Friday November 27, 2009
It's a sure sign of the times when speed guru Keith Code announces a switch from Kawasakis to BMWs at his California Superbike School.
"We are proud to offer our students training on this spectacular motorcycle," his website proclaims (highlighting the last two words in red), and he's not the only one to praise the Beemer; hyperbolic raves have been flowing from bike journos since the German bike's recent introduction at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Roadracing World says Keith has "no hard feelings" towards Kawasaki, which reportedly discontinued their sponsorship as a cost cutting measure.
As previously reported, the BMW S1000RR's $13,800 price triggered the opposite type of sticker shock we've come to expect from Bavarian Motor Works; despite a best-in-class horsepower figure of 193 and available goodies like traction control and ABS, the S1000RR is priced right in line with literbike flagships from Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha.
Sportbike sales may be in the toilet, but BMW is making it an exceptionally interesting time to duke it out in the literbike market.
Source: Roadracing World
Related:
Photo © BMW
Click for photo gallery
Thursday November 26, 2009
From our blog to our forum, I'm grateful for all the opinions, insights, and attitudes that make this motorcycling community so rewarding.
The material goods of motorcycling like bikes and gear may be the primary focal points of this site, but it's people that bring it all to life. I sincerely hope you get to experience the best of both worlds this Thanksgiving weekend.
Photos © Javier Pierini/Digital Vision/Getty Images; click to enlarge
Wednesday November 25, 2009
Call it self-preservation or call it paranoia, but when it comes to riding gear I'm usually pretty gung ho for protection. Full racing leathers? No problem. Articulated spine protector? Sign me up! But when you're planning a six day-long road trip that involves sharing two
small saddlebags, your priorities shift just a bit.
Pressed for space but aiming for a modicum of safety, I chose a pair of Alpinestars Mille boots as my only form of footwear. How did their combination of coverage and comfort work for my trip? I shed some light in my Alpinestars Mille Boot Review.
Related:
Photos © Basem Wasef; click for review
Monday November 23, 2009
"When I get somewhere beautiful, somewhere complicated,"
American Borders author Carla King explains, "I put my maps away so I have a chance to get lost."
But as romantic as that concept sounds, last month's densely-packed appointments with Florence, Rome, Cortona, and Bologna meant I couldn't afford to get lost. So I contacted the folks at Garmin, who loaned me the zumo 660, their latest, greatest GPS unit that happens to be dedicated for motorcycle use.
How did the nav system-- loaded up with European maps-- perform aboard my borrowed Ducati SportClassic GT1000? Read my Garmin zumo 660 review to find out.
Related:
Photos © Basem Wasef; click for review
