted a different kind of motorcycle. Still in the 1930's many motorcycles were "bicycles with motors". Böning wanted an aerodynamic (love that streamlining!) bike with a pressed steel frame, enclosed bodywork, and a new-back-then telescopic front fork system.
The R7 was a hand shifter "H" pattern, with an 800cc boxer engine that was newly designed by Leonhard Ischinger which was the innovative in that it was a mono block with the cylinders protruding laterally out of the bike so that head gaskets were easier to replace (a common problem with motorcycle engines back then) without dropping the engine out and making it easier to replace plugs. The engine also had a solid forged shaft, new to motorcycle engines.
The bike was considered too expensive for the time and more elaborate than a bike needed to be, so the useful parts were stripped off of it and the bike was crated. In 2005 folks at BMW opened the crate and found the bike in horrible condition. A lot of it was rusted and the battery was never taken out which had leaked and corroded many parts. They were however able to find the original blueprints in the archives and made replacement parts where they needed and restored the bike.
Alrighty, enough text, on to the pictures!
Its the 1934 BMW R7. This bike is actually a prototype that was built by designer Alfred Böning who wanted a different kind of motorcycle. Still in the 1930's many motorcycles were "bicycles with motors". Böning wanted an aerodynamic (love that streamlining!) bike with a pressed steel frame, enclosed bodywork, and a new-back-then telescopic front fork system.
The R7 was a hand shifter "H" pattern, with an 800cc boxer engine that was newly designed by Leonhard Ischinger which was the innovative in that it was a mono block with the cylinders protruding laterally out of the bike so that head gaskets were easier to replace (a common problem with motorcycle engines back then) without dropping the engine out and making it easier to replace plugs. The engine also had a solid forged shaft, new to motorcycle engines.
The bike was considered too expensive for the time and more elaborate than a bike needed to be, so the useful parts were stripped off of it and the bike was crated. In 2005 folks at BMW opened the crate and found the bike in horrible condition. A lot of it was rusted and the battery was never taken out which had leaked and corroded many parts. They were however able to find the original blueprints in the archives and made replacement parts where they needed and restored the bike.
Alrighty, enough text, on to the pictures!
