BMW Motorcycles: 100 Years & Airhead Twins The Complete Story Set

BMW Motorcycles: 100 Years celebrates the legendary machines built by Germany’s leading motorcycle manufacturer.

BMW’s long history of evolving technology is highlighted in this detailed story beginning with side-valve machines in the 1920s and early overhead-valve performance bikes, then moving to the postwar R-series Airhead and modern Oilhead twins, followed by four-cylinder and six-cylinder K-series touring bikes, the latest parallel twins, and inline-four cylinder sport bikes. From the first R32 that launched BMW’s motorcycle dynasty, to the latest S1000RR superbike and R18 mega-cruiser, BMW Motorcycles captures a century of motorcycling excellence in a combination of historic and contemporary photos sourced from BMW’s archive.

The stories behind all the classic and modern BMWs are here:

• 1920s and 1930s BMWs like the R5 that defined performance in the prewar era
• The military R12 that supported the Wehrmacht as it battled its way across Europe in World War II
• The 1960s R69S that offered an excellent platform for both touring and sporting riding
• The R90S café racer and the R100RS, the latter arguably the world’s first dedicated sports tourer
• The astounding K1 “flying brick”
• The GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched the adventure-bike revolution
• Today’s R18, R nine T, and the world-class S100RR superbike

No motorcycle manufacturer is more closely associated with one type of engine than BMW: the air-cooled boxer twin or 'airhead'. It was included in BMW's very first motorcycle in 1923 and virtually every machine the company made, of every type, from radical road bike to TT winner, to land speed record holder, to 1970s style icon and even to the creation of an all-new adventure bike class with the R 80 G/S, right up to the mid-1990s.

BMW Airhead Twins, with over 290 photographs, includes a history of the company pre- and post-War, and the personalities behind the development of the bikes. Profiles of each of the 'R' bikes in turn includie detailed specification guides and production numbers. An epilogue that looks to the future of the airhead twins completes the book.