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 amongst the first motorcycles with factory-fitted fairings and they also offered class-leading performance. Even when BMW decided to discontinue the twins in favour 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.
Circa l’autore
One of the world’s foremost motorcycle historians, Ian Falloon is the author of more than twenty books on motorcycles. These titles include the Original BMW Twins, BMW R90S, BMW Story, Ducati Story, Moto Guzzi Story, Honda Story and Veloce publications The Ducati 750 Bible, Ducati 900 Bible, Moto Guzzi Sport Bible and Laverda Twin and Triple Bible. He has a small collection of classic sporting motorcycles, including a 1976 BMW R90S. A freelance contributor to a number of motorcycle magazines around the world, Ian Falloon was born in New Zealand but currently lives in Australia with his wife Miriam, and sons Ben and Tim.