BMW 500 'Rennsport' 256

On the first races after the WW2, BMW was still using the before-war 500 Kompressor model, since Germans were only allowed to race nationally and that the German rules allowed compressor engines in the national races.

As soon as Germany was again admitted in the international races, their bikes were updated to follow the international rules.  Therefore, the Kompressor was amputated of its compressor, but it was quickly obvious that those modified bikes were not competitives.  A new model of the Kompressor was build, the 'Mustang', with an engine studied to work with an atmospheric intake.  But even the Mustang did not reach the expectations of the firm.  They start then to think of the developement of a 4 cylinders for its official team, but finally came back to the more than traditionnal flat-twin engine, with a whole new design.  The team of this project was composed of Leonard Ischinger, Rudolph Scleicher, Alfred Boning and Eberhard Wolff.  The new bike was totally different from the previous one, as much as for its frame than for its engine, smaller and lighter than the Mustang.  The frame was tubular and the front fork was at first telescopic, to be quickely replaced by an Earles fork, very fashion at that time.  At the presentation, in 1953, it was decided to produce a small quantity of replicas for selected private pilots: about 20 of them were produced then.  The best hire, for the Rennsport was without doubt Walter Zeller, very good pilot and a courageous, loyal man.  Zeller gaved a serious oppostion to the Italian 4 cylinders and finished second to the World Championship in 1956.  At the end of 1957, unfortunately, Zeller had to retire to be able to manage the family business.

Because the retirement of Zeller, BMW gaved the official bikes to Fergus Anderson and Geoff Duke.  But Anderson was killed during a fantastic race on the bicylinder, at the Floreffe's track, in Belgium.  And Duke did not succeed to adapt his style to the particular character of the Rennsport.  Another very good piolot, Dickie Dale, bought a Rennsport with his own money but finally abandoned the BMW.  Like Duke, he finished his career coming back to the Norton monos.  Zeller and other German pilots were almost 'born' on the Rennsport while the other Duke, Anderson and Dale had never really adapt their style to the bike.  After Zeller retirement, the Rennsport never got any good rsult in solos races.

Ironically, the sidecars and the Rennsport engine, low and powerful, perfect for a sidecar use, won 19 world championship, absolute record for all categories in the motorcycle domain.

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