Report: BMW engine from China

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Report: BMW engine from China

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Report: BMW engine from China

Report: BMW engine from China
China Xcountry

You don’t see it and you don’t hear it. Yeah, you don’t even feel it. And yet: The single cylinder of the BMW G 650 Xcountry, which was never a real Bavarian, is no longer Austrian either. He’s a China cracker.

Stefan Kaschel

01/30/2008

You can twist and turn it however you want. See it from all perspectives, from close up and from a distance. You can turn it on and off, chug it while idling or let it cheer in the highest tones and you will see: everything on the 650 single-cylinder is as always. And yet the story has what it takes to be a scandal.

Why? Because now many will probably say: “So they too!” BMW, the German model company that has always delivered Bavarian customs free of charge in every pannier, has its single-cylinder manufactured in China. Wasn’t it enough that the Bavarians gave up the production of the “small” engines (650 and 800) to the Alpine competition in Austria (Rotax) and still had the G models built by Aprilia in Italy? Wasn’t it enough that the rest of the model range was put together by the archenemy in Prussia’s capital? To top it all off, it had to be China?

But that’s probably how it is in the age of globalization. On the other hand: Can’t the customer agree with what is really cheap for BMW? The fear that poisonous plasticizers are hidden somewhere in connecting rods or pistons seems unfounded at first glance. On the contrary: In a direct comparison with a Rotax-Xcountry, the Locin engine shows itself to be in decent shape when driving as well as on the test bench. He loses just one horsepower on the Austrian single at the top (see performance diagram on page 45) and is thus within the measurement tolerance.

The Chinese Rotax heart of the X-Country in the performance test


Report: BMW engine from China


fact

German conscientiousness on Chinese assembly lines.

No abnormalities either when it comes to the subjective impressions. Strokes like over there, a smooth throttle response is complemented by the robust acceleration from the lower speed range, then saddled up again in the middle speed range and drives with almost 60 Newton meters (here the Rotax engine is also just one Newton meter ahead) and a full blow. Revving, on the other hand, is (and was) not his thing, from 5500 rpm it is noticeably slower before the limiter then harshly regulates around 2000 rpm later.

But that doesn’t matter, because this character fits perfectly with the uncapricious appearance of the Xcountry, which was developed explicitly for everyday life and relaxed motorcycle hikes and does not tend to be escapades on the chassis either. Of course, no statements can be made at this point about the durability. Because even though no differences can be determined from the outside, both engines are technically so far apart that only a few parts can be interchanged (see interview).

In the conversation, BMW press spokesman Rudolf-Andreas Probst also goes into the significant price reduction of the Xcountry (by 1000 euros to 7162 euros), which he does not want to have understood in connection with the Chinese production. Nevertheless, such a difference could help one or the other to throw ideological concerns overboard. Made in Germany, Rotax here.

interview

The engine of the BMW G 650 Xcountry has been manufactured by the Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Loncin since September 2007 and no longer by Rotax in Austria. Why is that ?? and why is it only now known?
The worldwide procurement of parts and components is with BMW motorcycle ?? as with all other manufacturers? a completely normal process. In concrete terms, buying parts in Asia is a suitable means of avoiding the currency disadvantages caused by the strong euro. especially against the yen ?? to be able to compensate. In this way we create leeway in the cost structures so that we can continue to offer our customers innovations and technical features in the middle class, where there is aggressive price competition. In addition, our Asia strategy has a market strategy component. There is still hardly a market for large-volume motorcycles in the emerging countries of Asia. But we are confident that this will change in a few years. And we can be successful in these markets if we establish our brand there early on and make a name for ourselves in good time with activities and products from BMW Motorrad. For the second part of the question: We communicated that at the Eicma in Milan in autumn? and thus well before the delivery of the first models with Loncin engines.

Should this be seen as the beginning of an intensive collaboration that goes beyond this model?
Rumors even speak of a BMW participation in Loncin.
Loncin has been running the Boxer Cafe in Chongqing since mid-2007. The Boxer Cafe is the second sales base in China alongside Beijing. Loncin is thus a sales partner and is also set to become an importer for BMW motorcycles for China this year. There are currently no further project decisions, but we do not completely rule out expanding our cooperation with Loncin in the long term. To talk about participation is absurd, however.

What is the cost saving per engine that results from the relocation?
These are internal numbers that we don’t talk about externally.

These savings will be passed on in full to customers through the latest price cut?
The price measure has nothing to do with the engine from Chinese production, because depending on the stocks of the markets or the dealers, the G 650 Xcountry will also be available with a Rotax engine for a certain period of time. We have adjusted the tiered prices due to the introduction of the two-cylinder Funduro F 650 GS. With the new basic price of 6900 euros, the G 650 Xcountry is now even more aimed at young target groups that we have not yet reached.

Does the new China engine have technical differences compared to the Rotax unit or are all parts interchangeable??
The engine is conceptually and structurally almost identical to the Rotax engine. The performance data are identical to those of the Rotax engine. Except for the lower manual clutch force on the Loncin engine, no difference is noticeable for the customer. With a few exceptions, the interchangeability of parts is not provided.

Is the engine completely produced by Loncin in China or is only the assembly carried out there??
As is generally the case with engine production, Loncin not only manufactures parts itself, but also buys some from international suppliers and assembles them in a specially set up assembly hall.

Is it conceivable for BMW to also relocate boxer and four-cylinder production from Berlin to China? Or have complete motorcycles built there?
No. We are also not relocating production to China, we are only changing the manufacturer or supplier of the engine for the G series.

Will the cooperation with Rotax continue, and if so, for how long??
We were and are very satisfied with the cooperation with Rotax.

What does this fact mean in relation to the question posed above?
That the 800 twin-cylinder will continue to be manufactured by Rotax.

Do not fear damage to your image if you have production in China, because BMW customers in particular value “Made in Germany”?
We do not purchase a cheap product from China, but a high-tech engine that is manufactured according to BMW standards. The decisive factor is the quality of the product and not its origin. The single-cylinder engine has been tested by our engineers according to the standards that apply to all other BMW motorcycle engines. As part of the development, we also incorporated small optimizations. We are sure that the single cylinder engine will fully meet the expectations of our customers.

Is the quality of the Loncin engine comparable to the standard Rotax is used to??
A separate, modern production line has been set up for production at Loncin. The employees work exclusively for this line. By using BMW quality assurance methods and processes, we can ensure the quality that our customers expect.

Did the manageable success of the G 650 and F 800 series prompt you to rethink your cost structures and go to China? Or to put it the other way round: Would the latest price cut have also been possible with a Rotax engine??
As a manufacturer, you would do well to constantly review your cost structures. In view of the extremely weak yen and dollar exchange rates, it makes sense to step up purchasing activities outside the euro area. The price measure for the G 650 Xcountry is primarily to be seen in connection with the price of the new two-cylinder F 650 GS.

What quantities and which model variants did you consider when you were involved with Loncin?
It is planned that the Xmoto and the Xchallenge will also get the engine from China in the future. However, we are currently unable to make any statements about the deployment date.

The 450 is completely manufactured by Kymco in Taiwan and is an even clearer step towards Asia. Is it conceivable in the future to relocate development work to the east??
The G 450 X is not manufactured at Kymco, but at the BMW plant in Berlin. Only the engine comes from Kymco. The concept and the development come from BMW Motorrad. So both engine projects are about the implementation in production, the so-called industrialization.

“Strategic importance”

The numbers should also ring in the ears of the BMW workforce, who have been used to success in recent years. According to their own information, over a million motorized two-wheelers, over two million engines ?? When talking about numbers at Loncin, the Bavarians with their around 100,000 motorcycles a year have to be silent.

Especially when you know that Loncin was only founded in 1994. Today, the company is number one in the ranking of private companies in the Chongqing region, a two-wheeler metropolitan area that produces between five and six million motorcycles per year and is home to much of the Chinese supplier industry.

Over 4800 people currently work at Loncin, around 850 of them in development. Nevertheless, it is important to BMW that Loncin was not involved in the development of the Xcountry engine and that the industrialization was carried out on site under the supervision of BMW experts according to BMW specifications. A separate production line was even introduced, on which the employees work exclusively on the BMW engine. This is not surprising if you take into account that Loncin has a lot of motorcycle experience and is one of the three largest motorcycle manufacturers in the Middle Kingdom, but with the 650 Xcountry engine, it is breaking new ground with cubic capacity, because the vast majority of them are The rest of the two-wheeler and quad range in the usual sizes between 50 and 200 cubic centimeters.

So BMW’s smallest is a really big one at Loncin. And for BMW a big step towards new shores? even if the Munich-based company regards the China engine as a very logical step on their way to becoming a full-range supplier with a global presence.

Data

Engine:
Water-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, a balance shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves, bucket tappets, dry sump lubrication, injection, ø 43 mm, regulated catalytic converter, mechanically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, chain, secondary ratio 2.938.
Bore x stroke 100.0 x 83.0 mm
Cubic capacity 652 cc
Compression ratio 11.5: 1
Rated output 39.0 kW (53 PS) at 7000 rpm
Max. Torque 60 Nm at 5250 rpm

Landing gear:
Bridge frame made of steel with screwed cast aluminum parts, upside-down fork, ø 45 mm, two-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, front disc brake, ø 300 mm, double-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, ø 240 mm , Single-piston floating caliper.
Spoked wheels with aluminum rims 2.50 x 19; 3.00 x 17
Tires 100/90 19; 130/80 17

Mass and weight:
Wheelbase 1498 mm, steering head angle 61.5 degrees, caster 116 mm, spring travel f / r 240/210 mm, weight with a full tank * 167 kg, payload * 168 kg, tank capacity / reserve 9.5.

Warranty two years
Colors black
Price including utilities 7,162 euros

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