9. BMW
Many of the motorcycles featured on our list managed to stay in business during the First and Second World Wars; here is a brand that made something of themselves out of it. Established in 1916, BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke, or translated to Bavarian Motor Works in English), the next one in our list of best-selling motorcycles of all time started off producing trucks and aircraft engines to supply to their German military forces during WWI. However, the Treaty of Versailles banned the manufacture of aircraft engines in Germany, and BMW was forced to cease production. They decided to add “Motorrad” (which is just the German word for “motorcycle”) to their name and began producing motorcycles, releasing the R32 in 1923. Their first model did so well, selling over 3,000 during its three years of production (mind you, this is the 1920’s, here—3,000 is a lot more than what it seems today), that they decided to develop an R series based off of the initial model with some upgrades as the time went by. Among this R series are the R1200GS, which is said to be their best-selling motorcycle of all time; the R 2—a smaller bike manufactured during an economic plunge in Germany to cater to the needs of the poor public, and sold over 15,000 units; and the R 4s, in which BMW Motorrad was commissioned by the German army to produce and in turn, helped the company stay afloat during the Great Depression. During WWII, BMW, the number 9 in our list of best-selling motorcycles of all time, again produced supplies to German military—only this time around it was motorcycles (R75 model). Since then, BMW Motorrad went on to producing different series’ (K series, F series, G series) and their motorcycles remain an unmistakable staple on the road for their innovative and posh designs.
