BMW Motorcycle reviews

So, you think your supercar really is super? Don’t care what you are driving - McLaren, Ferrari, Nissan GTR, BMW, Tesla - can it beat a stock BMW S1000RR? The good people at Bike World spent a productive Monday morning pitting the BMW S1000RR against all comers. The results might surprise you.

The Bayerische Motoren Werke led off its 2020 lineup with a new version of its race-tastic S 1000 RR. As usual for BMW, items that were optional equipment previously are now part of the standard equipment package. I’m talking about such features as all-around LED lighting, lean-sensitive ABS, and an adjustable clutch lever, just to name a few. The 999 cc powerplant shed some weight and took on the ShiftCam technology to deepen the torque well a bit and pick up a few ponies in the process. In short, Beemer’s new street-legal racebike comes to the table with more of the goods that made the previous generations such a hit.

The Bayerische Motoren Werke Motorrad USA has taken the next step in its journey into electric urban-mobility territory with the announcement of its new CE 04 model. This all-electric scooter has the range, speed and charging options you need for convenience and practicality, plus it rocks an electronics suite with an infotainment package that together have the potential to embarrass much pricier machines.

BMW has extended the XR range with the new F900XR joining the S1000XR in the adventure-sports category. It’s an impressive bike but is there a problem lurking underneath the bodywork? The engine, built by Loncin in China, has no glaring flaws but BMW might have a problem on its hands due to buyer’s perceptions of the engine. Will it harm sales? Will the engine prove to be as bulletproof as previous BMW engine designs? Only time will tell and, if sales are harmed, that will be a pity as the F900XR has a lot going for it.

The 1250cc version of BMW’s venerable boxer-twin is not new, but the two adventure machines to which it has been fitted - the R1250GS and R1250 GS Adventure - have had a mid-life makeover, with small but important improvements affecting the overall package. It remains one of the most convincing adventure bikes, a fact borne out by global sales figures. It still loses out to KTM on power and the Austrian brand scores on its hardcore adventure image, but few bikes are as well-rounded as the BMW GS. Ignore it at your peril.

BMW’s tradition of large, beautifully-built and brilliant touring bikes continues with the 2021 R1250RT. More power from the 1254cc engine, more comfort, more electronics and more ability add up to a motorcycle that is possibly the best touring bike on the market today.

The 2021 model year marks an important milestone for BMW’s “GS” platform as the 40th year of adventure-enduro magic to come out of Germany. There’s a special limited-edition model this year of the R 1250 GS Adventure to celebrate the GS line’s success through a special trim package and color selection, but even the base platform was improved, largely due to feedback from riders of the previous generations. New features join equipment that was previously considered optional along with an expanded range of ex werke features and gear.

BMW launches into MY2021 with a freshly updated R 1250 GS base model accompanied by a 40th year anniversary model that sports the Option 719 “bumblebee” livery. The boxer-twin powerplant remains the same mechanically but comes with improved ride-control and safety electronics along with some long-requested optional comfort gear and a full line of ex-werke accessory equipment to boot. BMW brings its on- and off-road experience together to make this thing a truly capable globetrotter, and decidedly not the two-wheeled equivalent of a soccer mom’s SUV.

BMW spruced up its R nineT lineup ahead of MY2021 — including the Pure — with aesthetic tweaks, increased performance, and a standard equipment package that includes features that were on the optional accessories list just last year. The factory added a trio of Option 719 paint packages to the mix for the Pure this year for a total of five color choices. Power comes from the classic, 1,170 cc boxer-twin, and this year it rocks a shiny new Euro-5 emissions rating for areas that require it. Plus, the standard electronics suite brings safety and ride-quality features to the table to round out the package.

BMW tweaked its R nineT family ahead of MY2021 with a handful of updates, and this refurbishment naturally includes the “Scrambler” model that reprises its role as something of an homage piece. It channels the homegrown spirit of the early scramblers. The update adds a potent and improved dose of contemporary tech in its safety and ride-control electronics suite along with an equally modern mill. Some of what was once billed as optional equipment now comes standard, as does the Euro-5 emissions package and redesigned internals in the classic boxer-twin engine.

The bigwigs over at the Bayerische Motoren Werke pared down its scooter exports to the U.S. to a single model ahead of MY2022, the new 2022 BMW C 400 GT. No, it’s not net-new, but it does carry a number of improvements in both the mechanics and the electronics to make it new enough. Generous under-seat storage and a vented windshield contribute to its utility as a commuter and/or grocery-getter. Perhaps best of all, the drivetrain has long-enough legs to make it suitable for interstate/highway travel and sure to find fun wherever it goes.

BMW heads into MY2021 with a significant facelift and upgrade package for its bagger-tastic R 1250 RT. A nip here and tuck there presents a new face to the world with equally-new instrumentation and a revised windscreen to complete the package. As a showroom bagger, it rolls with rider comfort as a front-burner item and comes stock with panniers for immediate utility as a tour bike, commuter, or grocery-getter. The cherry on top is the Active Cruise Control feature that uses radar technology to bring a level of safety to the motorcycle market that has mainly been restricted to use on vehicles with four wheels or more.

Nobody blurs the line between scooter and ’proper’ motorcycle better than the engineers at BMW, and the C 650 range is no exception. The C 650 “Sport” and “GT” models have very few changes, but that’s not surprising given how difficult it would be to improve upon the bundle of features already built in. I mean, it’s a scooter with traction control and ABS on board, plus a relatively large and powerful engine with a sophisticated engine management system, so this is ’not’ your grandfather’s scooter. I have a great appreciation for German engineering, so I’m looking to see what all Beemer has tucked away on its not-so-little maxi-scooter.

BMW expanded its R nineT lineup ahead of the 2017 model year with the Urban G/S that brings old school adventure bike looks to the table along with the same modern performance as the rest of the line. Power comes from an 1,170 cc flat-twin engine that adds character and historical panache at the same time to make the “GS” something of a rolling tribute piece. Although the “GS” sports some special gear that sets it apart from the rest of the range, it’s still just a platform that can be shifted between the stock road-running setup and a more off-road friendly build for what is, essentially, two bikes in one. Rider safety is also available in varying levels, so I would argue that this ride is probably appropriate for riders that land near the bottom of the experience scale along with riders who are looking to cross between the black and the brown.

BMW rolls into MY2021 with a handful of improvements to its base-model R nineT. The updated engine meets EU-5 emissions standards and the electronics suite delivers more safety- and ride-quality features right off the showroom floor. New suspension components boost comfort as well to finish out the improvements for the 2021 R nineT model.

BMW gave its all-surface G 310 GS a soft body redesign ahead of MY2021 along with a handful of drivetrain upgrades to boot. The factory offers the G 310 GS in a pair of standard paint packages, but adds a two-tone 40th anniversary paint package with historical roots all its own. Comfort and safety also saw a buff with a number of new-for-2021 features on Beemer’s littlest GS.

BMW rolls into MY2021 with a revised version of its street-legal sportbike, the S 1000 R. It borrows heavily from its race-tastic stablemate, the S 1000 RR. The new model hits the street both leaner and meaner this year to deliver an absolutely essential roadster platform, even though the electronics suite is rather robust within the standard features. Optional electronics and gear can turn this bike into a bona fide race machine.

BMW rolls into 2021 with what it calls a soft re-imagination of its plucky little roadster, the G 310 R. Not only did BMW tuneup the looks, but the new G 310 R sports a number of tech upgrades and safety equipment to boot. The engine is a carryover from last year, even though it, too, hits the showroom floor with buffed engine-control electronics and mechanical features. New paint packages finish out the details that make their model debut in MY2021.