Moto blog
Used Review: BMW Trailguard jacket and trousers
Sun, 01 Nov 2009Ride a BMW, wear the official gear. The Trailguard is one of their top-range textile two-piecers. Fitting brochure is mind-bogglingly complicated, I went into Vines of Guildford and got them to measure me up instead.
Corser to unveil S1000RR at SBW Motorrad Hertfordshire
Tue, 27 Oct 2009DOUBLE World Superbike champion Troy Corser will unveil the all-new production version of the BMW S 1000 RR on 5 November. Fancy joining him?Fresh from the final round in Portugal, Troy will join Hertford BMW dealer SBW Motorrad to take the wraps off the road-going superbike Corser has been campaigning in this year’s World Superbike Championship.SBW Motorrad boss, Stephen Crowder: “We are really excited that former world champion Troy Corser will headline our special event.” The night: Tickets cost £15 per head and all proceeds from the night will go to charities Riders for Health, Hertfordshire Air Ambulance and BBC Children in Need. When: 7.30pm on Thursday 5 NovemberWhere: Panshanger Aerodrome near Welwyn Garden CityFor tickets: call SBW Motorrad on 01992 583135
Motorcycles at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
Mon, 28 Sep 2009Two weeks ago, I took a break from my regular duties gathering news for Motorcycle.com to fly to Germany to cover the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show for our sister site AutoGuide.com. For two hectic days, AutoGuide editor Colum Wood and I scrambled across the massive 6.2 million square foot Messe Frankfurt trade fair compound, running from press conference to press conference to get the latest on exotic sport cars, futuristic concept models and international unveilings from the automotive world. It was heaven for car lovers, but for me, it meant fighting my way through hordes of photogs, auto-journalists and car show models to get the first photos of four-wheeled goodies from MINI, Ferrari and Lotus.
BMW S1000RR at Nürburgring [video]
Wed, 02 Sep 2009BMW’s new S1000RR is one of the mostly highly anticipated sportbikes to come along in years. Its four-cylinder motor has a larger bore than anything else in its 1000cc class, plus all the latest racetrack goodies like a slipper clutch, variable-height intake manifolds and traction control. We’re still a few months away from testing it for ourselves, but we can across this great video that will give you a little insight into how this Beemer howls at top speed.
The solution to a pricey GPS mount
Wed, 26 Aug 2009So you've gone out and bought your BMW R1200GS, you're ready to circumnavigate the globe's toughest roads - or ride over some potholes on your way to work - but you've got a dilemma: no way to mount your GPS device! So what you should do is exactly what this chap's done and use a spatula and a few rubber bands to mount-up your GPS for easy use. And the bonus is that when you get to where you're going, you can use the spatula with your BBQ and triple it up as a fly-swatter too.
Visordown mag, issue 2 just landed
Fri, 21 Aug 2009The latest issue of Visordown mag just arrvied in the office, fresh from the printers. And it's looking great! This month we've got the new KTM 990SMT up against Suzuki's Kayabusa, Honda's VFR800 and BMW's K1300GT - which one is the daddy for sports touring?
Alpinestars launch new 2010 Tech Heated Vest
Tue, 18 Aug 2009Alpinestars have launched their first item of heated clothing just in time for our lovely winter. The Tech Heated Vest offers riders excellent body temperature management, using custom flat panel heating elements. The Vest is designed for comfort and ease of use to meet the most demanding of riding conditions.
Please BMW: don't build this
Wed, 05 Aug 2009BMW have taken a rapid step in the right direction, what with their K1300S, S1000RR and F800R. Recently rumours have been flying around that BMW are to produce a scooter, possibly a hybrid. And while we know it's well within their means, we'd rather they concentrated on the sharpening the cutting edge of road bikes.
VIDEO: Corser and Heidfeld swap BMW S1000RR and F1 car at the Nurburgring
Wed, 22 Jul 2009WSB racer Troy Corser and Formula One fast man Nick Heidfeld recently swapped their BMW race machinery for a lap of the Nürburgring circuit. Corser, who got to drive Heidfeld’s 700 horsepower car, said: "It was just awesome! The car feels so balanced, the brakes are fantastic, the tyres have unbelievable grip and the steering is very direct but still has a lot of feeling.
Vines motorcycle scrappage
Fri, 17 Jul 2009Following this year’s earlier Budget announcement about the government’s car scrappage scheme, Vines of Guildford BMW has created a similar scheme for motorcycles. Bike owners with motorcycles bought five or more years ago will be given £1,000 off the list price of a new BMW motorcycle when using their old bike as a part-exchange*. Riders just need to ensure they have at least six months MOT left and the bike must be taxed with clear HPI. Just like the Government’s car scrappage scheme has been put in place to help drivers, and the car industry, through tough economic times, Vines of Guildford wanted to offer motorcyclists the same opportunity, to purchase a brand new BMW motorcycle with the benefit of the £1,000 part exchange. As well as enjoying this benefit on the purchase price of a new BMW bike, riders can also look forward to complimentary panniers with all new R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure models, and complimentary Zumo sat nav system with the new R1200RT until 30 Sept, plus access to BMW’s Select Finance options to get riders on their bikes straight away with the option to change their new bike every two to three years.