History  of  the  reigning  champion:  the  BMW  Boxer  engine  
 
In  historical  terms,  90  years  of  BMW  motorcycle  production  has  produced  more  
speed  records,  legendary  motorcycles,  technical  and  safety  innovations  than  most  
motorcycle  manufacturers.  But  such  landmark  events  would  not  have  occurred  if  
it  wasn’t  for  the  men  and  women  behind  the  sharp  end  of  a  drawing  pencil.  Some  
would  call  them  designers  or  engineers,  while  others  would  describe  them  as  
technical  geniuses.  But  however  you  view  these  people,  the  fact  remains  that  
motorcycling  would  be  a  poorer  place  without  them;  and  the  legendary  BMW  
Motorrad  ‘Boxer’  engine  would  not  have  evolved  into  one  of  the  longest  surviving  
engine  designs  that  has  transported  countless  numbers  of  riders,  millions  of  
kilometres  across  the  earth  over  the  past  nine  decades.  Enjoy  our  potted  history  
of  the  much-­loved  Boxer  engine…  
 

 
 
Before  the  days  of  BMW,  two  men  didn’t  just  shape  the  future  of  motorcycling  but  kick-­‐
started  it  with  hefty  boots.  In  the  mid-­‐1860s,  Nikolaus  Otto,  a  German  engineer,  built  the  
first  working  four-­‐stroke  engine  based  on  the  design  and  subsequent  patent  by  
Alphonse  beau  de  Rochas.  Because  Otto’s  engine  was  the  first  practical  demonstration  of  
the  four-­‐stroke  operation  cycle,  the  term  Otto  cycle  is  used  as  a  common  reference  to  
describe  all  four-­‐stroke  engine  design.  
 
In  1896,  German  engineer  Karl  Benz  pencilled  a  new  four-­‐stroke  engine.  His  flat  
horizontally  opposed  twin-­‐cylinder  engine  involves  two  pistons  that  reach  top  dead  
centre  and  bottom  dead  centre  at  the  same  time.  This  piston  action  is  likened  to  two  
prize  fighter  boxers  trading  blows  and  the  term  ‘Boxer’  engine  is  borne.  The  resulting  
engine  is  compact,  reliable  and  a  source  of  power  for  many  applications.  
 
Moving  onto  1913  and  engineer  Karl  Rapp  along  with  an  associate  partner  forms  Rapp  
Motorenwerke  to  produce  aircraft  engines.  Success  for  Rapp  Motorenwerke  isn’t  easy.  
Faced  with  growing  competition,  many  of  Rapp’s  engine  designs  were  deemed  
unsuitable  for  the  likes  of  the  growing  aviation  industry  and  German  military.  It  takes  
the  involvement  and  engineering  genius  of  Rapp  MotorenWerke’s  new  designer  Max  
Fritz  to  rescue  the  dying  company  with  a  series  of  technical  breakthroughs  in  aviation  
engine  design.  In  1917  Rapp  Motorenwerke  becomes  one  of  two  companies  brought  
together  to  form  Bayerische  Motoren  Werke  GmbH,  or  BMW  as  it  is  commonly  known  
today.  Interestingly,  the  other  company  to  form  BMW  is  an  aircraft  manufacturer  that  
started  life  under  the  guidance  of  Gustav  Otto,  the  son  of  Nikolaus  Otto.  
 
The  new  controlling  company  Bayerische  
Motoren  Werke  GmbH  continues  to  develop  
engines.  One  of  its  leading  men,  Martin  Stolle,  
pulls  apart  his  Armstrong  500cc  flat  twin  and  
engineer  Max  Friz  designs  his  own  version  of  a  
small  ‘Boxer’  engine  to  be  used  primarily  for  
aviation  and  as  a  static  generator  engine.  This  
1920  engine  design  is  designated  as  M2  B  15,  or  
for  quick  reference  the  ‘Bayern  motor’.  Because  
of  the  engine’s  compact  nature  it  is  also  sold  to  
up-­‐and-­‐coming  companies  eager  to  supply  the  
growing  market  for  cheap  personal  motorised  
bicycles,  or  motorcycles  as  they  become  known.  
 
Heller,  Biso,  Corona  and  Victoria  are  some  of  the  
earliest  recorded  motorcycle  manufacturers  
using  the  ‘Bayern  engine’  to  power  their  motorcycle  designs.  But  while  the  M2  B  15  is  
reliable  as  a  generator,  the  fact  that  it  is  installed  in  a  motorcycle  chassis  so  the  two  
cylinders  run  in-­‐line  with  the  length  of  the  frame,  actually  restricts  the  rear  cylinder  to  
the  cooling  effect  of  passing  air.  Despite  overheating  problems  the  engine’s  success  is  
such  that  BMW  eventually  produces  its  own  motorcycle  using  the  engine  but  under  the  
manufacturing  name  of  Helios,  a  brand  inherited  in  the  original  company  merger.  
 
The  instant  and  growing  
success  of  motorcycling  is  
recognised  by  BMW  to  the  point  
it  decides  to  produce  its  own  
motorcycle  brand  –  the  design  
of  which  is  handed  to  the  
successful  engineer  Max  Fritz,  
who  goes  on  to  pen  a  new  
chassis  using  the  M2  B  15  
engine.  
 
Such  was  Fritz’  ingenuity,  he  
recognised  the  overheating  
problem  could  be  solved  simply  by  turning  the  M2  B  15  engine  90-­‐degrees  so  that  the  
cylinders  ran  across  the  width  of  the  frame  so  both  cylinders  were  open  to  fresh  and  
passing  air.  This  simple  repositioning  also  allowed  BMW  to  use  Cardan  shaft  final  drive  
because  the  crankshaft  lined  up  with  the  gearbox,  friction  clutch  and  driveshaft.  This  
proved  to  be  a  superior  (direct  and  clean)  method  of  delivering  driving  torque  to  rear  
wheel  when  compared  to  the  usual  chain  and  sprocket  system.  
 
With  the  crankshaft  and  three-­‐speed  gearbox  all  lined  up  and  contained  within  its  own  
cast  cases  –  unlike  the  separate  engine  and  gearbox  ‘pre-­‐unit’  powerplants  of  many  
European  motorcycle  manufacturers  –  the  refreshed  500cc  M2  B  15  engine  was  
designated  in  production  as  M2  B  33  and  would  serve  as  the  power  unit  for  the  Fritz  
designed  motorcycle  chassis.  
 
The  twin-­‐cylinder  flat  twin  had  bore  and  stroke  measurements  of  68  x  68mm  to  give  
capacity  displacement  of  494cc  and  produced  8.5HP  at  a  claimed  3200rpm  –  not  bad  
considering  the  engine  was  in  its  infancy.  As  such,  materials  and  tuning  technology  
wasn’t  fully  employed  within  the  early  design  stage  but  it  was  only  a  matter  of  time  
before  it  was  grabbed  with  open  and  excited  BMW  engineer  hands.  
 

 
 
The  Fritz  designed  engine  and  chassis  finally  came  together  as  a  perfect  marriage  in  the  
form  of  the  1923  BMW  R  32  motorcycle  and  was  an  immediate  success.  With  one  22mm  
BMW  Special  carburettor  feeding  two  cylinders  of  just  5.0:1  compression  ratio  via  one  
inlet  side-­‐valve  per  cylinder  (the  one  exhaust  valve  was  also  side-­‐valve),  the  R  32  was  
good  for  90-­‐100km/h  (56-­‐62mph)  and  80mpg  (3.5litres/100km).  Its  success  also  comes  
from  its  beautifully  crafted  aesthetics  created  by  the  seemingly  artistic  and  supreme  
mind  of  engineer  Max  Fritz.  Success  can  be  measured  in  unit  volume  with  just  over  3000  
R  32  machines  produced  and  sold  between  1923  and  1926.  
 
The  next  major  step  forward  for  the  R  32  Boxer  engine  was  a  prototype  to  feature  
overhead  valves.  This  new  development  by  engineer  Rudolf  Schleicher  was  tested  and  
officially  approved  when  Schleicher  rode  the  development  machine  at  the  1924  ADAC  
Winter  Rally  –  and  won!  This  OHV  design  was  incorporated  into  the  M2  B  36  engine  of  
the  1925  R  37.  With  nearly  double  the  engine  performance  (16HP)  the  R  37  was  an  
impressive  machine  to  ride;  over  80  road  races  were  won  by  R  37  riders  in  1925.  
 
At  the  same  time,  the  R  32  was  further  developed  and  emerged  as  the  R  42  in  1926.  
Although  still  side  valve  operation,  engine  output  had  increased  to  12HP  and  now  
featured  lighter  aluminium  cylinder  heads  with  free-­‐flow  cooling  fins.  With  updated  
chassis  details  and  a  cheaper  price  tag  than  the  original  R  32,  the  R  42  was  an  instant  
sales  success  with  over  6,500  machines  produced  in  just  two  years.  
 
The  R  32’s  Boxer  engine  was  the  foundation  stone  for  all  future  BMW  Boxer  powered  
motorcycles.  By  and  large  the  design  of  the  BMW  Boxer  engine  didn’t  change  
dramatically  for  a  number  of  years  after  the  successful  1928  release  of  new  750cc  
models  (side  valve  R  52  and  R  62,  OHV  R  57  and  R  63).  With  the  capacity  increase  and  
further  development  of  all  its  engines,  power  and  reliability  increased  like  for  like.  Land  
speed  records  and  racing  success  achieved  with  BMW  motorcycles  were  significant  
factors  for  the  huge  increase  in  sales  
 
In  1936,  BMW  served  up  the  R  5.  An  entirely  new  model,  the  R  5  was  design-­‐wise  a  
technically  advanced  and  beautiful  machine  and  powerful  to  boot  –  valid  reasons  why  
the  R  5  is  considered  by  classic  BMW  riding  fans  as  the  very  best  of  pre-­‐war  BMW  Boxer  
motorcycles.  
 

 
 
As  far  as  the  engine  goes,  the  R  5  retained  the  ‘classic’  494cc  and  ‘square’  68  x  68mm  
bore/stroke  dimensions  but  featured  two  chain-­‐driven  camshafts  above  the  crankshaft  
resulting  in  shorter  pushrods  actuating  the  overhead  valves  and  lifting  the  rpm  ceiling.  A  
healthy  compression  ratio  of  6.7:1  and  an  Amal  5/423  carburettor  for  each  cylinder  led  
to  a  peak  power  output  increase  to  24HP  at  5500rpm.  All  the  mechanicals  including  the  
new  four-­‐speed  foot  operated  gearbox  (auxiliary  manual  gearchange  was  available)  
were  housed  in  an  aluminium  one-­‐piece  crankcase.  
 
Continuous  refinement  of  the  R5  engine  continued  and  appeared  in  various  models.  
Much  of  the  updates  were  as  a  direct  feedback  of  BMW’s  serious  racing  programme  with  
the  Kompressor  model.  This  commitment  resulted  in  the  first  TT  win  for  BMW  when  
Georg  Meier  won  the  Senior  TT  –  a  first  for  a  foreign  rider  to  win  on  a  ‘foreign’  machine.  
 
In  1949,  post-­‐war  restrictions  were  dropped  and  BMW  was  finally  allowed  to  resume  
production  of  large-­‐capacity  machines.  Due  predominantly  to  lack  of  finance,  only  
revised  versions  of  the  1938  R  51  series  of  bikes  were  initially  produced.  Further  
development  also  floundered  in  the  mid-­‐to  late  1950s  when  motorcycling  fell  from  grace  
with  the  advent  of  cheap  four-­‐wheel  transport.  The  one  model  that  did  very  well  was  the  
1955-­‐1960  R  69,  a  594cc  Boxer  that  delivered  35bhp.  This  was  later  bettered  by  the  
1961  R  69S  with  an  incredible  42HP  delivered  at  7000rpm.  
 
The  next  major  engine  introduction  came  in  the  guise  of  Type  246,  the  /5  series  of  
machines  –  R  50/5  (498cc),  R  60/5  (599cc)  and  R  75/5  (745cc).  Development  of  the  
new  engine  was  overseen  by  Alex  von  Falkenhausen  and  Ferdinand  Jardin,  and  the  
resulting  engine  was  considered  to  be  the  first  true  modular  BMW  engine.  
 

 
 
All  three  models  used  the  new  engine  with  the  significant  difference  being  the  cylinder  
bore  size  changed  according  to  capacity  the  stroke  dimension  of  70.6mm  was  retained.  
The  overall  shape  of  the  engine  took  on  a  curvaceous  look  to  make  it  exquisitely  modern  
–  it  was  a  successful  styling  exercise  built  on  the  need  to  incorporate  new  technology  
and  set  a  new  identity  and  benchmark  for  future  BMW  motorcycles.  This  also  included  
the  possibility  of  a  big-­‐bore  Boxer  engine,  which  was  realised  with  the  fantastic  898cc  R  
90/6  and  R  90  S  in  1974  and  later  R  100  machines.  
 
Within  /5  engine’s  taller  crankcase  that  rose  up  to  the  fuel  tank  was  situated  the  electric  
starter  motor.  The  traditional  pushrods  were  placed  under  the  cylinders  to  leave  the  
topside  of  the  cylinders  free  from  clutter  and  allow  greater  airflow  across  the  deep  
cooling  fins  (a  very  plausible  reason  why  this  is  engine  is  commonly  referred  to  as  the  
‘Airhead  engine’).  This  was  achieved  by  placing  the  camshaft  under  the  crankshaft  and  
was  driven  by  a  Duplex  chain.  The  crankshaft  itself  was  a  one-­‐piece  item  for  rigidity  and  
emphasised  with  increased  bearing  journal  diameters.  
 
To  say  the  /5  engine  was  all-­‐new  is  an  understatement.  Reliability  was  at  the  forefront  
of  design  rather  than  outright  power.  Oil  pumping,  oil  scavenging  feed  and  return  design  
were  key  points  and  were  reflected  in  the  Eaton-­‐type  oil  pump  that  could  deliver  1400  
litres  of  life-­‐giving  oil  at  6000rpm.  Fuel  delivery  was  care  of  Bing  carburettors  carefully  
selected  for  each  capacity,  e.g.,  the  R  50/5  used  two  slide  carburettors  while  the  R  75/5  
ran  with  two  of  the  latest  Constant  Depression  carbs.    
 
1993  and  the  70th  anniversary  of  BMW  motorcycle  production  brought  about  the  
introduction  of  another  milestone  in  BMW  motorcycle  engine  design  with  the  
appearance  of  engine  Type  R259.  This  engine  carried  a  new  valve  train  of  four  valves  
per  cylinder,  made  up  of  two  inlet  and  two  exhaust.  Married  to  an  increase  in  capacity  to  
1085cc,  this  engine  was  instantly  30HP  up  on  the  previous  Airhead  model  to  a  peak  of  
90HP.  
 
R259,  or  the  ‘Oilhead’  was  not  merely  a  revision  but  a  makeover  to  again  compete  with  
large-­‐capacity  Japanese  motorcycles.  It  also  showed  the  world  that  BMW’s  belief  in  the  
Boxer  engine  design  was  not  fading  and  there  was  still  very  much  life  in  what  had  
become  BMW’s  signature  engine…  it  also  proved  there  was  much  more  to  come.  
 
It  wasn’t  just  a  matter  of  capacity  increase  and  moving  the  chain  driven  camshafts  to  
mid-­‐head  to  allow  the  use  of  short  rockers  to  actuate  the  valves  and  extend  the  power  
range,  fuel  injection  now  featured  along  with  the  latest  digital  engine  electronics  to  
ensure  the  new  Boxer  range  complied  with  ever  tightening  emissions  restrictions.  As  it  
was  the  new  R  1100  RS  was  first  to  appear  with  this  new  engine  and  once  again  BMW  
rubber  stamped  its  authority  on  the  large-­‐capacity  touring  and  roaster  segment.  
 

 
In  2004  a  second-­‐generation  4-­‐valve  engine  materialised  to  power  the  1170cc  range  of  
bikes.  Lovingly  referred  to  as  the  Hex-­‐Head  because  of  the  restyled  rocker  covers,  the  
‘Evo-­‐Boxer’  also  featured  a  ‘high  cam’  and  rocker  layout  complete  with  a  balancer  shaft  
set  within  the  countershaft  to  offset  oscillation  from  the  increased  piston  mass   from  
their  offset  positioning.  Although  the  dual  weight-­‐carrying  balance  shaft  did  an  excellent  
job,  the  new  engine  lost  none  of  the  character  associated  with  a  Boxer  engine.  It  was,  
quite  simply,  an  update  for  the  Boxer  engine’s  future  longevity.  
 
The  HP2  Sport  of  2007  gave  more  than  an  insight  into  the  next  chapter  of  Boxer  engine  
development.  The  HP2  was  essentially  the  road-­‐going  version  of  the  BMW  Motorrad  
endurance  racing  machine  that  had  given  good  account  of  itself  amongst  more  powerful  
in-­‐line  four-­‐cylinder  machines  in  the  World  Endurance  Championship.  When  the  
Motorrad  racing  machine  first  appeared  on  circuit  –  and  for  a  long  time  after  –  nobody  
realised  this  machine  was  actually  a  rolling  test  bed  for  double  overhead  cam  valve  
actuation.  
  

 
The  HP2  Sport  proved  to  be  the  fastest  and  most  powerful  road-­‐going  Boxer  engine  to  
date,  with  a  claimed  133HP.  Of  course  this  engine  carried  the  usual  lightweight  materials  
associated  with  HP  machinery  within  its  central  tube  crankcase,  and  also  without  a  
balancer  shaft  to  improve  engine  response.  Even  so,  the  R-­‐based  models  that  followed  in  
2010  were  not  short  on  power  or  torque  either.  
 
The  twin-­‐cam  heads  were  not  arranged  in  typical  one  cam  per  valve  set  in  the  traditional  
way  because  of  the  inlet  tract  and  exhaust  manifold  positioning.  BMW  Motorrad’s  
answer  was  to  turn  the  camshafts  90-­‐degrees  so  that  each  of  the  two  cams  per  head  
actuated  one  inlet  and  one  exhaust  valve.  
 
Performance-­‐related  components  were  also  revised.  For  example,  valve  sizes  and  
compression  ratio  both  increased.  This  also  gave  an  additional  boost  in  output  and  
torque  up  to  110HP  (81  kW)  and  ftlb  (115Nm)  at  5500  rpm  depending  on  the  model  (R  
1200  GS,  R  1200  RT/ST  etc).  
 
Aficionados  of  BMW  Boxer  engines  believed  this  latest  engine  to  be  the  pinnacle  of  BMW  
Boxer  technology  –  if  a  Boxer  engine  is  viewed  as  a  bastion  of  air/oil  cooling  then  they  
are  right.  But  the  simple  truth  is  a  Boxer  engine  is  a  horizontal  flat  twin  regardless  of  it  
being  air/oil-­‐cooled…  or  
liquid-­‐cooled.  
 
The  next  page  in  BMW  Boxer-­‐
engine  history  has  been  
turned  with  the  advent  of  the  
model  year  2103  R  1200  GS  
and  its  all-­‐new  partially  
liquid-­‐cooled  engine.  Savage  
emissions  rules  have,  
fortunately,  helped  BMW  Motorrad  produce  an  engine  that  is  now  lean  and  fitter  than  
ever  before.    
Air  and  oil  still  maintains  65%  of  the  new  engine’s  cooling  dynamics,  while  the  other  
35%  is  done  via  a  glycol-­‐water  mix  through  two  radiators  and  ‘precision  cooling’,  that  is  
the  coolant  is  channelled  directly  to  the  hottest  part  of  the  engine  –  around  the  
combustion  chamber  –  thus  avoiding  a  hefty  weight  penalty  with  a  large  coolant  
capacity.  Two  cams  per  cylinder  operation  is  retained  but,  thanks  to  vertical  inlet  tracts  
and  lower  exhaust  port,  are  now  dedicated  inlet  and  exhaust  camshafts.  This  allows  the  
ability  to  alter  cam  timing  to  suit  future  model  applications.  The  cams  are  still  driven  by  
a  central  chain  operated  geared  shaft.  
 
A  new  crankshaft  with  smaller  main  bearing  diameters  reduces  drag.  This  compact  
crank  also  assists  in  reducing  vibration  along  with  the  counterbalance  shaft.  The  actual  
cast  aluminium  engine  housing  is  still  the  old  tunnel-­‐type  but  within  the  revised  design  
sits  both  gearbox  and  clutch;  a  wet  multi-­‐plate  slipper  clutch.  
 
Equipped  with  the  latest  Canbus  electronics,  engine  control  and  fuel  injection,  the  new  R  
1200  GS  engine  is  a  lean  1170cc  thoroughbred  built  in  the  traditional  BMW  way  –  by  
engineers  who  ride  motorcycles.