Every great legend has a starting point. BMW motorcycles today are known for delivering high-performing machines able to conquer city streets as well as the race track. Keep reading to learn how the company came to be. If you’re looking to buy a BMW bike, visit CalMoto. We proudly serve those in Mountain View, Livermore, San Jose, San Francisco, and Tracy, California.

The Start of BMW Bikes

BMW is a large company that creates many products besides motorcycles, so they have a dedicated branch devoted to making BMW bikes. It’s called BMW Motorrad. Their core engineer, named Max Fritz, joined the company on January 2, 1917.

When the Treaty of Versailles came and banned aircraft and aircraft engines, Fritz turned his focus to only creating motorcycles. He created the flat twin “boxer” engine, which was so revolutionary that elements of that design are still used in some BMW motorcycles. It premiered to the world in 1923 at the Berlin Automobile Show tucked inside the R 32. That bike was a crowd favorite due to its safe handling, simple maintenance, and reliability. Over time, it even sold at higher prices than competitor models.

BMW Motorcycles at the Racetrack

Given how fast and easy to control BMW bikes are, it didn’t take long before they started appearing on the professional racing scene. The R 37 debuted and offered twice the horsepower of the R 32. Between 1924 and 1929, BMW motorcycles dominated the racing circuit. In those years, a BMW bike claimed victory in all German Championships in the 500 ccm categories.

Winning races is one thing. Breaking worlds records is another. A rider named Ernst Henne saw the power potential in BMW motorcycles and decided to attempt to break the world absolute speed record. His historic ride took place on September 19th, 1929. He reached top speeds of 216 kph, which demolished the previous record by 10 kph.

But shattering that record once wasn’t enough for Henne. On November 29th, 1937 he rode the new 500 ccm compressor machine. His new record of 279.5 kph stood strong for fourteen years!

The following year, BMW bikes continued to perform well on the racetrack. Georg Meier won the European Championship in 1938, which was also his first season. In 1939, he was the first non-Briton to earn the Senior Tourist Trophy on a foreign bike.

Innovation and New Beginnings

The first post-war BMW motorcycle made was the R 24. To build it, the inventors had to get a license from the Allies. It only allowed a single-cylinder bike that could not exceed 250 ccm. In two years, the company sold almost 30,000 of them!

BMW motorcycles have always been about innovation. In 1954, they released the BMW RS model which reached top speeds of 200 kph. By the year 1974, BMW bikes won 19 world championships. Between 1955 and 1974, BMW motorcycles won every brand world championship.

In 1973, the company made their first motorcycle to surpass 750 ccm. The R 90 S offered a sporty style and hit 898 ccm. In 1987, the BMW paralever system was unveiled. In 1988, BMW became the first company to offer electronic-hydraulic anti-lock systems for bikes as well as the first motorcycle with digital engine electronics. By 1991, they had produced their 1,000,000th motorcycle.

BMW motorcycles today offer cutting-edge performances. When you’re ready to look at BMW bikes for sale, visit CalMoto. Our knowledgeable staff is happy to answer any questions and help you find your dream motorcycle. We proudly serve those in Mountain View, Livermore, San Jose, San Francisco, and Tracy, California.