Boxer's future shaky

Post by **CycleRob** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:28 am

Harley is hating the day when their V-Twins will have to be water cooled and they are working on it now.

BMW can still manufacture the boxer engine in the future when tighter emissions and less mechanical noise are required by the regulatory pinheads. BMW can do it with water cooling, chain driven DOHC with gear drive to the lower exhaust cam while narrower valve angles will also provide the cornering clearance without raising the crankshaft & jugs too high. BMW could create their version of Honda's Uni-Cam where the larger heavier intake valves are shim&bucket actuated and the smaller exhaust valves are worked by rocker arms from the same camshaft.

To stay with a similar appearance, it's also possible to shaft drive a vertical axis camshaft and horizontal planed valves to provide the cornering clearance. Essentially turning the whole cylinder 90 deg.

It can all be done with the new designs yielding power gains, longer service intervals, no overheating and quieter engines. The looks will be unmistakably different just like the AirHeads & OilHeads differ. A new BMW water cooled DOHC or Desmo cylinderheaded Boxer is long overdue. It should have appeared when the R1200 HexHead did.

Post by **boxermania** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:37 am

I can just picture it........

A boxer design, hemispherical head, 3 valves, 2 in and 1 ex, OHC with buckets, direct injection and of course water cooled. That should be good for 125 hp/liter.

Package the above into a compact chassis with a wet weight of around 400 pounds and voila!!!! let's have some fun.

Dreamer....oh, oh, dreamer.........

Post by **duke** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:51 am

How about a "Star" 4 cylinder engine, like a I World War airplane engine?

better not

Maybe it is time for long stroke, low rev "Gruntmeister"/"Torquemeister" K1400 engine ... Anyone for 200 Bhp on the crank???

hirsty · Post by **hirsty** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:01 pm

Interesting. I don't doubt that there's a plan in place though, they will have several alternatives in a drawer already surely.

Emissions regulations (which I presume are driving this) have killed some good bikes in Europe this year - like the Suzuki GSX1400, RIP - but have spurred on some good updates too - like the Suzuki 1250 Bandit with FI instead of carbs.

One noticeable effect though, walking round the BMW dealership today is how huge all the end-cans are becoming - R12R, K12, R12GS etc are all massive! Messrs Akrapovic & Remus must be rubbing their hands...

cadhopper · Post by **cadhopper** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:03 pm

For me, the boxer motor IS BMW. I doubt I would consider buying a K-Series bike. I do own a F650GS which we all know is sold by BMW but I don't feel like I'm riding a bike from the mothership. It would be a sad day if the Boxer motor does get discontinued.

That being said, I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the F800GS to replace my F650GS which is for sale at the local BMW dealer. Other than the BMW emblem the F800GS still won't feel like a Beemer.

Meanwhile I'll be riding my trusty R1150R and a Suzuki DRZ-400SM.

geothepencil · Post by **geothepencil** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:16 pm

hirsty wrote: Messrs Akrapovic & Remus must be rubbing their hands...

Not in Denver. There the original muffler is the only legal muffler permitted. Has to have the EPA wording on it to be legal. Or so the stories I have been reading lately say.

Yeah , I kinda expect the muffler to swallow up the bike before long !

Another bike I would love to see come back is the Honda Nighthawk 750/4 but being carb'd and air cooled, its not likely, although I have seen where its being sold in Japan for the new model year.

geo

AdeDavies · Post by **AdeDavies** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:26 pm

Damn! just bought my 50R and spent 3 weeks getting used to it, love it to bits, and now the boxer twin could/maybe/perhaps be phased out, story of my life.
Anyone want to buy a load of Betamax tapes or a Philips videodisc player?

Post by **wncbmw** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 7:19 pm

Just like I am old enough to remember when global cooling was the big concern, I remember at least two periods of the same thing - the boxer is on the way out. The K bikes were to replace them!

I hope they find a way or I may have to keep my bike until it qualifies for a vintage license plate!

Sunbeemer · Post by **Sunbeemer** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:52 pm

I hope they find a way or I may have to keep my bike until it qualifies for a vintage license plate!

What's wrong with that?

oiasghar · Post by **oiasghar** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:55 pm

I posted only to realise that I had ready posted earlier. Slow brain today. Sorry. Please disregard.

Post by **boxermania** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:49 am

Just to add fuel to the fire.....do remember that our goverment did in essence legislated out three wheelers and two cycle engines for road use.

The next in line will be snowmobiles and jet skis.......too many njuries/deaths and of course the air cooled bikes.....legislated out not for the air cooling but for the emissions.

Yes, they can be made clean, but at a tremendous expense and performance reduction.....water cooling makes it easier and less expensive......

Post by **Boxer** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 2:43 pm

Could someone PUHLLEASE change the title of this thread!

Every time I see it I get real nervous.

Rog(UK) - Yorkshire Dales · Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:05 pm

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!! Yes, I hardly dared open the original message thread, anticipating headlines such as "Boxer run over by road roller" or "Boxer hit by runaway Blimp in freak accident"

Glad you're still with us....

Rog

Arbee · Post by **Arbee** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:31 am

Could someone PUHLLEASE change the title of this thread!

Every time I see it I get real nervous.

And weren't you the Boxer who voted NO to the the R1100R forum installation?