This is the fascinating story of one of the world's most admired and enduring motorcycle companies. Early in the last century, driven by an obsession for quality and reliability, BMW applied the knowledge gained from its manufacture of airplane engines to build a breed of motorcycles that aimed a notch above the crowd. From its early racing victories, the company learned how to make tough, reliable machines that would win races - and allow motorcyclists to go anywhere in the world with confidence. The book details the history of BMW Motorrad, from its inception in 1917 to the present. During its life, the company has endured wars, post-war restrictions on its production, world recessions, and intense competition from formidable Japanese manufacturers. But in spite of the fierce marketplace in which it operates, the company has survived and flourished, owing in no small part to the deeply ingrained principles that have guided the company from its beginning: a passion for quality and reliability, and a willingness to apply new motorcycle technologies to achieve those objectives. BMW of the twenty-first century is a company whose pace of innovation and new product introductions is stunning.