Your questions about bmw motorcycles

Wize Guy answers:

BMW originally produced aircraft engines. In June 1919, the company was less than two years old when the Peace Treaty of Versailles banned the production of aircraft engines in Germany. They were no longer permitted to produce six-cylinder, 226 bhp, 19-litre engines and were restricted in 1920 to producing 500cc power units developing 6.5 bhp.
Their answer to this problem was the horizontally-opposed engine that became known as the Boxer and a change to motorcycle manufacture instead of aircraft engines.
Well, that’s WHY they got the idea.

As to WHERE they got the idea, they probably copied Sunbeam or one the other motorcycle manufacturers using a horizontally opposed engine at the time, and redesigned the engine to make it better – I wouldn’t like to guess which one they based it on.

Wize Guy answers:

it’s hard to tell without seeing the bikes but personally i would go for the one with lower mileage even though it’s a little older.

Wize Guy answers:

If you ride a BMW, you ride a G or F or R or K model bike

Wize Guy answers:

The single cylinder model is designed for fun but is capable of long distance, you just go slower, 60~75mph
The older twins are designed for long distance at slower speed than the bigger engines (cruise at 80~90mph instead of 110~120mph)
BMW doesnt appeal to the hooligan element so even used they are a good buy but may have high mileage (100,000 plus probably isnt a good idea unless you can do all your own rebuild work)

Wize Guy answers:

It’s misleading and wrong (typical for wikipedia). DC has a major office in Berlin as a car manufacturer but does not manufacture cars there only engines and yes BMW does produce motorcycles in Berlin-Haselhorst.