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BMW S1000RR Gets Updated for 2015

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Despite being five years old, the BMW S1000RR remains one of the best sport bikes you can buy on the market. This is do largely to BMW bringing a bevy of European top-tier features to the superbike, but pricing it inline with its Japanese counterparts, thus creating tremendous bang for the buck for sport bike enthusiasts.

For the 2013 model year, the Bavarians raised their game with its more exclusive BMW HP4 offering, which brought semi-active suspension into liter-bike mix. Now with the Bosch MSC cornering ABS module, BMW continues to raise the game in what was once a segment that lived solely in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Now for 2015, it seems that BMW is set to update the S1000RR, as a revised version of the bike has been spotted in Germany, sporting noticeably different bodywork and other features.

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News

BMW Q2 2014 Sales Up 5.1% – Another Record Quarter

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BMW Motorrad’s second-quarter sales results are in, and the German brand has not only another record quarter to report, but also an all-time six-month top-sales record as well.

Selling 42,259 units in Q2 2014, BMW Motorrad sales are up 5.1%, with revenue up 11.2% to €528 million (€55 million EBIT). This sales volume represents an all-time second-quarter high for BMW motorcycles sales.

The news also makes the first half of 2014 the best six-month period, in the 90 years of BMW Motorrad’s history, of BMW motorcycle sales, with revenue up 9.8% to €1 billion, and unit sales up 9.3% to 70,978 units.

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News

BMW R1200RT Suspension Fiasco to Conclude This Month

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It was only a few months ago, June 6th to be precise, that BMW Motorrad advised owners of the new liquid-cooled BMW R1200RT, who had the optional Dynamic ESA suspension package equipped, to stop riding their motorcycles until a solution to a collapsing rear shock defect could be found.

Ultimately, BMW and its parts supplier decided to replace the rear shock entirely, recalling all the 8,000 units worldwide (950 of which are in the United States) — they made that announcement just a month ago, though have been giving R1200RT owners a varying number of other options as well.

For those R1200RT that elected not to have BMW Motorrad buyback their machines, riding should commence sometime this month. BMW Motorcycle Magazine is reporting that BMW Motorcycle dealers should have replacement shock absorbers in two weeks’ time, and thus be able to begin fixing affected machines.

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News

BMW HP4 Gets ABS-Supported Brakes for Cornering

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Stability control for motorcycles is the new rage right now, after the Bosch MSC system was announced, and made available for the KTM 1190 Adventure.

It seems BMW Motorrad is the next manufacturer to receive this new anti-locking brakes system that works while leaned over, and the BMW HP4 is the first Bavarian machine to get the upgrade.

BMW Motorrad is calling the Bosch MSC system “ABS Pro”, and it functions by adjusting the inputs to the brake calipers based on the acceleration, roll, and yaw of the motorcycle.

This avoids accidentally tucking the front-end of the motorcycling while trail braking, and also eliminates the bike standing up when the brakes are applied while in a moderate lean.

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News

BMW Motorrad Hits All-Time Half-Year Sales Record

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Despite having rough sales in June (-5.7%), BMW Motorrad says it had its best six-month spread every during the first half of 2014, with the German motorcycle maker selling 70,978 motorcycles and maxi-scooters so far this year. Up 9.3% over the same time period last year (64,941 units), BMW Motorrad continues to show solid growth each quarter, and each sales year.

“We have achieved an all-time six-month high in the first half of this year. Never before have we sold this many vehicles in the first six months of a year,” said Heiner Faust, BMW Motorrad Head of Sales and Marketing. “With an increase of 9.3 % in the first half of 2014, we remain on course to achieve an all-time sales high for the year as a whole.”

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Bikes

2015 BMW K1300S Motorsport – A Swan Song?

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Mid-year product launches are usually uneventful affairs, as manufacturers basically trying to grab some column space with the reworkings of their previous-year machines. BMW Motorrad is no different of course, releasing information on a number of “2015” machines that only really have new paint options to show for their model year distinctions.

Some credit can be given to the 2015 BMW R1200GS, which will be receiving the same heavier flywheel that is found on the current crop of BMW R1200GS Adventure and BMW R1200RT motorcycles. This should make the GS a little bit more manageable at lower engine rpm’s, and match the “bold new graphics” nicely in the process.

Another Bavarian motorcycle of note is the 2015 BMW K1300S Motorsport, which takes the venerable sport-tourer from BMW, and adds a bit of flash to the machine. The new paint scheme is the most obvious of new elements, and the BMW K1300S Motorsport incorporates a black engine spoiler, tinted windshield, HP wheels, and Akrapovic exhaust. What’s more important though, is in the fine print.

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Recall

Recall: BMW R1200RT Equipped with Dynamic ESA

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After advising owners of the 2014 BMW R1200RT to stop riding their motorcycles if they were equipped with the company’s Dynamic ESA suspension, BMW Motorrad has now begun an official recall with the NHTSA for the faulty rear shock piston rod on the R1200RT.

In its NHTSA filing, BMW of North America says that the piston rod within the rear shock absorber can break without warning, which can cause a loss of stability that in-turn could result in a crash. The issue only affects motorcycles manufactured between November 27th, 2013, to May 5th, 2014, for a total of 950 potentially affected machines in the USA.

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Bikes

BMW Motorrad USA Offering Money, Loaners, and Buyback Options to R1200RT Owners for Suspension Woes

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A reports by BMW Motorcycle Magazine has described what BMW Motorrad USA is offering owners who were affected by the “Do Not Ride” order regarding the BMW R1200RT.

For those that don’t remember BMW Motorrad issued a worldwide statement regarding the 2014 BMW R1200RT, saying that models of the touring bike that were equipped with the Dynamic ESA suspension should not be ridden, as a BMW supplier alerted the German brand that the rear suspension had a defect, which could cause catastrophic failure.

BMW Motorrad hasn’t intimated when a solution could be coming for the affected R1200RT owners, though rumors are a date in August or September. To compensate American riders for this downtime, BMW Motorrad USA has put together three options for RT owners.

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Racing

Michael Dunlop Wins Joey Dunlop TT Championship, Again

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Winning four of the five major solo races, Michael Dunlop easily took the Joey Dunlop TT Championship this year, and further solidified his supremacy at the Isle of Man TT. Last year’s winner as well, many regard Michael Dunlop as having taken over John McGuinness’ place as King of the Mountain.

McPint lovers might take issue with that statement, seeing how McGuinness came to the 2014 IOMTT with a wrist injury, and thus was not at the top of his game. Whoever you pick though, there can be no denying that Michael Dunlop is on a tear, especially when paired with the BMW S1000RR.

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Racing

IOMTT: PokerStars Senior TT Race Results

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The final race of the 2014 Isle of Man TT is upon us, the “blue ribbon” event as they call it on the Isle, we are of course talking about the Senior TT.

Six laps of high-octane racing, the smart money pick was of course on Michael Dunlop and his BMW S1000RR superbike — despite BMW having not been at the Isle of Man in decades, and Dunlop never having won a Senior before in his career.

With perfect weather on the Snaefell Mountain Course, TT fans were treated to a fine Senior TT, which was full of close racing.

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Recall

2014 BMW R1200RT Owners Advised Not to Ride Their Motorcycles – Potentially Critical Suspension Defect

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BMW Motorrad has released a worldwide notification about a potentially dangerous suspension situation, which affects the 2014 BMW R1200RT.

Concerned about the safety regarding the Dynamic ESA electronic suspension package, BMW Motorrad says that there is a potential defect with the system’s rear spring strut.

Since the German motorcycle manufacturer cannot rule that the piston rod could potentially break, BMW Motorrad is advising 2014 R1200RT owners not to ride their motorcycles until further notice.

BMW Motorrad insists that this is a precautionary measure, which the comopany is making in the interests of customer safety, and based on a supplier report.

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