31007 Used 2007 Bmw R-series R1200s on 2040-motos

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EICMA 2012: BMW Motorrad Celebrates 90th Anniversary with Special Edition R1200GS, R1200R and R1200RT

BMW announced it will introduce an all-new Boxer to celebrate its 90th year of motorcycle production, but you didn’t think the German manufacturer would stop there without a couple of other special edition models, did you? To mark the anniversary, BMW revealed special edition “90 Jahre BMW Motorrad” versions of its R1200GS adventure bike, R1200R roadster and R1200RT tourer in Milan at the 2012 EICMA Show. All three models come in a Sapphire Black Metallic color with matte black engines, gold anodized suspension and brakes, and asphalt gray metallic swingarms, trailing arms and rear frames, and granite gray metallic cylinder head covers, and a nickel-plated polished brass plate on the upper fork.

Kevin Ash, one year on

I’ve lost dozens of friends in bike racing over the years, and while each death was a shock and incredibly sad, I’ve always had some kind of internal coping mechanism that allowed me to carry on relatively unaffected.  Maybe it’s because I was always extremely passionate and committed when taking part in my dangerous sport so was also prepared to pay the ultimate price should things go wrong.  Rightly or wrongly I’ve taken comfort from the fact that these unfortunate racers have checked out while doing something they love.   I’ve also lost a few journalist friends in bike accidents over the years but for some reason these have hit me harder.  The worst and possibly as it is the most recent is Kevin Ash who was killed last January while on a BMW launch in South Africa.  Starting in 2001, over a period of ten years, I was in Kevin’s company on countless new bike launches in pretty much every corner of the world.  At times he was cocky and occasionally irritating but always entertaining with a wicked sense of humour.  He was many things but no one can deny he was a brilliant journalist and his technical knowledge was second to none.  I always appreciated his complete enthusiasm to all things biking as he would ride through any weather on a daily basis to jobs or airports and seemed to always be tinkering with winter projects (mainly Ducatis) at home.  I also admired how much work he got through as he had columns in more than one weekly publication plus all his launch and web work. He was a competent safe rider who was certainly quick enough to evaluate any new bike thrown his way.  Kevin also drove a Porsche but then none of us are perfect!   I looked to Kevin as a wise Owl so not long after I started working with TWO/ Visordown, I asked him on an R1 launch in Australia he thought the motorcycle industry was currently in a good place.  His reply was, ‘we’ve just been flown here business class, been taken by speed boat to our five star hotel under Sydney Harbour Bridge, Yamaha have wined and dined us and furnished us with expensive gifts each day, what do you think Niall?  How times have changed.  On the subject on air travel he once told me, ‘when travelling business or first class it’s not about the pampering, comfy beds or fine dining, the important part is looking smug as you walk straight past all the people lining up at the cattle class check in! On more than one occasion I had food or drink spurt out when Kevin would deliver unexpected one line funnies at the dinner table.

30th Anniversary Edition BMW K1300S Announced for EICMA

BMW announced it will mark the 30th anniversary of its K series with a special edition K1300S. The 2013 BMW K1300S “30 Jahre K-Modelle” will be presented at the 2012 EICMA show in Milan, Italy in a couple of weeks’ time. Though perhaps not as popular as BMW‘s R series boxer models, the K series served as a platform for a number of technologies that were either new for BMW or new for the motorcycle industry.