BMW R 12

In 1935, BMW launched the BMW R 12 motorcycle with a pressed steel frame. The engine had been taken over from the BMW R 11, while the frame featured a revolutionary innovation. BMW presented this motorcycle as the world's first motorcycle with a telescopic front fork and oil damping an engineering achievement which was received with international acclaim. By 1942, 36,000 BMW R 12 motorcycles had been manufactured, with the majority being purchased by the military and other government agencies. These statistics ensured that the BMW R 12 was the biggest selling BMW motorcycle during the prewar era.