[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: The Aluminum Block Controversy...

> I actually was discussing this same topic today at lunch with BMW-Alfred..
> (1983 533i Alfred).. and brought up the fact that BMW has successfully
> used aluminum cylinders on their aircooled R bikes since about 1981..
> and full aluminum blocks on their water cooled, fuel injected (and
> later models catalytic converter equipped) K bikes since 1985.
> 
> Being even more enthused about BMW bikes (hey! It really IS a motorcycle
> company who happens to make some nice cars!).. I've followed the BMW
> motorcycle mailing list (which is VERY active, makes this one a breeze
> to read).. and has about 1200 members (we're actually an organization..
> Internet BMW Riders). So far - to date - NO ONE has ever reported
> any engine failure on these engines due to cylinder problems.. and
> we do use the same gas as the cars. Many of these bikes have well
> over 100,000 miles on them (people have reported at re-ringing
> time, around 200,000 miles on the K's and 100,000 miles on the R's
> that the crosshatch on the cylinder walls is still visible, and
> NO sign of wear or corrosion at all).
> 
> It seems like BMW knows HOW to do it - and it really puzzles me
> how they did it wrong on the cars. It would also seem that they
> know what they did different (there is a different name for the
> evaporated cylinder coating on bikes vs cars.. the bikes call
> it 'nickosil' for nickel-silicon.. forget what the car one is
> called, but I do recall that it has a different name..)

BMW has built aluminum blocks before in their cars as well.  The original
750i had a 5-liter all-aluminum V12 with nickel-plated cylinder walls.