The end of World War II found BMW in ruins. Its plant outside of Munich was destroyed by Allied bombing. The Eisenach facility while badly damaged was not totally destroyed and tooling and machinery was safely stored nearby. After the war the terms of Germany’s surrender forbade BMW from manufacturing motorcycles and automobiles. Most of BMW’s brightest engineers were taken to the US and the Soviet Union to continue their work on jet engines which BMW produced during the war.
When the ban on the production of motorcycles was lifted in Allied controlled Western Germany, BMW had to start from scratch. There were no plans, blueprints, or schematic drawings because they were all in Eisenach. Company engineers had to use surviving pre-war motorcycles to copy the bikes. The first post-war BMW motorcycle in Western Germany, a 250 cc R24, was produced in 1948. The R24 was based on the pre-war R23, and was the only postwar West German BMW with no rear suspension (1).
The little bike struck a chord with mobility-hungry post-war West Germany and the R24 was a big hit. In 1949, BMW produced 9,200 units and by 1950 production surpassed 17,000 units. The popularity of the R24 and the resulting cash flow enabled BMW to not only survive this critical period, but to finance the development of future motorcycles and cars. It’s next bike, the R51 was BMW’s first post war 500cc, and sported the now iconic boxer twin engine.
The success of the motorcycle division made it possible for BMW to reaffirm its identity in both the motorcycle and automobile markets. Although BMW has gone on to produce much more ambitious models, of far greater displacement and complexity, it was this 250cc model, the R24, the saved BMW from the brink of collapse.
SPECIFICATIONS
R24 production dates: 1948 – 1950
Price: 1,750 DM
$526 U.S. in 1948
$4,768 in 2010
Engine
Internal designation 224 / 1
Type: four-stroke single cylinder vertical
Bore/stroke: 68 x 68 mm
Cubic capacity: 247 cm3 (34 in.3)
Maximum power: 12 HP at 5800 RPMs
Compression ratio: 6.75 : 1
Valves per cylinder: ohv
Carburation system: 1 Bing 1/22/140b
Engine lubrication: forced-feed lubrication
Oil pump: gear pump
Power Transmission
Clutch: single disc saucer spring, dry
Number of gears: 4
Shifting: foot shifting + aux. manual on gear housing
Gear ratios: 6.1 / 3.0 / 2.04 / 1.54
Rear wheel ratio: 1 : 4.18 or 1 : 4.25
Bevel/crown wheel: 11/46 or 8/34 teeth
Electrical System
Generator: 6 volt / 45 watts
Ignition: battery ignition
Spark plugs: Bosch W240T1 or NGK B8HS
Suspension
Designation: 224/1
Type of frame: closed steel twin-loop tubular frame, bolted
Front suspension: telescopic fork
Rear suspension: rigid
Wheel rims: 2.9 x 19 deep-bed
Tires front: 3.0 x 19
Tires rear: 3.0 x 19
Brakes front: drum brake, Ø 160 mm
Brakes rear: drum brake, Ø 160 mm
Dimensions and Weights
Length x width x height: 80 x 30 x 28 inches (2020 x 750 x 710 mm)
Tank capacity: 4.6 gals. (12 l)
Unladen weight, full tank: 287 lbs.(130 kg)
Load rating: 639 lbs. (290 kg)
Performance
Fuel consumption: 67 MPG (3.5 liters / 100 km)
Oil consumption: ca. 0.5 – 1 liters / 1000 km
Top speed: 59 MPH (95 km/h)
Sources
1 – Wikipedia
2- BMWDean
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