Description
BMW 1965 “R27 Touring Sport” 247 cc single cylinder ohv. Frame & Engine # 383955
The 247 cc BMW R27, introduced in 1960, is the last shaft-driven, single-cylinder motorcycle manufactured by BMW.
Based largely on the R26, the R27 added rubber mounts for the engine and boosted power to 18 hp (13 kW) @7,400prm, good for a top speed of 130 km.
The R27’s 247 cc OHV vertical single is the only rubber-mounted thumper engine BMW ever produced.
The company manufactured 15,364 R27 models (engine numbers 372 001 – 387 566) during the production years of 1960 to 1966. BMW did things differently from other manufacturers.
This is evident in the R27: Its enclosed shaft final drive is rare for a single cylinder motorcycle.
But it also has a triangulated Earles front fork (named after English designer Ernest Earles); so the motorcycle has front & rear swingarms.
When you squeeze the front brake lever hard the front end does not dive, but it actually slightly rises.
Thus, braking is a very steady activity.
The engine’s crankshaft is laid out fore-to-aft, not side-to-side; this way, the crankshaft and the drive shaft are in line, and drive forces don’t have to be run through a set of 90-degree gears.
The kick starter swings out sideways instead of parallel to the frame, so kick starting an R27 is a rather easy and danger-free affair.
This R27 is fitted with extras such as a headlamp protector and a leather bag fitted to the luggage rack.
This quality machine has been excellently restored.