BMW Motorrad legends
A community is shaped by the people who populate and champion it. Helmut Dähne is one of these special people for the motorcycling community – and he is closely connected with the DNA of BMW Motorrad. His expertise and indefatigable commitment contributed to demonstrating the performance of BMW Motorrad motorcycles on racetracks all over the world. To mark his 80th birthday, we’re taking a look back at his impressive career, which was defined by innovation and a deep passion for motorsport.
The road to becoming a legend
The road to becoming a legend
Helmut Dähne, born in 1944, began his career as an engineer, before devoting himself entirely to motorcycle racing. After completing his studies in mechanical engineering, he joined BMW Motorrad in 1970, where he quickly made a name for himself as a chassis developer. His technical understanding and expertise in fine-tuning a chassis brought BMW’s racing and series motorcycles to a new level of performance. When developing the legendary BMW R 90 S in particular, he demonstrated his skill.
It was on this R 90 S that he achieved one of his greatest racing victories in 1976: the legendary first place in the production class at the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. Together with BMW, he showed the world what you can achieve with technical excellence and incredible riding skills on one of the most challenging street races worldwide.
A Bavarian by birth, he was active in motorsport for more than 40 years and competed in a total of 383 races, of which he won 131. With his record run on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, he earned a permanent place in the motorcycle racing history books. In 1993, he completed the course in 7:49.71 minutes – an incredible time, which can no longer be beaten because of the track redesign, thereby achieving an “eternal” record lap time for motorcycles.
Innovation meets passion and ambition
Dähne was a racing driver, developer, and brand ambassador alike. His work made a significant contribution to helping BMW Motorrad motorcycles to keep setting new standards in matters of performance and reliability. Through his work, he inspired generations of riders and engineers to push boundaries – a legacy that can still be observed to this day.
BMW R 12 S
BMW R 12 S
Just in time for Helmut Dähne's 80th birthday, BMW presented the R 12 S. In a stylish and contemporary way, the R 12 S is a rebirth of the R 90 S – the bike with which Dähne achieved one of his greatest successes. It combines the shapes and colours of the R 90 S with modern technology, comfort and riding dynamics. Based on the R 12 nineT, it provides a unique riding experience with an unmistakable boxer punch.
