The BMW R 32 was the first BMW motorcycle to be developed by the company and it quickly gained an outstanding reputation due to its quality. However, the twin-cylinder motorcycle with a price tag of 2,200 reichmarks was one of the most expensive motorcycles on the German market. As a rather cheaper alternative to the BMW R 32, BMW incorporated the single-cylinder BMW R 39 motorcycle into the product range in 1925. This model even exceeded the BMW R 32 for sporty performance thanks to a top speed of 100 km/h. Josef Stelzer confirmed the sporting qualities of the BMW R 39 by winning the German Road Championship in 1925.