Found this in a Danish museum (Egeskov, Denmark):
http://picasaweb.google.dk/petertrolle/BMWR6584ReadyToRoll21052005#5247284989984214818The history of this engine is as follows:
"The company [BMW] grew out of WWI when two engineering firms merged with the intention of building airgraft. Starting as BFW (it became BMW in 1917), the new firm was able to complete only 70 aircraft before the war ended. Forbidden from building more, BMW therefore had to find something which did not involve flight.
The eventual solution lay with the small engines BMW was making for the engineering firm of Otto, which had a factory next door. Otto was already building a little 148cc (9cu in) two-stroke motorcycle called the Flink [the clever], and requested BMW to build it at 500cc (30.5cu in) flat twin. The M2B15 of 1921 produced just under 6bhp and fitted fore-aft into Otto's Helios, though it was also bought-in by a number of other small motorcycle makers. [Among these were the German Victoria, seen on the photo above]
This fore-aft twin was actually made under a licence granted by Douglas, which had been using the flat-twin layout since 1907."
The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle, Grange Books, Kent, 2007. ISBN 13:978-1-8401-3967-9
The Douglas engine, or one very similar can be seen at
http://picasaweb.google.dk/petertrolle/BMWR6584ReadyToRoll21052005#5247289008163032802It is an Lawrence A-3 from 1916 exhibited at the aircraft museum in San Diego, Cal.
The German Victoria existed from 1899-1966 and produced a shaftdriven V-twin called the Bergmeister in 1951, but was primarily known for its smaller singles. Victoria briefly used BMW's fore-aft flat twin after WWI, probably from 1921-1923.
I remember the Victoria from my youth in the sixties when there still were a few around here in Denmark.
from a grey and chilly North
