Episode 41 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is back with another weekly episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure. In this show, we sit down and talk about a few bikes in particular.
We start out with the BMW R18, which has been sitting in the garage at A&R HQ these past few weeks. Accordingly, we give some initial thoughts on riding this unique cruiser, and what it means for the German brand.
BMW Motorrad is beginning the release of its new motorcycles for the 2021 model year, and first up is the new BMW R18 Classic.
Calling this air-cooled 1,800cc cruiser a “new” model might be a stretch, since the bike is heavily based off the BMW R18 that is just now getting to dealerships.
2020 continues to be a tough year for motorcycle sales, though it comes with the silver lining that brands have seen a strong summer and early fall in terms of customers buying bikes.
Today, we see early sales numbers from BMW Motorrad typifying that trend, as the German brand is reporting big gains for Q3 2020, to the tune of 20.9% (52,892 units sold to customers).
That good news is tempered by the bigger picture though, as BMW Motorrad is still off the mark for the year so far, having sold only 129,599 motorcycles in the first nine months of 2020 – a 5.4% drop compared to this time last year.
As we thought, today sees us getting our first glimpse of a new motorcycle from BMW Motorrad, but even so, give a proper hello to the BMW M1000RR superbike.
Of course with the “M” name now on a motorcycle, we see that the S1000RR package has been cranked to 11 in order to make the M1000RR a reality.
First off, you will see the prominent carbon fiber winglets attached to the front of the fairing, which is very en vogue right now, and thus obligatory. They provide 36 lbs (16.2 kg) of downforce at 187 km/h.
Underneath the hood, things are more rowdy with the BMW M1000RR, with peak power coming in at 209hp (156 kW) and peak torque at 83 lbs•ft (113 Nm).
With only 500 units coming worldwide, BMW Motorrad has already made its indication of homologating the BMW M1000RR for WorldSBK use, and to make the bike potent and ready for Superstock racing. Accordingly, pricing is set at €30,000 in Europe.
Innovation comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so it is interesting today to see some progress made on an often overlooked item: the motorcycle chain.
BMW Motorrad is touting the first maintenance-free chain ever for a motorcycle, calling the product the BMW M Endurance chain. In reality, the product is made by Regina, with BMW claiming first rights to the product and rebranding it.
The BMW M Endurance chains is similar to other X-ring chains in that it has a permanent lubricant filling between the rollers and pins, enclosed by X-rings.
What is completely new however is Regina’s design, in that it does not require additional external lubrication, nor does it require retensioning over time.
We have seen a few recalls from BMW Motorrad North America lately, and now we can add another to the tally. In this latest recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), we see 447 units from BMW’s R series of bikes involved in a recall.
As such, BMW is recalling the BMW R1250 RT, R1250R, R1250RS, R1250GS, and R1250 GS Adventure motorcycles from the 2021 model year for issues with its tire pressure labels.
Tom Sykes will spend a third season with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK racing team, signing a one-year deal with the German outfit this week.
He will be joined in the garage by Michael van der Mark, who will take his first season on the BMW S1000RR next year.
The re-signing of Sykes is no surprise, though the real news here might be the shifting of Michael van der Mark from the Yamaha squad to the BMW outfit.
The second of BMW Motorrad USA’s recalls to hit in the past few days, this one concerns the fuel pump flange on the following motorcycles: BMW K1300S (2009-2011), BMW K1300GT (2009-2011), BMW S1000 RR (2010-2011), BMW R1200GS (2005-2011), BMW R1200GS Adventure (2005-2011), BMW R1200R (2005-2011), BMW R1200RT (2005-2011), BMW R1200S (2005-2011), BMW R1200 ST (2005-2011), BMW HP2 Enduro (2006-2010), BMW HP2 Megamoto (2006-2010), BMW HP2 Sport (2006-2010), BMW K1200R (2005-2008), BMW K1200R Sport (2005-2008), BMW K1200B (2005-2008), BMW K1200S (2005-2008), BMW K1200GT (2005-2008), BMW K1600GT (2012), and the BMW K1600GTL (2012).
As you can tell from the extensive list, there is a plethora of machines in the United States affected by this recall, 16,926 motorcycles to be precise, and it is a continuation of a previous recall for the same issue.
It is the name that started a whole new way to motorcycle, and it is turning 40-years-old this year.
The iconic “GS” (short for Gelände/Straße) is a category defining series of motorcycles from BMW Motorrad, and to celebrate its birthday, the German brand is releasing a flurry of special edition middleweight models.
The unique BMW F750GS, BMW F850GS and BMW F850GS Adventure models are easy to spot with their special yellow and black livery, but the Bavarians have also packed a few features into these machines to help them party.
There is a concerted effort in the motorcycles industry to spin the sales nightmare that is 2020.
A great example of this is today’s press release from BMW Motorrad, which disclosed that the German brand is down 17.7% in unit sales for the first six months of 2020.
Adaptive cruise control has been coming for a long time now to the two-wheeled world, and in the past couple of years we have seen more than a few European brands playing with the technology (all of which are likely working with Bosch to integrate this feature).
Already a staple in the automotive industry, now adaptive cruise control comes to the motorcycle industry, with BMW Motorrad being the first company to feature the tech on its bikes, which the company calls “Active Cruise Control” (ACC).