BMW R 32 (1923-1926) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1919, BMW designed and manufactured for Victoria Werke AG of Nuremberg a flat-twin engine under the codename M2B15. The engine found its way and main use in Victoria motorcycles, although intended as a portable industrial engine. Also, it was used by the Helios motorcycles built by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke that later merged into BMW AG.

In 1923 at the Paris Motorcycle Show, the R32 was released and was the first motorcycle produced by BMW under their name. Initially, the R32 was a Helios motorcycle redesigned to be more saleable and a long-term solution for an all-new motorcycle design.

The unit that powered the BMW R32 had a displacement of 494cc and was an air-cooled four-stroke engine with an output power of 8 hp at 3,200 rpm that pushed the bike to a maximum top speed of 95 kph (59 mph). The engine and the three-speed manual transmission were formed in a single unit. Unlike other motorcycle manufacturers, which used a total-loss oiling system, BMW used on the R32 engine a recirculating wet sump oiling system.

The bike featured a tubular steel frame that enclosed the engine, gearbox, and shaft drive. The rear wire-spoked wheel was attached directly to the chassis and was the only suspension that the bike got. As for the front, the bike featured inverted leaf springs but no braking system whatsoever.

In just three years after the release of the 1923 BMW R32, the maker sold nearly 3,000 units.