BMW's New Water-Pumper Boxer!

[Dallara]

Well, Folks...

Here it is! BMW's latest creation.

An R1200-based "Hexhead" WATER PUMPER...





Are you excited?





Did you ever imagine they would build 'em?





And so soon after the new "Hexhead" engine was introduced...





Does this suggest anything about the new HP-series of "Hexheads"?





Will they bring 'em to the States?





What will one cost?





Are you ready?





Okay... Here it is...







http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/43511721-M.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/43511728-M.jpg





Did I get'cha? :shade:


Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - The R1150R Banned-It)

[DarthRider]

DOH!

Dave

[fganger]

Bad Allan, bad bad Allan.:(

Frank

[Brakecheck]

Alan,
Someone (DJ?) posted this before. There was also an R1150 version. Pretty cool regardless. And yes...you got me :icon_redface:

[TorqueMonsterMT-01]

Although the power curve of the Boxer engine is well suited for this purpose, I can't imagine why someone would build support equipment that needs relatively frequent valve adjustments. That seems strange when there are plenty of torquey engines out there with either no adjustment necessary or much longer duration between adjustment.

In the end though, this engine probably performs the task better than any other.

[supermotoC]

Does it surge? Does it come with ABS?

[BobFV1]

I hate you for that but there's no way I will ever be able to get even...:104:

[DarthRider]

"...I can't imagine why someone would build support equipment that needs relatively frequent valve adjustments..."

Not to mention spline failures and exploding rear ends.

A bud with an immaculately maintained 3 year old LT with 43,000 miles had his rear drive blow apart at 70MPH on a freeway with his wife in the back recently. Momentary lock-up, small skid, big pucker factor but all is OK.

BMW was very "helpful" and swapped in a new one for only $670. Sounds like a 50/50 deal.

Wonderful design, wonderful support.

Dave

[Dallara]

Gents,

It was I who previous posted info back on the *old* site about the BMW powered Fire Water Pumps, both Oilhead and Hexhead... Not to mention even BMW (and Harley-Davidson) powered airplanes.

Managed to *get somebody* every time! :110:

On some other points...

Valve adjustment intervals are probably not a major issue - for a couple of reasons. One, no doubt these pumps run at a constant speed and load, and so they probably simply set the valve clearances relatively loose since valve train noise wouldn't be an issue. Second, no doubt these fire fighting pumps are scrupulously maintained and would certainly get oil changes and valve adjustments after each use fighting a fire. Once well broken in the vavle lash wouldn't be varying that much anyway.

Dave... These pumps don't use gearboxes or final drives. Just the Boxer engines. Not even a clutch, but with the crankshaft hooked directly to the pump impeller. Hence, I don't imagine final drive failures are much of an issue... :shade:

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - Proud to be Banned Where Mods Think They're Gods and Annoying Frogs Roam Free)

[Brakecheck]

I don't see maintenance as a big issue with these pumps as they are probably only used when a fire main isn't available and they need to pump from a body of water: lake, harbor, etc. Even then, how long would it need to run for a fire? couple hours maybe? We had small, gas powered pumps in the Navy and the most use they got was being fired up for maintenance and fire fighting drills. They weren't nearly as nice as these though. I remember your past post Alan, didn't someone once post a pic of an R1150 powered plane? It's a beautiful engine whatever the application.

[DarthRider]

"...Dave... These pumps don't use gearboxes or final drives. Just the Boxer engines. Not even a clutch, but with the crankshaft hooked directly to the pump impeller. Hence, I don't imagine final drive failures are much of an issue..."

Well yeah, I kind of figured that. It was just a convenient place to momentarily get on my soapbox about BMW forgetting how to build shaft drive motorcycles, their arrogance and poor customer support.

To paraphrase the old Harley T-shirt design:
"If BMW built airplanes would you fly on one?
Yes but only if it was direct drive."

Hate to be bitter but I have a long, unfortunate history with spline & rear drive failures on well maintained BMW's.

I also have some history with stationary pump engines. In the hot rod addled adolescence of my mis-spent youth in the Texas Panhandle, it was a well known fact that the engine of choice for irrigation pumps of the farmers was the Chevrolet 348 & 409. This were docile engines making not much horsepower but lots of torque as they "fast-idled" their long lives away in the cotton fields.

It was well known amongst poor, larcenous drag racers and street racers that a rebuild with different pistons, cams, reworked heads, carbs, etc, yielded a not-too-shabby hot rod motor.

Now I never had anything to do with this (really) but knew guys who did and knew of many others.

The poor old farmers resorted to all kinds of guerrilla-security measures, largely to no avail. It's hard to compete with a highly motivated bucks-down racer with a pick up mounted lift hook, several tool wielding buds and a couple of cases Colorado's finest beer.

I also knew the guys who strolled through the service department at Plains Chevrolet during lunch hour and grabbed a Corvette 4-spd tranny on the way out! Put it in their truck and drove off. They told a porter they were picking it up for a salvage company. Never got caught.

That was when we could buy Corvette aluminum valve covers over the counter for $5.00 each!

And of course, the midnight flipper hubcap raids, 4-throat carb lifts,...all during the "Midnight Auto Salvage" days.

My crime career was short - I got talked into going on one such raid by the local older guy who always got *everyone else* in trouble. We piled into his trick '53 Studebaker with a 283 Chevy & 3 chrome pots sticking through the hood, and went on a 3-bar Olds hubcap raid. I was the lookout. They got them and the adrenaline rush was strong!
But so was the fear of my old man's belt and a very strong guilty conscience. My life of crime was done.

Man, I gotta write all this down somewhere...what's the statute of limitations for heisting an Olds 3-bar flipper?

Dave the Former Felon