The two-cylinder motorcycles BMW R 60 were widely employed by the police and state services. The first generation of R60 with the engine power of 28 hp was built from 1956 till 1960, and from 1960 till 1969 the R 60/2 was made with the engine power of 30 hp.

The R60 and R60/2 are 600 cc boxer-twin that were manufactured from 1956 to 1969 in Munich, Germany, by BMW. Some 20,133 of these 600 cc shaft-drive, opposed twin R60 (1956–1960, 28 hp or 21 kW), R60/2 (1960–1969, 30 hp or 22 kW), and R60US (1968–1969, 30 hp) were built. These models, except for those with the "US" designation, were designed primarily as rugged motorcycles to pull sidecars (mounting points were built in) and had duplex tubular steel frames.

Simultaneously manufactured were related models, including the 500 cc R50 (1955–1960, 26 hp or 19 kW), the R50/2 (1960–1969, 26 hp), the R50 S (1960–1962, 35 hp or 26 kW), the R50US (1968–1969, 26 hp), and the 600 cc sport-oriented R69 (1955–1960, 35 hp), R69S (1960–1969, 42 hp or 31 kW), and R69US (1968–1969, 42 hp).