Vehicle Description
1966 BMW R27
Owned by the same owner for the past 15 years, purchased and
service by Irv Seaver BMW Motorcycles located in Orange,
California. Extremely well maintained and cared for. Very original
California bike.
R27 Specs
Engine Numbers 372 001 - 387 566
Design Single cylinder with driveshaft
Engine 4-stroke, 2 OHV
Transmission Four-speed, left foot
Model years 1960-1966
Number manufactured 15,364
Bore 68 mm (2.7 in)
Stroke 68 mm (2.7 in)
Capacity 247 cc
Power 18 hp (13 kW) @ 7400 rpm
Compression ratio 8.2:1
Fuel efficiency 60.3 miles per US gallon
Maximum speed 81 mph (130 km/h) / with side car 56 mph (90
km/h)
Wheelbase 54.3 in (1,379 mm)
Curb weight 357 lb (162 kg)
GVWR 716 lb (325 kg) / with side car 1,058 lb (480 kg)
Tires front & rear 3.25 x 18
Battery 6 volt, 9 Ah.
Tank capacity 3.96 US gallon (15 liter)
Engine oil capacity 2.6 US pint (1.2 liter)
Transmission capacity 650 cc
Rear drive capacity 125 cc
History
Based largely on the R26, in 1960 the R27 added rubber mounts for
the engine and boosted power to 18 horsepower (13 kW). The 250 cc
OHV vertical single was the only rubber-mounted thumper engine BMW
ever produced, and was their last shaft drive single-cylinder
motorcycle. The engine pumped out 18 hp (13 kW), the highest ever
for a shaft-drive BMW single. BMW manufactured 15,364 R27 models
(engine numbers 372 001 - 387 566 ) over the production years of
1960 to 1966. Some of the 1966 R27 models were sold as 1967 models
because dealers in those years often would assign dates to BMW
motorcycles when they sold them, and not necessarily when they were
manufactured.
BMW did things differently from other manufacturers. This is
evident in the R27. Its enclosed shaft final drive is rare for a
single cylinder motorcycle. But it also had a triangulated Earles
front fork (named after English designer Ernest Earles); so the
motorcycle had a front swingarm as well as a rear swingarm. When
you squeezed the front brake lever hard not only did the front end
not dive, it actually rose slightly. Thus, braking was a very
steady activity, though the brakes were weak by today's standards.
The engine's crankshaft was laid out fore-and-aft rather than
side-to-side; also a rare feature. This way, the crank and the
final shaft were in line, and drive forces did not have to be run
through a set of 90-degree gears. Also, the kick starter swung out
sideways instead of parallel to the frame.
