One year after the launch of the revolutionary BMW R 5, the BMW R 6 was included in the range as the first 600 cc model. The lightweight tubular frame was taken over from the BMW R 5, alongside the gearbox with the new foot-operated gear shift, activation of the rear-wheel brake, tool box integrated in the tank, and the aristocratic, two-colour painted wheel rims. The newly developed engine was designed as a torquey long-stroke engine and was therefore ideal for the increasingly popular sidecar combination. As early as 1938, the BMW R 6 had been replaced by the BMW R 61 equipped with rear-wheel suspension.