The BMW motorcycles have been produced by the German company BMW AG since 1923. They make off-road, sport and street bikes. The production sites are located in different countries all over the world including Germany, Austria, China, India and Taiwan.

Historical highlights of the brand

The first motorcycle labelled as R32, which appeared in 1923, was equipped with a flat engine with the displacement of 500 ccs and the output of 8.5 hp. This power unit became a prototype for many other engines manufactured by the company. The R32 vehicle weighed 120 kg and reached the speed of above 90 km/h.

In the early 1930s, they began to equip the BMW motorcycles with a driveshaft. In 1935, the R12 and R17 models entered the production. They had telescopic forks fitted with shock absorbers. Two years later, one of the bikes, supercharged and with an overhead camshaft, was used to set a world speed record – 279.83 km/h. For the following 14 years, sportsmen failed to beat it. In 1938, the R71 bike with an air-cooled engine was built; it was widely recognized far beyond Europe.

During World War II, the production sites of the company were destroyed, therefore, in 1947 engineers had to design motorcycles almost from scratch. In the 1950s, the R67, R67/2, R67/3 and R68 vehicles with 0.6 l engines came out. They had a plunger rear suspension, telescopic fork and also a chromed, exposed drive shaft. At the same time, they started to produce sport bikes: the R50/2, R60/2, R69S.

The 1980s were marked by the implementation of original engineering solutions. In particular, the BMW motorcycles were now equipped with ABS and electronic fuel injection system. The K100LT model, which debuted in 1986, got an electrically adjustable windscreen.

The production of the R, F and K-series vehicles started in the 1980–90s; some of them were produced until the beginning of the 2000s. Thanks to reliable engines and lighter rear suspension, these bikes are still in high demand on the aftermarket.

In 2011, the 2,000,000th motorcycle of the brand rolled off the assembly line. For a long time, the R 1200 GS model was the most popular brand’s two-wheeler: in 2015, 23,681 units were sold.

Popular models

• HP 4 Race;
• S 1000 RR;
• R 1200 GS;
• R 1250 GS;
• F 850 R;
• F 850 GS Adventure;
• K 1600 B;
• K 1300 R.

The advantages of the BMW motorcycles

• Excellent dynamics. 1,000 cc, four-cylinder straight engines have the output of about 200 hp which allows reaching the speed of 100 km/h in 3.1 sec.
• Small weight. Wheels and body parts are made of light carbon fibres, therefore, produce a positive effect on acceleration.
• Ride comfort. The Dynamic ESA technology monitors the vertical movement of the wheels and adjusts the performance of the dampers if necessary.

Technical features

• Powerful, six-cylinder straight engines. The torque is 175 N⋅m at 5,250 rpm, and the engine displacement is 1.6 l. The maximum power is 160 hp; this engine reaches 70% of the output at 1,500 rpm.
• Riding mode switch. It enables to adapt the suspension, ABS, throttle grip according to one of the selected modes: rain, off-road, race.
• Dynamic Traction Control. It controls the engine torque, prevents the front wheel slip and reduces the body roll of the motorbike to the minimum.
• ABS Pro. Thanks to this system, even in case of emergency braking, the path of motion chosen by the rider doesn’t change.
• Intelligent Emergency Call (ECALL). In case of an accident, this system contacts the emergency services.

AUTODOC: only high-quality motorcycle parts

Our online shop offers spare parts of the highest quality which are inexpensive. Right now you can buy motorcycle parts for BMW on the most favourable terms and get professional assistance from our customer support specialists.