All the BMW M Motorcycles You Can Buy in 2024 (and Two Toy Versions)

German company BMW is no exception. Having enjoyed quite the time out on the track with its production cars in the 1960s and 1970s, the Bavarians decided in 1972 to create an offshoot business capable of satisfying its racing aspirations.

The division was initially called BMW Motorsport, and stepped onto the European Touring Car Championship scene that following year with an incredible car called the 3.0 CSL (Coupe Sport Light Construction). A homologation special by trade, the car was made in very limited numbers, with a little under 1,100 examples rolling off the assembly lines.

From that point on BMW's racing division really took off. In 1978 it released the mighty M1, and a cascade of other models followed, too many to count.

On top of making cars on its own, the M (the division took on this name in 1993) started making a series of performance parts that were not only used on the models it cared for, but on regular production Bimmersas well, in the form of special packages or aftermarket fittings.

BMW is uniquely positioned to give M access to a market its competitors can't usually reach. The Germans are the only ones in the world of premium carmakers to own a motorcycle division, the Motorrad, and that opened up incredible new opportunities for M.

Over the past few years (from around 2018), the performance division has been providing optional equipment and performance parts for a number of Motorrad motorcycles, and it was only a matter of time until the higher-ups saw the potential of actually allowing the long-arm of M to fine-tune bikes from the ground up.

A decision to finally allow M to enter the world of motorcycles was taken in 2020, when the first ever high-performance motorcycle from BMW came about. From that point on, the portfolio grew to include a total of no less than three models and a limited edition version.

We will dive deep into all of them in this piece, as we wait for the next M move possibly later this year.

BMW M 1000 RR (M RR)

The bike to open the M dance in the motorcycle world was the M 1000 RR, which came about in late 2020 as a machine with "pure racing technology for the highest performance requirements in motorsports and on the road."

The bike was introduced as a true monster, a fact it would later come to confirm on the tracks of the world, as it was immediately entered in various competitions by teams backed by the German behemoth.

The skeleton of the 423-pound (192 kg, curb weight) bike came in the form of an aluminum bridge frame chassis, supported by an upside-down fork as well as a revised central spring strut. All of that was more than needed to keep in check the impressive engine sitting inside the frame.

The 999cc piece of mechanical wonder is a "variation of the powerplant BMW is using for its racing bikes." Water-cooled and using BMW's ShiftCam technology, the four-cylinder powerplant boasts some truly impressive numbers.

When properly handled, the engine can spit out a total of 212 horsepower at 14,500 rpm and 113 Nm of torque at 11,000 rpm. For all intents and purposes, that's more than what most European city cars are capable of achieving.

BMW M also increased the speed at which the engine can rev, bringing it up to 15,100 rpm. That meant modifying a lot of the engine's internal bits, and that's exactly what happened. For its use in the M RR, as its maker instructed us at the time to call it, the engine got new two-ring forged pistons, adapted combustion chambers, and longer and lighter titanium connecting rods.

Separately, the compression was increased to 13.5, and the breathing improved through the fitting of a titanium exhaust system.

But the engine is not the only element of the bike touched by the hands over at M. Because this is both a street and a track motorcycle, aerodynamics were essential, and M did what it does best to improve it: it made carbon fiber parts in the form of special winglets installed at the front, meant to generate more downforce.

Separately, the M division devised special brakes for the superbike for the first time in a bid to help the rider better control the huge power. The hardware was fitted onto M-designed carbon wheels.

Even the way the rider interacts with the motorcycle got the M touch. First of all, the bike can be set to run in one of five modes, namely Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race, and Race Pro 1-3. Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), a DTC wheelie function with a 6-axle sensor box, launch control, and hill start control were also included in the package.

There's a 6.5-inch TFT display installed up front, and the bike comes with an OBD interface that allows the rider to get access to the M GPS data logger and M GPS lap trigger.

As if all of the above was not enough to get our blood pumping, BMW M also threw a special M competition package on the table for this special motorcycle. It includes everything and anything a rider would need to get the ride ready for some serious racing: the above-mentioned M GPS laptrigger and activation code, M milled parts package, M carbon package, silver swinging arm, and DLC-coated M endurance chain.

Four years after it was introduced the BMW M 1000 RR can be had on the U.S. market for $33,345. You should be warned, though, that is only the starting price, and any additional part a rider installs on it will rapidly take that price closer to $40,000.

BMW M 1000 RR 50 Years

As mentioned, BMW M was born in 1972, and that means only two short years ago the company celebrated half a century of existence. We were thus treated in 2022 with a series of special car models, but also a rare M-handled motorcycle: the M 1000 RR 50 Years.

The special edition was of course based on the M 1000 RR introduced two years prior, and as such it was mechanically identical. It did however bring the table a very long list of extras, meant to cement its place in the gallery of special edition Motorrad bikes.

The first and most noticeable change was the color. Whereas the original M 1000 RR came in white with accents in the M colors (blue, dark blue and red)m this one wore a very bright shade of yellow called Sao Paulo and was adorned by a 50 Years BMW M emblem.

The bike had the M Competition package we mentioned earlier installed as standard and it was available for purchase only between May and November 2022. The asking price for the limited edition was set at $36,995, which was not bad at all, all things considered.

BMW never said how many M 1000 RR 50 Years bikes were made.

BMW M 1000 R (M R)

The second new bike on the list of machines handled directly by BMW M came the same year the 50 Years was released, 2022. It is called the M 1000 R, and its maker describes it as the first roadster motorcycle of the performance division.

That's because it is a derivation of the S 1000 R, a roadster model Motorrad built on the basis of a superbike.

Just like its predecessor, the ride relies on a 999cc engine to get the job done, but a slightly less potent one. Instead of the 212 horsepower it cranks out on the RR, it only reaches 205 horsepower at 13,500 rpm. Still, that's 40 horsepower more than what the base S 1000 R is capable of providing. The peak torque of this machine sits at 112 Nm, almost the same as on the M RR.

The increase in power was achieved thanks to the fitting of an optimized intake with variable intake funnels and a sport exhaust system rocking a titanium silencer. The improvements made allow the two-wheeler to accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in 3.1 seconds, and top at 174 mph (280 kph).

What sets this two-wheeler apart is the fact it has been specifically tweaked to be the king of acceleration. To help it reach this status, M fitted a shorter ratio than the S for the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth gears.

The power is sent to the rear wheel by means of a chain coming from the M stables, while the entire bike can be set to ride in one of four riding modes, namely Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race, and Race Pro 1-3.

Just like the first M bike, the M 1000 R is equipped with an OBD interface for access to the M GPS data logger and lap trigger, the M brakes introduced a few years before, and the winglets M developed for aerodynamic purposes.

When it was introduced, the BMW M 1000 R was the significantly cheaper option for an entry into the M motorcycle world, as it sold for $21,345. At the time of writing it is slightly more expensive, at $21,695, but retains the title of entry-level M motorcycle. Just like with the RR though, if a rider truly wants to ride fully equipped, the price will jump by at least $5k.

BMW M 1000 XR (M XR)

In 2023 the third BMW M motorcycle came about, this time not as a racer derived from a superbike, but something more riders could enjoy riding. To use BMW's own words, I'm talking about "the lightest and most powerful production crossover bike in the world."

The ride is called M 1000 XR, and it too is derived from the S 1000 range. Unlike its siblings, it's not necessarily oriented toward high-speed track riding, but on blending all of that with the capability to withstand long-range trips – hence the crossover part.

The 999cc engine that animates the XR is the same as in the other two motorcycles, but in this application, it is the least powerful: it develops 201 horsepower at 14,600 rpm and 112 Nm of torque at 11,000 rpm. The above numbers are enough to give the bike a top speed of 170 mph (274 kph).

The XR is heavier than its siblings, tipping the scales at 492 pounds (223 kg) with a full tank of fuel. Some weight savings can be achieved by going for the M Competition package and all the carbon bits it brings with it.

The BMW M 1000 XR can be had at the time of writing for a price that starts at $24,295, but a loaded yet conservative equipment level likely pushes that closer to the $30,000 boundary.

BMW M 1000 RR 1:5 scale (by LEGO)

Shortly after the first M motorcycle was introduced, its place in public consciousness was cemented by Danish toy maker LEGO. As proof of how important the M two-wheeler was for the motorcycle industry, LEGO introduced in 2021 in its Technic range a 1:5 scale model of the bike. It was one of the fastest transitions we know of from real vehicles to plastic brick toys to date.

The bike comes together in the familiar shape of the M RR only after a total of 1,920 pieces of plastic brick are assembled in just the right order. Because this is a Technic toy we're talking about, some of its components actually move and work kind of as they do in the real world: the steering, the front, and rear suspension, the chain transmission, the inline 4-piston engine, and even the gearbox.

When completed, the LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR stands at 10 inches (25 cm) high, 17 inches (43 cm) long, and 6 inches (15 cm) wide.

LEGO is still selling the set two years after its launch, and it is asking $249.99 for it, around $50 more than it charged back at launch.

BMW M 1000 RR 1:10 scale model (by BMW Motorrad)

Less than a year after LEGO let loose its interpretation of the M RR, BMW Motorrad itself decided to do the same thing and launched its own toy version of the two-wheeled monster. This time we are talking about a 1:10 scale ride that, not being made with squarish plastic bricks and all, looks a lot more like the real thing.

But first, let's address the elephant in the room, which is asking if BMW is making toy cars and motorcycles. It does, and in the case of bikes, the range already comprises miniatures of the R 1250 GS, F 850 GS, and R 18.

For the M RR fans the scale model comes in the same paintwork as the real thing, and it too has working parts, more specifically the steering and front and rear suspension.

When it launched the model BMW said it would sell it for roughly $106, but you can find it today on the shelves of dealers for prices that can go as high as $120.

That's all there is for now when it comes to BMW Motorrad M motorcycles. If we are to judge by the trend of these past few years, BMW is likely to release a new model in 2024 as well.