BMW has endured the COVID-19 pandemic in impeccable fashion. The brand wasn’t immune to the resource shortages, supply chain holdups, or rising inflation that plagued the rest of the industry by any means. Still, the Bavarians continued to roll out products, introducing the full R 18 lineup in the midst of the health crisis.
For 2022, that impressive pace slowed, with only the CE-04 electric scooter and renewed K 1600 range making it to the market. That didn’t stop BMW from posting positive results, though. Buoyed by replenished supplies, the German firm relied on staples such as the R 1250 GS. According to the company, its S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR also outperformed their segment counterparts.
Thanks to that steady supply and demand, BMW sold 3,459 in Q4 2022. Compare that figure to the 3,227 units moved during the same period in 2021, and that equates to a 7.2-percent growth. That success wasn’t exclusive to the last quarter of the year either. Throughout 2022, North American customers purchased 17,690 Beemers. That’s a 10.4-percent increase over the 16,030 units sold in 2021.
Even more impressively, the German marque outpaced its pre-pandemic totals. In 2019, BMW USA moved 15,116 new bikes. That 2,574-unit gain equals a 17-percent uptick in sales.
While the brand pats itself on the back for its successful run, it isn’t throttling down in 2023. The race-homologated M 1000 RR and S 1000 RR superbike earned a host of updates for the new model year while the up-spec M 1000 R joined the OEM’s supernaked ranks. BMW even bestowed minor revisions on the 2023 R 1250 R roadster and R 1250 RS sport-tourer as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have transformed the motorcycle industry over the past few years but BMW seems to be weathering the storm in impeccable fashion.
