The BMW Story

One of the world's foremost motorcycle historians, Ian Falloon is the author of more than twenty books on motorcycles including the The Ducati 750 Bible, Ducati 900 Bible, Ducati Story, Moto Guzzi Story, Honda Story, Kawasaki Story, BMW Story, Moto Guzzi Sport Bible and Laverda Twin and Triple Bible. He has a small collection of classic sporting motorcycles, including a 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport that he has owned since 1976. 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.

Background history to the company founded in 1917 to produce aircraft engines; The first 500cc boxer twin, the R32, of the 1920s, and the first racing machine, the R37; The difficult 1930s, culminating in the R75 that became the German army's most popular motorcycle during World War II; The often-overlooked single-cylinder machines, which remained in production from 1925 to 1966; The post-war resurrections, including the RS54 racers and side-car Grand Prix racing; The R75/5, which heralded a new generation of boxer twin lasting until the early 1990s; The K-series, and the new R1100RS boxer launched in 1993; Appendices of technical specifications for all BMW motorcycles.