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Timeline BMW History:

1923: The first real BMW was the R32, a 500cc boxer (8.5hp) with shaft drive and a single carburetor
There were 3090 sold modells and the price was 2200 Reichsmark
1925: The R39 is a bit cheaper model with a 250cc 1 cilinder engine
1932: The R16S3 (third series), a 750cc with 33hp was the first one with 2 carburetors
1933: The R4S2 (second series) was the first model with a 4 gear gearbox
1935: The R12 was the german army bike and they build 36000 of them. The model first came with
one carburetor (R12-1) and laetr with 2 carburetors (R12-2) what increased the power from 18 to 20 Horsepower
1937: The R5 was the first BMW with a foot controlled gearbox, Besides the foot control they still kept the hand control
And it would take some time untill they released that concept
1938: The R71 Was seen by BMW as the new army bike but the german army itself thought different about that idea,
The R12's still did a good job and the R71 had too less to offer more, there were only 3458 of them build and after that the modell
was sold to the russian army who build the bike under the name "M72". Much later the modell was sold
to china who still builds the bike and sells it under the name "Chiang Jiang CJ750"
1950: The R25, a 250cc 1 cilinder, was the first BMW with rear springs instead of a spring saddle. The R25 was
a populair modell because from the three series there are sold 109.751 pieces
1969: The R75/5 was the first BMW that uses Bing vacuum carburetors
1973: The R75/6 was teh first one with a 5 gear gearbox
1976: With the R100(R)S The first fairing was born and also there was the first 1000cc engine
1980: The R80G/S (Gelande/Sport) appeared and won the rally Paris-Dakar

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(c) W.P.Barendsen 2000