It's New, It's Fast, It's Everything They Claimed

How often do new products live up to their glorious, pre-launch hype? Techno-geeks are already suggesting changes for the unfortunately named iPad. Though poorly named, it may actually sell. Other products though, are all hype, no traction and few sales.

Not so for the BMW S1000RR. Four years in development, the S1000RR super sportbike appears to be taking the BMW universe by storm. Local BMW Area Rep Mark Jamroz reports some of his dealers have waiting lists twenty deep for the bike. You read that right. Twenty. Where's a ramped up production line when you need it?

Shreveport Motorsports Sales Manager Jason Kilpatrick just returned from the North American dealer launch of BMW's foray into supersport and reports the dealers are universally upbeat. While dealers speaking well of their products in order to sell them is not at all surprising, what impressed Jason was the number of multi-line dealers singing the S1000RR's praises. Those dealers of the Suzuki and Kawasaki sport bikes that will be BMW's biggest competition liked what they saw and want more of it.

The bike is so fast and so responsive, BMW took the unprecedented step of refusing to give dealerships the keys until they could complete some rider/dealer training. Jason was taken through three track sessions at the Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida that included rides in rain mode, sport mode and race mode. "This bike just delivered on everything BMW has promised," says Jason. "In terms of performance, the transmission and clutch, it's just smooth and seamless. Going from 160+ mph to 30 mph is as simple as downshifting and dumping the clutch. There's no wheel hop." Jason clocked mid 160s down Palm Beach's 6/10th of a mile straightaway and says the bike is good for more. "The engine on this bike is 216-hp that has been detuned through electronics. It's still getting 180-hp to the back wheel. I think it's a 200-hp bike."
It seems apparent that BMW took the time to make this bike the one to beat in the world of superfastsuperlight-ultra performance. It comes standard with a 3-year, 36,000 mile warranty, which is two years longer than those offered by other sport bike makers. It can be ordered with both traction control and ABS brakes, which BMW believes will be 90% of their orders. BMW even went so far as making the key adjust the suspension so riders won't have to dig through pockets searching for a tool.

Jason in front on the track at Palm Beach

At age 31, Jason has felt the need for speed since he was a 4-year-old kid tearing through the woods on dirt bikes. He has owned more than 25 bikes, most of the them the 'eat-the-road' variety, and started racing at tracks in 2000. He knows fast, he knows performance and he knows a great bike when he sees it. "BMW plans to take on the Japanese sportbike builders this year and capture 10% of the US sportbike market (roughly 2300 bikes).  Most of the 624 pre-sold units have been sold to existing BMW owners." But as the word gets out, BMW is hoping to go head-to-head with riders who may now be in the market for a Suzuki Hayabusa or Kawasaki ZX-14.

Bike builder Steve Culp says he can't imagine this bike won't lure Japanese sportbike riders into the BMW fold. "It's the traction control that makes this bike amazing," says Culp. "It's as close to idiot-proof as a bike can be. You can dive into a corner at the wrong speed and the bike will back the throttle off until it gets you into the right parameters to complete your turn. I don't think there's another bike out there like this."

Some 2300 units will be available in the U.S. in 2010, the other 8,000 are committed to Europe, where the bikes are selling for much more than their U.S. counterparts. With the ABS/traction options, the bike is available right now for $16,225 at SMS, but that price may not be good for long. BMW may have found the combination of fast+light that will demand more than MSRP. If you want one, you might consider getting while the getting is good.

"BMW is calling the S1000RR their 'Conquest' model," says Jason. "It's the model they think will help them conquer the Japanese sport bike market." From all indications, they have.

The S1000RR is more than fast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-rdm_YwLgc&feature=related

S1000RR vs. 700hp Corvette (in German, but worth watching):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATV4Ltbk5Qc

The official S1000RR site:
http://www.bmwplanetpower.com/

Photos from Jason's track day:
http://www.yourracingphotos.com/BMW.html

It's Here!

BMW's highly anticipated new superfast S1000RR is on the showroom floor at Shreveport Motorsports and is already attracting attention.

Jason K. on the S-RR

A gaggle of admirers surrounded the bike Saturday, poking, prodding, fondling, perhaps even whispering an inappropriate suggestion or two. In person the S1000RR does LOOK as fast as they say it is. It is also lightweight enough to be brought upright off the sidestand with a pinky finger that is only slightly muscular. This bike is definitely going to be fun.

SMS' Jason Kilpatrick will be using the Acid Green shop bike for drag racing, and if there's anyone who can wring every last HP out of this hot little number, it's Jason. BMW area rep Mark Jamroz also plans to race one of the liter bikes. Be interesting to put Jason and Mark side-by-side on the dragstrip, wouldn't it? It would be like Godzilla versus Mothra, Batman versus Aquaman, east versus west, Sodom versus Gomorrah. But I digress....

Wellborn considers how many billable hours it would take to pay for this new bad boy.

BMW says 600 of these motorbikes have been pre-sold and will be in customers' hands any day now. You, though, can own this one. Now. Today. With a couple of additional bells and whistles, this model is priced at $16,225. Be sure you have enough money left over for some really good racing leathers. Even if you don't plan to race, owning a bike this lightweight and this fast means that going to the grocery store may involve at least two time zones and one sound barrier.

Additional S100RR Info:

• A second S1000RR, one in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport colors, will hit SMS in a couple of weeks.
• Everything you could ever want to know about the bike can be found at: http://s1000riders.org/

Red River Rider Member WOWS World of Wheels

Once again, proof that good things come in threes. Red River BMW member Leroy Nuckolls had a trio of beauties at the World of Wheels at the Shreveport Convention Center and no one, it seemed, could pass by without a long and loving look.

"I remember Bultacos from my high school days," one said. "They were the hottest dirt bikes around." "Look at the shine on that Norton," said another, "I think I can count all the light bulbs overhead."

Nuckolls has always had an eye for fine bikes, but the interesting thing is that these didn't start out as fine at all. RRBMW member Steve Culp, who helped Nuckolls with the restoration and did the paint work, remembers seeing them come off the trailers for the first time. "All of these bikes looked really bad, just like complete pieces of junk." says Culp. "They were complete, thankfully, but that was about it. Leroy knew these restorations were going to take a lot of time, effort and elbow grease. He is a hard worker who doesn't mind spending the time it takes on detail work."

The effort and elbow grease paid off in spades, with a show-quality 1970 Norton Commando, 1970 Bultaco Matador and 1979 Bultaco Frontera.

An early 60s and slightly-the-worse-for-wear BSA is next up for the "Nuckolls touch," so stay tuned.

Chilly Buns = No Funs

We BMW studs and studettes like to think that we are all about riding our bikes no matter what Mother Nature may throw at us. But face it, when temperatures plummet we quickly revert to the southern-living, short-sleeve-loving wimps that we are. Heated overpriced Gerbing stuff or not, fling a bunch of extreme cold and ice my way and my backside is happier sitting in an overstuffed chair in my heated house than on my airish R1200GS. Brrrr.

Spring will soon be sprung and all the cute little biker chicks will once again be able to put on skimpy leathers and enjoy warmer days. When that happens, the Red River BMW Riders will be ready for it. (Not putting on the skimpy leathers, mind you, but enjoying the warmer days.)  Plans are already well in the works for a jaunt to the beaches of east Florida for the annual Bike Week pilgrimage to Daytona Beach and environs.

The usual crew will be going the usual way down and staying in the usual place, so if you want to join in, contact the usual suspects. Daytona is always a blast. You can pull up a space on Main Street and watch the world go by, wander through the manufacturers' tents at Daytona International Speedway, visit the megolith that is Destination Daytona, and along the way grab some good eats, some bargain tees and soak up some fine Florida sunshine.


There are also plans afoot for another Texas Hill Country  run the third weekend in May with Blanco again the destination of choice. Blanco Settlement will be our HQ, which allows our BMW brethren to travel north, south, east, and west as the spirit and the law allow.

For those of you who haven't been, the Hill Country is a beautiful place with opportunities for fun in almost every direction. Plan now to join the gaggle, you won't be sorry. We promise that if you come you will not only FIND Utopia, you can have a piece of pie there.

BMW's Sales Crummy, But LESS Crummy Than Others

You know it's a sad day when you spin your numbers to show that your year was successful because it was less ghastly than all your competitors. Just-released 2009 sales figures show the brand was down 22%, but BMW is calling it a victory. Why? The American market as a whole tanked 41%, so 22% looks darned fine in comparison.

The 22% was the smallest decline among all motorcycle brands and it followed positive growth (only one of two manufacturers to do so) in 2008. BMW believes the smaller sales decline is due to service, new products (K1300S and K1300GT) and continued access to financing, a key in getting bikes out the door.

Good things are expected in 2010 based on the pre-sale strength of the S1000RR. 600 purchased units should start hitting the streets on January 26. Also on tap for 2010 are newer versions of the  R1200GS, the R1200GS Adventure and the R1200RT. Here's hoping for a more lucrative 2010.

S1000RR Scheduled Any Day Now

It is with breathless anticipation that we report the new superfastsuperbike, the highly-touted and much discussed S1000RR, should be in at Shreveport Motor Sports next week.

BMW Area Rep Mark Jamroz says the factory tells him his personal beast should be in any day now and that he has already received his protective riding gear. He reports it's sturdy stuff, all the better for a bike that can easily reach 170 on a straightaway... not that Mark would consider doing that.

The bike continues to get good reviews from the world's motorcycling press as the most powerful liter bike ever. What this bike may lack in anything it has certainly made up for in hype. The reviews that matter most will be in once those folks interested in the bike finally get to climb into the saddle and throttle up. Soon, soon.

Changes Coming To BMW Workhorse

BMW stalwarts R1200GS, GS Adventure and R1200RT will be sporting their biggest engine redesign in years on 2010 models. The boxer twin will stay at 1170cc, but will have a new four-valve twin cam cylinder head design that was developed for the HP 2 Sportster.  If you just compare the numbers on the new engine versus old you probably won't be all that impressed. The change apparently shows up in the ride. The new engine makes the bikes faster, quicker away from the line, and more agile...all with no change in fuel burn. The baseline price for the GS seems to be a BMW web-guarded secret, but in Canada they're selling for $17,400, which converts to about $16,700 US. Expect the Adventures to be higher.

The Greatest Story That Never Happened

Johnstown, PA (BNSE): Local and state police scoured the hills outside rural Johnstown, Pennsylvania, after reports of three animal rights activists going missing after attempting to protest the wearing of leather at a large motorcycle gang rally this weekend. Two others, previously reported missing, were discovered by fast food workers "duct taped inside several fast food restaurant dumpsters," according to police officials. "Something just went wrong," said a still visibly shaken organizer of the protest. "Something just went horribly, horribly, wrong."  The organizer said a group of concerned animal rights activist groups decided to protest the annual motorcycle club event "in a hope to show them our outrage at their wanton use of leather in their clothing and motor bike seats."

According to witnesses, protesters arrived at the event in a vintage 1960's era Volkswagen van and began to pelt the gang members with balloons filled with red colored water and shouted "you're murderers" to passers by. This, evidently, is when the brouhaha began.

"They peed on me!!!" charged one activist. "They grabbed me, said I looked French, started calling me "La Trine", and duct taped me to a tree.

Still others claimed they were forced to eat hamburgers and hot dogs under duress. Those who resisted were allegedly held down while several bikers "farted on their heads." Police officials declined comments on any leads or arrests due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, however, organizers for the motorcycle club rally expressed "surprise" at the allegations.

Booger

When confronted with the allegations, biker Samson "Wooly" Booger, decined to comment in detail. "That's just our secret handshake," said the Boog.

P.S. Though this story is great fun, it is also not true. It is a myth of the Internet, but we give it two thumbs up and double snap anyhow.

A Few Random Images of the SMS Open House

On Saturday, November 28, Don, Doris and the rest of the fine folks at Shreveport Motorsports held their yearly Open House. Several members of the Red River BMW Riders showed up to kick tires, tell tales, eat hot dogs and win door prizes. Our thanks to SMS for the good time.

A Cranberry Collision: A Controversial Traffic Circle Gets Eaten

Sometimes Thanksgiving is about more than turkey, dressing and family. Sometimes it's about getting newsy with a cranberry mold. If you've been following Shreveport media of late, you know that the city paid several thousand dollars at the behest of homeowners to put in a traffic circle near an area called Thrill Hill. The plan was that the traffic circle would slow motorists coming over the blind hill, some of whom the local paper reported were going ONE MILE over the speed limit. (The nerve!) The traffic circle did slow motorists down, but did so by causing large-scale vehicular carnage. The first day the traffic circle was installed, there was a wreck. The day the traffic circle was torn down, there was a wreck. Here's to good intentions gone awry and an even better cranberry mold, created by talented bike builder and cranberry traffic circle construction foreman Steve Culp. Though this has nothing whatsoever to do with BMWs or riding, we thought it would make you smile.

Jerry Sagona Heads North to St Louis

The Red River Riders are losing a member to a colder, but what has proven to be a more economically welcoming, clime. Jerry Sagona is moving to St. Louis, Mo., to take a job as the Human Resources Business Partner for ABB Reliability Services. The plant, with about 400 employees, manufactures medium voltage electrical transformers that are sold to power companies, sub-stations and industrial plants.  Jerry will be transitioning over the next few months, so will be in town on-and-off for a while until his house sells. In the meantime, he has already checked out the St. Louis BMW dealership, Gateway, and reports back that membership in their club should be a lot of fun. There will be at least one familiar face in St. Louis. BMW area representative Mark Jamroz is also over the Gateway store so will be able to update Jerry on Shreveport happenings. Though we hate to lose Jerry, we wish him the best on his move and new job!

Travelling Texas In the Fall

(Ed. note - if it's another month, it's another adventure for Red River Riders club member Drew Newcomer. Drew loves to ride and is always looking for places to do so. We all want to be like Drew when we grow up.)

By Drew T. Newcomer
The Motorcycle Sport Touring Association has been meeting in the Texas Hill Country for a fall ride nearly 20 years. The last time I made this event I was riding a Honda (and that has been some time ago!) So, when fellow BMW rider and club member Bob Mizner extended an invitation to enjoy some hospitality and join him for the Hill Country event, I had no good excuse not to go.

Heading out to Bob and his wife Barbara’s place on November 5, I rode I-20 to Texas Highway 14 where I turned north toward Hawkins, Texas. Bob lives just north of Hawkins and I cleaned up the R1150R in his garage and turned in for the night. With Bob in the lead we headed out about 8:00 am on Friday morning. Bob chose a variety of farm roads to wind us southwest where we finally intersected Highway 31. We rode 31 to Corsicana where we grabbed highway 22 west after a good hot cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll. There was not a cloud in the sky as we rode on to Meridian, Texas, on through Cranfills Gap to Hamilton where Bob left 22 to join FM 2005 which took us to Goldthwaite, Texas. In Goldthwaite we jumped on Texas Highway 16 which would take us all the way to our destination of Kerrville and the Y. O. Ranch Resort.

Bob had a treat in store for me when we arrived in Llano. A quick left on Highway 29 and one block lead us to Cooper’s Bar-b-que where large pits were manned by several chefs cooking everything from chicken to sausage to rib eyes to tenderloin. Now, Bob neglected to tell me that it is very easy to overeat when at Cooper’s. I selected some sausage, some tenderloin, and some pork ribs. Boy was I surprised when my bill totaled in the neighborhood of $21.00! The meat seemed to have enlarged from the time I picked it on the grill till the time I sat down at the table to chow down. Good thing Bob was willing to help me with this feast. Although we didn’t arrive till 2:00 pm, Cooper’s was still plenty busy and after talking to a few locals, I discovered that Cooper’s is famous in these parts and people drive long distances to sample the great fare they offer.

On very full stomachs we finished the last hour of the ride from Llano to Kerrville. We arrived at the Y. O. and checked in after “blue sky only” ride of 380 miles. Many riders had already arrived and it was nice to visit with folks that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Many attendees went out to eat Friday night, but I pleasantly declined as I was still stuffed to the gills with bar-b-que! Needless to say, I slept very well that night.  Saturday morning arrived with a brilliant sun and many riders headed to Destination Cycle, a local dealer in Kerrville.

Coffee, doughnuts, and breakfast tacos were in store for those that stopped by. After a light breakfast, I left the group behind and headed down Texas 173 to Bandera. I was greeted by some fog which was thick enough to cause me to slow down in spots. This being the first weekend of the local deer season was another reason to be especially vigilant. Bandera, known as the Cowboy Capital of the World, has grown exponentially from the first time I came here years ago. I headed west from Bandera on FM 470 to Tarpley and on to Utopia where I headed north for a few miles on FM 187 to Vanderpool. One of the most popular roads in Texas for motorcycles is FM 337 between Vanderpool and Leakey. I rode it west, liked it so much that I turned around and headed back east. I even had my photo made by a local entrepreneur who takes photos, posts them on the internet, and lets you select and purchase them if you like (yea, I bought a couple !!) After arriving in Vanderpool for the second time I turned north for a final time on 187.

There is a small, but very interesting motorcycle museum on 187 just a few miles north of Vanderpool. This was another place I had not visited in a number of years so I stopped and looked at the fifty or so motorcycles and had a burger as my breakfast was now gone.  Interestingly enough, 187 is where I had my deer encounters. I had a couple run across the road in front of me, but they were far enough ahead of me that there was no cause for alarm – deer are rampant in this part of the world and I have come closer to a few than I would like at all times of the year.

187 took me to Texas 39 where I turned east to Hunt, Ingram, and finally back to Kerrville. The weather was ideal and it would be difficult to imagine a better venue. I will not let so much time pass before I get back to the Hill Country at this time of the year.

Motorcyle Sales Blow In 3rd Quarter

If you watch TV, listen to the radio, talk to friends, glance at billboards, read magazines, newspapers, flyers, tea leaves or chicken bones you know that we in the big ol' US of A are mired in an economic slump the likes of which haven't been seen since the last big economic slump and won't be seen again until the next big economic slump. Jeepers.

What it really means is the mediagenic prophets of doom have managed to so scare people that even if their retirement/homes/jobs are safe they are too terrified to buy something as nonessential to their continued existence on earth as a motorcycle. So, gentle readers, that giant sucking sound you heard was the manufacturers' third quarter and year-to-date earnings.

Let's start with our friends, the Bavarians.  From January until September of this year, BMW Motorrad's 500cc plus segment fell by 31.5% over the previous year. European and U.S. numbers paint a dismal tale. In Europe, the Spanish market tanked the worst (off by 58.3%) with the UK the least (-8.9%). The home of BMW, Germany, was off 15.5%. The U.S. market decline was a killer, off a whopping 43% year-to-date.

As would be expected when facing less demand for product, motorcycle production at the plant in Berlin has been reduced selectively by about 22%. BMW's woes are not their burden alone, they are industry-wide.

In Japan, damage wreaked by a Godzilla-type movie monster might be preferred to skittish buyers. (At least monster damage might be covered by insurance.) Since January of 2009, Japanese manufacturers have produced 67.2% fewer over 250cc bikes for markets worldwide.  U.S. sales of the over-250cc Japanese bikes are off by 79.8%. Yes, you read that correctly, down nearly 80%.

The pain is deep and universal. The following is the manufacturer, the units produced so far this year and the percentage of the previous year. In other words, Honda's 10,364 bikes manufactured in 2009 is only 48% of what they produced last year.

Honda 10,364 48.0%

Suzuki 8,932 36.0%

Yamaha 10,281 55.7%

Kawasaki 8,727 75.3%

Kawasaki is strongest on number of motorcycles produced, but understand that these are the numbers of bikes BUILT, not the number of bikes SOLD.

These numbers courtesy of http://www.webbikeworld.com/


Meanwhile, Harley Davidson reports a Q3 loss of about 22%, which was about 8% BETTER than its Q2 numbers. Harley-Davidson Financial Services took a HUGE hit, which helped send net income tumbling by 84% in the third quarter.
 
Polaris says Victory cycles are off by 56% in Q3 and 53% year-to-date.  Indian Motorcycles, which post sales figures to an Etch-A-Sketch,  are offering to pay your first SIX payments if you will just take one of their motobeasts off the dealer floor.
 
With dismal sales and dealers dying to make deals, now is the time to buy, buy, buy.

Buell Goes Bye, Bye

Manufacturers are having to divest of those products not pulling their weight and to that end, Harley Davidson has dumped Buell. The Wisconsin motorcycle company was founded by ex-Harley Davidson engineer Erik Buell, but with H-D suffereing crushing net income losses YTD in 2009, Buell had to go.

Harley Davidson says the Buell factory will close down on December 18, but that they will continue to provide extra parts for the foreseeable future and will continue to honor all guarantees. H-D is also actively searching for a buyer for MV Augusta, the boutique Italian line they purchased just 18 months ago.

The good news for Buell afficianados is that the line won't go away entirely...word is that it will continue as Buell Racing. Teams will use the 1125R and will be supported by Harley-Davidson.

Indian Goes To the Dark Side

Since sliding back into regular production, Indian motorcycles has amassed a whopping 15 dealers nationwide. Though you may have to travel to find them, Indian is giving potential customers more to look at in 2010.

The first is called the Chief Dark Horse and is available in matte Thunder Black, Indian Red and Deep Water Blue. The dark components on the bike including the blacked out headlight, tappet blocks, suspension, engine components, exhaust system, and hand controls make the remaining chrome components stand out. MSRP is $27,999.

The second newbie is the Chief Bomber, a one-year-limited edition model inspired by the aircraft of WWII. The Bomber is available in Military Green and Silver Smoke finishes and sports pin-up girl tank artwork. The leather used on the seat and saddlebags are reminiscent of the feel and color of an old bomber jacket. MSRP is $30,999.