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BMW HP2 Sport Concept by Oberdan Bezzi

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As a young sport bike enthusiast, I never really took the BMW HP2 Sport seriously during its brief tenure as part of BMW Motorrad’s two-wheeled lineup (the BMW HP2 Sport was discontinued after the 2012 model year).

Under-powered, overweight, with clearance issues from the air-cooled boxer engine – I just didn’t “get it” when it came to the HP2.

As a more veteran rider, who too now is a little underpowered, overweight, with some clearance issues, I have a better appreciation for this quirky street bike, and a sort of longing for the HP2 to return to BMW’s arsenal. So too does Oberdan Bezzi.

Here, the Italian designer imagines a machine that benefits from BMW’s liquid-cooled version of its boxer-twin engine, the same lump that powers the current line of R-bikes, like the venerable BMW R1200GS adventure-tourer.

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Recall

BMW Recalls 43,000+ Motorcycles in the USA

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If you’ve been following BMW Motorrad’s worldwide recall of over 300,000+ motorcycles, for faulty rear-wheel mounting flanges; well the recall has finally hit American shores, affecting over 43,000 units.

The basic gist of the recall is that on the affected motorcycles, the rear wheel mounting flange may crack if the rear wheel mounting bolts are over-tightened. This would cause the rear wheel to come off the motorcycle, which would of course likely result in a crash.

BMW Motorrad USA will notify possibly affected owners, and BMW dealers will replace the existing aluminum rear wheel flange with a new steel one, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 21, 2015.

Concerned owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417, and as always the NHTSA is also available at 1-888-327-4236 and safercar.gov.

You can find the full list of affected motorcycles, after the jump.

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Bikes

What If You Put Dustbin Fairings on Modern Sport Bikes?

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I simply love the latest sketches from Nicolas Petit. The French designer is sort of re-imaging a previous project of his, where he designed a modern-looking dustbin-style fairing for a BMW HP2 Sport and Moto Guzzi V12 Le Mans.

Taking on now the Ducati 1199 Panigale, Petit has mixed the old-styled TT racer look with Italy’s premier superbike, in an effective manner. We haven’t seen this sort of clash between old and new technology since John Hopkins raced the last two-stroke GP bike, the Yamaha YZR500 in 2002.

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Bikes

Wunderlich BMW R1200S Concept by Nicolas Petit

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If you don’t follow the work of Nicolas Petit, you should. The French designer has been inking some of the most striking motorcycle concepts in the industry, and the best part is many of them are coming to life thanks to BMW accessories provider Wunderlich.

Refusing to let go of the thesis provided BMW HP2 Sport, Petit envisions BMW’s new semi water-cooled boxer engine (first seen on the 2013 BMW R1200GS) as providing the basis for a new sport bike in the HP2’s vein, complete with a single-sided swingarm, dual undertail exhaust, and Öhlins suspension.

It might be a tough sell now that the BMW S1000RR and BMW HP4 have hit dealership floors, but there is something really quite elegant in Petit’s design, and we imagine there are more than few weekend riders who wouldn’t mind such a unique machine with a boxer’s punch.

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