Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ t:: !• • C O s- <:J ..0 o .... u o (A bo ve) Rows o f boxer top ends await mating to crankcases. (Be lo w) Boxer flywheels next to the assembly line. BMW 's Be rlin asse mb ly lin e c a n build fo u r-c y lin d er K1 OOs. three-c yl inder K7 5 s a nd twin -cylind e r boxe rs s imultaneo usly. Twi ns move dow n a combined K1 0 0 / K7 5 / b oxe r eng ine assem b ly lin e in the Be rlin factory . Thi s pho t o was t ake n du rin g a morn ing brea k. motorcycle m arket worldw ide meant tha t th e co mpany would have to settle for selli ng 48,000 mo torcycles a yea r wh en th e factory was fin ished. At th e ti m e of that a nno u ncement , th e ma rke ting department's int ernal figures sho wed that sales po tent ial had dropped to 39,000, o r a bo u t what BMW h opes to ha ve so ld by the en d o f 1985 (38,000 proj ected fro m cu rrent sa les; the compa ny sold 34,000 in 1984). ' " T h e developme nt dep artm ent w h ich , lik e th e sa les and di stribu tio n div ision is situ a ted in Munich , was giv en th e go-ah ead for th e K Seri es, a co m p letely n ew ge ne ra tion o f motorcycle s," co nt in ued Sarfert , " T h e o bje ctive wa s to build a progressiv e a nd future-o riented h ig h-performance moto rcycl e intended to upplem en t, a nd not replace, the proven fla t-tw in range. In th is way, we wish ed to ma ke sens ib le progress a n d o ffer a new co ncept to th ose customers whose demands co u ld no longer be fulfill ed by th e fla t-tw in . "Th e Board of Managem ent o f BMW AG thus endorsed th e co nce p t o f th e' K100, a four-cylinder 1000cc machine, and th e K75, its three-cylinder 750cc counterpart," said Sarfert. "Development o f th e K75started about two years a fter the development of the KI00. Th e heart of both models is the water-cooled, multi -cylinder , inlin e eng ine with electro nic fuel injection a nd ig nition fitted in a flat , len gthwise position . This arrangement of the engin e is protected by interna tional patents and gives th e motorcycle unique stylin g just as o utstanding a s that of th e flat-twin. One may th eref ore say that BMW ha s o nce again created a face in the crowd a mong the innumerable motorcycles in the market . " T h e p led ge to the motorcycl e a nd to Berl in, which we clearly expressed wh en o ur fa cto ry was inaugura ted by (West Germ a n ) Ch ancellor H elmu t Ko hl on March I, 1984, was o f co urse made easier by the support we received from th e C ity o f Berlin for o ur project. However, wit hou t o ur confidence th at we wo uld be a ble to opera te a n eco n o m ica ll y-successfu l factory in Berlin, ' n o t even th e best financial support and ta x preferences wou ld have indu ced us to take th is step . After a ll, it mea nt investing n o less th a n DM 300 million and developing o ur p ro d u ction faci lities in Berl in in to th e mos t modern motorcycle factory in Europe. Consideri ng that the situation in th e market ha s become more difficu lt, however , has our co ur age rea ll y paid o ff? "T o provide a fin al answer to th is question h ere and now wou ld certa in ly be somewhat prema tu re. It is a defini te fact , however, tha t th e wo rld wide response of th e med ia to th e K IOO is qui te u n preceden ted in th e hi sto ry o f the m o to rcycl e. BMW 's decision as one o f the few m ot orcycle m anu fa ctu rer s rem a inin g in th e Western hemisphere to take u p th e J apanese cha lle nge h as been wel comed as a remarkabl e and co urageous step as well as a n hi storical event. Indeed, it is even regarded a s proof o f BMW's innovative capacit y as th e on ly manufacturer of ca rs and m otorcycl es ou tside o f J a pan . "The K100 has recei ved good marks in road tests and has been voted Motorcycl e o f the Year in several co u n tries. T h e market figures also provid e a clea r sig n a l o f th is m ot orcycle 's ou tstanding succe ss: With th e worldwid e market declining all the time, we have been th e o n ly signi ficantmanufacturer to achieve fu rt her grow th . Manufacturing 34,000 motorcycles in 1984, we even set up a new record in the history of o ur co mpany. We have th erefore succeeded also th ro ugh th e success of o u r new R80 an d R80R T flat- twi n models la unched in 1984 - in further increasin g o ur market sha res in the la rge ca tego ry above 750cc. By the en d o f th is yea r, we pl an to bui ld n o less th a n 38,000 motorcycles. T he K75 is intended to develop n ew groups o f purch a sers for BMW a nd secure th e fut ur e o f th e BMW mo tor cycle in gene ra l, " said Sarfert . " I would like toquot e a sta tement," h e co n tin ued, " m ade by Eberhard vo n Kuenheim, th e Chairman of th e Board of BMW , on th e occas ion o f th e cere mony for openi ng th e 100 Years of th e Motorcycle exhibition (in Mun ich las t month): 'In our eco n o m ies, mobility is no regarded as th e fourth p roducti on factor in add itio n to labor, real estate a n d capi tal. This is why o u r in frast ruc tur e is closely linked wi th th e a utom o bile. Th e motorcycle, in turn, stands out as a symbol of freed om in our day and age. It is one o f th e op posi te extreme s beyond practical val ue a nd everyday use. And p recisely th is giv es th e motorcycle a great future. Because the joy of motion and mas tering tech nology will rema in a n eterna l virtue. Acco rdingl y, th e motorcycle will retai n its overa ll positio n withi n society a nd ma nk ind .' " We beli eve in th e fu ture of the mo tor cycle a nd we have great fa ith in its pot ent ial ," co nc luded Sarfert . Despi te Sarferr 's co n fide nce, th e motorcycle opera tio ns have cont in ued to flo w red ink. T he co mpa ny sh ifte d prod uc tio n of various cast pa rts fo r BMW ca rs to th e factory in Berlin so th e car group co u ld share th e costs of th e Berlin fa ctory; if BMW Mot orrad a lo ne carr ied the costs of th e Berl in operations, th e red ink would be so deep th at th e co nt in ued producti on of motorcycles would be im p ossible to sell to BMW shar eh olders. So w hy , exactly, does BMW bui ld m ot orcycles? As Sar fert sa id , im age. Because, as ou r BMW marketing so urce exp la ined, " Merce des m ak es cars and trucks; BMW m akes ca rs a nd m ot or cycles . T ha t mak es BMW cars seem more sporty, a nd that 's -wh y BMW will alw ays make motorcycles.• 13

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