Ever felt like your bum is going to split into four when you ride for long distances? Wish you were seated in your Ogawa at home? Well, BMW Motorrad just submitted the patents for a bum massager seat.
In the patent drawings published by Australian Motorcycle News, the system is elegant in its simplicity. Under the seat padding is an electric motor turns a shaft with lobes which looks uncannily like an engine camshaft.
Touring riders (us included) are most likely to welcome this option as we experience pain and numbness after riding for hours on end. Hopefully this will stop riders and us from standing up on the bike and massaging our backsides while riding on the highway.
Vehicle seats with massage option are not new. In fact, many car and even truck seats include the feature, including BMW cars. So, in true BMW fashion that brings many car functions to motorcycles, the manufacturer may just offer the option in their motorcycles.
Now, rather than riding a long distance for a massage, you can soon bring the massager with you. And oh, you can also leave your Ogawa and Gintell at home.
Cabaran BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 akan mengambil tempat di “Middle Earth”; New Zealand.
Acara ini terbuka buat semua pemilik motosikal BMW dari seluruh dunia
Nantikan kemunculan pusingan kelayakan Malaysia!
The 2020 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy will take place in Middle Earth a.k.a. New Zealand. Sorry for the Lord of the Rings reference.
The event has grown in prestige and participation over the years since its inception. Beginning from 2008 in Tunisia, it’s held bi-annually and has since visited in South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand and Mongolia. Yes, all riding paradises.
It is open to BMW motorcycle owners around the world. Each participating country holds their own qualification round to find their representatives prior to the international event. Malaysians have participated in the last two editions as part of the Southeast Asia Team and Southeast Asia Women’s Team. Each team consists of 3 persons. Participants of previous International GS Trophy are not allowed to return to the challenge. However, they are welcomed to coach their respective country’s candidates.
Inspired by BMW Motorrad’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Heiner Faust’s own experiences during a riding expedition in Central Asia, the competition challenge isn’t based on speed. Instead, the participants need to be skilled and smart riders, and rely on close teamwork.
That philosophy can be seen the types of challenges faced by the participants. They include pulling the bike out of a ditch, plugging a punctured tube, riding the bike through tough terrain and situations, so forth. Additionally, they have to answer questions about geography and navigation, and knowledge of their GS.
There will a total of 19 teams in 2020, representing 30 countries. There will also be an all-female international team.
BMW Motorrad did not mention if the teams will continue to ride the R 1200 GS or progress to the new R 1250 GS. However, our guess is for the former and it’ll be great to see them put to such tough tests during the event.
Please head to https://www.brand.bmw-motorrad.com/en/experience/stories/adventure/int-gs-trophy-2020.html for more updates.
The 2019 BMW F 850 GS is finally available since its launch in October last year.
It’s immediately evident that the new bike takes the middleweight GS to greater heights, making its F 800 GS predecessor look spartan and unfinished, even.
Of course, BMW Motorrad has to update the F 8XX GS line-up to where it is now. Its competitors, the Triumph’s excellent third-generation Tiger 800 line-up and KTM 790 Adventure have set the middleweight standard.
It would appear as if the F 850 GS and new R 1250 GS were designed side-by-side. It’s unmistakably a GS but also an 850. It’s a handsome bike to look at from any angle: The sharp front beak, asymmetric LED headlight, flowing body lines, terminating with an R 1200/R1250 GS taillamp. The spoked gold wheels also add to the entire appeal.
First up, the engine. The new 853cc parallel-Twin has a new firing order, eschewing the old 360o crank (both pistons rise and fall simultaneously). Instead, the new crank has a 270o offset to mimic a 90o V-Twin. It results in a smoother torque curve and reduced vibrations.
The new engine produces 95 bhp at 8,250 RPM and92 Nm of torque at 6,250 RPM. The 2,000 RPM spread between maximum horsepower and torque means the engine is “flexible.”
Besides that, the transmission now features a slipper clutch, and the final drive is on the left side.
Along with a new frame, the fuel tank is now in its traditional placement in front of the rider. Doing so results in a more balanced 49/51 front/rear weight distribution. There’s a new frame for the new bike, too, consisting of deep-drawn and welded components.
The front forks are new but non-adjustable, while the new rear monoshock is adjustable for preload and rebound damping.
Facing us was the new multifunction TFT screen. The main “page” showed data such as revs, speed and gear position, but you need to scroll to other pages for the fuel level and range. One needs time to accustom himself of flipping through the menus. It requires multiple presses on the MENU button and multi controller. However, there’s so much information in there for you to play with at the traffic lights (and impressing other motorcyclists).
This particular unit was fitted with the low seat option, allowing our feet to reach the ground easily.
The seating position was predictably straight up, with the handlebars rising high and back to meet our hands. Yet, the handlebar’s width was just nice without being too wide, so we didn’t feel like we’re trying to hug a tree.
There were four ride modes: DYNAMIC, ROAD, RAIN, ENDURO while ENDURO PRO was a greyed-out option. We preferred to ride in DYNAMIC as it was akin to SPORT mode.
However, the throttle felt soft and a little detached regardless of mode we chose, as if the throttle cable had a little bit too much slack. And hence why we rode in DYNAMIC.
Don’t be fooled, nevertheless! This new engine is a potent one and will jump forward like an R 1200 GS if you twist the throttle like it’s a bottle cap. The bike will blast through the revs and gears all the way past 200 km/h (bye-bye Honda Accord driver who wanted to “test power”). The new wide transmission ratios made it really easy to cruise at 150 to 160 km/h all day.
The suspension was a bit of a revelation, too. It felt too soft therefore with not much feedback. Coupled with the low seat (it put our weight over the rear wheel), it needed more effort in getting the bike turned. However, that softness paid back in spades when the bike hooked up in mid-corner as the centrifugal forces pushed the bike’s weight down into the stiffer part of the suspension’s stroke.
We’ve hammered the bike through corners between 160 to 180 km/h (got the videos to prove it).
On the other hand, the suspension never bottomed out. The rear shock pogo’d a little before rebound damping adjustment but it’s acceptable.
But the F 850 GS was an easy bike to learn. We were soon snapping it over and utilizing the extra rolling speed due to the slipper clutch. The soft suspension totally absorbed every bump on the road and held the bike on the chosen line. The lack of feedback was scary at first, but we learned to trust the Michelin Anarkee tyres and took them to their edges (and the footpeg feelers).
Still, we wished for some adjustability for the front forks, especially in terms of compression damping to add more “feel” when riding on the road. A lack of feedback on wet roads caused a concern if the tyres were to suddenly break traction. Also, the forks dived a lot under braking.
In the end, we found that the F 850 GS is geared more towards adventure-touring although it preformed its sport-touring role well. That kind of suspension action is like what you find on enduro bikes, and we know most riders won’t mind it. Plus, the low, non-adjustable windscreen is a giveaway to the bike’s off-road intentions.
As such, it took on an entirely different character in the dirt. The soft initial throttle response allowed us to manipulate our speed with more sensitivity and predictability. The long-travel suspension soaked up bumps very well even while we sat down.
The 2019 BMW F 850 GS is a great step forward for the model. It’s now more “modern,” faster and comfortable, hence easier to live with. Besides the off-road capabilities, it’s also now more practical for long-distance touring.
The F 850 GS offers something accessible for a wider range of riders, who want something more affordable, lighter and smaller than the R 1250 GS. Indeed, the F 850 GS may be more capable than its bigger brother in many ways.
|
ENGINE |
|
| ENGINE TYPE | 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, liquid-cooled, parallel-Twin with 270o crankshaft |
| DISPLACEMENT | 853 cc |
| BORE x STROKE | 84.0 mm x 77.0 mm |
| POWER | 95 hp (70 kW) @ 8,250 RPM |
| TORQUE | 92 Nm @ 6,250 RPM |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 12.7:1 |
| TRANSMISSION | Constant mesh, 6 speed |
| FUEL SYSTEM | Electronic fuel injection with ride-by-wire throttle |
| CLUTCH | Multiple-plate wet clutch with slipper feature, cable operated |
| CHASSIS | |
| FRAME | Bridge-type frame, steel shell construction |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Upside-down ø 37 mm forks |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Monoshock with WAD strut, spring preload hydraulically adjustable, rebound damping adjustable |
| SUSPENSION TRAVEL FRONT/REAR | 230 mm / 215 mm |
| FRONT BRAKE | 2x 2-piston floating calipers, ø 305 mm floating discs |
| REAR BRAKE | 1X single-piston floating caliper, ø 265 mm brake disc |
| ABS | BMW Motorrad ABS (disengable) |
| TIRES FRONT/REAR | 90/00 R-21; 150/70 R-17 |
| STEERING HEAD ANGLE | 28o |
| TRAIL | 126 mm |
| WHEEL BASE | 1,593 mm |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 860 mm standard, 815 mm with suspension lowering kit, 835 mm with low seat, 875 with OE comfort seat, 890 with OA rally seat |
| FUEL TANK CAPACITY | 15 litres |
| WEIGHT (READY TO RIDE) | 229 kg |
BMW Motorrad has achieved another milestone as 2018 was another record year in terms of sales.
Global sales were up by a moderate 0.9% from 2017, with a total of 165,566 units sold.
The R 1200 GS and GS Adventure continues to be the most popular model, selling 51,000 units. The R nineT retro series also sold well, contributing 33,500 machines for a total of 84,500 R-series sold.
BMW’s second best-seller was the inline-Four S-series. 18,773 S 1000 RR, S 1000 R and S 1000 XR were sold.
Furthermore, BMW’s sales in America increased by 2.2% despite the overall downturn in the market. The upturn was due to the six-cylinder K 1600 B Grand America touer which sold 8,306 units out of the total of 13,842 units.
The manufacturer’s leading markets continue to be Germany (-11%, 23,824), France (0%, 16,615), Italy (-2%, 14,110) and Spain (0%, 11,124). 9,224 BMWs were sold in the UK.
Growth centres were China (35%, 7,561), Brazil (11%, 7,361) and India with 2,187 units sold there.
Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad Malaysia sold 1,130 motorcycles, marking a 7% increase over 2017. The R 1200 GS Adventure was the biggest contributor which more than 300 units.
BMW Motorrad is looking forward to another great year in 2019, what with the advent of the new models using the 1254cc ShiftCam boxer engine, new S 1000 RR, a return to WSBK, plus a few more models in the pipeline.
Will they achieve their 200,000 target in 2020?
BMW Motorrad Malaysia has launched a 3-Year Warranty and 3-Year Roadside Assistance programs. The programs set the benchmark for premium motorcycle ownership in Malaysia.
Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia, Harald Hoelzl said that the programs offer a complete peace of mind to customers, as part of an ownership experience. Additionally, it is how the company differentiate themselves from other makers in the industry.
The all-new BMW Motorrad 3-Year Warranty Program is supported by BMW Group AG. It covers free repairs and parts replacement for manufacturer or material defect, regardless of mileage.
On the other hand, the Roadside Assistance Program allows customers to get hold of a team of specialists who are on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services are in the form of professional and expert support during emergencies, including towing should there be a breakdown.
The program is applicable to all BMW motorcycles registered from 1stJanuary 2019 onwards. However, it does not apply to the HP4 Race.
Please log on to https://www.bmw-motorrad.com.my/en/service/services/warranty.htmlfor more information on the new programs.
BMW Malaysia also released the latest 2019 prices of their motorcycles, including projected monthly repayment figures under BMW Credit financing.
The previous BMW S 1000 RR featured an asymmetric headlamp design was no less than controversial when it debuted in 2008. Many had complained about how it looked. There was a buddy of ours who fashioned an eyepatch over the left lamp.
However, more and more riders came to accept it over time and that design became the unmistakable signature of the S 1000 RR.
But it’s now happening all over again with the new bike. Well, we’re all human and humans are resistive to massive changes.
Yet, have you ever wondered why BMW Motorrad always used two different headlamp designs on almost every bike? This was so the GS models, but they did not look as prominent as on the S 1000 RR.
According to the Munich-based manufacturer, the headlamps of the 2008 to 2018 S 1000 RR look the way they did due to engineering rather than stylistic reasons. The left headlamp served as the low beam, but it was not bright enough. So, BMW added a larger lamp on the right to throw more light down the road. The left lamp was kept smaller to reduce 500g of weight.
Edgar Heinrich, BMW Head of Design told MCN, “We wanted to make the best bike we could, which for a race bike is the lightest. Whenever we could find a weight saving we did it, which ended in asymmetric items as the reduction in the high beam reflector saving 150g.”
For the 2019 model however, there was no need for asymmetrical headlights as it features LED lighting. Heinrich added that the design department had always wanted to “get rid” of the lights because “race bikes don’t have lights.”
“We could have made the LED components asymmetric, but it would have been stupid. We don’t do design for the sake of it.”
In other words, it was a case of form follows function.
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