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Earlier this week I spent the day - approx. 250 miles - aboard a BMW F 800GS. Very responsive, very quiet & very comfortable.

BMW F800GS

MSRP: $11,395

Engine: 798cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke parallel twin

Bore X Stroke: 82mm x 75.6mm

Compression Ratio: 12:1

Output: 85hp

Transmission: Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox integrated into crankcase

Front Suspension: 45mm upside-down fork

Rear Suspension: Cast aluminum dual swing arm, WAD strut (travel related damping), spring pre-load

Front Brake: 300mm dual disc, double-piston floating calipers

Rear Brake: 265mm single disc, single-piston floating caliper

Front Tire: 90/90-21

Rear Tire: 150/70-17

Fuel Capacity: 4.2 gal. with 1.0 gallon reserve

Wheelbase: 62.1 in.

Seat Height: 34.6 in.

Dry Weight: 392 lbs.

The Nuerburgring’s famous – and treacherous – 13-mile north loop has become a popular proving ground for automobile manufacturers wanting to show they have the fastest, best-performing car on the market.

Chevrolet’s Corvette ZR1, Nissan’s GT-R, Dodge’s Viper SRT10 ACR, Ferrari’s 599X – all have claimed the fastest lap during the past couple of years. The most recent auto OEM to claim the title is Pagani with its Zonda R and a time of 6 min. 47 sec.

Unbelievably, the V4-powered Honda VFR 750 R, dubbed the RC 30, still holds the official fastest time for a motorcycle on the Nuerburgring’s north loop with a time of 7 min. 49 sec. German pilot Helmuth Daehne set the record in 1993.

Motorcycle race fans are assembling at Germany’s Nuerburgring Grand Prix course this weekend, Sept. 3-5, for the 11th stop of the 2010 FIM World Superbike (WSBK) series. Will Aprilia rider Max Biaggi stand at the top of the podium and further cement his title run or will one of his opponents manage to outperform him at the ‘Ring?

Harley-Davidson has long been the brand of choice for military veterans in the United States who spent time fighting the “Red Threat” in countries across the globe.

Well, the times they are a changin’ … evident by this photo of Russian Premier Vladimir Putin atop a H-D Tri Glide trike at a motorcycle rally in the Ukraine.

Surprise, surprise … another balding rider dressed in black.

BMW has tapped rally veteran David Frétigné to join Frans Verhoeven in the 2011 Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile.

The two riders, a part of the BMW-backed Speedbrain team, are to compete atop the OEM’s G 450X.

Frenchman Frétigné last year competed in the rally with a Yamaha WR450F, ending the two-week event in 5^th place. Dutchman Verhoeven managed to pick up last year’s Stage 11 win atop a G 450X.

The 2011 Dakar Rally starts Jan. 2, a day after opening ceremonies.

 

Ducati may have recently come out with a motorcycle called the "Streetfighter", but the Italian bike showed up a good 20 years after the first real streetfighter-style models surfaced on roads in Europe. Check out this old Suzuki GSX-R transformed into an urban assault vehicle that I spied on the streets of Germany:

Japan’s four major powersports manufacturers produced 51,618 vehicles in Japan in July, up compared to 48,448 units produced in July 2009, according to figures compiled by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).

Honda produced 13,231 units in July 2010, down compared to 16,640 units in July 2009; Kawasaki produced 8,738 units, up compared to 8,266 units; Suzuki produced 14,366 units, up compared to 13,207 units; and Yamaha produced 15,279 units, up compared to 10,332 units.

For the seven months from January through July the four OEMs produced 388,079 vehicles, down compared to 409,429 vehicles produced during the same seven-month period in 2009. Honda produced 118,486 units during the first seven months of 2010, down compared to 125,961 units during the same seven-month period in 2009; Kawasaki produced 57,907 units, down compared to 70,758 units; Suzuki produced 100,442 units, down compared to 105,318 units; and Yamaha produced 111,209 units, up compared to 107,367 units.

SHIPMENTS

The four manufacturers together shipped 5,445 vehicles to the United States in July, down compared to 8,942 vehicles shipped stateside from Japan in July 2009.

For the seven months from January through July the four OEMs shipped 44,610 units to the U.S., down compared to 135,192 units shipped during the same seven-month period last year.

BMW has tapped new leadership for Husqvarna Motorcycles S.R.L., placing Klaus Allisat in the position to replace Rainer Thoma.

Allisat, 41, has worked for the BMW Group since 2003. He has been VP of Purchasing at BMW Motorrad since 2008, in which function he has also been responsible for Husqvarna Motorcycles purchasing operations.

He previously worked with A.T.Kearney GmbH and Daimler Benz AG, both in Stuttgart.

After three years of managing Husqvarna, Thoma will take up a new position at BMW Group headquarters in Munich after serving three years managing Husqvarna.

BMW acquired Husqvarna in 2007. BMW says Husqvarna recorded a sales decrease of around 3 percent from 2008 to 2009. The OEM did not reveal actual sales figures.

I visited motorcycle parts, garments and accessories retailer Polo Expressversand GmbH (Polo) yesterday to get a glimpse of what German motorcyclists are purchasing.

Some of you may remember Polo was the retail chain in Germany that, along with Hein Gericke, was once owned by Fairchild Corp. Fairchild, before filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2009, sold Hein Gericke to four individuals for one Euro in a management buyout and sold 51 percent of Polo to Polo co-founder Klaus Esser for  €15 million Euro in December 2008. 

This year marks a milestone for Polo – celebrating its 30 anniversary since Esser and company founded the operation in 1980.

Each of Polo’s 95 stores in Germany and six stores in Switzerland carry approximately 30,000 products geared toward motorcyclists. The stores, a great example in merchandising, have become the go-to place for motorcyclists seeking aftermarket products.

So aren’t these Polo stores taking business away from actual dealerships? “In a way, yes,” says a representative of the company hosting me here in Germany. “From what I understand, Polo once tried to sell motorcycles and scooters but found there was no money to be made. They soon realized the real profit was in the parts.”

You can bet that U.S. distribution giant Parts Unlimited took notice of Polo when it began operations here in Germany. Dealers in the U.S. can breathe a sigh of relief, though, because Polo is not coming to The States (or any other nations) after Ralph Lauren put a stop to use of the name outside of Germany.

Genuine Scooter Co., distributor of the Stella and Buddy models of scooters, has had some difficulties with the Stella 4-stroke in the eyes of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Here’s a letter Genuine sent to its dealer customers on Aug. 13:

Dear Customers,

We have made progress on the Stella 4 stroke issues with the US EPA and Customs and are approaching final resolution.

Genuine Scooters has been cited with two violations of specifications. Neither of these violations has any effect on the clean air attributes or safety of the Stella 4 stroke vehicle. They are errors that are not consistent with the original specifications provided to the EPA during the original certification process. The original specifications were not carried out properly in the first production run of Stella. The errors are non-mechanical and easily resolved.

Therefore, we have requested that ALL of the Stella 4 stroke scooters from this first shipment, currently in the custody of US Customs in Chicago, be sent back to the manufacturer in India, so they may correct the production errors. We are awaiting confirmation from EPA and Customs to release the vehicles for shipment back to India.

Now that we fully understand the issues with the production of the vehicles, we intend to begin producing replacement Stella 4 strokes within the next two weeks. Barring international shipping delays, the first small batch of Stella 4 strokes scooters could be available by late Fall 2010.

We know the delays encountered due to this issue have been a disappointment for the many dealers and consumers that were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new Stella. It has been disappointing for Genuine as well. However, Genuine Scooters is always committed to following all laws, rules, and regulations to deliver the best scooters in the business. Please bear with us as we resolve this difficult situation.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Genuine