“Keep The Rubber Side Down”

BMW Motorrad is ready to welcome more than 34,000 motorcyclists to its rally in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.Riders of all makes and models are invited to the town in the Bavarian Alps July 4-6 for the annual BMW Motorrad Days.Those attending can test ride a BMW R1200 GS through the region’s 2.5-acre Enduropark and take part in training sessions with experienced instructors. New to this year’s rally is a special women-only motorcycle tour with bikes provided by BMW.Defending Indoor Streetbike Freestyle World champion Chris Pfeiffer will display his skills at the rally, while musical entertainment will be supplied by several groups including the band Steinzeit which is fronted by the head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Berti Hauser.

Now that I have some miles under my belt with the R1100RT.  Here’s a few things I appreciated about this bike. 

1.  Heated hand-grips:  they were great while riding in the very early morning, or late evening.

2.  Power adjusting windshield:  So much flexibility.

3.  Travel bags:  easy on and off, waterproof, fairly large, convenient for one night stays.  

4.  Fog lamps:  great for those late nights on deserted highways.

5.  Comfort:  The riding set up can be so diverse, gives a lot of flexibility.

6.  Large gas tank:  Allowed me to get into a sustained rhythm without continually stopping for fuel.

7.  Speed/Power:  Although there are many bikes with more power, 94 horsepower is plenty for my type of riding.

 One thing I didn’t like about the BMW…

1.  The chicks think I am a weenie!

2007 Not Great For Motorcycle Sales. 

The stuttering U.S. economy has apparently affected motorcycle sales, which decreased dramatically in December of 2007.  Weak sales in the 4th quarter have dragged down the average for the year.

Comparing December 2007 to December 2006, sales of off-road bike were down 27.7%; street bikes were down 19.7%; scooters were down 21.1% and all motorcycle categories combined were down 23.2%.  ATV sales were also off 28.3%

The poor showing in December brought the year to date sales of off-road bikes (compared to 2006) down 17.1%; street bike sales were down 4.9% and scooter sales remained unchanged.  The dual-purpose motorcycle category showed the only increase at +6.7%.

Initial reports show overall motorcycle sales (all categories) for 2007 averaged a decrease of 7.2% compared to 2006. 

BMW Motorcycles Increase Sales in 2007

 BMW Motorcycles succeeded in recording a new sales volume record in 2007.  After surpassing the 100,000 mark for the first time in the previous year, the motorcycles segment continued to grow and recorded a sales volume of 102,467 units in 2007, which is +2.4% greater than the 2006 sales total of 100,064 units.

source: web bike news

Billy Lane Revisited.  With his trial to begin in February, Peter Furman takes a balanced look at the motorcycle icon. 

Packing tips for your next trip.

BMW motorcycle riding training now available in U.S.