BMW Motorcycles

About bmw

BMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. Motorcycle manufacturing now operates under the BMW Motorrad brand. BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) introduced the first motorcycle under its name, the R32, in 1923.

BMW merged with Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922, inheriting from them the Helios motorcycle and a small two-stroke motorized bicycle called the Flink. In 1923, BMW's first "across the frame" version of the boxer engine was designed by Friz. The R32 had a 486 cc (29.7 cubic inches) engine with 8.5 hp (6.3 kW) and a top speed of 95 to 100 km/h (59 to 62 mph). The engine and gearbox formed a bolt-up single unit. At a time when many motorcycle manufacturers used total-loss oiling systems, the new BMW engine featured a recirculating wet sump oiling system with a drip feed to roller bearings. This system was used by BMW until 1969, when they adopted the "high-pressure oil" system based on shell bearings and tight clearances, still in use today.

The R32 became the foundation for all future boxer-powered BMW motorcycles. BMW oriented the boxer engine with the cylinder heads projecting out on each side for cooling as did the earlier British ABC. Other motorcycle manufacturers, including Douglas and Harley-Davidson, aligned the cylinders with the frame, one cylinder facing towards the front wheel and the other towards the back wheel. The R32 also incorporated shaft drive. BMW has continued to use shaft drive on its motorcycles and did not produce a chain driven model until the introduction of the F650 in 1994.

In 1931, BMW introduced the single-cylinder shaft-driven R2, which, as a 200 cc motorcycle, could be operated in Germany without a motorcycle licence at that time. The R2 headed a series of single-cylinder BMW motorcycles, including the 400 cc R4 in 1932 and the 300 cc R3 in 1936.

The BMW R12 and R17, both introduced in 1935, were the first production motorcycles with hydraulically damped telescopic forks.

In 1937, Ernst Henne rode a supercharged 500 cc (31 cubic inches) overhead camshaft BMW 173.88 mph (279.83 km/h), setting a world record that stood for 14 years.

Construction was so good that during World War II Harley-Davidson copied the BMW engine and transmission—simply converting metric measurements to inches—and produced the shaft-drive 750 cc (46 cubic inches) 1942 Harley-Davidson XA.

The terms of Germany's surrender forbade BMW from manufacturing motorcycles. In 1946, when BMW received permission to restart motorcycle production from US authorities in Bavaria, BMW had to start from scratch.

In 1955, BMW began introducing a new range of motorcycles with Earles forks and enclosed drive shafts. These were the 26 hp (19 kW) 500 cc R50, the 30 hp (22 kW) 600 cc R60, and the 35 hp (26 kW) sporting 600 cc R69.

On June 8, 1959, John Penton rode a BMW R69 from New York to Los Angeles in 53 hours and 11 minutes, slashing over 24 hours from the previous record of 77 hours and 53 minutes set by Earl Robinson on a 45 cubic inch (740 cc) Harley-Davidson.

For the 1968 and 1969 model years only, BMW exported into the United States three "US" models. These were the R50US, the R60US, and the R69US. On these motorcycles, there were no sidecar lugs attached to the frame and the front forks were telescopic forks, which were later used worldwide on the slash-5 series of 1970 through 1973. Earles-fork models were sold simultaneously in the United States as buyers had their choice of front suspensions.

In 1970, BMW introduced an entirely revamped product line of 500 cc, 600 cc and 750 cc displacement models, the R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5 respectively and came with the "US" telescopic forks noted above. The engines were a complete redesign. The roller and ball-bearings in the bottom end had been replaced by shell-type journal bearings similar to those used in modern car engines. The camshaft, which had been at the top of the engine, was placed under the crankshaft, giving better ground clearance under the cylinders while retaining the low centre of gravity of the flat-twin layout. The new engine had an electric starter, although the traditional gearbox-mounted kick starter was retained. The styling of the first models included chrome-plated side panels and a restyled tank. The /5 series was given a longer rear swingarm, resulting in a longer wheelbase. This improved the handling and allowed a larger battery to be installed.

The /5 models were short-lived, however, being replaced by another new product line in 1974. In that year the 500 cc model was deleted from the lineup and an even bigger 900 cc model was introduced, along with improvements to the electrical system and frame geometry. These models were the R60/6, R75/6 and the R90/6. In 1973 a supersport model, the BMW R90S, was introduced. In 1975, the kick starter was finally eliminated.

In 1995, BMW ceased production of airhead 2-valve engines and moved its boxer-engined line completely over to the 4-valve oilhead system first introduced in 1993.

Moto blog

2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 Gallery

2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 Gallery | Motorcycle.com Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Edit & Post 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 Gallery With the R6 no longer available, Yamaha sportbike fans have been looking to fill the void between it and the R1 – and no, the R7 wasn’t it. And as far as numerical nomenclature goes in a manufacturer’s model lineup, there was a clear gap between the R7 and the R1. The obvious choice for what would fill that gap was even more obvious considering Yamaha’s own 890cc Triple was hiding in plain sight, but, until now, always clothed in MT-09 garb in various iterations.

2025 Honda NT1100 Updated for Europe, but Still Not Coming Here

More than 12,000 sold since 2022, but 0 in North America Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Honda has updated one of its most popular models in Europe, but it’s still not coming to North America. We’ve heard that refrain a lot over the years, and it’s no different for the NT1100 sport-tourer. Introduced in Europe in 2022, the NT1100 is a sport-touring model that shares much of its bones with the CRF1100L Africa Twin.

2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 – First Look

The Svartpilen 801 has a new roadster-styled sibling, as Husqvarna announces the new “White Arrow” Vitpilen 801. Like the Black Arrow, the Vitpilen adopts the 799cc LC8c Parallel-Twin of the KTM 790 Duke, offering yet a new option to the shared platform. Ryan Adams recently reviewed the Svartpilen 801 and found it a “worthy contender in the market that brings its own unique style alongside proven performance.” That theme continues with the new Vitpilen, which brings its own take, with more aggressive ergonomics and a bright splash of color in yellow (a silver color is also available if you prefer something less flashy).

2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 Gallery

2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 Gallery | Motorcycle.com Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Edit & Post 2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 Gallery The Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 offers more aggressive ergos and slicker tires than the more scrambler-influenced Svartpilen 801. Read the full story here. Photos by Husqvarna By Dennis Chung Pin Slideshow Edit Slideshow About Privacy Terms Contact us Advertising Copyright Follow us © 2025  VerticalScope Inc.

2025 Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX Gallery

2025 Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX and Ninja 1100SX Gallery | Motorcycle.com Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Edit & Post 2025 Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX Gallery We were first to break the news of a new Ninja 1100SX for 2025, and now Kawasaki has made it official, confirming a larger 1,099cc engine with improvements focused on low-to-mid-range performance. Read the full story here. Photos by Kawasaki By Dennis Chung Pin Slideshow Edit Slideshow Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX SE Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX (standard) About Privacy Terms Contact us Advertising Copyright Follow us © 2025  VerticalScope Inc.

2025 Ducati Scrambler 10° Anniversario Rizoma Edition Confirmed

Anniversary edition will likely be revealed Oct. 17 Ducati is partnering with Rizmoa to prepare a special edition Scrambler to commemorate ten years since its debut in 2015. The confirmation comes to us via the California Air Resources Board, which has issued an updated executive order for the 2025 Ducati Scrambler range, adding a Scrambler 10° Anniversario Rizoma Edition.

Bosch Announces Next-Generation Radar-Based Safety Systems

Four of the six new systems will debut on a new KTM in November Bosch announced six next-generation radar-based rider assistance systems that it claims could help make motorcycling safer and more comfortable. These six systems – five of which Bosch claims to be world-firsts – offer a step beyond radar-based adaptive cruise control. Bosch also confirmed that four of the systems (all involving forward-facing radar sensors) will debut on a new model from KTM that is set to debut in November.

2024 GS Trophy Day 4 – A Saving Grace

In an interesting turn of events, Team USA has been reinstated to the competition, only losing the chance to score points on the day the MRP rode with them. Likewise, the two teams from Benelux have now joined together to create a co-ed team with the remaining female competitor joining the two men to round out the team. Despite being down a day’s worth of points, our good ol boys hit the ground running on their way out of Spitzkoppe toward the first special test of the day, the Advantec Pull Challenge.

2025 Ducati Multistrada V4, V4 S and V4 Pikes Peak – First Look

Better fuel economy, automatic lowering and updated suspension Ducati announced refinements to its Multistrada V4 range, with the aims of improving comfort and fuel efficiency. Pricing starts at $19,995 for the base model, $28,305 for the Multistrada V4 S (which, for the U.S. includes the Travel & Radar trim), and $32,995 for the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak.

2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Gallery

2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Gallery | Motorcycle.com Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Edit & Post 2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Gallery The Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is further refined for 2025, promising improved fuel economy and updated electronics. Read the full story here. Or check out photos of the 2025 Multistrada V4 and V4 S models here.