Somewhere on the A&R bucket list is riding Royal Enfields through India. Like blizting a German car down the autobahn, there is just something that feels right about taking the classic Indian-made motorcycle through its native terrain.

Now with India becoming the epicenter of growth for the motorcycle industry, a whole new definition of what is motorcycling is about to be written. Perhaps then, it is fitting that Royal Enfield has paired the visuals of this video with the words that Robert M. Pirsig wrote in his classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

“The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn’t any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it’s right. If it disturbs you it’s wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.” Could anyone have enivisioned better words to describe the shift we are seeing in the motorcycle industry to markets like India and Asia as a whole? Enjoy the video after the jump.

We already told you that 2011 was BMW Motorrad’s best sales year ever, and that the BMW S1000RR topped the Bavarian brand’s charts here in the United States. Zie Germans must be feeling rather pleases with themselves right now (and rightfully so), as BMW has released more details about its all-time motorcycle sales record. Pushing out 104,286 units in 2011, BMW Motorrad was up 6.4% in 2011 over 2010, with each of the 2011′s twelve months outselling its 2010 counterpart. Toppling its previous sales record from 2007 (the height of the world economy), it says something about BMW’s current business strategy that it can best that figure in an economy that is still exceedingly weak in comparison.

It is interesting to note in which markets, and in which segments, BMW is finding this growth, because the answers are not necessarily our usual suspects. Basically doubling its worldwide 500+cc market share over the past four years, BMW now accounts for 12% of the worlds “big” displacement motorcycles by units sold per annum. This goes counter to the trend that we’ve seen, where small-displacement are being cast as the sales leaders for large brands (namely the Japanese Four).

Here’s a random factoid delivered in the form of a question for you: when looking at the metrics for the A&R website, A&R Twitter account, and A&R Facebook page, which city do you think is responsible for the most readers? We are an American-based website after all, so your top picks might be New York, Los Angeles, or maybe San Francisco, right? Nope. Half our traffic does come from abroad though, so maybe London? Paris? Rome? Barcelona? Wrong again dear readers, because when it comes to a single city consuming the moto-goodness that we publish on a daily basis, none of them have anything on Jakarta, Indonesia (yes, the title of article gave that one away, huh?).

I recently talked about this phenomenon with another online motojournalist, who was experiencing the same trend, and he concluded that it must be employees using proxy servers so they can read blog while at work. I disagreed however, and when looking at where the industry as a whole is currently headed, I think there is something much more basic at play here. Developing countries are the future of motorcycling, and right now Southeast Asia is a hot bed of growth for motorcycle sales. With a less developed infrastructure, and still a need to get from Point A to Point B, motorcycles provide a cheap and effective means of transportation in countries like Indonesia, and for many, motorcycles have become a way of life.

After successfully launching its cars in the growing markets of Asia, BMW plans on having its motorcycles available for purchase in three Indian dealerships by December of this year. Making available its R & K series street motorcycles, along with the S1000RR superbike, BMW will have a presence in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, with the bikes being imported directly from BMW’s factory in Berlin. BMW has targeted India as an area for strong growth in the future, and joins companies like Brembo, Yamaha, Honda, Royal Enfield, and KTM who have increased their presence and production in the budding Western Asia area.

Yamaha Motors is set to raise $812 million in capital in order to pursue development and production of fuel-efficient engines, which includes hybrid and electric models. The focus of this new range of Yamahas seems to be destined for emerging markets, but may include technologies that could trickle into more established markets like the United States. Yamaha plans on raising this money by making 63.25 million more corporate shares publicly available for investment.

After aquiring Indian firm JV KBX from Bosch last October, Brembo has opened the doors of its brand new plant in India this week. The plant will be dedicated to the production of disc brake systems for scooters and motorcycles between the displacement of 125cc and 250cc’s in the Indian market.

The move positions Brembo to challenge the Lombard Group, which currently holds over 50% of the market share for disk brakes of motor vehicles in India. In case you didn’t know, the Indian market is mainly composed motorcycles between 50cc’s and 350cc’s. This makes the acquisition and new factory a huge strategic move for Brembo in a rapidly developing nation.

Brembo is selling the brake products under the name Breco, which is their mark specifically dedicated for motorcycles and scooters with small and medium displacements in developing countries like Brazil, Russia, India, China and in the other nations of Southeast Asia.

Brembo’s activities in India began in 1998 through a license of its technology for the production of brake discs for motorcycles to the Indian Kalayani Brakes, later acquired by Bosch Chassis Systems India Ltd., the Indian subsidiary of the German multinational of a similar name. In 2006 it was turned into KBX, the Joint Venture Joint between Brembo and Bosch.