BMW M Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

At the end of 2018, the German motorcycle manufacturer introduced the successful M model range for motorcycles, offering special equipment and performance parts with the M designation written all over.

In 2023, BMW announced its intention to launch the third M model to complete the range that already included the M 1000 R and M 1000 RR models. The new machine is called the M 1000 XR and is based on the current S 1000 XR and S 1000 RR.

The bike is loaded with top-end technology, such as an optimized intake system for improved charge exchange at high engine speeds, a titanium silencer with a carbon fiber end cap, Brake Slide Assist, Shift Assistant Pro, Launch Control, Hill Start Control Pro, and many more.

The bike has several riding modes, such as Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race, and Race Pro 1-3, and is fitted with the latest generation of Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and a DTC wheelie function with a six-axis sensor box.

The bike is built around an aluminum composite bridge frame with a 45 mm upside-down telescopic fork on the front and a dual-sided swingarm with a sophisticated shock absorber on the rear, delivering excellent suspension performance and handling.

In the performance department, the 2023 BMW M 1000 XR packs a 999cc four-stroke, four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that delivers an output power of 201 hp at 12,750 rpm and 113 Nm (83 lb-ft) torque at 11,000 rpm.

We all know the alphabet, but not everyone knows the history of the letter M. For BMW and for those who've heard of it, the letter represents power, performance, style, and success.

With that said, at the end of 2018 BMW Motorrad showed for the first time the M 1000 RR motorcycle, expanding the reach of the letter M into the motorcycle world as well. In September 2020, BMW Motorrad commemorated the debut of their first M motorcycle, the M 1000 RR.

The M RR uses a water-cooled, four-cylinder in-line engine, modified to its core to achieve a greater racetrack performance. It has 212 hp (156 kW) at 14,500 rpm and 113 Nm (83 lb-ft) of torque at 11,000 rpm. The gases escape through a titanium lightweight exhaust, creating a sound delightful to the ear.

The downforce is a key element in the racing business, so the winglets mounted on both sides of the front trim, made from clear-coated carbon, generate a downforce of 16 kg (35.9 lbs). The M 1000 RR is the owner of the first M braking hardware ever fitted on a BMW motorcycle.

The M letter is not only known for power and performance, but is also for the special color scheme in light blue, dark blue, and red, always attached to the letter, and also present on this bike as well.

In 2022, BMW Motorrad presented the 50 years M anniversary model of the M 1000 RR, painted Sao Paulo Yellow and wearing the 50 Years BMW M emblem. Both the M and the 50 years anniversary models go for around $37,000 in late 2022.