While BMW made its debut as an aircraft company in 1916, the Versailles Treaty forbade German industry from making war-capable machinery—like airplanes—for several years. Among the various utility engine projects they considered to utilize their engineering capacity, a compact, flat-twin side-valve motor proved intriguing to several motorcycle companies, most notably Victoria, who promptly installed it in a rolling chassis…in line with the chassis, with chain final drive. BMW launched its own motorcycle in 1923, the R32 designed by Max Friz, which used an improved version of that first flat twin, with the engine across the frame and shaft final drive; about 3,100 were built. BMW rapidly improved their motorcycles and began racing, where their reliability proved enough to win many races even if their top speed wasn’t sparkling. The R32 was the first of the “flat tank” BMWs as well, a lineage of similar-looking designs from 1923-’29 which mark the distinctive early years of the brand. BMW’s first sports machine, the R37, was introduced in 1925, with an overhead-valve engine and double the R32’s output at 16 HP—good enough for a 70+ MPH top speed. The R37 was built for only one year with 175 examples produced, and it was also raced successfully by the factory and privateer owners. The next sporting BMW was the much-improved R47 of 1926, with more power (18 HP at 4,000 RPM) and a driveshaft-mounted rear brake to replace the R37’s dummy rims. Production of the R47 lasted only two years, with 1,720 machines being built, and its spot as range leader was taken in 1928 by BMW’s first 750cc OHV motorcycle, the R63. With 24 HP on tap, the new sports machine was on par with the best sports machines in the world at that date, with a very light, all-welded duplex-tube frame, an oil-tight and powerful motor, good Bosch lighting, an utterly reliable engine and gearbox, and a reputation for durability combined with an 85-90 MPH top speed. Above all, the R63 was a beautiful and fast machine, which was the last of the “flat tank” BMWs—the end of an era. It remains the most usable of these early German machines, being fully capable of highway speeds and coveted by collectors for all these reasons. This 1929 BMW R63 has been cosmetically and mechanically restored to the standard one would expect of a proper vintage BMW, and it looks simply stunning. F152 1929 BMW R63
