Bmw To Motogp?
BMW TO MOTOGP?
ROUNDUP
Kevin Cameron
MOTIVE, MEANS, OPportunity. Mystery writers tell us these are the driving forces of action. Foreign magazines have run stories suggesting that because BMW has two of the above-means and opportunity-it must also have the motive to enter 990cc four-stroke MotoGP roadracing.
BMW does have means and opportunity. Its P-82 Formula One engine has been competitive since its introduction two years ago. Three cylinders from this 3-liter V-10 would make a 900cc Triple. Critical moving parts are developed and proven. F-l bore/strokes have been secret for years, but estimating a 2.25:1 bore/stroke ratio would give us a 98.0 x 43.6mm cylinder. Three of these with pneumatic valves and current F-1 rev and combustion pressure levels could offer 240-270 horsepower. Adequate. Need a virtual powerband that’s kind to tires? BMW has the technology.
Means and opportunity equal know-how and money. With Honda reportedly spending F-l-like budget on its V-Five RC211V, funding must come from its car division. BMW could match this.
What about motive? Would
MotoGP success sell more BMW Boxers? Probably not. BMW cars are marketed as thinly disguised GP cars in luxury four-door clothing, but BMW bike buyers seem to care little for maximum performance. Change the question, then.
Might BMW seek a wider range of buyers with MotoGP success? European motorcycling is flexing its muscles after decades of Japanese dominance, so who knows? BMW did build a prototype Boxer with desmo valves and racy looks, so the impulse to step beyond the original 1923 flat-Twin concept does exist.
The best German engineers prefer physics to tradition. That would be a breath of fresh air. It is unlikely that a BMW MotoGP entry would be just another kitbike made by bolting on the usual aftermarket components. Racing nourishes technology and keeps top engineers motivated. German bike-builders BMW, NSU and DKW won world titles in the 1930s and ’50s. Only BMW exists today. The law of modern business is grow or shrink, and BMW is doing well without racing. So, which sales incentive appeals to you: gentlemanly tradition from 1923 or track-bred high technology?
