Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
BMW Type 255
Type of motorcycle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
BMW Type 255 Kompressor (also known as the 500 Kompressor, RS 255, RS255 and Type 255 RS 500) was a supercharged boxer twin race motorcycle from the 1930s. A BMW 255 Kompressor was ridden to victory by Georg Meier in the 1939 Isle of Man TT and the first win by a non-British competitor in the premier 500cc Senior TT class.[3] A similar BMW 255 Kompressor machine was auctioned in 2013 for US$480,000, the second-highest price ever paid at auction for a motorcycle.[4][5][6]
Remove ads
Supercharger
A Zoller sliding vane supercharger is bolted to the front of the DOHC engine, driven directly by the crankshaft, and is lubricated by castor oil added to the fuel.[1][2][7] It provided c. 15 psi (100 kPa).[1]
Records
The machine set a number of race records, including the first lap over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a major event, when Georg Meier won the Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix in 1939, and Ernst Jakob Henne's capture of the motorcycle land-speed record in 1936 on a model with a streamlined fairing.[1]
Today
An example is on display at the BMW Museum in Munich.[8]
Further reading
- 1939 BMW "Kompressor" Tourist Trophy 1–2 Victory June, 2009 BMW press release via WebBikeWorld
- Extensive model information at Bonhams (prior to January, 2013 auction)
- Blake Z. Rong (January 22, 2013), In Las Vegas, a gamble on BMW's Kompressor and McQueen's Husky: Bonhams Motorcycle Auction provides plenty of surprises, Autoweek
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads