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Does the Airhead Snow Blower Exist?

barron_williams

Monza Blue 1974 R90/6
We've been hammered (snow wise) in the lovely Rhein valley the last couple weeks. More of it and earlier in the season this year. Another five inches today. Naturally, while shoveling the drive, thoughts turn to motorized equipment.

Has anyone ever really seen an airhead powered snow blower?

Here is the legend:

http://www.ibmwr.org/r-tech/airheads/snowblower.shtml

But, does such a machine exist?

Regards,

Barron
 
snowplowinjun.jpg
 
It is an airhead (not completely a BMW but a cousin)
It is close to a snow Blower
This is the best I can do :blush

Uralscraper.jpg
 
[QUOTE=RonKMiller;640220 I would give a kidney to fly a fully certificated J2 WITH the McCullough on board.

Is this what people mean when they say they'd "give their left one"? I always thought it was something else.
 
It LIVES!!!

I knew I had seen this thing somewhere. IT appears in Plowsite, a website dedicated to Street Sweeping and Snow Removal businesses.(more images on the webpage linked)
 

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...now that's gettin' her done alright.

You could either move the snow with that beastie or ride it with this one:
 

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Well, that was an interesting exercise.

I agree, the example pictured, if an airhead, is probably an Isetta, not a motorcycle.

The airhead powered snowblower I imagined was more elegant than any of the above examples.

But, if I had to choose, the Indian Nathan posted is the best of the lot.

Regards,

Barron
 
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Ya gotta love Wikipedia. The earlier BMW manufactured Isetta was powered the BMW R25/3 single. They were also manufactured in Italy (originator (Iso engine(two-stroke))), France(Iso engine), and Brazil(Iso & BMW engines))
Old%20Cars


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Cool stuff: http://bzisettas.blogspot.com/2009/11/isetta-chassis-reassembly.html

In 1955 BMW purchased the body tooling, and a license to manufacture, from Isetta and powered their version (the Isetta 600) with the R67 engine specifically modified (the head was rotated 180?? from the position used in "motorrad" configuration). The transmission package was developed by Porsche. Both of which eventually made their way into the BMW 700

So, tech-nickly it is an Isetta engine and a BMW engine. .. . . ta-may-to, ta-ma-to... .

I'm curious...what provides the clues that it is from an Isetta?

Looks like the valve-cover "spanner", intake tract, and cooling shrouds.
 

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I understand what an Isetta is...I just didn't seen enough in the picture or see anything on the website given that told me anything about the engine one way or another...motorcycle specific or Isetta engine. Never having seen an Isetta in the flesh, my guesstimate was that it was a motorcycle engine. I would think there are more of those around to re-purpose as opposed to an Isetta engine...
 
Kurt, here's a A bit of youtube footage on the BMW Isetta 600 (powered by the twin). The cameraman is a dufus... pans too fast, doesn't pause on features long enough, but that's what the "pause" button is for I guess...

Nifty little machines really.

BMW is considering building a new "Isetta" but the concept car was shown based on the Toyota IQ electric motor/drive train (which is front wheel drive (and the reason the doors are on the sides)).
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(hopefully no banner will magically appear... . .. )

If they knew what was good for them the would have stuffed an oilhead into one.

Now, an Isetta 1200S is something that I might want to buy.
 
I think initially, the Isetta was a one-lunger:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta:

"The BMW Isetta was in 1955 the world's first mass-production 3-liter car. Its low-friction 1-cylinder engine and low weight gave it a fuel efficiency of 3.3 litres per 100 kilometres (86 mpg-imp; 71 mpg-US) (manufacturer information). It is the top-selling one cylinder car in the world, with 161,728 units sold.[1] ..."

Gadzooks, is that a misprint or did I just read a 3-liter, single cylinder?? Guess the Triumph Rocket and Goldwingers got nuttin on the Germans. :german
Hmm, maybe the author got it twisted up and meant a 3+ liter per gallon car?

...more

"The car originated with the Italian firm of Iso SpA. In the early 1950s the company was building refrigerators, motor scooters and small three-wheeled trucks. Iso's owner, Renzo Rivolta, decided he would like to build a small car for mass distribution. By 1952 the engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi had designed a small car that used the scooter engine and named it IsettaÔÇöan Italian diminutive meaning little ISO.

The Isetta caused a sensation when it was introduced to the motoring press in Turin in November 1953, it was unlike anything seen before. Small (only 2.29 m (7.5 ft) long by 1.37 m (4.5 ft) wide) and egg-shaped, with bubble-type windows, the entire front end of the car hinged outwards to allow entry. In the event of a crash, the driver and passenger were to exit through the canvas sunroof. The steering wheel and instrument panel swung out with the single door, as this made access to the single bench seat simpler. The seat provided reasonable comfort for two occupants, and perhaps a small child. Behind the seat was a large parcel shelf with a spare wheel located below. A heater was optional, and ventilation was provided by opening the fabric sunroof.

Power came from a 236 cm3 (14.4 cu in), 7.1 kW (9.5 hp) two-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engine. The engine was started by a combination generator-starter known as Dynastart. A manual gearbox provided four forward speeds and reverse. A chain drive connected the gearbox to a solid rear axle with a pair of closely-spaced 25 cm (10 in) rear wheels. The first prototypes had one wheel at the rear; this made the car prone to roll-overs, so they placed two rear wheels 48 cm (19 in) apart from each other. This narrow track eliminated the need for a differential. "
 
So what you're saying is that the engine in RKM's post:

are one in the same?

Without being able to see that snow-blower with that blue housing off of it, I would bet ($1) that based on the the valve-cover "spanner" it would be safe to say, "Yes".

Either way, it IS a BMW engine, whether or not it was from a motorcycle, or an Isetta, it was manufactured by BMW.
 
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