Snowbum's BMW Motorcycle Repair & Information Website

(3) This article is arranged alphabetically and numerically, so it begins with K bikes. Where total production is shown on only one line, it usually applies to total of all production serial numbers for that model and coverage years, as best I know.  There is no specific reason, except for readability, that I used separate tables instead of one table.

(4)  Kw (kilowatts) was measured by the at-that-time/year-version of the German DIN method. BMW may sometimes measure in Hp, and not via mathematical conversion...but that, and the details of the method, and hence accuracy relatable to today's Hp is NOT known for sure by me.  In modern terms, 1.00 Kw = 1.34 Hp. That mathematical conversion was/is not absolute in the real world, particularly back in the Sixties & Seventies, as many Countries used differing engine measurements methods. An example is how American manufacturer's determined (or, advertised!) power output up until the eighties ...I refer you here to what is called Gross horsepower, Net horsepower, and SAE power. Take your pick.  Atmospheric pressure & temperature of the incoming air for combustion has quite an effect; and, 'power robbing things' like exhaust systems, water pumps, intake tract temperature, etc., usually had a considerable effect when removed or modified! For MANY engine or vehicle manufacturer's, everything possible was done to eliminate such power losses during measurements so as to boost the results, so the actual engine output of the car or motorcycle was always less, sometimes substantially.  I suggest you subtract a MINIMUM of 15% from SAE/American figures, to get reasonably close to DIN (or, modern Hp) figures. BMW themselves often published both Kw and Hp figures ...and in THOSE instances, the Hp figures are calculated, not measured, from their correct Kw figures. In other words, BMW probably used the 1.34 factor. DO NOT USE Hp & Kw directly nor absolutely for any type of comparisons with other manufacturer's of motor vehicles. Where power is shown in parenthesis in this article (xx), that is Hp, due to conversion. Sometimes two or even three values for power output were used, depending on country, etc, but the bikes are usually identical. NOTE that there is plenty of confusion about the power output of the quite early motorcycles, with some publications mixing up Kw and Hp.   I will straighten these out on an ongoing basis, when I obtain improved information.   AGAIN ...NOTE the column headings ...if enclosed parenthetically (xx), that means Hp, calculated.

(5) Code numbers (and sometimes serial numbers) are quite useful at times, in helping to determine such as wiring and equipment specifics; and, in some instances, the variances for the engine power output, etc. BMW produced SOME models in both low and high horsepower ratings for situations wherein Kw (Hp) determined insurance and/or licensing categories in some Countries. In most instances, where the code number changes on a specific model during production, I have separate lines for them. When a model number is listed, followed by one or more categories, the first entry, top line, will usually indicate the total production for all years for that model. Unfortunately, information on ALL countries' production was not always available, although USA shipments were more accurate. Year/Production may not be entirely accurate, see my articles 67A and 67B for an in-depth look at ID numbering, etc. I've used the best information I can find (at the moment) for production numbers (quantity). Note that production quantity will usually be at variance with "reserved" serial numbers. Where information is in conflict on serial/frame numbers, I generally used BMW's own publications. Where serial/frame ends in 0000, that USUALLY means a BMW reserved number and not a specific production number. Where the serial/frame ends in a very specific number, that means the true end of that production run ...but, sometimes I add parenthetical numbers, where information differs.