BMW To Kill the Air Cooled Engine

[coloktmGS]

Anyone seen this article from MCN? Is it going to actually happen, a death to the air cooled boxer?

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/Ne...uid-cooled-gs/

Thoughts?

[deilenberger]

"Insiders" - looks like a buncha'hooey to me. The article misses the fact that BMW gave up on air-cooled engines back in 1994 when the R1100 engine was first introduced as an OIL-cooled boxer engine.

Everything else (nothing really) in the article is factually correct (not.)

[oldhway]

"Insiders" - looks like a buncha'hooey to me. The article misses the fact that BMW gave up on air-cooled engines back in 1994 when the R1100 engine was first introduced as an OIL-cooled boxer engine.

Everything else (nothing really) in the article is factually correct (not.)

Well, since we are talking semantics, the current boxer is Air and Oil cooled with air being the predominant cooling medium. Calling it Air Cooled is not incorrect. I would not be surprised if the article has some basis in reality.

[88bmwjeff]

Well, since we are talking semantics, the current boxer is Air and Oil cooled with air being the predominant cooling medium. Calling it Air Cooled is not incorrect. I would not be surprised if the article has some basis in reality.

I remember reading a few years ago when the emission requirements for Europe first came out that the air/oil cooled boxer probably wouldn't meet the standards. I don't think BMW would kill the boxer engine all together, so a water cooled version may replace it. That being said, there are some purists who would balk at such a change. Just as the airhead purists rag on the oilhead, etc.

Just speculating here guys.

[deilenberger]

Well, since we are talking semantics, the current boxer is Air and Oil cooled with air being the predominant cooling medium. Calling it Air Cooled is not incorrect. I would not be surprised if the article has some basis in reality.

I actually don't agree. The vestigial fins on the cylinders are for show.. as are the fins on the valve covers. The only ones that might do some cooling are those on the head, and even they are minimalist compared to the airhead engines.

The fact that the authority bikes can, and do, idle for long periods of time without any tendency to overheat just by the addition of some cooling fans on the oil cooler pretty much proves this.. as does the addition on the R1200 engines of a secondary oil pump and oil circuit just for moving the oil through the oil cooler(s)..

Might there be some aircooling going on? Mebbe - but not much more then would be if the cooling medium was water.

[deilenberger]

I remember reading a few years ago when the emission requirements for Europe first came out that the air/oil cooled boxer probably wouldn't meet the standards.

I remember that also - and it was also speculation and rumors. The fact that BMW introduced the R1200 engine AFTER these regulations took effect means that they DID manage to meet the standards without going to water cooling.

Same story, same rumors, new day. Same validity IMHO - none.

[widebmw]

Well, since we are talking semantics, the current boxer is Air and Oil cooled with air being the predominant cooling medium. Calling it Air Cooled is not incorrect. I would not be surprised if the article has some basis in reality.

Then every engine is Air Cooled by fins, oil radiator, water radiator.

[mika]

It does not surprise me.

I wonder if the other magazine in question is http://bmwmcmag.com/magazine/ who has just taken on Sandy?

Semantics aside the Cam Head attempts to address some of the efficient burning and other emissions issues. It may not be able to get BMW across the new testing hurdles in some markets such as the EU that are going to a test model that attempts to better reflect emissions in the real world than the current dyno testing does. Cool temp concerns would be a bigger issue in those tests that the revised head may not be able to deal with.

In the end ÔÇô
The world did not end when the oil head came into play replacing the pure airhead.
Rather a case of ÔÇô The King is dead long live the King ÔÇô I expect the same if this story is based in fact.

[oldhway]

I expect the next iteration will be some sort of liquid cooled cylinder head first.

When Suzuki introduced the 1985 GSXR750R it was the first modern engine to use Air/oil cooling. If you look at the design om both that and the oilhead boxers, You see large capacity oil coolers and additional oil passages through the engine to get oil to the hot spots (valve seats, back of piston crown, etc.) and maintain temps.

I am not disagreeing as to the effectiveness. I think it is a simple and fairly elegant design. But the water jackets around the cylinders and heads in a "liquid cooled engine" are a whole different beast and with the use of thermostats and electric cooling fans can maintain very precise engine temps.

Apples and oranges.

[testinglogin]

They are still making Airhead parts and both of mine run just fine, so I'm not going to worry too much, either way.

[The_Veg]

So-

If we assume for a moment that the liquid-cooled engine is eventually coming, does mean that it'll be...
































wait for it..............


















































The WetHead?

[sibud]

That is so BAAAADDDD.

Sounds like fuzzy headed thinking to me!

[jurgen]

"Insiders" - looks like a buncha'hooey to me. The article misses the fact that BMW gave up on air-cooled engines back in 1994 when the R1100 engine was first introduced as an OIL-cooled boxer engine.

Everything else (nothing really) in the article is factually correct (not.)

What about the R100RS Airheads? They had oil coolers too because the airhead design could no longer handle the increased power.

I think the culprit is the environment: The engines must run leaner and leaner (and should, anyway) so more of the cooling effect from the fuel goes away.
Also, the race to squeeze more and more horspower out of the same displacement to keep up with the Asian and south-of-the German border competition does not help either.

Water cooling is technologically easier than oil cooling, also, it saves horsepower to not have to pump heavy oil through the coolers and to places in the engine where it is not needed for lubrication at all. That's what oil should be used for, a lubricant rather than a coolant.

[lkchris]

I think the culprit is the environment:

The "culprit" is noise regulations.

[aaaaaa]

I remember reading a few years ago when the emission requirements for Europe first came out that the air/oil cooled boxer probably wouldn't meet the standards. I don't think BMW would kill the boxer engine all together, so a water cooled version may replace it. That being said, there are some purists who would balk at such a change. Just as the airhead purists rag on the oilhead, etc.

Just speculating here guys.

And not with some little justification I might add.
aaaaaa slash7