The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

BMW Concept 6 – 1600cc Inline 6 Cylinder Engine

By

BMW Concept 6
BMW Concept 6

BMW joins the ranks of companies that have offered an inline 6 by installing one in the Concept 6, a design exercise unveiled at EICMA. Though BMW has a long history of inline sixes in their cars, dropping one in a bike is a bit more work if you’re interested in keeping the weight and size down to manageable levels.

Hollow-bore camshafts and very light connecting rods plus not needing a balancing shaft, shaves pounds from the engine. Electrical auxiliary units and their drive gear are positioned behind the crankshaft in the free space above the gearbox to reduce width. A dry sump system works with an integrated oil tank in the rear of the engine. E-Gas (ride by wire), gives several selectable ride modes for fuel economy and power. The 55 degree forward tilt helps keep the center of gravity low.

Power is said to be similar to what you would get from a 1300, perhaps 170 hp, but torque is 96 foot pounds at 2000 rpm plus it has a redline of 9000 rpm. BMW says initial intentions for the engine are in a touring platform of some sort, but its capabilities mean it can easily be used in a wide variety of bikes.

It isn’t clear how much, if any of the design cues from the bike shown here will make it to production, but the engine seems to be headed for highway use. It should make for a very impressive touring rig, not to mention whatever else BMW decides to use it for. Interesting.

Thanks for the tip, Marcus.

Link: BMW via mo-web.de

BMW Concept 6 engine
BMW Concept 6 engine

Comments

  1. Hmmm. Two more sparkplugs to replace. Eight more valves to adjust. Has any company made a successful inline 6?

  2. How refreshing to see a company not afraid to spend R&D money in this tight economy. A narrow 6 by the masters of the inline 6 in Autos can only be good. Expensive but for the aflouent rider a piece of technological Art. The engine appears much narrower then the original Benneli 6 or the Asian bikes that followed.

  4. Wow, BMW’s really going the opposite direction of a lot of manufacturers. First the 1000RR, then the revamped engine for the 1200GS, now this. They’ve definitely got guts!

  5. I believe your headline is wrong… BMW hasn’t stated the engine capacity yet.

    “even in comparison with the largest motorcycle engines, such superior power and muscle coming inter alia from engine capacity of no less than 1.6 litres.”

    This is just saying it will have the power of an existing motor that is no less than 1.6L, and implies they are going to produce this power from a smaller motor.

  6. I can’t wait for Allen Milyard to join two of these into a V12. I can’t wait to put one into a Lotus 7 type car.

  7. WillyP,

    “BMW hasn’t stated the engine capacity yet.”

    From the BMW website:
    “It draws its power from a capacity of 1.6 litres, among other things. “

  10. So what is our collective sales price prediction for the new 1600cc six???
    A: (BMW 1200GT * (16/12)) or
    B: (BMW 1200GT * 2 )
    C: (BMW 1200GT + Divorce)

  11. Juanitotheclumsy, YES. Honda and Kawasaki have both made successful inline sixes in the CBX and the KZ1300.

    Finally, a BMW that doesn’t confuse me as to why you would want it.

  13. juanitotheclumsy: I guess the Benelli Sei, KZ1300, and Honda CBX weren’t “successful”?

    Nobody’s saying this has to be the next H-D Sportster, just that it sell enough to justify the expense of building it in the first place, and by that definition of “successful”, every inline-six-powered bike that’s been brought to market has succeeded.

    cl

  14. B*A*M*F — that’s exactly what I first thought, too: “I want to see a V12 with this as a starting point.” And then put the resulting engine into a Seven 🙂

  17. I like the look of those exits along the swingarm, at least I assume it still swings. Do you think there’s clearance there??

  19. “Looks in rear view mirror and laughs insanely at the pathetic chasing busas and zizzers”

    I like!
    Is that rear wheel big enough to handle all that torque or will they try to reign it in like the 1st generation ZZR1400.
    Be interesting if they made a smaller bore version with some sort of forced induction.
    Twin turbo BMW straight six?

  20. “Hmmm. Two more sparkplugs to replace. Eight more valves to adjust. Has any company made a successful inline 6?”

    As stated above, yes, a company has.

    Look up the Honda RC166 GP bike and you’ll be very pleased with what you see, I think 🙂

  21. Over on AutoBlog there are the same arguments: why? Two more plugs, eight more valves is just whingeing – get your balls out fer cryin out loud…

    Who WOULDN’T want a six? What people don’t understand are the dynamics of a six. Smoothness, power and sound. I cannot stand the sound of modern four cylinder bikes. With the exception of my 250 Bandit, because I must love her and she screams, inline fours are boring. Yamaha has brought something to the party – Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki all sound the same. BMW’s own S1000R is also guilty. MV Agustas sound nice, but underneath it all they are the same. That’s why I prefer twins and triples (triples mostly).

    Modern technologies bring the penalty of six cylinders down. Yes there are trade-offs but the pluses outweigh this in my opinion. Honestly, how many of you wouldn’t want a CBX1000 in the garage? When Suzuki came up with a six cylinder Katana concept who didn’t just wet their pants a little bit? On a side note, who didn’t prefer the Honda RC211V over the RC212V – the V4 sounds nice but the V5 was just… um… MORE DAMMIT!

  22. I think it’s great that BMW is expanding the types of engines for it’s bikes while keeping the Boxer twin in the lineup.As a Harley enthusiast I wish HD would do the same while keeping the aircooled twins for guys like me.Maybe they will,heard rumors of a new 170 horse V4.Look at the illustration of the inline 6 BMW though, it looks like the 2 center pistons could cause a hot spot as they rise and fall togerther on the same spot of the cylinder.

  27. overkill, but so awesome!! would love one, although suspect i may have to sell both kidneys for this beauty!
    I don’t what it is, but for me anyway, i think bmw’s designs have really been hitting their mark with me. I suppose the fact they don’t ‘always’ stick with the norm….e.g. considering the current fugly exhaust designs, it was breath of fresh air seeing this ‘drag’ style inspired exhaust! love it, top job overall bmw!

  28. Love the concept, love the thought of a straight six. I’d be very tempted by a naked with this motor, but for one glaring problem — if you are going to produce a six, you’ve GOT to show the six header pipes jutting out the front of the motor. Get the radiator up over the headers, lose the shrouds, show the damn thing off a little! I’m usually a function before form kinda guy, but not with a straight six. BMW, go look at some photos of the Honda CBX. If you hide the pipes, well, you’ll probably still end up with a nice bike…but if you show them, voila, instant classic!

  29. Love the techno stretch, bet it will be quite a fine thing to ride.

    Who needs it? Nobody.

    Who will pay for it? Few.

  30. no matter how tightly they squeeze them together, 6 cylinders will be a very wide engine. Why not a VR6, like VW’s?

  32. As a motorcycle mechanic I have had the opportunity to ride several different 6 cyl bikes. Among them CBX’s , KZ1300, Goldwings, and Valkyrie’s. I have liked them all for their torque, their smoothness and their power. This bike really turns me on and I would want to get one some day.

  34. A bit off the subject, but i remember reading about a 1.7 litre cbx with twin turbo’s &nos.the owner paid for the development of the turbo system in california before the bike was put together here in australia.this bike had an Egli frame and I’m sure said egli-target on the tank.almost 1000hp at the rear wheel.the writer of the article was worried about the skinny pirrelli phantom on the rear but at 140wide it was the widest you could get at the time.does anyone else remember this?. it was around 84\85.i would love see the pic’s again.

  36. BMW wants to be seen as both different and better than their competition. I am not surprised about this being an inline 6. I like the looks of the concept, and I hope they are successful with production designs.

  37. Since the first application of this motor will be as a replacement for the current Light Truck, width won’t be an issue. Other apps, perhaps a V-Max style power cruiser(?) or the concept bike as a Hayabusa hunter.

  38. y so symmetrical
    i just started to like the look of s1000r
    oh, and the tail light is awesome, like a bleeding crack in … 🙂

  39. Wow. Finally. The ultra balance i6 BMW is known for (got one in my old e30). One of very few engine configurations that is fully dynamicly self balanced in all major directions. It just fits the motorcycle application….if they can reign in the width (unlike the old yamaha kz i6) This thing aught to be smooth, and unless they do something creative, it’ll have enough torque to give you a facefull before you can yell “ohh $#!+” if you wring that right ear too hard. Rider: “Lets go, Now”, bike “yes SIR”. No more anemic engines that only start pumping significant power when they’re strung out.

  42. Word is filtering back from Italy that the six appears narrower than the the boxer twins, so width shouldn’t be a concern.

  44. I’d like to try a ride on it. From buying bikes in ascending power, I have graduated to enjoying 500 and 650cc bikes and I’m curious to see if BMW will ever produce this in a three cylinder model.

  45. Oh yeah, just 30 years after the KZ1300 here comes the SECOND 6 in-line watercooled production bike ever produced. Hope the recession doesn’t stop BMW from making this expensive configuration….
    SIX is the best …. the rest ! I know as I am a proud Z1300 owner for 22 years !

  46. I must be nuts, but I want it in a early 90’s 5 series, wonder what kind of gas mileage that would get?

  48. to….juanitotheclumsy
    duh….ever heard of a BMW car??? most ARE 6 cyl…..same company man