BMW’s break from tradition started in 1982, when it announced their inline four-cylinder K100. Its 987-cubic centimetre engine featured dual overhead camshafts, liquid cooling, and Bosch electronic fuel injection, and it was positioned horizontally, unlike any BMW before.

After continuous development, BMW announced the upgraded, fully faired K1 in September 1988. Although based on the standard K100, the new K1 was in fact a different animal altogether. The K1 received a new four-valve cylinder head, which, when partnered with the improved version of the Bosch fuel injection, added 10 horsepower and 10 foot-pounds of torque, making it the most powerful motorcycle BMW had produced at the time.

Along with engine upgrades, the K1 also received BMW’s new Paralever system, which helped to eliminate the rise and fall from acceleration and deceleration common to shaft-driven motorbikes. Whilst the frame appears much like the standard K100, it was in fact strengthened substantially with larger diameter tubing and slightly revised geometry, along with a longer wheelbase to improve stability at higher speeds. Ultimately, as the bike was designed for the autobahn, it was capable of reaching top speeds in excess of 225 km/h!

The K1 was a marketing success, as it helped to shift public perception of BMW from a builder of reliable tourers to a manufacturer of modern high-speed sports bikes. From its wind-tunnel-tested fairing, which had the lowest drag coefficient of any production motorcycle to date, to its eye-catching red and yellow colour scheme, the BMW K1 demanded attention wherever it was ridden.

This example has been expertly restored and more recently serviced, with a new German TÜV inspection performed, to ensure that it is ready to ride. It is a technological tour de force that would be the perfect addition to any significant motorcycle collection.

More notably, this lot has been generously offered by Mint Classics, of Münster, Germany, along with RM Sotheby’s, who have pledged 100 percent of the proceeds, including the buyer’s premium, to be donated to the charitable foundation Caritas International in support of the earthquake relief efforts in Nepal.