BMW Motorrad

BMW built its first motorcycle in 1923 — the R 32 — designed by Max Friz. Friz made three decisions that still define the brand a century later: a flat-twin boxer engine, shaft drive, and a telescopic fork. That R 32 won its category at the 1924 German Grand Prix, and the boxer engine became BMW's identity.

Through the 1930s, BMW boxers dominated European racing. After WWII, the brand rebuilt around the /5 series in the 1960s and the airhead R 90 S / R 100 RS in the 1970s and 80s. In 1993 the oilhead R 1100 RS brought BMW back to a modernized US market, and in 2004 the R 1200 GS launched the adventure segment that BMW essentially invented.

The 2009 S1000RR shocked the sportbike world with a 190-hp inline-four for under $14,000, taking the segment by force. In 2010 the R 1200 GS overtook the Gold Wing as the best-selling BMW model globally. ShiftCam variable valve timing arrived in 2019 on the R 1250 GS and now defines the modern boxer and the S-series. The M sub-brand followed in 2021 with the M1000RR — BMW's first M-badged motorcycle — and 2024 brought the R 18 cruiser to its second-generation maturity, alongside the electric CE 04 and CE 02 city bikes.

Key milestones

• 1923 — R 32 introduced; first BMW motorcycle, first boxer engine
• 1935 — R 12 wins the Isle of Mann Senior TT, first European single-cylinder win
• 1969 — /5 series launches BMW's modern era
• 1973 — R 90 S, first factory sports boxer
• 1993 — R 1100 RS oilhead brings BMW back to the US
• 2004 — R 1200 GS creates the modern adventure segment
• 2009 — S1000RR redefines the liter-class sportbike on price and performance
• 2019 — ShiftCam variable valve timing debuts on R 1250 GS
• 2021 — M1000RR, BMW's first M-badged motorcycle
• 2023 — R 1300 GS, fully redesigned adventure flagship
• 2024 — CE 02 electric mini-bike; M 1000 R Hyperquad edition

What BMW Motorrad is known for

• Boxer twin heritage — the horizontally-opposed flat-twin is BMW's signature engine layout since 1923. Modern boxers are liquid-cooled, four-valve, and use ShiftCam.
• Shaft drive — virtually every touring and boxer model uses shaft drive instead of chain, with near-zero maintenance between services.
• ShiftCam variable valve timing — debuted on the R 1250 GS in 2019; now standard on R 1250/1300 boxers and the latest S-series.
• M division (since 2021) — track-focused variants of the S-series: M1000RR, M1000R, M1000XR. Carbon wheels, M brakes, M GPS lap timer, M traction control.
• Premium electronics — every modern BMW comes standard with ABS, traction control, ride modes, and (on higher trims) IMU-based cornering ABS and quickshifter.
• Electric commitment — CE 04 and CE 02 are real production BMW Motorrad machines, not concepts.

BMW Motorrad model families

Adventure (boxer + parallel-twin)

• R 1300 GS — flagship adventure, 1,300cc boxer, replaced R 1250 GS in 2024
• R 1250 GS / GSA — ShiftCam boxer, still in production alongside the 1300
• F 900 GS / F 800 GS / F 750 GS — mid-weight parallel-twin adventure
• G 310 GS — entry-level adventure

Sport (S + M series)

• S 1000 RR — inline-four superbike, ~210 hp, ShiftCam
• S 1000 R — naked version of the RR
• S 1000 XR — adventure-sport crossover
• M 1000 RR — track-focused superbike (first M motorcycle, 2021)
• M 1000 R — naked M, 999cc ShiftCam
• M 1000 XR — adventure M

Heritage / Cruiser

• R nineT — modern classic boxer, multiple variants (Standard, Pure, Racer, Scrambler, Urban G/S)
• R 18 / R 18 Classic / R 18 B / R 18 Transcontinental — big boxer cruiser line, 1,802cc

Touring

• R 1250 RT — sport-touring boxer
• K 1600 GT / K 1600 GTL — inline-six touring flagship
• K 1600 B — bagger
• K 1600 Grand America — full-dress touring

Roadster / Naked

• F 900 R — mid-weight naked parallel-twin
• F 800 R — entry naked
• R 1250 R — boxer roadster

Entry

• G 310 R — entry naked
• G 310 GS — entry adventure

Electric

• CE 04 — electric scooter, ~80 mph, 80+ mile range
• CE 02 — electric mini-bike, 11 hp, urban

Who BMW motorcycles are for

BMW Motorrad fits riders who want premium engineering, long-distance comfort, and shaft-drive low maintenance over outright price. The adventure line attracts riders doing serious mileage (50,000+ miles common on R 1200/1250 GS). The S-series competes head-on with Japanese and Italian liter bikes. The R 18 line targets the bagger and cruiser market traditionally owned by Harley-Davidson and Indian. Electric CE 04 and CE 02 are aimed at urban commuters willing to pay for German engineering and BMW service support.

Buyers who cross-shop BMW typically also consider Ducati, Triumph, KTM, Kawasaki, and Harley-Davidson — depending on category.