By joining you will help ensure that we can continue to provide this service
JOIN HERE!
Early pre /2 “sports” gearing?
-
- Posts: 1301
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:06 pm
- Has thanked: 21 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Early pre /2 “sports” gearing?
R69S - R60/2 - R67/2 - R51/3 - R69
- caker
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 10:49 pm
- Location: Haddonfield, NJ, USA
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 5 times
Re: Early pre /2 “sports” gearing?
- Sport transmission was for solo bikes
- Standard transmission was for sidecar work
And Huggett lists these part numbers for all the "/2" bikes (1955-1969)Further distinguishing mark of the two transmission executions constitutes the letter "S" stamped onto the sports transmission, close to the oil intake plug. The standard transmission is not marked.
- 23 00 1 000 028 Gearbox
- 23 00 1 000 035 Gearbox ( Sport )
- 23 00 1 000 026 Gearbox ( SW/Sidecar )
:shrug:
-Chris
Re: Early pre /2 “sports” gearing?
Although the wide ratio box is nowadays though of as purely for sidecar work, it was not always so.
Our friends in North America may not be aware of just what a high proportion of BMWs were sold to fleet buyers, particularly pre-1960, many Police forces, military, postal, forestry, railways, roadside assistance organisations, etc. in Western Europe, South America, South Africa etc., bought large numbers of BMWs and for some of them, being able to ride, clutch home at a marching pace was absolutely essential, the Triumph 6T Thunderbird, another popular fleet bike, also had to have this ability.
Only after the financial crisis of 1959-60 did BMW start to try to sell their bikes to private buyers, rather than just making them available to purchase, and to actually develop the US market which the British manufacturers had opened up, this also coincided with a massive decline in the number of sidecar outfits in use as domestic and commercial transport in Europe, hence the previously truly optional sports gearbox became the de facto standard, in all but name.
-
- Posts: 1301
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:06 pm
- Has thanked: 21 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: Early pre /2 “sports” gearing?
R69S - R60/2 - R67/2 - R51/3 - R69
Re: Early pre /2 “sports” gearing?
In 1957 al the bikes came with the standard gear ratios. That is 1st gear 5.33:1.
In 1958 all the bikes came with the sport gear rattios. 1st gear is 4.17:1