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.