BMW is another car maker whose past -- as well as its future -- is entwined with motorcycles. BMW started in 1913 as a manufacturer of airplane engines, and began to produce motorcycle engines in 1920.
Its first motorbike a year later was called "the Flink." After WWII, BMW was forbidden from making motorcycles and couldn't resume production until 1947. It came back with a vengeance. By 1952, production was running at 30,000 a year.
In 1997, BMW tried its hand at a cruiser, the R1200C. It featured a Harley posture, with the rider sitting at a lower height, holding on to handlebars that are high and wide.
Considered controversial by BMW purists, the model was discontinued in 2004. A more conventional successor, the R1200 GS, became a bestseller in the over-650cc segment.
BMW gained increased worldwide market share in 2009, though sales declined 14.1%. In the U.S., sales fell 21% to 9,191 units but since have turned up in the first half of 2010.
This fall, BMW introduced two luxurious touring bikes with inline six- cylinder engines, the K1600 GT and the K1600 GTL. The GTL comes with an interface for an iPod, MP3 player, Bluetooth, and satellite radio.
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