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What's This?

akbeemer

SURVIVOR
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Looks like a VW powered BMW: Twice as many cylinders, valves & pushrods, and even less power.
 
A peice of junk, that is what it is.

VW engine? 1980 wheels, only thing BMW about that is the frame and tank.
 
That's harsh :brow

Looks like a trick side car rig to me.

The engine looks more like a Porsche unit than a VW. (Any Porsche affcicandos out there?)
I have owned Porsche and VW, but I am unsure. I am only sure it is a boxer engine. Must say though, I like it a lot.
 
I was so intriqued by this rig that I snooped around a bit on the net.

It does indeed appear to be a VW power plant with EMPI valve covers.
 
Those are Honda Comstar wheels, circa 1980 or so IIRC. And those look to be calipers and rotors that would have come on the same bike.

Bet that rig stops better than the one behind it in the first picture.

As my daughter always reminds me "at least they are out there riding".
 
A peice of junk, that is what it is.

VW engine? 1980 wheels, only thing BMW about that is the frame and tank.


You don't have to like it - you don't have to ride it but you have to give the guy that put it together a lot of credit for their skills. I appears to be a bike that is ridden and well used. In a world where for most "working" on their machinery consists of putting on a cool sticker this creation is a breath of fresh air.
 
This is an interesting shade tree conversion. Can you imagine going to the parts store and asking for engine parts$%^&^***&. Someone mentioned it looks more like a Porsche vs VW, what's the difference? I was a parts manager for a Porsche/Audi dealer in the early 80's and believe me the 914 and the bug shared many components. Agreed, if the fellow that owns it enjoys it good for him/her.
 
...and other sundry parts:

There was a company or individual who offered a kit to convert a 50's BMW airhead to VW power. I want to say that it was called “Suburban Machine” and they did have an advertisement in the mid 70’s in our BMW Owner’s News. However, there still is a company by that name and I don’t know if they are one and the same. I like the VMW by the way. I would...I love to butcher BMW's :)

The kit consisted of a cast, machined aluminum ring to adapt the BMW transmission to the VW engine and other sundry parts. The frame had to be modified as one might expect (and heavily as I recall), but for some reason, I seem to remember the OEM BMW transmission input shaft was a direct fit for the VW clutch hub which is probably how the whole project got started. I have seen several used as sidecar pullers. Even one set up as a solo machine.

My R50/2 produced around 24 hp. I believe that the R60/2 made about 30 hp. and the R69S was 42 and I may be generous in my estimates. Whatever the MAX power from the OEM engines, the VW conversion fell somewhere in the lower end of that range ( maybe 26 hp), so it was not a particularly good trade overall particularly because of the increase in complexity and service requirements.

Yes...the disc brakes are a HUGE improvement over the BMW drum in this application and especially in this case since the VW engine makes the rig heavier. If there is any judgment one can make about this machine it is that the rig's maker succeeded! It is still running. It is an interesting exercise in ingenuity which makes it fun to look at and it exists in such small numbers as to be considered rare. The small numbers indicate it was not particularly successful and that is one test of a design. It was developed at a time of the introduction of the /5 series BMW's and people were moving on to new bikes by then.

Thanks for posting the photo's...
 
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Showing my ignorance here, but if the horsepower was no better, why add the extra weight and complexity? Torque improvement? Just because he could? Just curious, I like to see customization, especially on the mechanical side, not just cosmetics.
 
The fellow that built the bike (he with the black beard in the 1st picture) made the conversion just for the sake of doing it. It is a VW engine that has some internal modifications. Many of the parts were purchased on eBay; the most recent being the Honda final drive. He bought the FD for $1 and paid around $70 in shipping. The other fellow in the picture is the rider of the rig behind the VW conversion. He's Kurt Schreiber from Wasilla and was up for the day visiting George Rahn in Fairbanks. Kurt and George have over 100 years of working on BMWs between them. Both still ride regularly even though they are well into their 70ÔÇÖs. It is fun to sit and listen over a cup of coffee while they debate things such as the merits of the kick starter of one Beemer compared to one on another vintage of Beemer. Wish we could capture all the knowledge they have amassed.
 
Showing my ignorance here, but if the horsepower was no better, why add the extra weight and complexity? Torque improvement? Just because he could? Just curious, I like to see customization, especially on the mechanical side, not just cosmetics.

I can think of one thing right away; VW engines are everywhere.
My wife used to be really into the VW thing, and the best thing about it was that parts were easy to find and cheap (new or used). She could even get a remanufactured engine delivered to her door for less than $700.

I understand the only thing the bike gains by swapping in one of these engines is weight.
However, the owner can ride anywhere in the western hemisphere without worrying about finding parts, or people familiar with the engine, if he needs them.

Thanks Kevin, for "the rest of the story".
 
I can think of one thing right away; VW engines are everywhere.
My wife used to be really into the VW thing, and the best thing about it was that parts were easy to find and cheap (new or used). She could even get a remanufactured engine delivered to her door for less than $700.

I understand the only thing the bike gains by swapping in one of these engines is weight.
However, the owner can ride anywhere in the western hemisphere without worrying about finding parts, or people familiar with the engine, if he needs them.

Thanks Kevin, for "the rest of the story".
True. But the ol' boxer motorcycle engines are not that much different. So, the engine would be familiar to a VW mechanic, which is how Matt Parkhouse got involved in BMW bikes; via VW's. Of course the parts availability is a separate issue.

A thanks from me too Kevin. Great background!
 
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Fantastic what these guys did! I wish BMW Motorrad engineers/marketing had this kind of "ingenuity" and flexibility. Look how far Honda got with this idea...4-6-cyl boxer.

/Guenther
 
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