BMW K 1300GT Motorcycles, page #18

Moto blog

Ex-BMW Executive Pieter De Waal Joins Zero Motorcycles Board of Directors

Zero Motorcycles announced the addition of Pieter De Waal as the newest member of its board of directors. De Waal provides Zero with more than 30 years of experience in the automotive and motorcycle industries. Formerly of Nissan, Delta (General Motors), Mercedes Benz and, most recently, BMW, De Waal has experience dealing with many facets of the industry, from engineering to sales.

Survey Says Harley-Davidson and BMW Motorcycles Less Reliable Than Japanese – But Owners Don’t Care

A new survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center finds BMW and Harley-Davidson  owners are much more likely to report major problems with their motorcycles than owners of Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha motorcycles. The survey, which will appear on the April 2013 issue of Consumer Reports, says one in three BMW owners reported experiencing a major problem with their bikes in the last four years. Harley-Davidson owners were slightly better, with one in four reporting serious issues.

2014 BMW R1200RT Spied Testing

With the new 2013 BMW R1200GS now launching worldwide, it really should be no surprise BMW is working on more models using the GS’s new liquid-cooled boxer engine. A contributor to French site MotoMag happened upon a crew of test riders on heavily camouflaged test mules of what appears to be the 2014 BMW R1200RT. The swirly camo pattern does little to hide the new “precision cooling” liquid-cooled engine, easily identified by the pipes exiting from the bottom of the cylinders.

BMW Reports 2012 Sales Results

BMW released its year-end 2012 financial report, reporting revenues of 1.49 billion euros (US$1.93 billion) from its motorcycle business in 2012, up from 1.44 billion euros in 2011. The increased revenues came in a record year for BMW with the company selling an all-time record of 106,358 motorcycles in 2012. Despite the increase in sales revenue, BMW reported a much smaller profit from its motorcycle business, earning 9 million euros (US$11.6 million) in 2012, compared to 45 million euros in 2011.

The Best Bar in America

A whiskey-fueled writing assignment takes one man on an epic motorcycle road trip through the bars and taverns across the American West in this feature film.  The film follows a character called Sanders who rides a 1960 BMW R60/2 across Arizona, Utah and Montana. With help of fellow traveler and sage, Northway, and a variety of other colorful characters along the way, Sanders gets learns the way of the road and the zen of the bar.  The Best Bar in America is scheduled for release on DVD and iTunes this Spring. If you fancy watching a bike film before then you can always check out Visordown's Top 10 motorcycle movies of all time.

2013 BMW R1200GS Telelever Problem Explained in Transport Canada Recall

Earlier this week, we wrote about reports in the Italian media of a delay on deliveries of the 2013 BMW R1200GS because of an issue with the suspension. Transport Canada has now issued a recall notice on BMW‘s new GS – the third to come from the Canadian government agency – that would explain the delay. According to Transport Canada, the threaded plugs securing the fork tubes to the upper triple clamp may come loose over time on some units.

2013 BMW R1200GS Deliveries Delayed to Fix Suspension Issue

BMW has reportedly delayed delivers of the revamped R1200GS in Italy to correct a problem with its Telelever front suspension. According to Motociclismo.it, BMW discovered a problem where the Telelever meets the steering plate. BMW reportedly has a fix, but it requires some special tooling.

New: BMW GS Dry adventure clothing

BMW has launched an all-new adventure suit and gloves called the GS Dry, designed to complement its GS range of adventure motorcycles, and has also updated its adventure boots and off-road helmet for 2013. Here's the skinny from BMW:   GS Dry Suit: The all-new GS Dry Suit is ideally suited to new and younger riders; offering traditional BMW Motorrad design, comfort and safety and, above all, fantastic value for money. Crafted from breathable, tough Cordura 500 fabric, the GS Dry Suit is ready to take on any weather and terrain, featuring a wind and waterproof C.A.R.E Climate membrane and BMW Motorrad’s own NP protectors. Further small, but welcome, design touches include stretch inserts, air vents, reflective panels, leather paneling on high-wear areas on the legs and a selection of internal and external waterproof pockets. The GS Dry Suit, available in a selection of colours and sizes for both men and women, costs £750.  GS Dry Glove: New for 2013 is the GS Dry Glove, a hybrid textile/leather blend with the outstanding Gore-Tex X-Trafit membrane. Offering protection from the elements on and off-road, the GS Dry Glove features abrasion-resistant SuperFabric on the hand and memory foam for impact protection. The GS Dry Glove, available in a selection of colours and sizes for both men and women, costs £85.

BMW Launches New National Television Ad Campaign – Video

BMW Motorrad USA has launched a new national ad campaign, its first in the U.S., according to the company, in over 20 years. The new ad campaign – “Feed Your Restless” – begins today, March 1, and will run more than 1,500 times through June on Velocity, Speed, Fuel TV, the Sportsman Channel, ESPN, ESPNews, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the National Geographic Channel. BMW has produced four commercials for the campaign, three that will run nationally and a fourth for dealers to use for their local markets.

WSBK 2013: Phillip Island Race Report

Max Biaggi who? The Roman Emperor’s retirement after winning the 2012 World Superbike Championship marked the end of an era for Aprilia, with the 2013 campaign marking the first without Biaggi since the Italian manufacturer came back to the WSBK scene with the RSV4. If Aprilia misses its two-time WSBK Champion, it sure didn’t show it with a dominating display at the 2013 season opener in Australia.