Yes, I know it’s another BMW and it’s almost new, but there’s no denying that this thing is unique. “Wild… stupid power and wings.” That’s how the UK’s Bike magazine described BMW’s M 1000 R supernaked. When MCN Deputy Editor Emma Franklin rode one last year her response was: “Thanks for that. You’ve ruined other bikes for me now.”
Dubbed “a touch of insanity” by BMW, the 210-horsepower M 1000 R is a psycho bike with comfortable seating. Peak torque is 83.3 lb-ft. Ostensibly, the M 1000 R is similar to the delightful S 1000 R (certainly it shares the same aesthetic), but it is driven by the same 999cc ShiftCam inline four engine found in the 2022 S 1000 RR. As a result, it revs higher and feels racier.
But, according to UK website BikeSocial, “unlike the S 1000 RR… the naked bike has an upright stance that won’t turn you into Quasimodo after a day’s riding.”
To that end, the bike isn’t as wholly impractical as other 200+ horsepower beasts. Unlike the Kawasaki ZX-10R, for example, it won’t do 100 mph in first gear. You’ll hit the rev limiter before then and have to shift all the way to second.
MCN’s Ben Clarke even went so far as to suggest that it could function as a day-to-day bike. One that will almost certainly result in you losing your license, but still capable of being behaved if necessary.
Meanwhile, the seller of this particular example claims to have bumped peak power to “215ish” horsepower thanks to a new exhaust. Because, as former KTM CEO Stefan Pierer once observed: “You don’t need more power, but why not have more?”
With 6,717 miles on the clock, you can find this M 1000 R for sale for $24,750 in Gainesville, Florida, here on eBay.