Since its beginning in 1913 Germany, the Bavarian Motor Works corporation (BMW) has been synonymous with quality and craftsmanship. But while BMW is normally associated with cars, it actually began its operations making airplane engines until the time that aircraft production was banned in Germany in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles. Turning its attention to other modes of transportation in order to sustain the business, BMW was soon poised to begin production on the BMW motorcycle in 1923.