C OVER STORY   Valv e Ge ar

The New BMW Motorrad

Boxer Engine with
ShiftCam Technology
BMW Motorrad has redesigned its R1200 boxer drive unit for
the model year 2019. The new ShiftCam technology, a system
on the intake side developed specifically for motorcycles,
and a moderate displacement increase, have considerably
advanced the drive unit.

© BMW Motorrad

32
 AUTHORS
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karl Viktor Schaller
is Head of Development at BMW
Motorrad in Munich (Germany).
Dipl.-Ing. (TU) Hubert Graf
is Head of Powertrain Deve­l­
opment at BMW Motorrad
in Munich (Germany).
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Stefan Kallich, M. Sc.
is Head of Powertrain Projects
at BMW Motorrad in Munich
(Germany).
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Stefan Ritter
is Head of Basic Engine Deve­l­
opment at BMW Motorrad
in Munich (Germany).
FIGURE 1 The development of BMW Motorrad boxer engines over the past 25 years (© BMW Motorrad)
MTZ worldwide 04|2019    33
REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The boxer engine is synonymous with
the BMW Motorrad brand like no other
drive unit. The company introduced
the R32 as its first motorcycle in 1923.
This was the first model to feature a
boxer engine with a crankshaft posi-
tioned in the direction of travel. Some
60 years later, the R80 G/S founded
an entire vehicle category – the large
long-distance Enduro.
The most important milestones in
the BMW boxer engine’s more recent
history were the development leap
from the earlier generation of twin-
valve engines to the four-valve boxer
in 1993, and also the transition to the
water-cooled boxer engine with vertical
gas exchange in 2013, FIGURE 1 [1]. At
every stage, power and torque were
conti­n­uously increased and, in order
to comply with increasingly stricter
legal requirements, the drive unit’s
emission behavior was improved.
It was in this tradition that the
following goals and characteristics of
the new boxer engine were defined:
–– improved power and torque,
the focus being on increasing
torque at low revs
–– smoother running and more
combustion stability, as well
as improved handling concern-
ing modulation and control
–– optimization of mechanical noises,
–– even lower consumption, despite
the higher power/torque
–– preparation for compliance with
future legal requirements from
2020 on, concerning emission behav-
ior and on-board diagnostics.
REDESIGN OF THE BASIC ENGINE
The basic engine was redesigned with
the aim of enhanced driving dynamics
and smoother running behavior. To
achieve this goal, the displacement
was moderately increased and, in addi-
tion, the entire cylinder head along
with its components was revamped.
This involved integrating a variabil-
ity function on the intake side of the
valve train.
The displacement was increased from
1170 to 1254 cm3 by extending the stroke
from 73 to 76 mm and enlarging the bore
from 101 to 102.5 mm. The entire crank-
shaft drive, differential pinion and iner-
tia mass were adapted in line with the
new framework conditions. In addition,
the casting tool for crankcase production
was reduced in complexity to improve
production stability and quality.
The timing drive was also redesigned.
The 8-mm pitch sleeve chain used to
date is being replaced by a latest genera-
tion 6.35-mm pitch toothed chain. Large
angles of contact of the sprockets with
high numbers of teeth, coupled with the
chain tensioning system, optimize wear
and thereby guarantee stable valve tim-
ings throughout the service life. Further-
more, the acoustic behavior improves.
The oil/water circuit has been large­‑
ly carried over; the tougher thermal
demands on the pistons are met by using
piston spray nozzles. The displacement
of the oil pump was adjusted in line with
this increased demand.
A variable oil intake as used in motor-
sport applications was realized by means
of a sliding piston, FIGURE 2. This ensures
a continuous oil supply even in extreme
C OVER STORY   Valv e Ge ar
FIGURE 2 Variable oil intake (© BMW Motorrad)
driving conditions. Depending on the
acceleration situation, the inertial force
moves the displaceable piston either for-
ward or backward. This ensures that
oil intake always occurs in the area of
the oil sump where the oil is currently
located, which likewise shifts depending
on inertia of mass.
34
CYLINDER HEAD AND VALVE
TRAIN WITH BMW SHIFTCAM
The cylinder head, derived from the
basic concept of the water-cooled
boxer engines introduced in 2012,
was expanded by a variability func-
tion in the valve train. The search
for the optimum concept culmi-
nated in a shift cam system, which
allowed two different cam profiles to
feature in one engine. The system
could be integrated into the existing
cylinder head while maintaining its
highly compact dimensions, FIGURE 3.
For the use in motorcycles, especially
those driven by a boxer engine, this is a
great advantage as there is no negative
impact on the visual appearance or the
banking angle.
The system is controlled by an
actuator at the end of the inlet cam-
shaft. The existing camshaft drive
with an auxiliary transmission ensures
that the entire one-piece cam shaft is
displaced within the camshaft bear-
ings during the shifting operation.
This solution is extremely rigid and
withstands very high revolutions
since no additional toothing in the
camshaft is required. The actuator
consists of two separate guide pins
that can be controlled independently
of one another. The cams shift when
the pins enter the corresponding slotted
link on the camshaft, a process that is
precisely timed by the engine control
unit. As the camshaft rotates, the pin
transmits an axial force at the edge
of the slot and this moves the shaft.
Disengagement of the pin is performed
by the geometry of the slotted link. In
FIGURE 3, the left pin is used to shift the
camshaft to the right, the right pin
shifts the camshaft to the left. In the
FIGURE 3 Integration of the shift
cam system into the cylinder head
(© BMW Motorrad)
boxer engine, each cylinder head has
its own shift system.
The ShiftCam system is computa­t io­
nally and metrologically optimized
in order to enable shifting processes
up to a maximum engine speed of
6500 rpm. This means a signi­ficant
increase in the maximum shifting 
speed over applications known from
the passenger car sector. The slotted
link contour at its beginning area is
executed with a ramp which compen-
sates tolerances that oc­­cur in series
production in order to en­sure reliable
engagement of actuator pin. Also at
end of slotted link is a special fail-
safe ramp that prevents unintentio­ FIGURE 4 Valve stroke curves of the ShiftCam system (© BMW Motorrad)
nal engagement and damage to the
contour as the engine rotates back.
The shift camshaft is fixed in
the two end positions by a locking MODE OF OPERATION shorter than those of the predecessor,
mechanism with a spring-loaded and thus the maximum valve accelera-
pin and a two-row ball bearing The ShiftCam system solves the conflict tion could be increased significantly.
with special external contour. To of objectives between an optimized gas The valve stroke is shorter on idling and
ensure mechanical durability, the exchange process at full load and the at part load. The early intake valve clos-
ShiftCam system was exposed to need for combustion stability, low engine ing reduces the losses occurring during
extreme conditions during compo- raw emissions and low consumption the gas exchange and the shorter
nent tests, dummy tests, tests on values in the part load range. FIGURE 4 valve overlap minimizes the residual
the engine test bench and vehicle shows the valve stroke profiles for the gas content. Moreover, the maximum
endurance tests. It is designed for two configurations and the valve stroke valve stroke and the times at which
lifelong durability, which means profiles of the previous R1200 drive unit. the two intake valves close differ. This
that durability for at least one mil- The full load configuration is designed phasing improves the charge motion
lion shifting cycles is assured. This for maximum power and torque and is and the fuel mixture generation [2, 3].
is equi­valent to an expected overall defined essentially by the maximum According to the operating strategy
system runtime of 100,000 km with a valve stroke, the closing and opening shown in FIGURE 5, the engine charac­
frequency of approximtely ten actua- of the intake valve and the valve over- teristic map is divided into two ranges.
tions per km. lap. The control times were kept even The part load cam is used at speeds be­­

FIGURE 5 Operating strategy of the ShiftCam system

(© BMW Motorrad)

MTZ worldwide 04|2019    35
C OVER STORY   Valv e Ge ar
FIGURE 6 Comparison of valve train friction between part load and full load cam (© BMW Motorrad)
low 5000 rpm from idling/coasting up
to approximately the mid-load range.
At higher speed and loads, especially
full load, the gas exchange is controlled
on the intake side via the full load cam.
Thanks to the rigid ShiftCam camshaft
with three-point bearing assembly, the
high-quality valve double springs as well
as new, lighter and amorphous Diamond-
like Carbon (DLC)-coated cam followers,
an excellent dynamic valve train behav-
ior with fuller valve stroke curves could
be achieved. The part load cam also
causes less valve train friction than
the full load design, FIGURE 6 [4].
Just like the predecessor engine,
the new boxer engine has a wear opti-
mized valve/seat ring combination.
Compared to the predecessor model,
the seat ring angle has been optimized
for the benefit of the gas exchange.
The tried-and-true intermittent lubri­
cation in the contact area between
cams and the sliding surfaces of the
cam followers ensures lower oil require-
ment, adequate cooling and lubrication
of the two friction parts. An overview
of the most important engine charac­
teristic map data compared to the pre­
decessor is shown in TABLE 1 [5].
ENGINE CONTROL
Even in the first roadworthy prototype,
achieving a shift from part load to full
load cam setting that was imperceptible
36
to the rider was considered the touch-
stone for the feasibility of a shift cam-
shaft in a series production project.
Neither a noticeable delay nor a surge
in the engine torque development are
acceptable here. The low power-to-
weight ratio and reduced inertia of a
motorcycle compared to a passenger
car are particular challenges for func-
tion development and application.
The growing number of torque
requirements ensuing from the overall
vehicle, such as those due to slip control
intervention, cruise control function,
hill start aid and shift assistant also led
to the transition from an alpha/n-based
(throttle valve angle/speed) to a torque-
based engine control structure. An adap-
tive knock control with one sensor per
cylinder allows the use of fuel with a
– R1200
Displacement [cm3] 1170
Bore/stroke [mm] 101/73
Compression ratio [-] 12.5 : 1
Max. torque [Nm] 125
Max. power [kW] 92
Max. engine speed [rpm] 9000
Intake camshaft Conventional
Injector Single cone
Catalytic converter L/D [mm] 106/75.5
lower octane rating and guarantees the
engine’s fuel compatibility worldwide.
POWER, TORQUE AND DRIVING
PERFORMANCE
The increased displacement, the remod-
eling of the full load control times and
other detail optimizations of the intake
and exhaust ports and the valve seat
geometry are achieving a significant
increase in power and, above all, torque,
FIGURE 7. The torque has been increased
uniformly across the entire speed range.
With a displacement increase of 7 %, the
increase in power of 9 % and in maxi-
mum torque of 15 % is disproportion-
ately high.
This torque increase results in a sig-
nificantly increased acceleration poten-
R1250
1254
102.5/76
12.5 : 1
143
100
9000
ShiftCam
Dual cone TABLE 1 Comparison of
R1200 and R1250 engine data
106/5
(© BMW Motorrad)

FIGURE 7 Power and torque curve of the R1250 boxer engine (© BMW Motorrad)
tial of the new drive, especially in terms
of engine elasticity. This is explained in
FIGURE 8 by the results of the longitudi-
nal dynamics simulation. With the new
drive unit, the R1250GS accelerates in
sixth gear just as quickly as its predeces-
sor model did in fifth gear.
FUEL CONSUMPTION
The part load cam comes into its own
in the lower load range. The phasing of
the intake valve causes a pronounced
swirl flow in the combustion chamber
during the intake process. At the same
time, a much improved fuel mixture
formation in the combustion chamber
is achieved by the high flow velocities
with reduced valve cross-sections and
an optimized injection valve targeting
FIGURE 8 Simulated acceleration potential (© BMW Motorrad)
MTZ worldwide 04|2019    37
coupled with enhanced charge motion.
The high turbulence level at the start
of and during combustion, combined
with the efficient fuel mixture forma-
tion and the improved homogenization
of the mixture, accelerates the combus-
tion process. In conjunction with the
reduced gas exchange losses caused
by dethrottling with early intake valve
closing and the reduced valve train fric-
tion of the part load cam, clear consump-
tion advantages in the mid and low load
and speed range can be achieved [5].
FIGURE 9 shows the direct compari-
son of fuel consumption with the part
load cam and the same operating range
in the engine characteristic map during
operation with the full load version.
The part load configuration range
realizes consumption advantages of
up to 15 %. At constant driving speed,
the consumption advantages are approxi-
mately 10 % at 70 km/h and 4.5 %
at 120 km/h. Measured in the World
Motorcycle Test Cycle(WMTC), this
creates a consumption advantage over
the predecessor model of 4.5 %.
Similarly, the thermodynamic advan-
tages positively impact the combustion
stochastic and, hence, the smooth run-
ning of the engine that is perceptible to
the customer. The idle speed at standstill
has been decreased by 100 rpm, while
noticably increasing the engine quality
and balance.
EMISSION BEHAVIOR
These advantages also affect the engine
emission behavior. In addition to the
engine process optimization, the cata-
lytic converter and its position have
been redesigned. The catalytic con-
verter volume is now 60 % higher than
that of its predecessor model. The metal
core’s structure was optimized, and
enhanced with an adapted coating and
precious metal load. At the same time,
the exhaust manifold length has been
reduced to guarantee faster start-up and
stable conversion behavior of the cata-
lytic converter.
FIGURE 10 shows an example of the
emission behavior for the hydrocarbon
emissions. Even within the first few
seconds, emissions are significantly
reduced by an optimized catalytic con-
verter heating strategy at afterstart and
during the warm-up phase.
As the test continues, the new engine
exhibits a consistently low emission
level, and the emission curve is there-
fore much flatter. A more accurate fuel
mixture control through the use of a
linear primary catalytic converter
probe combined with a binary second-
ary catalytic converter probe, as well
as the optimization of the injector target-
ing with significant reduction of the
wall film quantity in the transient
behavior take effect at this point.
Overall, emissions were cut by
more than half in each of the three
phases of the WMTC test cycle. In
conclusion, the new R1250 engine
is already designed to comply with
future emission limits for motorcycles
which will be mandatory from 2020
for new models and from 2021 for
the entire vehicle fleet.
C OVER STORY   Valv e Ge ar
SUMMARY
The R1200 engine introduced in 2013
was already very good in terms of ride
behavior and integrated seamlessly into
the entire vehicle. Given this benchmark,
it was difficult initially to define goals for
FIGURE 10 Cumulative hydrocarbon emissions in the WMTC test cycle (© BMW Motorrad)
38
a successor that would evidence a nota-
ble difference. However, the increase in
power and torque over the entire speed
range with a better engine quality and
balance, the lower fuel consumption
and compliance with the Euro 5 emis-
sion limit values justified the new deve­l­
FIGURE 9 Consumption
advantages of the part load
configuration compared
to the full load version
(© BMW Motorrad)
opment. All goals have been achieved,
which is not only down to the ShiftCam
technology. It is rather the improvement
of almost all components, as described
in the article: oil supply, crankshaft
drive, crankcase, timing drive, exhaust
system and the engine control, includ-
ing the conversion from alpha/n to a
torque model. The result is a power-
train perfectly fitting for a large long-
distance enduro.

REFERENCES
[1] Mattes, W.; Unterweger, G.; Hartmann, O.;
Blümelhuber, U.: The New Boxer Engine From
BMW Motorrad. In MTZworldwide 9/2013,
pp. 34-40
[2] Mincione, G.; Mattes, W.; Unterweger, G.;
Kresse, T.; Bargende, M.: Ansätze der Brenn­
verfahrensentwicklung zur Effizienzsteigerung
bei BMW Motorradmotoren. 13 th conference –
The working process of the internal combustion
engine, Graz, 2011
[3] Landerl, C.; Mattes, W.; Unterweger, G.;
Mincione, G.; Friedrich, A.; Bargende, M.:
Mehr Fahrspaß bei weniger Verbrauch –
die Zukunft der Motorradantriebe bei BMW
Motorrad. 15 th conference – The working pro­c ess 
of the internal combustion engine, Graz, 2013
[4] Kallich, S.; Hoehl, J.; Friedrich, A.:
Ventiltriebe für den Spezialfall Motorrad.
VDI Tagung Ventiltrieb und Zylinderkopf,
Würzburg, 2015
[5] Schwarz F.; Klauer N.; Kallich S.:
Die Weiterentwicklung des BMW Motorrad
Boxer-Motors. Aachen Colloquium Automobile
and Engine Technology, Aachen, 2018

Pressure Valve Oil Valve Floating Gear

THANKS
The authors thank Frank Schwarz, Jörg Müller,
Christian Güntner, Rüdiger Eibl, Georg Emmers-
berger, Rudolf Schmid, Dietmar Knoll, Christoph
Schmidt, Stephan Lorz, Franz Pfleger, Benjamin
Achatz and Manfred Maier for their support in the
ALL SPRINGS ARE
making of this technical article.
NOT EQUAL®
Reduce spring height by 50% over ordinary coil
springs while maintaining the same force and
deflection. Standard parts available in stainless
and carbon steel.

Need custom? No problem.

We’ll provide you with the right spring,
in the right material, for your application.

THE ENGINEER’S CHOICE

FREE SAMPLES:
Call +1 (847) 719-5900 or visit
MTZ worldwide 04|2019    expert.smalley.com/ATZ/Springs 3 9