Ocean Blue BMW Other Motorcycles, page #24

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WSBK 2013: Moscow Race Report

Marco Melandri captured his third win of the season, the Ducati 1199 Panigale scored its first podium while Sylvain Guintoli regained the championship lead despite dislocating his collarbone days before the race. But the big news at Moscow Raceway of course was the tragic death of Andrea Antonelli in the World Supersport race. The opening-lap crash in severely wet conditions naturally led to the cancellation of the rest of the events as the World Superbike community mourns the loss of the 25-year-old Antonelli.

2014 BMW HP2 Roadster Spotted

Spy photographers have snapped a picture of a new retro-styled BMW roadster. Dubbed the BMW HP2 Roadster by Italian site Insella.it which published the grainy photograph, the new boxer-engined streetbike is expected to be officially unveiled at November’s EICMA show in Milan. The spy photo reveals the HP2 Roadster uses BMW’s air-cooled R-series boxer engine and not the new water-cooled engine introduced on the 2013 R1200GS.

Dainese to Develop Airbag-Equipped Riding Gear for BMW; Technology Coming to BMW Motorcycles in 2015

BMW announced a new joint project with Dainese that would develop a new line of rider equipment using the Italian company’s integrated airbag technology. The two companies will also be working on integrating the technology to BMW’s motorcycles. The new line will make use of Dainese’s D-Air technology developed by MotoGP racers such as Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

2013 BMW F800GS and F700GS Side Stand Switch Recall Expands to US

Last month, we wrote about a recall in Canada for the BMW F700GS and F800GS because of a problem with the side stand ignition cut-off switch. As we expected, a similar recall has now been announced for the U.S. market.

BMW Announces 2014 Model Updates and New K1600GT Sport

BMW announced a new variant to its six-cylinder K-series and other small updates to returning 2014 models. The 2014 models were first revealed last weekend’s BMW Motorrad Days celebration but we now have full details on the updates. The new 2014 BMW K1600GT Sport is based on the existing K1600GT but adds a special Sakhir Orange/Black Storm Metallic paint job, black gloss-coated wheels, a shorter windscreen and a sportier seat design.

BMW Motorrad Days 2013 Draws 40,000 Visitors

More than 40,000 Beemerphiles made their way to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, for BMW Motorrad Days on July 5-7. The 13th annual event at the Bavarian resort town saw visitors from more than 40 countries join together to celebrate BMW motorcycles. This year’s event was particularly notable for the 90th anniversary of motorcycles bearing the Bavarian Motor Works brand.

2011-2013 BMW F800GS and F700GS Recalled in Canada

Transport Canada announced a recall for the 2011-2013 BMW F800GS and the 2013 F700GS because of a problem with the kickstand ignition cut-off switch. The switch is designed to turn off the engine when the stand is down and the motorcycle is shifted into gear; this prevents the motorcycle from being ridden with the kickstand deployed. On certain BMW F800GS and F700GS models however, the cut-off switch can loosen and become damaged.

Top 10 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Motorcycle Dad

1 of 10Next LastEagle Rider Gift Certificate Give Dad the chance to ride a bike he’s never ridden, or to go somewhere he’s never been. Eagle Rider, the world’s largest motorcycle rental and touring company, sells gift certificates in any amount that are good at any of their locations around the world or online. Gift certificates are redeemable for motorcycle rentals (about $200 and up) as well as any of ER’s full-blown guided and unguided tours (around $1000 and up).

WSBK 2013: Portimao Race Report

Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty split a pair of victories at Portugal’s Portimao circuit while Sylvain Guintoli took advantage of some misfortune to his championship rivals to increase his lead in the 2013 World Superbike Championship standings. Guintoli has been leading or sharing the lead in the championship since winning the first race of Round 1 in Australia, but amazingly continues to lead despite having just that single victory after six rounds. The Aprilia rider has accomplished this through his consistency (Guintoli leads all racers with nine podium finishes in 12 races) and ability to finish each race (he’s the only rider in the top seven without a DNF).

IIHS Asks NHTSA to Make ABS Brakes Mandatory for All Street-legal Motorcycles in US

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute have submitted a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration petitioning in favor of making anti-lock brakes mandatory for all new on-highway motorcycles. The letter, addressed to David Strickland, NHTSA administrator, included a recent IIHS study on the effects of ABS on motorcycle fatal crash rates. The report found ABS technology reduces the rate of fatal crashes by 31%, while collision claim rates were 20% lower with ABS-equipped motorcycles.