The first serious motorcycle BMW produced was the 'R 32' in 1923, which was a huge market success. A few years later, a racing version was introduced, along with the 'R 39,' BMW's first single cylinder motorbike.
In the 1930s, BMW produced mostly smaller, more efficient bikes, many for the government, which ordered them en mass. One notable model was the 'Kompressor,' which was popular for its style and racing capability. The postwar economic slump was a difficult time for BMW, which didn't get its next big break until the 1960 introduction of its R 69, which took it through the 1960s.
BMW saw its motorcycle business grow in the 1970s and 80's, and in 1983 introduced the K-Series, featuring an electric starter and a number of other changes. Vintage BMW models are today highly sought-after by both collectors and mechanics.
Interviews & Articles
American Picker Dream, Part II: Mike Wolfe On Enduros and Land Rockets

I was 13 when I saw my first motorcycle. I was walking down the sidewalk when this guy who was like the high school champion stud—… [more]
Harley-Davidson, Before and After the Knucklehead

I’ve been a lifelong motorcyclist. I started riding a motorcycle when I was 11, and I started writing for magazine after I got ou… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Classic Motorcycle Archive

This simple website contains photos and descriptions of over a thousand classic antique motorcycles and motorized b… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations
- Antique Motorcycle Club of America
- American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association
- SoCal Chapter of the AMCA
Vintage Guru Reveals Her Glamour Secrets
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The Beautiful Chaos of Improvisational Quilts
Our Dad, the Water Witch of Wyoming
This 1959 Goggomobil Is Insanely Cute and Gets 55 MPG. Why Can’t Detroit Do That?
California Cool: How the Wetsuit Became the Surfer's Second Skin
The Unfiltered History of Rolling Papers, Plus Tommy Chong's Big Fat Jamaican Vacation
World's Smallest Museum Finds the Wonder in Everyday Objects
Fightin’ Femmes: Unmasking Female Superheroes with Author Mike Madrid


