Having celebrated its centenary in 2024, the year coming to a close has been a busy one for BMW Motorrad.
This year started off with the arrival of the ‘all-new’ R 1300 GS, the latest iteration of the iconic GS adventure bike which arguably saved BMW’s motorcycle division in the 1980s, and ended with Toprak Razgatlioglu winning the company’s first Superbike World Championship title thanks to some utterly dominant performances on his M 1000 RR. The summer also saw the arrival of new R nineT and R12 models and the announcement of a new automatic transmission system, as well as rumours of a planned entry into MotoGP from 2027, when new technical regulations come in. Add in a slightly odd electric scooter and it’s fair to say 2024 has been a busy old year for the Germans…
So it’s no surprise that 2025’s new model news is not quite as hectic, with the headlines revolving around developments of two of those models which played an important role in 2024’s successes.
The R 1300 GS Adventure has been around for a few months now, although it is only just hitting our showrooms now. First unveiled at BMW’s Motorrad Days Alpen festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen back in July, our man Phil West had the opportunity to sample the flagship adventure bike for our review pages last month. It is, unsurprisingly, a very good motorcycle and more accessible than you might expect, as Phil wrote in his report. It’s a new model for 2025 and will be one of the likely stars of Motorcycle Live, the British motorcycle show, when it takes place in Birmingham later this month.
The 1000cc four-cylinder platform used for the ‘S’ series bikes has also been given a tweak, with BMW taking the need to update to Euro 5+ emissions regulations as an opportunity to wring even more power from the machines Toprak piloted to glory.
The S 1000 RR superbike and the S 1000 R supernaked sibling get a number of updates to the engine internals, electronics and aerodynamics, while the range topping M 1000 RR gets a 6bhp power boost to take it to a staggering 218bhp peak output.
The M 1000 RR gets new MotoGP style aerodynamic wings and revised frame flex, which should help increase the bike’s competitiveness in superbike racing where it has flattered to deceive in the hands of all but Razgatlioglu. With a test team including former superbike champ Sylvain Guintoli and British former MotoGP rider Bradley Smith carrying out development, BMW mounted racers will be hoping the improvements can make for an easier to ride and more consistent motorcycle. The new bodywork is said to increase downforce from 17.1kg to 23.1kg at 300kph and promises greater front end confidence to expert track riders, while reducing power wheelies, although whether or not mere mortals will notice any difference is debatable. Power upgrades come through a number of small changes, including new titanium valves and larger throttle bodies.
To celebrate their WorldSBK success, BMW has released a limited edition of 54 (Toprak’s race number) 54,000 Euro ‘M RR WSBK CHAMPION EDITION 2024’ versions of the M 1000 RR. Just 52 examples of the snappily titled machine will go on sale (bike 54 of 54 will go in BMW’s museum, while the first machine will be gifted to the man himself). We imagine they’ve already been snapped up by collectors as you read this but, if you’re interested, the main extras on the M RR WSBK CHAMPION EDITION 2024 are a host of carbon fibre parts, race graphics and the obligatory limited edition certificate. Each has been personally signed by the champion, who will have a meet and greet session with the buyers.
For those of us with smaller bank balances, the cooking S 1000 RR continues alongside the M, being more affordable and still cranking out 210bhp despite being modified to meet the tougher Euro 5+ emissions laws. It also benefits from some small changes. The naked M 1000 R and S 1000 R also become Euro5+ compliant. As with the RR models, they get a new short stroke throttle and the S version gets a 5bhp power increase – peaking at 170bhp. The M 1000 R continues to offer full-on superbike levels of performance in a supernaked package, delivering a staggering 210bhp at 13,750rpm.
Euro5+ also facilitates an update to the C 400 scooter range. Never as popular as rivals from Honda and Yamaha, in part because of their heftier price tags, the C 400 X and C 400 GT gets a spec increase alongside its cleaner engine, which BMW dealers will no doubt me hoping helps shift a few extra units. The spec sheet looks mighty impressive, with a new TFT dashboard and top end safety features like cornering ABS and traction control confirming these as being among the most premium mid-range scooters on the market.
Although not going on sale in the imminent future, BMW used the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan to showcase a ‘near-production ready’ prototype using a new parallel-twin engine. The machine suggests the Bavarian company will tackle the very competitive A2 licence class currently dominated by Honda’s 500 range. BMW’s smart F 450 GS adventure bike looks like a real off-road weapon and the company has already confirmed we can expect a production version which will ‘only adjust the seat height for better accessibility’ and which may use aluminium rather than spoked wheels. With the company stating that it’s new engine will be right on the 47bhp A2 licence power limit, we’d be surprised if we don’t see a full ‘F 450’ range in the very near future…
