Posts
Almost the entire motorcycle industry in the US is now in a very deep depression, but BMW is not mired in that mess. The BMW S1000RR has since arrived in the States and is selling incredibly well. This has really improved sales for BMW here and it continues to go well for the German marque. The S1000RR is a revolutionary machine, so it is not that surprising as there are still people with money out there...they are just very careful about what they spend their money on. The S1000RR is worth it!
http://tinyurl.com/y8gmkx8
The BMW GS motorcycles are made to go anywhere you want to take them - and they often do. In the UK, a new race series has come about called the BMW Motorrad GS Trophy UK Qualifier. This will put riders through a severely tough course with the three top riders progressing to the International GS Trophy Finals in November of this year. BMW Motorrad UK, Simon Pavey and the BMW Off-Road Skills School have worked together for this purpose. For all the details - and a better description - please take the link.
http://tinyurl.com/y9lt2lo
S1000RR Boosts BMW Sales & BMW Looks for GS Owners
More Friday Afternoon Moto News - Honda, Adventure and the BMW R1200GS Adventure
First, a trip to the past - again - to look at Honda's racing heritage. This is an incredibly detailed look into Honda's early racing experiences in Japan and their preparation for Soichiro Honda's goal of racing in - and winning - the Isle of Man TT. There is some great information here about the models raced in Japan during those early years and some of the great racers from the factory. Read it and you will learn something...
http://tinyurl.com/ycq3gez
A story of Ivan Pisarenko and his attempts at riding the continental divide (see previous post on another attempt). See, he had many problems during his riding experiences and has managed to come back and try again and again. This man is determined and has also become a sort of folk hero. He even took time during his journey to earn money to continue it...it's an inspiring story and one which should be written about in a book.
http://tinyurl.com/yb5blps
http://tinyurl.com/yfgymmp
And, finally for this post, another riding impression of a BMW - and an appropriate model considering the previous story - the R1200GS Adventure. What an amazing machine! However, it will have to compete with even more similarly focused motorcycles coming from the likes of Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Moto Morini and more. However, the fact that this machine is adventure-proven does make it a very good choice for riding anywhere you want to go...
http://tinyurl.com/yac7p78
Friday Afternoon Bike Reviews - R1200GS and GSX-R1000
There are two reviews here today, one on the 2010 BMW R1200GS and the 2010 Suzuki GSX-R1000.
First, we have one of the kings of the racetrack in any nation, the Suzuki GSX-R1000. For 2010, there are only additional paint schemes, no big updates anywhere else. Of course, the 2009 model was a fantastic machine, so we should expect nothing less in 2010.
http://tinyurl.com/yg7a5cj
And, the 2010 BMW R1200GS is in a class almost by itself. Many competitors have come around in recent years, but the GS is still standing tall. There are some big changes in the engine department - four-valve heads from the HP2. The riding impression demonstrates just how much of a difference this is. So, take the link and have a read, you will enjoy it and maybe learn something...
http://tinyurl.com/yha4q39
Another review: http://tinyurl.com/yk25nc7
And, a video: http://tinyurl.com/yej6x2n
Tuesday Afternoon Moto News from Around the World
Not much going on this afternoon, so I only have one to place here.
A blog which I have linked to many times in the past few months, Luxist, had some of the authors of the site take a ride at the BMW Performace Center in Spartanburg - outside of Greenville, South Carolina. They had one hell of a time, as you might expect. They also provided us with a look into the school and the BMW machines they use to train their students. There are even several quality photos of the time which was spent there. Take a look as you may one day attend this school as well...
http://tinyurl.com/ylctnrp
An Argument for Less is More with Adventure Riding
Have you priced the BMW R1200GS Adventure lately - or, even the KTM 990 Adventure? Well, this author argues that buying a less expensive - and a bit less radical - adventure machine is a better deal in the long run. He is all about the Suzuki DR650, and he does make sense!
http://tinyurl.com/yctle4p
The Arctic Challenge: A Test of Three Adventure Bikes
This is what I call a true test of capability! They took three bikes - KTM 990 Adventure, BMW R1200GS Adventure, F800GS - to the Dempster Highway in northern Canada where it crosses the Arctic Circle. It was a simple choice as they are, in fact, on an adventure through the frozen tundra (what's left of it) to decide which of these bikes best meets their needs...have a read of Part I.
http://tinyurl.com/yldwjwc
Now, we have Part II of the adventure. It is interesting to see how things changed once they got off of the pavement for some hard slogging in the back-country and mud.
http://tinyurl.com/y8qh5vq
Charley Boorman Is Now a Cult Figure
And why not? The man has been just about everywhere on the Earth. He's really a nice guy. He's pretty damn resilient. And, those great series, Long Way 'Round and Long Way Down, were both awesome in DVD, book, or TV format - everyone who loves motorcycles should watch them. Charley Boorman has gone around the world on motorcycles, raced in the Paris-Dakar, and is looking at even going into the Baja 1000 at some point. There is just so much this guy does...I wish I knew him. I bet he has some great stories that not many have heard yet...
http://tinyurl.com/ybqkbpe
BMW Unveils 2010 R1200RT - R1200GS - R1200GS Adventure
