BMW Motorcycle Show 2001 - 2002
The 2001 International Bike Show, Manhattan
December 30, 2001

Few motorcycle manufacturers are as old and well-respected as the Bavarian Motor Works (BMW). Since 1923 the BMW name has been synonymous with quality and refinement.
The BMW motorcycle line began with the air-cooled horizontally opposed two-cylinder "boxer" engine, derived from designs for aircraft engines. The BMW logo, a circle with blue and white quadrants, was derived from the image of a spinning propeller. Reliability has always been the hallmark of the boxer engines and BMW's refined image has contributed to their success. Among the fastest motorcycles in the world in their heyday, BMW motorcycles remain some of the most sought after touring and sport-touring bikes available.
In recent years BMW has expanded their line to include "K" model motorcycles with inline 3- and 4- cylinder engines. These modern designs are manufactured alongside the modern decendents of the old boxer... the same basic engine design as was used in 1923. Also new to BMW in recent years (two models to be released in the USA in 1997) is a chain-driven single cylinder model named the F650, designed by BMW in conjunction with the Italian manufacturer Aprilia and using an Austrian made Rotax powerplant.
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