Bill Muneio

Courtesy of BMW

Friday, August 28, 2009

Munich. Since 1991, motorcycle adventurer and desert expert Michael Martin has used BMW GS models as fast, robust and reliable partners on his long-distance travels. Over the years, BMW GS versions have taken him to such places as the sources of the Nile, right across Africa and through deserts there. He has undertaken journeys on BMW GS models to the desert regions of Asia, Australia and America.

Having crossed the dry deserts of the Earth, the 46-year-old Munich is now going one step further: within a period of three years he wants to travel on a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure through the main ice and volcanic deserts of the planet, in addition to the dry deserts.

Here, his interest will focus mainly on the people who live under extreme conditions in such regions. But the project name Planet Desert also highlights Martin’s aspiration to provide an illustrative documentation of global themes such as climate change in the form of both pictures and reports.

The motorcycle project with destinations all over the world started in August 2009 in the volcanic deserts of Iceland. After an extensive lecture tour this autumn and winter, this will be followed by trips through the ice deserts of Greenland, Spitsbergen and Northern Siberia. One aim will be to undertake a comparison of the dry, ice and volcanic deserts.

On this extreme motorcycle tour, geographer Michael Martin will also travel on his BMW 1200 GS Adventure to deserts such as the Sahara, Gobi and Atacama which he already knows, but this time he will be travelling in very remote areas he has never been to before. Martin will also be exploring other desert regions such as the Saudi Arabian Rub al Kahli, the Patagonian desert, Kamchatka and the Tibetan Chang Tang desert, where he will seek out life in its fascinating forms. Finally he will set out into the ice deserts of Antarctica. The final destination of this global adventure is the South Pole, where Michael Martin wants to arrive at the beginning of 2012.

On this latest project Planet Desert, Michael Martin will stay with his well-proven method: he will travel with a standard BMW R
1200 GS Adventure adapted only with a few special features provided by Touratech for extreme use such as a pannier system, ceramic clutch, GPS, long-distance headlamps and oil pan guard. In addition to the travel-tested R 1200 GS Adventure, Martin will also be making use of the BMW Motorrad range of accessories and rider equipment which has proved itself many times over on such extreme projects.

Michael Martin and his BMW R1200GS

Documentation of Martin’s travels is up to him as he will travel alone to some of the most remote spots on earth.
Michael Martin is traveling without a back-up team or external film team. This guarantees maximum authenticity and genuine adventure. State-of-the-art film and photographic technology and decades of experience ensure professional results.

Highlights in his career have included lectures to the Royal Geographical Society in London, at the World Climate Conference in Montreal, the UN conference in Tokyo and the UN desert conference in Buenos Aires. In 2006 Martin had the honour of being asked to design the official calendar of the UNCCD, short hand for secretary of UN convention to combat desertification and the secretary of UN framework convention on climate change. His illustrated book “Deserts of the Earth” was the official book of the UN’s international year of deserts and desertification. This standard work was translated into six languages, while the slide show of the same name set new standards both in terms of photography and content and was shown throughout German-speaking countries. The film project “Deserts of the Earth”, which Michael Martin carried out in collaboration with Elke Wallner, was highly successful in more than 30 countries.

In October 2009, Martin starts his Germany-wide lecture tour “30 Years of Adventure” in which he takes stock of his fascinating experience. The book of the same name is due to be published in September 2009 by Frederking & Thaler. The end of his lecture on “30 Years of Adventure” focuses on his recently completed trip to Iceland, which at the same provides a foretaste of his new project.

The book, TV series and new lecture are due to be released in autumn 2014. The project Planet Desert is sponsored by the Royal Geographic Society, the UNCCD and BMW Motorrad.

For further information and Michael Martin’s tour dates, please see www.michael-martin.de.

I’ve always wished my bike had a tire pressure monitoring
system and now it can for $200.00 Ouch!

Summary
The TireGard wireless TPMS, or Tire Pressure Monitoring System is easy to use, light weight and accurate, but expensive.

Read the full review from Web Bike World. http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/tiregard-wireless-tpms/

by Jeff Buchanan

California Central Coast

At this juncture in my life I have had the privilege of riding motorcycles in Italy, the UK, extensively through Spain, and equally good measure in South Africa-not to mention a good number of the States here in America. And I have to say, I traveled thousands of miles, endured hours of flights and logistics, just to discover how beautiful my own backyard is. Of course isn’t that how so many mantras go in life? We go looking for things only to discover they were right in front of us.

Although the Central Coast isn’t exactly out my back door, it’s within an easy few hours ride. For this go round I would be aboard the new BMW K 1300 GT, the German marque’s muscle bound sport touring machine. Beneath the plastic, hiding under the saddlebags, cradled in the aluminum spar frame is the horsepower laden K motor, giving the classy looking tourer 160 horses. That figure is nice, but what’s impressive (and practical) is that the engine comes on strong low in the revs and pulls through the entire reach of the tachometer. So even when you’re lugging the motor a gear or two too high, there’s still ample power at the ready, brought to life with a simple twist of the wrist. This is a great temperament for a sport touring machine, allowing for either all out blasting or sightseeing cruising, and all points in between.

I’ve done the coast trek dozens of times and it still enthralls. I have learned to avoid the twisting turns of route 1 during weekends and during the typically tourist crowded summer months. The GT has enough grunt to dispatch long strings of slow-going rental cars with out-of-towners clogging up the road. The GT’s engine has an appropriate growl that snaps them out of their doldrums as it screams past.

My route generally begins near LA, detouring off the main thoroughfares through the back roads to Ojai for a coffee and refueling. Highway 33 then takes me up and over the mountains into the central valley where a less than appealing ride through the oil fields of Taft leads to the mouth of Highway 58. This beautifully paved, meandering jewel of a road is generally pretty sparse with vehicles and threads over the mountains and out across open plains, taking the rider all the way to Templeton and the 101.

The GT is surprising agile in these tight switchbacks, even loaded down for the weekend. The ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) allows the rider to adjust suspension on the fly, with choices of: comfortable, normal, or sport setting to suit the road and the attitude. In addition the adjustment provides further settings for rider (with and without bags), and also with a passenger (with and without bags), covering the entire range of possibilities.

My back road ride is spoiled only momentarily with a few short miles on the 101 before heading over 46 to pick up the coast road. The little town of Harmony is where the anticipation of the road ahead usually kicks in. Then it’s onto San Simeon, where William Randolph Hearst built his castle.

San Simeon is really where the beauty and majesty of the coast route comes into its own. This 80-odd mile stretch of two-lane pavement certainly, if not the zenith of motorcycle routes, is pretty close to the top. On this particular outing the temperature was unusually balmy, which only heightened the smell of kelp and pine in the air. The sun was shining and the sea lions were basking in the warmth.

After an hour or two-depending on speed and number of stops-you’ll cross Bixby Bridge, star of a thousand car commercials, both here and around the world. This is where the shutterbugs are usually out in force. A good tempo will have you in Big Sur in fairly short order, but not before experiencing the pinnacle of what motorcycle riding is all about. Up past the Point Sur lighthouse and into Carmel. This is the place that poet Robinson Jeffers called “The most dramatic meeting of land and sea on earth.” I have to agree. I never get tired of this place, of this road, of this ride. It’s one of those enviable rides that make you realize how beautiful life and nature are. It brings out the sentiment in even the most cynical of people.

A few years ago I wasn’t very much interested in touring bikes with bags. I perceived them as being more for the pipe and slippers brigade. But as the bikes have evolved technologically, I have found myself genuinely excited about the prospects of a good sport touring machine and pulling overnighters any chance I get. In this regard, the K 1300 GT represents a machine capable of the long haul with superlative comfort, but possessing enough spirit to keep pace with the best of sport bikes out there. The difference is, when you arrive at your destination, when you step off the GT you won’t be kinked over in a fixed position of pain.

The BMW K 1300 GT is the perfect machine for taking in this stretch of road, which has been the source of poetry, paintings, movies, photography, and general life affirming travel over decades since it was first hacked out of the cliffs. All with good reason, there are few places that embody the beauty, the peace, the solitude and the grandeur of Big Sur.

Personally, I would have to put the coast ride at the top of my favorites list. I just returned from Carmel not three days ago and have already made a vague appointment in two weeks time in Carmel Valley simply to justify another flog up the coast. Better check the tire pressure on the GT. Travel safe my friends.

To see the article in it’s original context go here: http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2009_BMW_K_1300_GT_Motorcycle_Review

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A Complete History, From Norvins to The Ace Cafe

The project began back in 2005 while a team consisting of producers Chet Burks, Ed Coughlin, Brad Jones and Mike Seate were creating content for the popular (but now defunct) “Two Wheel Tuesday” program on Speed Channel. The show, hosted by Greg White, maintained a rigorous production schedule that saw our team traveling all over the U.S. and Europe for most of the year. While on the road, we often came across devotees of classic high-performance streetbikes, and the machines, along with the people who rode and built them, were among the most memorable of our fours years together. While shooting a segment on vintage racing or custom streetbikes, we’d often remark to ourselves that someday, we should put all our other commitment aside and devote some time to chronicling the story of the history and development of cafe racer motorcycles, which had slowly become a passion for us. Two years in the making, “Cafe Society” is the first, full-length documentary film to chronicle the origins, legacy and rebirth of this, one of the world’s most unique motorcycles and motorcycle subcultures. Filmed on location throughout the UK, Europe and U.S. by crews from Chet Burks Productions and Mike Seate of Cafe Racer magazine, “Cafe Society” brings viewers a rare, intimate view of the Ton-Up culture. Filled with never-before-seen historical stills and rare film clips, plus interviews with legendary motorcycle designers and personal, eyewitness accounts from the men and women who created the first high-performance streetbikes, “Cafe Society” is one wild ride.

Visit www.cafesocietyfilm.com to view  trailers and find out how to purchase your own copy, available now for $24.95.

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From The BMW MOA “ride and tour/camping”
by Tom Bowman

It takes just one night to get it right!

Fred rode up in front of Ernie’s garage and shut off the engine. Ernie was tying an army surplus duffel bag across the back of his bike with a length of nylon rope. A pair of leather saddle bags were strapped across the back of the seat, and a sleeping bag was lashed to a rack on the rear fender. Fred swung his leg over the rubberized “dry bags” containing his clothes, strapped to the seat, as he got off.

“Hey, Freddie, my man! Ready to go?” Ernie grinned as he walked over to Fred’s bike looking over the gear. “Yo: what’s these?” he said, looking at the dry bags… “Zip Lock baggies? Hey, you ready to go, or what?”

Fred had been looking forward to this initiation into motorcycle camping. Ernie had teased him at work with stories of rallies and weekends on the bike until his head was spinning, and this Saturday’s club ride up to the state park would be ideal to start. Fred had gone to the big camping store out by the mall and spent nearly two hours talking to sunburned clerks in sturdy cleated-sole shoes that looked like people from the pages of “Out of Africa.” He’d scanned a dozen books on camping and scoped aisles crammed with lighter-than-air-pots, complete meals that came in a bag (just add water and heat), tiny stoves to heat them with, and gadgets that filtered water. He crawled into tents that nearly set themselves up on command and snuggled into sleeping bags fit for Antarctica. At the end of the visit, he had a basket full of books on camping and a dozen food bars with different names and flavors ranging from “Mountain Berries” to “Gorp” and a lot to think about.

After Fred soaked up the basic ideas he went back. The clerks listened carefully to his needs, envious that he wouldn’t be lugging the stuff around on his back, and when he got his new gear home he set it up in the backyard to try out. He first tried out the bag and pad in the tent, greatly amusing his busybody neighbors. His dog woke him up nosing the mosquito netting and whining. Then he figured out how to pack it all so it would fit on the bike and wouldn’t fall off. He rode around the block to check it, and when he got to Ernie’s house and shut off the engine Saturday morning, he was as ready as he was going to get.

Ernie finally got all his gear tied on and they took off. The ride up was pleasant, a nice wind-down to the week at work, save for having to stop to collect Ernie’s sleeping bag from the road shoulder. When they reached the campground, Ernie pulled in to the first empty space and began to unload. One of Fred’s books had mentioned that a level site without rocks or roots made for an easier setup, but Ernie was already unloading. Fred began to unpack and spread his tent when he noticed that there was a large depression in the middle of the spot and moved his tent a few feet to get on ground with a little “crown” so that if there was rain it wouldn’t collect under him. He also positioned the tent door so that it was in the “lee” of the wind. Ernie was complaining about all the sites near the stream at the edge of the meadow being taken, but Fred had read that the cold night air collected in the hollows, and figured it would be warmer up here on the rise. He carefully positioned the tent so his sleeping bag would be mostly level, with his head up slightly higher than his feet, and “swept” the area of sticks and rocks. That was when he noticed the ant hill right behind Ernie’s tent.

Ernie was puffing red-faced into an inflatable air mattress as Fred went up to the campground tap to fill his packable water bag. He came back and unpacked the tiny stove, got it going, and in a few minutes was heating prepackaged Noodles Casino. Shortly, Ernie came over with a can of his favorite beverage in hand and remarked; “Hey, I got some Vienna sausage if you get hungry later.” Fred just shook his head: he’d tried out the ready-to-make meals for himself at home and was looking forward to it. As the sun went down, Fred set up the tent vestibule that gave him a place to store wet boots or gear and made sure that his flashlight was where he could find it when the sun went down. Shortly after Fred finished eating, Ernie returned from the camp store with an armload of firewood and proceeded to build a fire in the ready-made pit provided.
The smoke drifted downwind and promptly filled Ernie’s tent, but he didn’t seem to notice. As the sun went down over the tall pines, they talked avidly about bikes and camping and stuff like that with the other club members until it was time for bed. Fred could hear Ernie coughing and fumbling in the tent as he zipped up his sleeping bag.
Near morning, he was roused by the sound of rain hitting the tent and was glad he’d taken a second to cover his bike before retiring. He quickly went back to sleep and awoke just as the rain ended. As he opened the tent door and rain fly flap, he saw Ernie standing forlornly looking at the small lake surrounding his tent.

“Morning, Ernie. How’d you sleep?” he asked.

“Pretty bad, man,” he replied, scratching at the ant bites. “The air mattress wouldn’t stay up, I kept sliding down in the corner of the tent, and everything’s wet,” Ernie said in a low voice.

“Bummer,” Fred said.

Some homework and his willingness to listen to the voice of experience made for a trouble-free first outing for Fred. His equipment had kept the rain off and allowed him to rest and rise refreshed, and his site selection and consideration of all the elements that made up the campsite had allowed for avoidance of some common mistakes:

• a rough, inclined tent surface that might be uncomfortable or pest-infested
• low areas in which rainfall may collect
• prevailing wind that may carry smoke or insects into one’s tent
• a site in a “hollow” in which cold night air can collect and chill
• gear that can fail at an inopportune time, or be non-repairable
• awkward or hard-to-transport gear, or unnecessarily-complicated gear

The many tips and tricks available through knowledgeable camping stores, experienced campers, or growing Internet sources make it possible to learn from the experience of thousands of campers to the best effect. With just a little homework, one can become knowledgeable very quickly and have a great, trouble-free motorcycle camping experience.

See ya at the campground!

To see the article in it’s original context and for other related articles go here: http://www.bmwmoa.org/ridetour/camping

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Improve your visual perception to be safer on the road.
This test will demonstrate how quickly your eyes and mind work together if you are attentive.
Keep trying untill you earn a perfect score.

Click Here To See Test Image

By Richard Pierce

There I was on a customized BSA 650 racing bike skidding sideways at more than 40 MPH through a full yellow light at a busy intersection and wondering if not having my rear wheel directly behind me meant I was about to automatically take a spill. It was my first year as a rider and there was nobody to ask if a big bike could be maneuvered successfully through a skid like that. Well, obviously, it could and I managed to hold the bike through the skid and not destroy myself after all.

From that intersection began more than 25 years of appreciating and applying survival rules and strategies for serious riders of large motorcycles. Make no bones about it, your life is on the line every moment you are on a motorcycle. That’s why riding is so special. It can humble you at any moment. That’s why you should move up to the biggest bike you can handle as soon as possible. Bigger bike, bigger brakes! Bigger bike, bigger acceleration — bigger chance to get away quicker from trouble. Bigger bikes are safer bikes.

Here are what I consider to be the most important rules to ride more safely:

Watch Out! — Intersections are extremely dangerous. Intersections are the most dangerous objects you encounter in everyday riding. Never trust a clear intersection if there are buildings blocking your view to the left. Any 4 wheeler traveling at 40 MPH or more is still out of sight during the first few seconds after the light turns green and, worst of all, if he has already decided to run the light, he is actually accelerating as he enters and occupies the intersection. If you collide, you can be seriously injured or worse.

Rule #1: NEVER jump a green light! If you are lined up first to make a left turn at a busy intersection, do not jump the arrow. Take your sweet time. A delay of only 3 or 4 seconds can save you and your bike. Always take an aggressively defensive posture with all 4 wheelers. All 4 wheelers are extremely dangerous. Assume that they can’t see you. Don’t trust their turn signals. Watch the wheels of all parked 4 wheelers for movement as they are prone to pull out without warning. On the highway, try to not let them pass you. You should move a little faster than they do and pass them instead.

Rule #2: Above all remember, drivers won’t see you and they don’t care. Assume all 4 wheelers have low-skill-level drivers. Never underestimate the risk factors that cars represent to riders. Drivers have not studied safe driving strategies. They do not realize that a 3500 pound automobile is several magnitudes more dangerous than a fully loaded and cocked handgun. Drivers do not concentrate on driving when they are behind the wheel. They make phone calls and think about work. They look at maps and even read books. They often take their eyes off the road for a wide variety of reasons.

Rule #3: Expect the unexpected from all of the 4 wheelers. Believe it or not, up to 80% of your power to stop resides in your front brakes. In fact, the rear brakes are often referred to as “trailing” brakes used only to keep the bike in trim during normal braking. They should be “feathered” only. You should squeeze the front brakes with authority and not worry about going over the handlebars, you won’t. It is also suggested that you hold on to the bike with your knees whenever you are executing any maneuver beyond casual cruising, like turns and heavy braking. It will help you “stay” with your bike in an emergency. Hold on to your bike. Ride it as long as you can.

Rule #4: Your ability to stop is almost entirely in your right hand. Don’t under use it. Don’t throw your weight around. You can’t control the direction of a large frame motorcycle correctly by throwing your weight from side to side as you can with a small bike like a 250 cc or even a 400 cc machine. In drastic situations, such as severe avoidance or heavy braking, a working knowledge of counter steering can save your life.

The good news is that you are already using this technique unconsciously so it is easy to master it once it has been explained. The term “counter steering” gets its name from the fact that moving the handlebar of a two wheeler at speed seems to act backwards from what the untrained rider might expect. If you push the right handlebar forward just a fraction of an inch the motorcycle will dive to the right not the left. Push the left handlebar forward and the bike dips sharply to the left. What is really happening with the change of the handlebar position is a change in the attack angle of the front tire. As it moves up the side wall, the bike is forced to travel in the corresponding direction. Try practicing to get a feel of just how little correction is needed to change the direction of travel. Just a touch will amaze you. It is a powerful steering technique.

Rule #5: Big bikes are controlled best by counter steering the handlebars. Focus on the moment. Don’t let your mind wander. Don’t think about anything not related to exactly what is happening at each moment of your ride. Be totally alert to your surroundings as if your life depends on it. It does. Take heart, one of the reasons that people never tire of riding is because they must focus on it entirely while they are doing it and the fact that their very life is on the line.

Rule #6: Be Here Now

Selecting your gear

Always make sure you are riding in a gear that will allow you to accelerate sharply at the slightest provocation, because being able to accelerate faster than any 4 wheeler is one of your main defensive advantages. Getting caught at 30 miles an hour in 4th gear slowing down for a light makes you a sitting duck if evasive maneuvers become necessary.

Rule #7: Down shift as you slow down so you can zoom away at all times.

Corollary: All turns should be made in 2nd gear and your RPMs should never be allowed to dip below 2000.

Controlling lane placement

Take a good look at a well travelled highway traffic lane and you will immediately notice a ribbon of discolorization running down the middle. That’s oil, dirt and grease deposited by the cars. Don’t ride on it! Ride where the car’s tires ride; either to the left or right of the center. This is especially important during the first half hour of rainfall as the water brings up the oily deposits to a very slippery state.

On two lane country-type roads choose the right side as far away from oncoming traffic as possible. On three lane highways, choose the left side of the fast lane where possible and NEVER ride on the entrance (right) lane any longer than necessary.

Corollary: When crossing steel mesh bridges, choose the extreme left or right side and cross the span diagonally at an angle to the mesh. This will limit vibration and wobbling and remember to not fight the wobble — it is normal to wobble a little even using the diagonal strategy.

Dealing with a possible fall

They say there are two kinds of riders. The ones who have fallen and the ones who are going to fall. If that’s true, then knowing what you can do if and when you do fall is valuable information. Based on that please observe the following:

You won’t feel yourself falling. It’s instantaneous.  If you can stay with your bike, stay with it. If you find yourself skidding without your bike stay with it without trying to slow yourself down. Keep your arms and legs elevated. Try to position yourself so that your legs are leading the skid and keep your eyes open so that you can hopefully use your legs and knees to cushion anything you might bump into before to come to a complete stop. Please note that skidding is preferable to rolling because rolling is conducive to broken bones. There is little you can do to protect yourself in a roll except to use your arms to form a barrel shape and hold it rigidly until you lose enough energy to attempt to stop.  When you stop, don’t try to get up unless you are still in danger from other vehicles. You may be injured more than you can know. Stay down and wait for help.

Rule #8: Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  You may never fall, but don’t count on it. Be prepared mentally and physically. Dress for the worst situation imaginable. Dress for a fall. That means leather gloves. Leather jacket and pants or, at least, jeans. Real leather boots, a SNELL rated helmet with chin protection and some form of eye protection like shatterproof glasses or Lexan eye shield.

Rule #9: Riding on the back of someone else’s motorcycle. In two words, DO NOT! After more than 25 years of riding, I can’t think of a worse place to be than on the back of someone else’s bike. All of the danger and none of the control. Sheer folly and life threateningly stupid.

Rule #10: Don’t ride on the back of anyone else’s motorcycle, ever. You bear all the risks with none of the controls. Even a sport bike handles like mush when there is someone up on the back.

Final thought

Getting lost: Be advised, getting lost on a bike ups the danger quotient to all situations. Your mentality is burdened by factors to be considered because you are lost. Be more careful than ever as these factors make your mind work on more problems simultaneously.

Richard E Pierce is a long-time Livingston resident, President of the Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club, and long-time motorcycle safety advocate and rider.

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To see atrticle in it’s original content go here: http://thealternativepress.com/column.asp?COL=guest&ID=689

How to Travel Light on 2 Wheels and Take Just What You Need
By Daryl Makk

27 days is how long I lived on 2 wheels in temperatures that ranged from 100F down to 48 degrees F. All I had is what I carried on my motorcycle. Yes one must limit certain creature comforts but with all the high tech and lightweight gear out there it is easier than you think.

First you must consider how you will carry your stuff safely and secure from the elements. Remember that water resistant lasts for a very short time at highway speeds. Plastic garbage bags will shred at highway speeds so ensure you have proper storage bags made for biking.

Many sport touring bikes come with hard cases, or panniers, built on either at the factory or after market ones that can be added. These are hard shell saddle bags that often can be removed and carried like suitcases into a tent or, if you treat yourself, a motel. (Save motels for when the weather turns really nasty)

There are also many soft sided saddle bags, tail bags and tank bags available to hold your gear. Tank bags are great for items you need to reach easily and, if stuffed with soft items, like rain gear and such, can make a good rest to lay on while droning down the highway. This will relieve stress on the wrists.

As you know, weather conditions will dictate what clothing and gear you will wear. From cold and wet to hot and dry. What ever riding gear you choose the most important thing to remember when packing is that it ALL has to fit in your luggage except for the bare riding essentials. Nothing will cause more grief than to hit warmer weather and stopping to peel off layers only to find you have no room for them on your bike. Pack as though you were going to leave in 100 degree weather and stow all your extra layers on board. If it all fits when you are wearing the minimum riding gear you have done it right. A little extra space allows you to pick up a few souvenirs.

3 more pages Read more >>

By James Grahame

The sheer beauty of the BMW R7 prototype takes my breath away. A single copy was crafted in 1934 by design engineer Alfred Böning. His vision was a departure from the “bicycle with motor” design still prevalent in the 1930s. The R7 incorporated sweeping enclosed bodywork, a pressed steel frame, valanced mudguards and then-innovative telescopic front forks.

The R7′s beauty was more than skin deep, however. The transmission featured an ‘H’ pattern hand shifter and the 800c Boxer engine crafted by Leonhard Ischinger was decades ahead of its time. The revolutionary engine includes a forged, single piece crankshaft. The cylinder housing is a monoblock with a hemispherical combustion chamber, eliminating the need for a troublesome head gasket and the camshaft is positioned below the crank (allowing more convenient plug placement).

Alas, the R7 was deemed too extravagant and expensive to produce in the harsh economic and political climate of the mid-1930s. The roadworthy prototype was stripped of useful parts, crated and largely forgotten until 2005. When the box was finally opened, the R7 was found to be 70% complete but in disastrous condition. Many components were severely rusted and a long-forgotten battery had ruptured and corroded the machine even further.

Luckily, the original design drawings were located in the BMW Archives and BMW Classic undertook a comprehensive restoration. A team of specialists rebuilt the frame, bodywork, transmission and one-of-a-kind motor. By the end of 2008, the machine looked like it must have when Alfred Böning first rolled it out of his Munich workshop. It performed flawlessly on its first road test in over 70 years and, hopefully, will be displayed around the world in years to come. [thanks, Karen!]

Retro Thing: The Art Deco Motorcycle That Time Forgot