mika
Still Wondering
The motorcycling world viewed from the saddle of BMW. A daily look at all things BMW, Euro-bike, products and things I find interesting on the internet. With links to news, reviews, events, riding skills, maintenance and racing series updates. Morning Reads is a one stop for motorcycling information.
TodayÔÇÖs Birthdays / Calendar
BMW Group Press Club:
BMW Group PressClub Canada
This Christmas Santa will be saying SO HO HO.
12/13/2007
Whitby. MINI Canada announced today that Jolly Old Saint Nick traded in his sleigh and reindeer for a Chili Red MINI Cooper with SOHO package. With its red body and contrasting white roof and mirror caps, Santa Claus and his new MINI will look festive all year round.
The name MINI is deceiving; Santa has already released a statement that he can fit hundreds of toys in his new MINI. The 50:50 rear split seats allows Santa to optimize his storage space whether transporting big presents or little elves.
ÔÇ£I love my MINI Cooper,ÔÇØ said Santa Claus. ÔÇ£Rudolf and the crew are getting old and it was time to update my image in order to excite the older children about Christmas again.ÔÇØ
The SOHO package offers many standard features for Santa to enjoy. The heated front seats and
Panorama glass sunroof allows he and Mrs. Clause to star gaze comfortably in his MINI on the cold North Pole nights. The 16ÔÇØ Bridge Spoke Alloy Wheels with All Season tires means that Father Christmas wonÔÇÖt have any problems getting around whether delivering presents in Whitehorse or St. JohnÔÇÖs.
Mrs. Claus is reassured knowing that Mr. Claus is safe traveling those long hauls because he is covered by MINI Checkpoint no-charge 3 year/60,000 km scheduled maintenance.
With an MSRP of $28,350 or $349 a month, 3.9% APR, $0 Down Payment and $0 Security Deposit on a 39 month lease term, Santa still has lots of money left over to buy toys for all the little girls and boys.
For more information on the 2006 MINI please visit, www.MINI.ca.
BMW Group Canada, based in Whitby, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI. BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 39 BMW automobile retail centres,18 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 22 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
BMW Of Battle Creek
Founded:
1/1/1972
Contact:
Marcy Gunn (bcbmwclub@yahoo.com)
314 Cohasset
Battle Creek, MI 49014 US
www.geocities.com/bcbmwclub/home.html
Meetings:
1st Saturday each month, 7pm,
various members' homes.
Events:
Original Mini-Rally,
Green Valley Campground,
Sturgis, MI, April 30 ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ May 2, 2004
News from the 2007 Rally area:
Gem??tlichkeit
Gem??tlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling
one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.
I think you will find that when you come here.
Old Courthouse Museum
Ozaukee ÔÇô Washington Daily News
Fond Du Lac Reporter
The Sheboygan Press
Daily Citizen, Beaver Dam
Weather
West Bend WI
Current
10 Day Forcast
United States
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Canada
Meteorological Service of Canada
News:
MotorcycleDaily.com: US Dirtbike sales tied to Supercross participation. The old NASCAR belief of race on Sunday sell on Monday moves to motorcycles again.
Inter-Bike.co.uk: H&H enjoys another milestone year, setting numerous new world records for cars and motorcycles.
MotorcycleUSA.com: StarÔÇÖs V-Max concept bike.
Slashgear.com: KTMÔÇÖs new X-Bow
Gizmag.com: The DScar ÔÇô The most affordable dream car.
Gizmag.com: Goodwood 2007. Gizmag gives a run down on the 2007 event. This is a biggie for BMW and Rolls-Royce.
Snoxcycle.com: Now this is a Rounder bikesnowmobilewell its a Rounder something.
Beer News:
baxterbulletin.com: Brown ale beers are perfect for winter cooking
OnMilwaukee.com: Give the gift of Milwaukee.
Feature:
Dakar 2007 is coming in less than a month. I have been searching for interesting links to get ready to follow the race this year. Here are three to get you started.
The official Dakar 2007 website.
Dakar 2007 Route pdf
Hog Wild News. This is the blog of the 2006 V-Rod powered sidecar rig of team Hog Wild Racing. The blog and the other pages on their site are a fun way to dip your toes in the sands and get ready for 2007.
Adventure Posts:
Courier-Journal.com: On the Road ÔÇô A local photographer traveled 6,000 miles to shoot a calendar about female mechanics.
This is an story on so many levels. The article originates from Louisville Kentucky and The Courier-Journaltouches. In its original form it appeared in the arts section. As a web posting it contains a look into several different thread topics that have recently been on the forum including entry riders, female involvement in all levels sport/business of motorcycles, the problems of carrying camera gear on a bike and touring.
Gear:
Gizmodo.com: I will admit to being a GPS Luddite of sorts. My fear is not of the advancement of technology but of where it will take me. Titled ÔÇ£GPS Coolness: Downloading Suunto and Garmin Forerunner Data into Google EarthÔÇØ made me stop and look. This application is beginning to peak my curiosity.
Riding Skills:
Bikes in the Fast Lane: Motorcycle accidents and the USA.
The NHTSA.gov report on accidents in the US is out. It is a 224 page document that covers all of the statistical research done on accidents for 2005. The motorcycle accident pull out is a much shorter document of a few pages. The article gives some context to view the numbers with. I have attached the motorcycle statistics for 2005 at the end of this section.
Video:
HelmetHairblog.com: Motorcycle commercial that makes you smile.
Helmet Hair takes a look at two funny Big Dog Motorcycle commercials. They are kind of funny. I have never experienced the first. The second makes me think. Spend a second reading Helmet HairÔÇÖs comments before viewing it. Then once you look at it spend a minute thinking about BMW
Technology:
Gizmodo.com: A tiny phone that makes calls and that is it.
wired.com: Wired tells us why we donÔÇÖt need vista now. With the release of the new MS operating system many of us will wonder if we need to upgrade or not.
Wonderings:
Pin striping may be what originally hooked me on BMWs. I was in my early thirties and was ready to make the move from the brands, both European and Japanese; I had ridden before to the German marque I had lusted after since seeing my first R75. My first roadster was silver with the beautiful double blue pin strip, one thick one thin. It had a simple elegance that I really liked and was lacking on other bikes of the day. It spoke the German version of Big Dogs hypnotic narratorÔÇÖs lines.
How much has the marque really changed versus how much the image has changed?
Is the move to be a higher volume market driven brand bike from being a high end specialty European motorcycle marque that you did not run into on every ride, causing some of the discord among us BMW owners?
I spent a couple of minutes with online dictionaries. I compared the words ÔÇ£brandÔÇØ and ÔÇ£marqueÔÇØ.
The definitions found for brand were not unexpected. Each returned a list that seemed to have the same progression from 1. kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like: 2. a mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, ownership, etc. 3. a mark formerly put upon criminals with a hot iron. 4. any mark of disgrace; stigma.
The definitions for marque we much more limited. The one that struck me was this: ÔÇ£a product model or type, as of a luxury or racing car.ÔÇØ To understand what something means sometimes means tuning your ear to hear what is not said. There are volumes not said in this definition of marque that speak to the meaning that is understood.
The rational rider in me can understand and like the current offerings from BMW. I see a level of technology that still reaches me. I have built enough product pricing models in different industries to have some idea of the tradeoffs and compromises BMW makes to get the bikes we buy priced on the show room floor. I donÔÇÖt like the price but I do understand the factors going into them.
The romantic rider in me is not as comfortable. The reasons are found in what I believe to be a shift from BMW as a marque to yet another brand of motorcycles. Marques bespeak quality, with certain elegance and a bit of high strung racing history. Brands merely separate the cattle and as you find yourself slipping down the line of definitions you end up as a mark of disgrace.
I do not subscribe to belief of some on the forum that BMW has devolved down the definition line, Rather, I believe that BMW is at a point that can define it as a brand and then run the risks of devolution, or redefines what the marque and its history is made of.
All of this wondering from a couple of cruiser commercials originally intended just to make you smile.
Word of the Day:
Yellow Jacket : A small wasp with yellow and black markings. 2. A BMW with yellow and black paint scheme.
Woot
Todays Woot
The Blog
Bike Candy:
John Surtees on his 1939 BMW Kompressor
From: BMW PressClub
Unless noted otherwise, I have no known commercial interest in any products discussed in the Morning Reads
The Pit Crew View: Racing News:
All things BMW
BMW Sauber F1 Team - Jerez Test - Day one
Test in Jerez.
13thÔÇô 15th December 2006
Day one ÔÇô Wednesday
Weather conditions:
Dry all day, mostly sunny.
Air: 9/17??C, track: 9/21??C
Number of cars participating: 17
Fastest lap overall: 1:19.467 min, Heikki Kovalainen, Renault
Nick Heidfeld:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06B-04 / BMW P86 V8
Test kilometres today: 367 km (83 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:20.209 min (on lap 4)
Sebastian Vettel:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06B-05 / BMW P86 V8
Test kilometres today: 416 km (94 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:20.575 min (on lap 82)
Programme:
The last test of the year is focused on two tasks: to get more mileage on the new quick shift gearbox and to gain further information about the Bridgestone Potenza tyres. Today Nick concentrated on set-up work, also testing some new components. Sebastian started with set-up work too and carried out an aerodynamic test in the afternoon plus a systems check programme including differential and traction control.
What comes next:
Tomorrow Robert Kubica will take over from Sebastian to join Nick. The main targets remain testing the gearbox and continuing the set-up work with regard to the new tyres.
AMA
AMA: ISDE Junior World Trophy to be on display at Museum
AMA: Willie G. Davidson to be featured speaker at Museums 2007 Daytona Breakfast.
transworldmotocross.com: Four arenacross champions to race Bookoo Arenacross.
MotorcycleDaily.com: Yamaha announces its 2007 race team.
Dakar
Moto-Newsblog.com: Team PanAmerica Destination Dakar
MotoGP
The Cherry Creek News: A ride on SuzukiÔÇÖs MotoGP bike
TodayÔÇÖs Birthdays / Calendar
BMW Group Press Club:
BMW Group PressClub Canada
This Christmas Santa will be saying SO HO HO.
12/13/2007
Whitby. MINI Canada announced today that Jolly Old Saint Nick traded in his sleigh and reindeer for a Chili Red MINI Cooper with SOHO package. With its red body and contrasting white roof and mirror caps, Santa Claus and his new MINI will look festive all year round.
The name MINI is deceiving; Santa has already released a statement that he can fit hundreds of toys in his new MINI. The 50:50 rear split seats allows Santa to optimize his storage space whether transporting big presents or little elves.
ÔÇ£I love my MINI Cooper,ÔÇØ said Santa Claus. ÔÇ£Rudolf and the crew are getting old and it was time to update my image in order to excite the older children about Christmas again.ÔÇØ
The SOHO package offers many standard features for Santa to enjoy. The heated front seats and
Panorama glass sunroof allows he and Mrs. Clause to star gaze comfortably in his MINI on the cold North Pole nights. The 16ÔÇØ Bridge Spoke Alloy Wheels with All Season tires means that Father Christmas wonÔÇÖt have any problems getting around whether delivering presents in Whitehorse or St. JohnÔÇÖs.
Mrs. Claus is reassured knowing that Mr. Claus is safe traveling those long hauls because he is covered by MINI Checkpoint no-charge 3 year/60,000 km scheduled maintenance.
With an MSRP of $28,350 or $349 a month, 3.9% APR, $0 Down Payment and $0 Security Deposit on a 39 month lease term, Santa still has lots of money left over to buy toys for all the little girls and boys.
For more information on the 2006 MINI please visit, www.MINI.ca.
BMW Group Canada, based in Whitby, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI. BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 39 BMW automobile retail centres,18 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 22 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
BMW Of Battle Creek
Founded:
1/1/1972
Contact:
Marcy Gunn (bcbmwclub@yahoo.com)
314 Cohasset
Battle Creek, MI 49014 US
www.geocities.com/bcbmwclub/home.html
Meetings:
1st Saturday each month, 7pm,
various members' homes.
Events:
Original Mini-Rally,
Green Valley Campground,
Sturgis, MI, April 30 ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ May 2, 2004
News from the 2007 Rally area:
Gem??tlichkeit
Gem??tlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling
one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.
I think you will find that when you come here.
Old Courthouse Museum
Ozaukee ÔÇô Washington Daily News
Fond Du Lac Reporter
The Sheboygan Press
Daily Citizen, Beaver Dam
Weather
West Bend WI
Current
10 Day Forcast
United States
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Canada
Meteorological Service of Canada
News:
MotorcycleDaily.com: US Dirtbike sales tied to Supercross participation. The old NASCAR belief of race on Sunday sell on Monday moves to motorcycles again.
Inter-Bike.co.uk: H&H enjoys another milestone year, setting numerous new world records for cars and motorcycles.
MotorcycleUSA.com: StarÔÇÖs V-Max concept bike.
Slashgear.com: KTMÔÇÖs new X-Bow
Gizmag.com: The DScar ÔÇô The most affordable dream car.
Gizmag.com: Goodwood 2007. Gizmag gives a run down on the 2007 event. This is a biggie for BMW and Rolls-Royce.
Snoxcycle.com: Now this is a Rounder bikesnowmobilewell its a Rounder something.
Beer News:
baxterbulletin.com: Brown ale beers are perfect for winter cooking
OnMilwaukee.com: Give the gift of Milwaukee.
Feature:
Dakar 2007 is coming in less than a month. I have been searching for interesting links to get ready to follow the race this year. Here are three to get you started.
The official Dakar 2007 website.
Dakar 2007 Route pdf
Hog Wild News. This is the blog of the 2006 V-Rod powered sidecar rig of team Hog Wild Racing. The blog and the other pages on their site are a fun way to dip your toes in the sands and get ready for 2007.
Adventure Posts:
Courier-Journal.com: On the Road ÔÇô A local photographer traveled 6,000 miles to shoot a calendar about female mechanics.
This is an story on so many levels. The article originates from Louisville Kentucky and The Courier-Journaltouches. In its original form it appeared in the arts section. As a web posting it contains a look into several different thread topics that have recently been on the forum including entry riders, female involvement in all levels sport/business of motorcycles, the problems of carrying camera gear on a bike and touring.
Gear:
Gizmodo.com: I will admit to being a GPS Luddite of sorts. My fear is not of the advancement of technology but of where it will take me. Titled ÔÇ£GPS Coolness: Downloading Suunto and Garmin Forerunner Data into Google EarthÔÇØ made me stop and look. This application is beginning to peak my curiosity.
Riding Skills:
Bikes in the Fast Lane: Motorcycle accidents and the USA.
The NHTSA.gov report on accidents in the US is out. It is a 224 page document that covers all of the statistical research done on accidents for 2005. The motorcycle accident pull out is a much shorter document of a few pages. The article gives some context to view the numbers with. I have attached the motorcycle statistics for 2005 at the end of this section.
Video:
HelmetHairblog.com: Motorcycle commercial that makes you smile.
Helmet Hair takes a look at two funny Big Dog Motorcycle commercials. They are kind of funny. I have never experienced the first. The second makes me think. Spend a second reading Helmet HairÔÇÖs comments before viewing it. Then once you look at it spend a minute thinking about BMW
Technology:
Gizmodo.com: A tiny phone that makes calls and that is it.
wired.com: Wired tells us why we donÔÇÖt need vista now. With the release of the new MS operating system many of us will wonder if we need to upgrade or not.
Wonderings:
Pin striping may be what originally hooked me on BMWs. I was in my early thirties and was ready to make the move from the brands, both European and Japanese; I had ridden before to the German marque I had lusted after since seeing my first R75. My first roadster was silver with the beautiful double blue pin strip, one thick one thin. It had a simple elegance that I really liked and was lacking on other bikes of the day. It spoke the German version of Big Dogs hypnotic narratorÔÇÖs lines.
How much has the marque really changed versus how much the image has changed?
Is the move to be a higher volume market driven brand bike from being a high end specialty European motorcycle marque that you did not run into on every ride, causing some of the discord among us BMW owners?
I spent a couple of minutes with online dictionaries. I compared the words ÔÇ£brandÔÇØ and ÔÇ£marqueÔÇØ.
The definitions found for brand were not unexpected. Each returned a list that seemed to have the same progression from 1. kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like: 2. a mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, ownership, etc. 3. a mark formerly put upon criminals with a hot iron. 4. any mark of disgrace; stigma.
The definitions for marque we much more limited. The one that struck me was this: ÔÇ£a product model or type, as of a luxury or racing car.ÔÇØ To understand what something means sometimes means tuning your ear to hear what is not said. There are volumes not said in this definition of marque that speak to the meaning that is understood.
The rational rider in me can understand and like the current offerings from BMW. I see a level of technology that still reaches me. I have built enough product pricing models in different industries to have some idea of the tradeoffs and compromises BMW makes to get the bikes we buy priced on the show room floor. I donÔÇÖt like the price but I do understand the factors going into them.
The romantic rider in me is not as comfortable. The reasons are found in what I believe to be a shift from BMW as a marque to yet another brand of motorcycles. Marques bespeak quality, with certain elegance and a bit of high strung racing history. Brands merely separate the cattle and as you find yourself slipping down the line of definitions you end up as a mark of disgrace.
I do not subscribe to belief of some on the forum that BMW has devolved down the definition line, Rather, I believe that BMW is at a point that can define it as a brand and then run the risks of devolution, or redefines what the marque and its history is made of.
All of this wondering from a couple of cruiser commercials originally intended just to make you smile.
Word of the Day:
Yellow Jacket : A small wasp with yellow and black markings. 2. A BMW with yellow and black paint scheme.
Woot
Todays Woot
The Blog
Bike Candy:
John Surtees on his 1939 BMW Kompressor
From: BMW PressClub
Unless noted otherwise, I have no known commercial interest in any products discussed in the Morning Reads
The Pit Crew View: Racing News:
All things BMW
BMW Sauber F1 Team - Jerez Test - Day one
Test in Jerez.
13thÔÇô 15th December 2006
Day one ÔÇô Wednesday
Weather conditions:
Dry all day, mostly sunny.
Air: 9/17??C, track: 9/21??C
Number of cars participating: 17
Fastest lap overall: 1:19.467 min, Heikki Kovalainen, Renault
Nick Heidfeld:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06B-04 / BMW P86 V8
Test kilometres today: 367 km (83 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:20.209 min (on lap 4)
Sebastian Vettel:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06B-05 / BMW P86 V8
Test kilometres today: 416 km (94 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:20.575 min (on lap 82)
Programme:
The last test of the year is focused on two tasks: to get more mileage on the new quick shift gearbox and to gain further information about the Bridgestone Potenza tyres. Today Nick concentrated on set-up work, also testing some new components. Sebastian started with set-up work too and carried out an aerodynamic test in the afternoon plus a systems check programme including differential and traction control.
What comes next:
Tomorrow Robert Kubica will take over from Sebastian to join Nick. The main targets remain testing the gearbox and continuing the set-up work with regard to the new tyres.
AMA
AMA: ISDE Junior World Trophy to be on display at Museum
AMA: Willie G. Davidson to be featured speaker at Museums 2007 Daytona Breakfast.
transworldmotocross.com: Four arenacross champions to race Bookoo Arenacross.
MotorcycleDaily.com: Yamaha announces its 2007 race team.
Dakar
Moto-Newsblog.com: Team PanAmerica Destination Dakar
MotoGP
The Cherry Creek News: A ride on SuzukiÔÇÖs MotoGP bike
