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Sportbike Market

1K views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  John06KGT 
#1 ·
Just was having a discussion regarding sport bikes and Japanese vs BMW...
Obviously the Japanese are way out in front with sport bikes, Agree?
I mentioned that BMW just has not had a strong desire for a while to want part of that market share until now. My opinion is that BMW knows who they have been and who they are...They build bikes with comfort, handling and power in mind, many good ones at that! How many of you would agree if it was real important to them to have the true sport bike, they would have brought out a NInja type bike along time ago? I know they have a sport bike out there now, but how serious are they? BMW is a true Sport Tour manufacture, no?
 
#2 ·
I think BMW has realized a couple of things. First, their customer base isn't getting younger so they have to change their approach to the market to entice new (and younger) owners. Second, The car side has had a performance focus for a long time, and I think that has naturally spread to the bike side as personnel have migrated between the two. If the S1000RR and hiring Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus to campaign in WSB their first year in the mix (and get top 10 finishes fairly regularly) is any indication, I would say they are damned serious about being more sport/performance oriented.
 
#3 ·
There was a MC magazine interview with the BMW motorcycle big cheese and he said that sport-touring was on it's way out. That is why BMW is making a presence in WSB.
The S1000RR is about 30sec. off the leaders, but still a very good showing for it's first year in competition.
 
#5 ·
brucecha said:
. . . sport-touring was on it's way out.
I highly doubt it. What I have seen is that in addition to the LT, Wing, and HD riders coming over to the lighter, sportier GT and S bikes, there are a large number of sport bike riders coming over to the more-comfortable-but-still-fast GT and S bikes.

Which matches up well with BMW's plan to lure younger/sportier riders who can still afford their premium prices. :)
 
#7 ·
Trout said:
What?

Seriously, are ST people going to quit touring? Or are they all moving to OldWings and Cruisers? Not me.
The RTs, STs, and GTs are now defined as Touring. My interpretation is that BMW is not going to develop any new sport tourers; sporty bikes with bags on them. The RS type is gone.

The big heavy fully loaded touring bikes will be around for a long time.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I sort of liked the BMW F800S thing I saw a Sierra BMW yesterday. Belt driven, but it looked like it could rip up the twisties far better and easier than the GT. The GT gets sort of top heavy in the really tight stuff like the top of 9700 foot Sonora Pass in mid-California. Didn't look twisty on a map or GPS, but just east of Kennedy Meadows it is and the GT with the twitchy throttle, BBS renewed, and stalling at idle didn't help the matter.

Buddy who has ridden Yamaha dirt bikes for nearly 40 years gets a kick out of all the GS riders out of San Diego who go on trail rides and then dump their GS, get angry, and go home. He claims they are too heavy for any serious dirt work. He has a older R100GS that he likes, but he takes the Yamaha to the dirt the most often.

BMW has always had a reputation of faster than a Harley, now they need to capitalize on it. Spoke to a H-D crowd in Reno yesterday and they all wanted to know top speed of the GT. I told them about 152 mph and even the customized performance H-D'ers were surprised.


Mack
 
#9 ·
If it was all about me then I might even agree that there's no need for a "sport tourer". But if you were to ask my wife, it's clearly not. As my better half, I have to consider her creature comforts for the long haul while still fulfilling my lust for excessive speed and extreme cornering angles. Off-roading aside, what other machine is going to give you the best of both worlds with minimal compromise?
 
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