#BMWMotorrad

by Tom Roderick

More power and refined looks for the new S 1000 XR, M version gets 201 horsepower and more performance-oriented upgrades.

Some would say BMW's K1200LT doesn't get the credit it deserves for being an uber touring rig. Probably because a certain Honda Gold Wing keeps stealing all the touring thunder. However, if you're looking to do some serious touring, don't have a lot of money, but do have ambition and just a little bit of knowledge on how to fix stuff, this 2000 K1200LT is calling your name.

Munich – Alexander Buckan will succeed Edgar Heinrich as the new head of BMW Motorrad Design, commencing on 1 January 2024. Buckan will oversee the design of all BMW Group two-wheeled vehicles, rider's equipment, and accessories. Edgar Heinrich, who has led BMW Motorrad’s Design division since 2012, is retiring after a 35-year tenure at the BMW Group.

The new Navigator featuring seamless BMW Cloud integration makes navigating on a motorcycle a joy.

His loss is your gain

A “long-distance sportbike”... with wings!

It might be old enough to drink, but this fully-kitted 2001 BMW K 1200 LT Custom still looks brand new. And as you can tell by the pictures, it's been outfitted with a ton of goodies to make it an absolute delight for burning away miles on the road – for a little extra, the owner is even throwing in 15 cu. ft. trailer. With nearly 42,000 miles on the clock, if you do the math, that comes out to a little under 1,900 miles a year – it's barely been ridden!

BMW’s big-engined foray into a streamlined cruiser

BMW has released an exclusive anniversary edition of its road-going superbike, the M 1000 RR, to celebrate nearly a century of motorcycle production, but more specifically, to celebrate 50 years of BMW M vehicles. 

With the World Superbike championship set to resume again this weekend in Jerez, after a long Coronavirus-induced break since the season opener at Philip Island in February, BMW felt it necessary to tell everyone how it was spending its time in lockdown – and it’s pretty fascinating.

You know what they say, “Bad news travels fast,” and a few months ago, it seemed like the motorcycle industry was full of it. Every day felt like there was a new report painting a gloomy portrait and claiming the motorcycle industry was doomed if we didn’t do something about it. How could something so awesome as motorcycling be destined for failure?

Off-road worthy motorcycles from MO’s past seem to be pretty popular Church items lately, so we’ll continue the theme again this week with a dirtbike from BMW. No, not the R1200GS, but a real dirtbike, the 2009 BMW G450X. In a time when BMW was trying to reinvent itself to attract new riders, the G450X presented something radically different than the comfy touring bikes many younger riders pictured their parents – or even grandparents – riding. Ultimately, the G450X had a short shelf life, but the guts to continually reinvent itself and enter new motorcycling categories has resulted in products like the RnineT and the S1000 lineup. For that we partially have the G450X to thank. Here’s contributor Jeff Buchanan with his take on BMW’s dirtbike.  

Watch as BMW Motorrad engineers subject the company’s riding gear to a variety of tests including abrasion resistance, water resistance, tear resistance, and shock absorption. There’s no commentary or explanation, but it’s interesting to see the different devices used to conduct the tests.