1969 BMW R69S

1969 BMW R69S
Final Year of Germany’s Fastest Motorbike Series in Glorious Sporting Fashion.
“The mood at the Cologne IFMA (International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition) in 1960 was not especially optimistic. Many German motorcycle manufacturers had gone bankrupt in the last few years and many others were fighting to survive. Even at BMW, the crisis in the motorcycle market had left its mark: from 1954 to 1959 annual output fell from almost 30,000 to 8,412. This lack of sales volume was to last another ten years. What was to be found on BMW’s stand at the IFMA was therefore all the more surprising. The entire model range had been updated and extended to include a 500-cc sports model. The highlight of the exhibition was the R69S, with a top speed of 175 km/h, making it the fastest German series-production motorcycle ever. As could be seen from the name, it was a further development of the current top model, the R69, which also had its output increased from 35 to 42 horsepower. A new feature was the hydraulic steering damper, which could be shut down if not required and together with the proven swinging-arm suspension at both wheels ensured a high level of directional stability even at high speeds. The BMW engineers’ search for perfection was also evident in various detail improvements. In 1962, a vibration damper was fitted to the crankshaft to ensure the engine’s reliability even on long runs at high speed. The R69S again put BMW at the top of the list of European motorcycle manufacturers”.
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