BMW Motorrad marks M milestone with 50 Years M motorcycle

BMW's motorcycle-building division is helping sister company BMW M celebrate its 50th birthday. It released a special version of the M 1000 RR ⁠— the first M-branded motorcycle ⁠— called 50 Years M that features a specific color and a long list of track-bred equipment.

You won't lose the commemorative M 1000 RR in a parking lot: it's finished in an eye-catching hue called Sao Paulo Yellow borrowed from the BMW M palette. It also gains the M Carbon Package, which brings fenders, upper fairing side panels, tank covers, a chain guard, and a sprocket cover made of carbon fiber. Finally, BMW added the M Billet Package that includes billet aluminum parts like the engine protectors, the folding brake and clutch levers, the front brake lever guard, and the rider's rearsets. BMW M's heritage-laced emblem, which is appearing on full-blown M cars in 2022, adds a finishing touch to the look. This logo was first used on BMW M's race cars in 1973.

Equipment carried over from the standard M 1000 RR includes LED exterior lighting, a high windshield, no less than seven riding modes (including Rain and Race), a 6.5-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) display, heated grips, and cruise control. The 50 Years M model builds on these foundations with the M GPS Lap Timer software, a rear seat cover and passenger kit, and an anodized aluminum swingarm.

BMW did not make any mechanical changes, meaning power for the 423-pound 1000 RR comes from a 1.0-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 205 horsepower at 13,000 rpm and 83 pound-feet of torque at 11,000 rpm. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes about 3 seconds, and the motorcycle keeps accelerating until the speedometer displays 189 mph. The engine spins the rear wheel via a six-speed transmission and a BMW M Endurance chain that's specific to the commemorative model. Several driving aids (like Wheelie Control) come standard, too.

Priced at $32,495, the 2023 BMW M 1000 RR 50 Years M will arrive in showrooms across the nation in the third quarter of 2022.