BMW R 2
A small engine, an exposed valve mechanism and a shaft to the back wheel made this little BMW an unusually elaborate 200 cc motorcycle.
BMW R 2 1931.jpg · Stahlkocher · CC BY-SA 3.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
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More than a set of wheels.
Germany’s tax and licence exemptions for motorcycles up to 200 cc created an important market. BMW entered it with the R 2 in 1931. At 975 Reichsmarks it was expensive for its class, yet the model sold more than 15,000 examples. Its first series belongs to the start of that story: the extra power and enclosed valve gear of later revisions must not be read back into 1931.
Look a little closer.
On the 1931 version, the valve mechanism was visible at the top of the engine.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A small motorcycle with a substantial skeleton
BMW used a lighter version of its pressed-steel frame idea and a rear drum brake. The result brought features associated with larger machines into the 200 cc class. Pressed steel forms shaped structural sections from sheet metal; it gives this little motorcycle a very different appearance from a simple bicycle-like tubular frame.
Source: BMW Motorrad · Motorcycles of the 1930s ↗The first series leaves its valves on show
The museum’s factory archive distinguishes the exposed valve gear of the 1931 machine from the covered assembly of Series 2. This visible difference is more useful for identifying an early R 2 than its black paint. Its original three-speed gearbox and SUM carburettor also belong to the specific first-series specification.
Source: Jihočeské Motorcycle Museum · R 2 factory archive and 1931 Series 1 data ↗Where these facts come from
- BMW Group Classic · BMW R 2
- BMW Motorrad · Motorcycles of the 1930s
- Jihočeské Motorcycle Museum · R 2 factory archive and 1931 Series 1 data
- BMW PressClub · 90 years of BMW Motorrad (2013), pp. 14, 33
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed 2026-10-02.