I think BMW is not only playing homage to their legendary participation in motorcycle sport, but it seems almost to their roots in propelled flight. This perspective appears almost seems like a prop-engine.
In most modern automotive engines there is(are) no separate counterbalance shaft(s).
A combined balance module with oil pump, balancer incorporated into one of the cams (as mentioned in this article) or other devices might be used.
Using modern computer algorithms, I am sure mech-engineers can conger-up old-school-lookin' lumps with high design efficiencies.
Anything to keep the air-cooled technology alive?
- - -
Heh, ... now come to think of it in this "modern" world, one could argue why do we have air-cooled engines dumping heat into your environment (think "environment issue"). One could naively think that the heat should be captured as power - and maybe they would be correct in thinking that. :-/
Boxer twins have traditionally not used counter-balancers as the motion of the pistons acts as such. My '73 R75 was very smooth without a counter-balancer.
Boxer twins have traditionally not used counter-balancers as the motion of the pistons acts as such. My '73 R75 was very smooth without a counter-balancer.