The BMW K1 rolled out in 1988 in bright red or blue paint with yellow graphics, and that alone told riders something had changed in Munich. It looked nothing like the sober touring bikes BMW was known for. In fact, the press and the public never saw BMW motorcycles quite the same way again.
That is the fun of collecting BMWs. The company spent a century building practical flat-twins, yet every so often it took a gamble. Some of those gambles sold well, while others confused buyers when they were new. Either way, they now make great stories in a garage.
These are our picks for eight BMW motorcycles still worth collecting. The verdicts are our opinion, so we name no prices or values. However, the years, engines and figures come from BMW’s own heritage records and model histories.
1. 1993 BMW K1
The BMW K1 was the company’s sport bike for 1988 to 1993, and a blue 1993 bike like this one comes from the final year. Its 987 cc four-cylinder was liquid-cooled, with twin cams and four valves per cylinder. BMW rated it at 100 hp, because the company stuck to the 100 bhp limit then imposed on bikes sold in Germany. American bikes made 95 hp.
The bodywork did the real talking. A seven-piece main fairing wrapped the bike, and a two-piece front fender hugged the wheel. Still, early bikes ran hot below 50 mph, and the thin panels cracked. As a result, it earned the German nickname “yoghurt carton.”
Our take: those flaws are part of the charm now. BMW built 6,921 of them, and the BMW K1 marks the moment the brand decided it could be bold. If you want one, look for a bike with BMW’s later heat blanket fitted.
2. BMW R68
BMW unveiled the R68 at the 1951 Frankfurt bicycle and motorcycle show. According to BMW Group Classic’s R 68 record, BMW presented it as the long-awaited “100 Mile Racer.” Production ran from 1952 to 1954.
The engine was a 594 cc flat-twin making 35 hp at 7,000 rpm. That was enough for at least 160 km/h, or about 100 mph, in BMW’s own figures. Buyers could also order a raised two-into-one exhaust, which gave the bike a sporting look. Meanwhile, the price sat at nearly DM 4,000, so owning one was a hobby for a select few.
In our view, the R68 belongs in any serious BMW collection. Only 1,452 were built, according to the model’s production history. It is the bike that showed BMW could chase British sport machines on speed, not just on quality.
3. BMW R65
The R65 arrived in 1978 as a small entry model, and it launched next to the R45. BMW’s heritage page notes that the only technical difference between the two was displacement. The R65 had 650 cc and 45 hp at first, then 50 hp from the 1981 model year. Its top speed was 175 km/h.
The little boxer also used a shorter swingarm than the bigger R models. That made the whole frame look compact, and BMW credits the low weight and stable chassis for its popularity. Later, from 1981 to 1984, an R65LS added a small Hans Muth fairing, lower bars and twin front discs. BMW built 6,389 of those.
Our take: the R65 is the airhead that riders often overlook. Even so, that is exactly why it makes sense to collect one. It gives you classic boxer character in a lighter, friendlier package.
4. BMW R100RS
BMW made the R100RS the star of the 1976 IFMA show in Cologne. Pininfarina had shaped its fairing for the airflow, and BMW calls it the world’s first series motorcycle with a full fairing as standard. It also wore a finish BMW describes as a bluish Silver Metallic.
Under that bodywork sat a 980 cc boxer twin with 70 hp at 7,250 rpm. BMW claimed 200 km/h, and it priced the bike at DM 11,210. The letters RS first stood for Rennsport, or racing sport. However, buyers quickly read them as Reisesport, or touring sport, because the fairing let riders hold high speeds in comfort.
For a closer look at the boxers that came before it, see our BMW boxer motorcycles from the R32 to the R90S. In our opinion, an original 1976 to 1984 R100RS is the one to own.
5. BMW R1200C
The R1200C was BMW’s cruiser, built from 1997 to 2004. Head designer David Robb gave it a shape that no one expected from Munich. Its 1,170 cc boxer made 61 hp, so the bike was about style more than speed.
Then came a big break. The bike appeared in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, where Michelle Yeoh’s character Wai Lin rides it in a chase with 007. Later, BMW added an Avantgarde in 2000, an Independent sold as the Phoenix in the US, and the touring R1200CL in 2002.
BMW built 40,218 of these cruisers, counting the smaller R850C. Our take: that is not a rare number, yet clean, original bikes are getting harder to find. A film-famous BMW with a boxer heartbeat is a fun thing to own.
6. BMW HP2 Sport
The HP2 Sport ran from 2008 to 2010, and it followed the R1200S. BMW gave its 1,170 cc flat-twin double overhead cams and eight valves. As a result, it made 133 hp at 8,750 rpm, a big number for an air- and oil-cooled boxer.
The parts list read like a race bike. It came with a quick shifter, Öhlins suspension, Brembo Monobloc front calipers and forged aluminum wheels. Meanwhile, a self-supporting carbon fiber seat unit replaced the usual rear subframe. Many other body parts were carbon fiber too.
In our view, this is the high point of the boxer as a sport bike. Its successor was the HP4, so the HP2 Sport marks the end of a line. We would keep one as clean as possible and ride it on dry days only.
7. BMW R1100S
BMW launched the R1100S sport boxer in 1998. According to BMW Group Classic, the company called it a sport tourer, not a super sport bike. Its 1,085 cc boxer made 98 hp, and BMW quoted a 226 km/h top speed.
The engine also worked as a stressed part of the chassis, and a Paralever swingarm carried the shaft drive. Twin silencers sat high under the passenger seat. Then, in 1999, BMW started the Boxer Cup, a series that put private riders against former world champions. Later, from 2003 to 2005, a BoxerCup Replika added Öhlins suspension for track days.
Our take: the R1100S is the practical sport BMW that collectors have not yet chased hard. Find one with service records, and you get a bike that is easy to ride every week.
8. 1965 BMW R60/2
BMW presented the R60/2 at the 1960 Cologne show, during a hard time for the German motorcycle industry. Many German makers had gone bankrupt, and BMW also felt the slump. Still, the R60/2 stayed in production through 1969, so a 1965 bike sits right in the middle of its run.
Its 594 cc flat-twin made 30 hp at 5,800 rpm, up from the 28 hp of the earlier R60. In fact, the “/2” name was mostly used inside the company, while dealers simply sold it as the R60. An Earles fork held the front wheel, and the bike had sidecar mounting points from the factory. BMW listed 145 km/h solo but 110 km/h with a sidecar attached.
If you like that side of the story, our list of sidecar motorcycles still worth collecting goes deeper. In our opinion, the R60/2 is the easiest way into classic BMW ownership. BMW’s own R 60/2 record lists its price when new at DM 3,315.
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