BMW Motorrad is a brand used by German company BMW for its motorcycles, which have been manufactured since 1923. BMW Motorrad is a business unit within Corporate and Brand Development division of BMW. BMW Motorrad revenues for 2007 were €1,228 million. Its general director is Hendrik von Kuenheim.
Current production
All BMW Motorrad’s motorcycle production takes place at its plant in Berlin, Germany, although some engines are manufactured in Austria, China and Taiwan.
BMW Motorrad achieved sales of 101,685 motorcycles in 2008, with the most popular model being the R1200GS. In 2008, the company introduced the DOHC Boxer HP2 Sport. In 2008, BMW entered the serious off-road competition motorcycle market with the release of the BMW G450X motorcycle.
The Aprilia RSV4’s 65° V4 motor produces a claimed 180bhp@12,500rpm and 85ftlb@10,000rpm. It has a single block crankcase with integrated cylinder liners, titanium inlet valves and balance shaft. The six-speed cassette gearbox is removable, handy for racing and a slipper clutch comes as standard. Being a V4, the engine is incredibly small and has allowed Aprilia to make a tiny bike around it, but the power delivery is the best part. It’s so smooth and wide the motor doesn’t actually feel that powerful and you don’t realise how fast you’re going, until you look down at the speedo! The engine note is similar to the deep, metallic boom of the RSV twin and the spread of power is actually very reminiscent of the new ‘long bang’ Yamaha R1.
Ride and Handling
We can’t give the RSV4 a perfect score for handling as we only rode it in rain conditions, albeit on racing wets. What is impressive is that the Ohlins forks and shock have the adjustment in them to make the Aprilia soft and plush to suit the conditions, giving masses of feel and confidence to the rider. Monobloc Brembo brakes are powerful, but unlike a Ducati easy to use and not too brutal. Being so compact, the RSV4 is a bit of a squeeze for riders over six-foot.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is an American manufacturer of motorcycles based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for cruising on the highway. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as “Harleys”) have a distinctive design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise to the chopper-style of motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson attracts a loyal brand community, with licensing of the Harley-Davidson logo accounting for almost 5% of the company’s net revenue ($41 million in 2004). Harley-Davidson supplies many American police forces with their motorcycle fleets.
In 2003, the Buell Motorcycle Company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, the same year that Harley-Davidson celebrated its 100th birthday. In August 2008, Harley-Davidson purchased the Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta. Read more…
Yamaha’s YZF-R6 has been a major player in the middleweight sportbike wars ever since it debuted in 1999. Combining light weight with razor-sharp handling and a wailing top-end punch, Yammie’s 600cc screamer has been a potent tool that perennially competes for top honors in its class.
Then in 2006, the R6 received a ground-up overhaul that resulted in a package that many judged to be the tastiest eye-candy in the segment. That (plus an optimistic 17,500-rpm tachometer) garnered plenty of attention among consumers and the media alike. This flash and controversy somewhat overshadowed a stellar chassis and the bike’s less-streetable character from its racy ergos and the engine’s top-heavy powerband.
In the ever changing world of global superbike supremacy, the mantra “evolve or get left behind” still holds true. The 2009 Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-14 has not rested on its laurels. The winning traits – massive torque, effortless power, agile handling and comfortable ergonomics – of the 1352cc Ninja king have landed it a sizeable collection of open class sportbike victories. Despite ever-tightening noise and emissions regulations; the ZX-14 has continued to set the pace of sportbike excellence ever since its domineering debut in March of 2006.
No doubt about it, the ZX-14 is a testament to effective evolution. Its engine and exhaust system permit it to comply with strict Euro-III emissions and tightening noise regulations. However, the ZX-14’s low-end torque, mid-range surge and its legendary Ninja peak power place it at the top of the sportbike food chain.
Jawa is a motorcycle manufacturer in the Czech republic, formerly Czechoslovakia. It was named after its founder Janeček bought the motorcycle production of Wanderer in 1929, by concatenating the first letters of Janeček and Wanderer. The company is still active today.
The first model was introduced on October 23, 1929. This was a 500 cc 4-cycle engine with 12 kW of power (18 hp) and fuel consumption of 6 liters per 100 km. Although priced highly, through the first years (and several constructional fixes) this motorcycle was successful and was considered reliable.
Zipping past an unexpected Border Patrol checkpoint near Tecate, California, we lean into a banked turn pinned in fourth-gear with the tach hovering near redline on Kawasaki’s best-selling sportbike…
Kawasaki Motors Racing was the European subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which is located in Netherlands. It is responsible for managing the racing activities of the MotoGP team and any other motorcycle racing activities Kawasaki may enter in the future. As of January 2009, Kawasaki pull-out of motoGP due to financial crisis.
The subsidiary was setup in 2007 as a result of the Japanese manufacturer’s recent necessary split from Harald Eckl. The reason for the split was Eckl’s involvement with a competitor’s MotoGP activities, which forced Kawasaki to terminate the relationship immediately. For the first time since Kawasaki returned to the premier class of motorcycle racing, the team became a complete ‘in house’ factory team.
The team used the new 800cc Ninja ZX-RR and Bridgestone tyres in 2007. Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque were chosen as team riders.
Olivier Jacque crashed in practice during the Chinese Grand Prix, gashing his arm severely enough to be unable to race for 2 Grands Prix. He returned to racing only to crash again during practice at the Catalan Grand Prix, missing this race too. Following the series of injuries, Olivier announced his retirement from competition to continue as a team test rider.Following the retirement of Olivier Jacque Anthony West was offered the position to race with the team.
The team’s best result was a 2nd place finish by Randy de Puniet at a wet Japanese Grand Prix.
For 2008 John Hopkins joins the team alongside Anthony West
In August of 2008, Kawasaki signed Marco Melandri to join John Hopkins for the 2009 season. However, the global financial crisis of 2008 caused Kawasaki to reconsider its MotoGP program, and the Italian sports daily Tuttosport reported on December 30th that Kawasaki would be pulling out of MotoGP.
Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, one of the seven marques owned by Piaggio, the world’s fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.
Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportbikes. It is most recently best known for its flagship 1000 cc V-twin Superbike, the RSV Mille.
Racing
Despite being a relatively small company by global motorcycling standards, Aprilia is very active in Motorcycle sport. It contests many Road Racing formulae, including the FIM 125 cc World Championship, the FIM 250 cc World Championship, and the now-defunct FIM 500 cc World Championship. From 2002–2004 they participated in the FIM MotoGP World Championship, and from 1999–2003 they participated in the FIM Superbike World Championship. Aprilia has now returned to World Superbike for the 2009 season with Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano as their factory riders both piloting the RSV4.
BMW Motorrad is a brand used by German company BMW for its motorcycles, which have been manufactured since 1923. BMW Motorrad is a business unit within Corporate and Brand Development division of BMW. BMW Motorrad revenues for 2007 were €1,228 million. Its general director is Hendrik von Kuenheim.
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