The air-cooled boxer BMW twins were among the most significant motorcycles of the 1970s through the 1980s, providing an unparalleled combination of comfort, reliability, and performance. From the /5 series, a complete series of sport and touring motorcycles evolved that earned a huge following and which was never emulated by other manufacturers.

Before the /5 series, BMW had a reputation for producing expensive and idiosyncratic touring motorcycles. But the /5 changed that. Although still expensive, the market was opened to a new world of riders, and during the 1970s the air-cooled boxer evolved into the ground-breaking R90S and R100RS. These were among the first motorcycles with factory-fitted fairings and they also offered class-leading performance. Even when BMW decided to discontinue the twins in favor of the new four-cylinder K-series in 1984, demand for the older boxers forced BMW to reconsider. The boxer was resurrected and continued for more than a decade.

Now part of the Aprilia - Moto Guzzi - Laverda group, Laverda has acquired a following of almost fanatical proportions. The large capacity twins and triples were some of the most charismatic and exciting motorcycles produced in a golden era. With a successful endurance racing program publicizing them, Laverda's twins soon earned a reputation for durability that wasn't usually associated with Italian machinery. Originally built for the British market, the 1000cc Jota was the fastest Superbike available in its day. While the twins faded before the end of the 1970s, the triples continued for almost another decade before dying with a whimper. By this time the company was in serious difficulty and went into receivership. Despite a resurrection in the 1990s, it is the classic twins and triples of the late 1960s through until the mid-1980s that Laverda is now famous for.

No motorcycle manufacturer is more closely associated with one type of engine than BMW: the air-cooled boxer twin or 'airhead'. It was included in BMW's very first motorcycle in 1923 and virtually every machine the company made, of every type, from radical road bike to TT winner, to land speed record holder, to 1970s style icon and even to the creation of an all-new adventure bike class with the R 80 G/S, right up to the mid-1990s. Phil West celebrates the success of the BMW airhead twin motorcycles. This book, with over 290 photographs, includes a history of the company pre- and post-War; the personalities behind the development of the bikes; profiles of each of the 'R' bikes in turn, including detailed specification guides and production numbers. These wonderful machines are regularly celebrated and now BMW itself is harking back to them with an all-new series of machines.

The Complete Book of BMW Motorcycles offers a thorough year-by-year guide to every production machine ever built by Germany’s leading motorcycle manufacturer. From the first model, the 1923 R32 that launched BMW's motorcycle dynasty, to the latest (and fastest) superbike, the S1000RR, this book captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence in a combination of historic and contemporary photos. Technical specs are provided for each model. This comprehensive review covers all of BMW's bike families: The side-valve machines from the early years The early overhead-valve performance bikes The modern Airheads and Oilheads The four-cylinder and six-cylinder touring bikes The early pushrod singles The modern overhead-cam singles The latest parallel twins, and inline-four cylinder sport bikes Among them, you'll find all the classic bikes—pre-World War II BMWs like the R5 that defined performance in that era; the military R12 that carried the Wehrmacht as it blitzkrieged its way across Europe; the Earles-forked R69S that offered the perfect platform for mounting a Steib sidecar; the R90S café racer; the K1 “flying brick”; and the GS (Gelände Sport) series that launched a dual-sport revolution right up to today’s world-class S100RR and retro-inspired R nine T. Like the other titles in Motorbooks' Complete Book series, this guide to BMW's motorcycle output offers the most complete reference to the subject available.

This book examines the classic period of Grand Prix racing from 1960 to 1969, and the men and machines involved. Covering the emergence of the Japanese factories and the struggle for supremacy between 2- and 4-stroke technologies, it is a fascinating exploration of the last decade of 'traditional' Grand Prix racing, before significant events changed the nature of the sport forever.

Customising BMWs - does it work? This book, the first of its kind solely devoted to the BMW custom bike scene, proves it does! Features stunning images of customised BMW singles, twins and fours from contributors around the globe, many complemented by owners' stories and technical descriptions.