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BMW S1000RR Outsells the R1200GS in the US for 2010

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BMW Motorrad has just released its numbers for last year, and the Bavarian brand is showing some strong results in 2010, especially considering the double-digit slogging most other companies took. With sales up 12% globally, BMW sold 98,047 motorcycles in 2010 compared to the 87,306 units it sold in 2009 (that’s a 10,741 unit difference).

Of the motorcycles sold in last year, the R1200GS remained the globally best selling unit within the brand (accounting for 18,768 units worldwide), and was followed by the R1200GS Adventure (11,648 units), R1200RT (11,132 units), and the S1000RR (10,209 units).

Perhaps the most striking news though is the fact that the new S1000RR superbike dominated liter bike sales in the United States, and even outsold the R1200GS here domestically, making 2010 a very successful year for BMW not only on the balance sheet, but also as proof that the Germans can sell bikes that aren’t featured in Long Way Around.

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Rumors

Rumor: Husqvarna Planning Road Bikes for 2012

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Husqvarna turned more than a few heads at the 2010 EICMA show when it unveiled its Husqvarna Mille 3 Concept. Of course the 993cc asymmetrical v-triple motor was primarily responsible for raising the eyebrows of passers-by, but the idea that Husqvarna would come out with a street-based concept was also more than curious (compounded by the fact that we still can’t quite define what street segment the Mille 3 would fit into). Well the Mille 3 Concept is starting to make a bit more sense now if news from Visordown proves to be correct, as the British publication is reporting that Husqvarna is poised to begin offering true street bikes in 2012.

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Banter

BMW Unscripted: Tiffany Coates

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Drawing from the same vein the as the BMW Films made in 2001 & 2002, the Bavarian brand has made some short videos that feature unique BMW owners doing what they do best with their German vehicles, and in the case of Tiffany Coates that means riding her BMW R80GS (named Thelma) just about everywhere humanly possible.

An accomplished adventure rider and a celebrity in the genre, Coates has hit five continents on her BMWs. While her narration gets a little advetorial at points, Coates’s travel book, experiences, and perspective, along with the imagery BMW shot for the video, easily make up for it with this rich short film. Check it out after jump, and let us know if you’ve gotten the itch to go exploring after hearing Tiffany’s story.

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News

BMW Continues Changes in WSBK Team Structure

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After rumored and real strife at the end of the WSBK season, BMW Motorrad continues to rearrange their team structure. The team, according to a recent press release, has continued on with the restructuring. BMW Motorrad Motorsport announced Thursday that Rainer Bäumel is the new Head of Race Operations, after being the Technical Director, with Stephan Fischer Head of Development, and Josef Hofmann the Managing Director of the factory.  After leaving Ducati at the end of the 2009 season and signing on as team manager for BMW for the 2010 season and producing something a turnaround for the team, Davide Tardozzi either left or was forced out due to “different ideas regarding the structure of the team,” leaving Bernhard Gobmeier to named as BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director in October.

According to Gobmeier, Thursday’s announcement might just be the end of the restructuring, “In filling these three key positions we are concluding the restructuring of the team management.” He also noted that this “new formation is leaner and the division of labour more clearly delineated,” which is either a statement of the obvious or a bit of a slap to Tardozzi’s management style, since “All three report directly to…Gobmeier.”

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News

BMW November Motorcycle Sales Up 7.8%

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BMW Motorrad continues to shine in this down economy, as the company has reported a 7.8% worldwide sales increase compared to November of last year. For the rest of 2010, BMW’s sales have increased every month compared to last year’s figures, from January to November. In the same time period, BMW Motorrad sold 94,283 units internationally, up 15% from the 81,946 units sold during the same duration last year.

While it isn’t saying much that sales are improving over the devastating numbers from 2009, the motorcycle industry is still considered to be down by roughly 11%, which makes BMW still an outlier from the industry norm.

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News

Chris Pfeiffer Gets HDR’d in Macedonia

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Chris Pfeiffer was in the former-Yugoslavia recently, and our friends at Motori.com.mk were on hand to see the Red Bull rider do his thing on his BMW stunt bike. Along with the usual fun stunting footage that goes with Chris Pfeiffer’s work, the guys at Motori took some HDR photos of Pfeiffer performing for his fans and around the capital city of Skopje, Macedonia. Head over to their site to read the interview (Google translated from Macedonian to English). Thanks for the tip Baze!

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Racing

Photos: BMW S1000RR WSBK Hits the Wind Tunnel

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As the BMW World Superbike team prepares for the 2011 season, Leon Haslam and Troy Corser took a break from their training regiment to spend some time in BMW’s wind tunnel facility in Bavaria. Looking to hone the maximum performance out of the S1000RR, both riders worked on their optimal streamlined body positions in speeds up to 150 mph. The BMW WSBK team also looked at the S1000RR’s fairing, examining how to optimize the bike’s Cx or coefficient of drag (we assume any modifications that were made were WSBK legal of course).

The team will get to test its results later this month in Jerez, and in the meantime Haslam and Corser will be shipped off to a BMW fitness training bootcamp with fellow BMW riders James Toseland and Ayrton Badovini from the BMW Italia squad, along with members of the BMW Enduro team. We don’t like the sound of this training camp, but BMW has given us 12 high-quality shots of the S1000RR in the wind tunnel, which we enjoyed.

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Bikes

BMW Concept C – Making Scooters Look Cool

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There is a joke in motorcycling about the two things you don’t want your friends to catch you riding, with the second part of that punch line involving scooters; and while we like to stay open-minded about our two-wheeled vehicles, there’s a reason you don’t see them covered that often here on A&R. All that goes out the window though if the scooters of the future look like this BMW Concept C Maxiscooter, which was released at EICMA this week.

Proof that the Bavarians can make a good looking two-wheeler (although they usually muck-up the end result after showing an attractive concept), the Concept C is the German company’s exploration of what will likely be the growing segment in the motorcycle industry. As gas prices continue to increase, people are going to have to become more practical about their forms of transportation (this statement goes two-fold for us Americans), not needing/wanting a full-sized motorcycle, the maxiscooter segment could be the answer on how to travel practically while not compromising on performance and image.

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Bikes

2011 BMW G650GS – A Face Only a Mother Could Love

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The 2011 BMW G650GS is a quasi-new model from the Bavarian factory, as the bike is built around the same F650GS platform we’re all familiar with, but adds a new headlight and bodywork package to the mix. Taking over from the old G650Gs which was built in China, the 2011 BMW G650GS is built in Germany at BMW’s central motorcycle plant, and is another model being shown ahead of EICMA by BMW, along with the 2011 BMW R1200R & 2011 BMW R1200R Classic.

With a 652cc DOHC liquid-cooled single-cylinder motor that puts out 48hp (and optional 34hp package is also available to comply with Spanish, and soon EU law), and 44 lbs•ft of torque. Tourers won’t be happy with BMW’s 14L (3.7 gallons) fuel tank for the G650GS, down from the previous 17.3L tank. That range trade-off has been made to help make the BMW G650GS more agile though, as the smaller tank helps get the 2011 BMW G650GS down to its 423 lbs wet weight, with a full tank of gas. A bounty of photos awaits you after the jump.

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Bikes

The 2011 BMW R1200R Gets the DOHC Treatment

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Ahead of EICMA, BMW has released information on the 2011 BMW R1200R & 2011 BMW R1200R Classic street bikes (along with the 2011 BMW G650GS). Getting the R1200GS/R1200GT’s dual-overhead cam twin-cylinder boxer motor, the R1200R series gets a 500 RPM boost, more power (110hp), and more torque (87.77 lbs•ft) from the updated air-cooled 1170cc motor. Other minor updates include a more distinct old school style for the 2011 BMW R1200R Classic, while both bikes benefit from an increased stand pipe (41mm up from 35mm) on the front Telelever suspension.

Other subtle changes to the R1200R’s are the two-bolt configuration on the cylinder head, which used to have four bolts (breath-taking, we know). A shorter exhaust pipe is used with both bikes, with a brushed sleeve for the BMW R1200R, and chrome plated version for the BMW R1200R Classic. The 2011 BMW R1200R will get aluminum alloy wheels, while the 2001 BMW R100R Claissc will have alloy rims held to the bike via spoked hubs for that retro feel.

Both bikes can be fitted with the optional electronic suspension (ESA), which changes the R1200R’s rear pre-load with a touch of a button, anti-lock brakes (ABS), and automatic stability control (ASC). Our favorite touch though has to be the revised instrument cluster, which brings a classy look the bikes. Check out a whole mess of photos after the jump.

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News

BMW to Sell Motorcycles in India

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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.

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