BMW has a great reputation, because of the tremendous sports successes, but also because of the good quality of the standard motorcycles. Thus everybody was looking out for news from Munich after the war.

The enthusiasts were not disappointed, because new machines are being made that take over the qualities of the older ones. First the R24 appeared, followed by the R51/2, enthusiastically received by the sports riders. When the "N.V Hart en Nibbrig & Greeve" in The Hague asked us if we wanted to test ride the recently introduced R25, we jumped at the proposal. The R25 evolves from the R24 but now has a telescopic rear suspension. That's exactly what failed us yet.

We have enjoyed the R24, but despite its reasonable comfort, we thought that the hardtail frame was a disadvantage of that outstanding machine. So we had great expectations now they cured this fault in the new one. Usually something disappoints when you have too many expectations, but in BMW's case you are allowed to be critical. BMW motorcycles never fail to fulfill all your dreams. We have ridden the R25 for more then 1000 km, and now it must go back to its owners, we don't like that! The engine of this newcomer is almost the same as in the R24. The size of the inletvalve was increased from 32 to 34 mm and the inlet channel widened from 22 to 24 mm. Also the balance of the engine was taken even more care of. Striking is the silky smooth running of the engine, without any mechanical noise. Also the exhaust is very quiet, a lot better then on the former model.

The biggest changes are in the frame. The telescopic rear suspension attracts the most attention. But the frame is now also welded together, not assembled from loose parts that were screwed together. It is now like the twins are since the R5 that was introduced ca. 14 years ago. To strengthen the frame, a thick plate is welded in between the rear loops of the frame, and a saddle tube added. Everything is now so strong, that one can mount a sidecar without fear to break the frame. Also the telescopic frontfork which is very strong sideways

The tire size is increased from 3.00 * 19 to 3.25 * 19. The wheels have straight spokes and can be exchanged, just as the optional sidecar wheel. Sidecar riders will enjoy the possibility to carry a sparewheel that can be used on all wheels. Front and rear fenders are wider and their shape is more elegant. The front fender is now mounted at the lower part of the suspension, which increases the unsprung weight but looks better without the unsightly gap between the tire and the fender. Last year we criticized the hard saddle. This is a lot better now with the supple rubber Pagusa saddle and the single central spring. Further we find a lot of small innovations. A lock on the steering head, the brakes can be easily adjusted, the footrests can also be adjusted and grease nipples are found on a lot of important places. The R24 was a nice machine, but not perfect enough for a BMW. And exactly these points we criticized in our road test, have been solved in the R25. When you go for a ride on this machine, the flexibility is striking. A block engine has sometimes the tendency to be a bit raw.

And the cardan is not known for its suppleness. But on this little BMW the problems are so perfectly solved, that we call this the supplest 250 ohv motorcycle. One can drop its speed to 20 km/h in topgear, and ride on without feeling the lightest little shock. Then without tricks, like slipping the clutch, one can give gas and increase the speed without pinging or jerking. The R25 is a real tourists machine, and because of its strong build, also very good as a workhorse. Who thinks that a BMW is always a sports machine will be disappointed. Of course, one can ride full gas for a long time and even reach a speed of close to 100 km/h. One doesn't need to be concerned for overheating, and after such a full gas session the engine runs perfectly in idle. Also the road holding and maneuverability are not under sportmachine standards. The only sporting that this little BMW misses is a close ratio gearbox. First gear is 27.45:1 and under normal circumstances could easily be skipped. You can easily start from second gear (13.5:1). Third gear is 9.18:1 and fourth is very low with 6.9:1.

A calm tourist who doesn't like racing about, will like these ratios, but the sports rider isn't charmed by it. Together with the solid build, the comfort and the quiet nature of the engine, is the gearbox ratio what makes this machine a perfect touring machine and a great motorcycle for daily use. Everything is very well made, stronger then on any competing motorcycle. In this respect it is a good member of the BMW family. The comfort of the R25 is also found in the handlebar controls. The clutch operates light, so light that we have to get used to it. The rearbrake is very strong without blocking the wheel. The front wasn't so good, but this must be incidental, because the brakes are technically the same. We consider the Noris 6V/45W lightning with the big Bosch headlight very good. In the headlight shell is the VDO speedometer installed that has indirect lighting, so can be read in the dark too. We already mentioned the topspeed of 100 km/h. The most pleasant speed is ca. 70 km/h, with a petrol consumption of 30 km/l. This very handsome, reliable, comfortable and solid machine that costs fl 2395, behaved excellent under all circumstances. It is indeed the rear suspension that makes this little BMW such a good buy for them who can and want to pay the higher price. [ ** Entnommen aus: BMW MONO CLUB HOLLAND **]