News, reviews and articles about BMW bikes on the ‘net

[Arne Rohde]

#18403

And now for some celebrity news, and information on how to ruin a perfectly good motorbike.  ;D

BMW Motorrad and Orlando Bloom present the BMW S 1000 R Custom

"Michael "Woolie" Woolaway from Deus Ex Machina turns Orlando Bloom's vision of a custom bike into reality."Continue reading and watch the video at: http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/individual/news/2011/news.jsp?id=4226

[Arne Rohde]

#18404

BMW know how to do 'ugly' as well. This one to be presented at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

BMW’s Concept 101 – The German Firm’s “Perfect Embodiment of American Touring”

"BMW has announced the unveiling of its Concept 101 motorcycle at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy today. The head of design for BMW Motorrad calls the Concept 101 “the epitome of elegance, power and luxury on two wheels.”101 refers to the cubic inch capacity (1,649 cc) of the six-cylinder engine, as well as Highway 101 in California near the BMW design center."Motorcycle Daily has the full press release with photos at: http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2015/05/bmws-concept-101-the-german-firms-perfect-embodiment-of-american-touring/

[Anonymous]

#18405

As much as I think the 101 is fugly… it's a style that you see often enough in the states, Honda F6B, Victory and HD models are similar.If it helps pay off the 6cyl R&D and we still get the cool adventure bikes, who cares  ;D

[Anonymous]

#18406

BMW have built a heck of a lot of ugly bikes that were so “out there” on their first appearance that they became trend-setting and changed a lot of riders' ideas about what was, in fact, desirable.That "pickles and cheese before bed" nightmare doesn't look like it'll be one of them to my jaundiced eyes. Looks like a Honda Rune got knotted with a Victory and they should have put the pups in a sack and drowned them before they grew up. If it goes into production they'll probably sell a zillion in the States, which would say a lot about their culture.

[Anonymous]

#18407

Mildly interesting that the news of the 101 is still embargoed across the Tasman until 1600 this avo (I presume NSW time). Rare occasion of the Aussies having better taste than us?

[Dave Ross]

#18408

It looks like they used real wood, instead of the fake stuff. That won't go down well in the states :-). Looks like it has a very low seat height, too. I wouldn't buy one, but to be fair, if it's one more bike on the road, it can't be a bad thing. I like to take the mickey on some of these offerings, but really, I don't see a problem with them taking risks. It's a from of evolution, some ideas work and some don't. It's not always easy to see which is which. They could hide some retractable trainer wheels in those panniers, that would widen the appeal even more.

[Anonymous]

#18409

On a really bad day somebody might send you a photo like this (apparently off Facebook) before breakfast.Video of both bikes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtqwEG6WS04and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEc75n2EAOY

[Arne Rohde]

#18410

UltimateMotorcycling has a review of BMW Airflow apparel – jacket, pants, gloves and boots – although it's not exactly the right time of year here to ride with vented apparel.

BMW AirFlow Apparel Review – Jacket, Pants, Gloves, Boots

"The BMW AirFlow suit is fully committed to warm weather, although it is not all mesh. Its strategically placed AirTex mesh panels are wide open and have no provision for closure. The flow of air feels almost as strong as with a full mesh suit, yet the wearer gets the protective benefit of heavier Polyamide/Polyurethane fabric in the solid areas of its construction."Read the review at: https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2015/06/05/bmw-airflow-apparel-review-airflow-3-boots-and-airflow-gloves/

[Arne Rohde]

#18411

Motorcyclist Online has a comparison test of 4 quite different, some would say incomparable, bikes suitable for touring: BMW R1200RT, Honda CTX1300, Suzuki Burgman 650, and Yamaha Super Ténéré. Not surprisingly it difficult to find a recommendation that would suit everyone.

Touring 4 Ways: BMW R1200RT vs. Honda CTX1300 Deluxe vs. Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS vs. Yamaha Super Ténéré ES

"Motorcycling has been taken to task by our elders who remind us that a sport-touring motorcycle was just a motorcycle with a duffel bag on the seat and an extra set of spark plugs under the sidecover. Today’s technologically sophisticated two-wheelers are specialized almost beyond recognition, but they maintain an important linkage to the past: With the right attitude and a sense of adventure, you can travel, tour, escape on just about anything. Even a scooter."Read the rest of the test and the conclusions at: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/touring-comparison-baggers-adv-adventure-touring-sport-touring-scooters-bmw-r1200rt-honda-ctz1300

[Dave Morris]

#18412

Yup there's one born every minute.  Some halfwit will probably chose the Suzuki 😮

[Anonymous]

#18413

Nope, the 650 Burger is too big, the 250 is enough grunt for BMWOR rides.

[Anonymous]

#18414

Talk about a useless comparison. Perhaps we should compare the fuel range of a CT110, scooter and R1200GSA?I did enjoy this R1200GSA vs KTM Super Adventure though:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfz2SYOUEeA

[Arne Rohde]

#18415

BMW is showing off a concept scrambler-type bike based on the R Nine T, complete with surfboard carrier.

BMW Scrambler Concept Bike Revealed in Biarritz, France

Read the story and see the photos on the motorcycle.com web site at: http://blog.motorcycle.com/2015/06/11/manufacturers/bmw/bmws-scrambler-concept-bike-revealed-in-biarritz-france/There's also a BMW Press release about this, which can be found at: http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/individual/news/2011/news.jsp?id=4325

[Arne Rohde]

#18416

The Stuff web site has a review by Paul Owen of the local version of the F800R.

BMW's F800R gets better looks, more kit and a lower sticker

"The winking face has been banished from the 2015 BMW F800R streetbike, replaced by a large single-headlight fascia that could have been inspired by a Transformer (the changelings in the movies rather than the large electrical box in your street).This cosmetic enhancement is just one component of BMW's strategy to bless the sensible parallel-twin with more charisma."Read the rest of the review at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/bikes/69067773/bmws-f800r-gets-better-looks-more-kit-and-a-lower-sticker

[Arne Rohde]

#18417

The motorcycle-usa web site has published a comparison, with videos, of 6 superbikes in a 'superbike smackdown' track test. The BMW S1000RR is included in the comparison, but does not win this round.

2015 Superbike Smackdown X Track

"Lighter, faster, smaller. A decade ago these were the principals of sportbike design. It was the heyday of engineering – an era when three-year product cycles weren’t the average, they were the norm… Or was it? While today’s top Superbike brands aren’t as anxious to unveil full wheel-to-wheel overhauls, they are still keen on showcasing cutting-edge electronics and mechanical innovation, making the exhilarating performance of this class more accessible to a larger riding audience. So after a three-year hiatus MotoUSA presents the 10th edition of our 2015 Superbike Smackdown Shootout from Willow Springs Raceway."Read the 'smackdown' results and watch the videos, and see which bike won and which placing the BMW achieved, at:http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2015/06/article/2015-superbike-shootout-x-track/

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