Bayerische Motoren Werke manufactured aero engines earlier than and throughout the First World War however, with the Armistice, the corporate was pressured to stop such manufacturing. In order to remain afloat, the corporate turned its hand to manufacturing bike engines, farm gear, and railway brakes. In 1923, the primary bikes had been manufactured, and the corporate has gone from energy to energy ever since.

As time handed, the Bavarian model grew to become more and more proficient on the craft of constructing bikes, incomes a status for stable design and finally launching a brand-new class of bikes: the journey bike. We all understand how this phase has come forth to develop into some of the most well-liked in at this time’s market. However, BMW is not only recognized for its adventure bikes. Throughout its lengthy historical past, it has been in a position to create some unbelievable bikes in a wide range of kinds, from sportsters to even scramblers. Here is the final word information to a number of the most influential bikes constructed by BMW.

UPDATE: 2024/02/20 12:39 EST BY UTKARSH SOOD

This article has been up to date to make it extra related and impactful with new content material. Older entries have been up to date with engine specs to supply extra holistic info. In addition, new entries have been added to the fold – particularly R 1200 GS, GS650 XChallenge and R nineT contemplating their impression on BMW’s bike historical past.

In order to provide the most modern info doable, the information used to finish this text was sourced instantly from the producer’s web site, in addition to authoritative websites, together with HotCars, and MotorcycleInformation. The fashions are listed when it comes to their 12 months of launch.

13 R32

Year Released: 1923

Produced between 1923 and 1926, the R32 is the genesis of BMW bike manufacturing and launched applied sciences which might be nonetheless current on at this time’s BMWs: flat-twin, or boxer engine with moist sump lubrication and shaft drive, together with a top quality that far surpassed many bike producers of the day. The firm’s aero-engine background undoubtedly influenced the design of the engine, which was an air-cooled, 494cc unit.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from motorcyclespecs.co)

12 Kompressor

Year Released: 1926

Racing was then, as it’s now, an necessary advertising software for younger producers and BMW was no totally different. The R32 was quickly being utilized in competitors – and successful – however BMW realized that to sit down on its laurels was to be crushed on the race monitor. So, in 1926, a supercharger was bolted onto the engine in an effort to increase energy.

BMW realized that the Norton was a better-handling racing bike. So, decided to beat the British producer utilizing uncooked energy, with the supercharger (Kompressor in German) the highest velocity of the bike rose to 140mph, which was considerably larger than another race bike on the time. By 1939, the Kompressor was producing a rumored 70 horsepower and this was sufficient to energy Georg Meier to victory within the Senior TT race, with teammate Jock West coming house in second place.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from motorcycleclassics.com)

11 R69

Year Released: 1955

After returning to aero engine manufacturing throughout the Second World War, alongside bike manufacturing for the army, BMW was as soon as once more prevented from manufacturing vehicles or motorbikes after the tip of the struggle. By 1948, nevertheless, this ban was lifted and BMW continued with pre-war designs. By 1955, the corporate had recovered sufficiently to start out work on a brand new mannequin. The R69 was the consequence, and it helped carry BMW out of the post-war droop and set the scene for rising success within the years and a long time to come back.

Powered by a 549cc model of the boxer twin engine driving the rear wheel through a shaft, the R69 was a staid-looking bike however extraordinarily well-made, quick, and dependable. It was nonetheless a warmed-over pre-war mannequin, with the hardtail rear transformed to plunger suspension, whereas telescopic forks had been fitted on the entrance.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

10 R75/5

Year Released: 1969

BMW’s post-war restoration was accomplished with the introduction of the R75/5 in 1969. It was this mannequin that set the template for BMW bikes nicely into the Nineteen Eighties, having swing arm rear suspension, crisp trendy styling (which may by no means be known as stunning!), and a 50 horsepower, 749cc boxer engine. Its mild weight of 460 kilos gave it glorious efficiency and dealing with. What is critical is that BMW withstood the onslaught of the Japanese invasion of the European and U.S. markets whereas the British bike trade imploded.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from motorcyclespecs.co)

9 R90S

Year Released: 1973

Realizing that its picture was presumably a bit too staid within the face of ever-faster fashions from the Japanese producers, BMW threw away their very own rule e-book and created the R90S, full with a bikini fairing and tremendous stylish ‘smoked’ paint jobs. The engine of the R75/5 was enlarged to 898cc and the ability shot up from 50 to 67 horsepower. The prime velocity was 124 MPH, and it could run the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds.

To cement its credentials, two R90S bikes positioned first and second within the very first AMA Superbike race at Daytona International Speedway in 1976. Next to modern Japanese bikes, it nonetheless appeared fairly staid, however there was no doubting the standard, which actually contributed to the excessive retail value. But the R90S paved the best way for extra performance-biased fashions, culminating within the S1000RR, launched in 2009 (see under).

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

8 R80G/S

Year Released: 1980

Quite merely, the bike launched a complete new class in motorcycling. The R80G/S (Gelande/Strasse – off-road/street) was the primary dual-sport bike obtainable to the shopping for public and was instantly profitable, helped by victories within the grueling Paris-Dakar rally race in 1981, ’83, ’84, and ’85. In fixed manufacturing ever since, to not point out fixed improvement, the GS family put BMW Motorrad firmly on the map and continues to be at this time the benchmark by which all different journey bikes are measured.

In 2004, the GS gained an enormous publicity enhance by being utilized by Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor for his or her epic round-the-world journey, as chronicled within the TV sequence and e-book, Long Way Round. BMWs had been used after KTM refused to produce bikes, and it must be the worst advertising blunder any producer has ever made. From that time on, BMW was the default alternative for epic journey rides.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from motorcyclespecs.co)

7 K100RS

Year Released: 1983

Never an organization to do something by the e-book, BMW but once more stunned the motorcycling world when it launched its new engine. Not content material with merely coming into the world of inline four-cylinder engines as made in style by the Japanese, BMW selected to not solely mount the engine longitudinally, in order that the crankshaft ran fore and aft, but in addition to put the engine on its aspect, so the pistons moved in a horizontal airplane.

The structure enabled BMW to proceed to make use of shaft drive and likewise made upkeep a lot simpler, with each cylinder head and crankshaft accessible with out having to take away the engine. It was one of many first bikes to have digital gasoline injection, and it was unashamedly BMW, from the quirky design to the impeccable driving expertise. Never once more would a BMW be so radical…

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from motorcyclespecs.co)

6 K1

Year Released: 1988

…Or would it not? BMW was nonetheless making an attempt to persuade the general public that it had shaken off the staid picture it had loved for therefore many a long time. The consequence was the K1. Based on the K100, BMW spent an extreme period of time within the wind tunnel to create the all-enclosing fairing and bodywork with an especially low drag coefficient.

It appeared like nothing else in motorcycling however, sadly, it wasn’t all that quick and the bodywork added a lot weight that it needed to be constituted of very skinny fiberglass which cracked all too simply. It didn’t even promote that nicely, with solely 7,000 models being bought earlier than manufacturing was stopped in 1993. But that hasn’t stopped the K1 from being some of the distinctive bikes of the previous 30 years and definitely made folks sit up and reassess their opinions of BMW.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from motorcyclespecs.co)

5 R 1200 GS

Year Released: 2004

The 1200 GS is the bike that kicked-off the modern-day ADV fever all of us appear to be surrounded by. Because it was a ground-breaking journey bike that outperformed all of its rivals when it was initially launched again in 2004, it grew in recognition since then. Even although the R 1100 GS and R 1150 GS fashions had been glorious, it wasn’t till the R 1200 GS that most people started to expertise GS fever.

Furthermore, the R 1200 GS was included within the follow-up Long Way Down, regardless of expectations that the general public would buy the Long Way Round R 1150 GS fashions. For essentially the most a part of the final 20 years, the R 1200 GS has been among the many hottest and best-selling bikes out there, persistently topping the charts.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

4 GS650 XChallenge

Year Released: 2006

The G650 sequence is normally ignored, however the actuality is it’s a significant motorcycle in BMW’s history. It’s unlucky as a result of the three obtainable fashions had been actually respectable. Although they had been an exquisite providing, the XMoto, XCountry, and XChallenge had been tragically restricted to only three years in dealerships between 2006 and 2009.

Powered by an upgraded model of the engine most incessantly seen on the F650, the XChallenge is a trendy twin sport that was remarkably good each on and off-road. That was all the way down to its 652cc single-cylinder Rotax engine, which produced 52 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 44 lb-ft of torque at 5,250 RPM. The engine was neatly stored in place by a light-weight chassis with extraordinarily agile dealing with.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

3 S1000RR

Year Released: 2009

For so a few years, BMW resolutely refused to observe the herd and blithely went on their very own merry manner. If their bikes grew to become extra acquainted, it was primarily as a result of so many producers had been copying parts of their profitable designs, whether or not or not it’s touring bikes or journey bikes. Then, in 2009, BMW as soon as once more turned the motorcycling world on its head after they launched the S1000RR liter-superbike. This was a subject through which they’d completely no expertise, whereas its Japanese rivals had a minimum of 15 years’ head begin, however that didn’t cease the S1000RR from instantly turning into the benchmark for the category.

Initially supposed to take BMW into the World Superbike Championship, the S1000RR was solely bought to the general public for homologation functions. The response was so good, nevertheless, that BMW merely needed to put it into mass manufacturing from 2010 onwards. It was the primary superbike to be fitted with ABS and traction management, driving modes, and an non-obligatory fast shifter for the gearbox. In one fell swoop, BMW pressured the Japanese giants straight again to the drafting board in the event that they had been to have any probability of matching the S1000RR.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

2 K1600

Year Released: 2010

For a very long time within the Nineteen Seventies and ‘80s, when you stated BMW, many individuals would consider the big, fairing-equipped touring bikes, such because the R80RT and R100RT. The R class of touring bikes stays in manufacturing however, in 2010, following scorching on the heels of the S1000RR sports activities bike, BMW unveiled its new touring weapon, the K1600 vary of touring bikes, powered by an astonishing 1,649cc, inline six-cylinder engine.

What was much more astonishing is that the engine was solely 2.6 inches wider than the inline four-cylinder engine fitted to the K1300 and was, on the time, the world’s most compact six-cylinder engine. Utilizing shaft drive and geared up with each conceivable digital rider help, in addition to all-day touring consolation and glowing efficiency, it but once more set the bar excessive for each different producer of touring bikes.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

1 R nineT

Year Released: 2014

Since its first launch in 2014, the BMW R nineT has confirmed to be a profitable gross sales product and platform. Given that this bike is likely one of the most well-known modern-day BMWs, ever questioned what makes it distinctive? To put it merely, it is among the many most versatile BMW bikes ever created.

This classic magnificence was constructed to be a contemporary icon from the outset. It boasts a classic air-cooled boxer engine that may carry again recollections, nevertheless it additionally contains modern expertise that maintains its reliable, seamless, and dependable nature. The R nineT’s clean canvas design, which permits for full customization, is what makes it distinctive. Not simply that, it has 4 different official choices: the Pure, the Urban G/S, the Racer, and the Scrambler.

Engine Specifications

(Sourced from BMW)

FAQ

Q: Which is one of the best BMW bike?

That all depends upon what sort of driving you might be meaning to do, however each BMW, regardless of the mannequin, would be the best possible instance of motorcycling that may be constructed

Q: What is the value of BMW Bikes?

BMW fashions vary in value from a couple of thousand {dollars} all the best way as much as many tens of hundreds of {dollars}, relying on whether or not you purchase the entry-level G310R or the top-of-the-range S1000RR HP4.

Q: Which is one of the best BMW bike?

That all depends upon what sort of driving you might be meaning to do, however each BMW, regardless of the mannequin, would be the best possible instance of motorcycling that may be constructed

Q: What is the value of BMW Bikes?

BMW fashions vary in value from a couple of thousand {dollars} all the best way as much as many tens of hundreds of {dollars}, relying on whether or not you purchase the entry-level G310R or the top-of-the-range S1000RR HP4.