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BMW has victories to brag about for the S1000RR and the G450X
Success at Hockenheim for BMW S 1000 RR
Today, April 24, 2009, 2 hours ago | Admin BMW
The BMW S 1000 RR enjoyed its first national race success on 11 April, with victory in the prestigious 1,000 km Hockenheim race in Germany. Not only did Team Motobike (a cooperation partner of BMW Motorrad Germany for motorcyclist training programs) celebrate victory with a production version of BMWÔÇÖs new 1000cc superbike in this famous endurance race, but the HP2 Sport also enjoyed a podium finish in its class.
Under the leadership of crew chief Albin Kirchengast, three teams of riders competed under the ÔÇÿTeam MotobikeÔÇÖ banner in the 1000 km endurance test and sprint races at the 4,567m Hockenheimring circuit. A special treat for all race fans was that in Class 1 (motorcycles up to 1200cc) Team Motobike brought the brand new BMW S 1000 RR superbike to the starting grid, along with racing legend J??rgen Fuchs and the two-times German IDM Supersport champion, Arne Tode.
The absolutely standard production machine gave both team-mates a convincing victory and also proved its strength and reliability by being entirely problem-free during the 203 laps of this endurance race ÔÇô much to the delight of team chief Albin Kirchengast:
ÔÇ£Initially I was a little apprehensive about our plans for this race, because we had only unpacked the motorcycle from its container 14 days ago,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£However, the BMW superbike ran like a dream! It was also great to complete this hat trick of victories for Team Motobike, especially after we had won in 2007 with the R 1200 S and in 2008 with the HP2 Sport. Now, with the addition of this inaugural victory for the S 1000 RR, we have clearly demonstrated BMW MotorradÔÇÖs sporting credentials ÔÇô and then some!ÔÇØ
This was a view shared by former 250cc Grand Prix rider J??rgen Fuchs, who was lucky enough to ride the S 1000 RR across the finishing line and celebrate its first national race victory against a field of Suzuki GSX-R1000s, Yamaha R1s, Honda CBR1000s, and Kawasaki ZX-10Rs.
ÔÇ£With a brand new motorcycle, a completely different engine concept and a new team mate, I wasnÔÇÖt entirely sure what to expect, but I neednÔÇÖt have worried,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£My team mate Arne Tode made a very clean start and when it was my turn on the bike, I was able to increase our lead further and it was quickly clear that we had only ourselves to beat. Although in previous years we were up against some quite superior motorcycles, the S 1000 RR is without doubt a ÔÇÿdeclaration of warÔÇÖ to the series-production sport competition!ÔÇØ
In Class 4 (motorcycles with a maximum of three cylinders) Team Motobike also started with two BMW HP2 Sport machines, up against the various competition machines from Ducati, Triumph, Buell, Aprilia and KTM. Team Motobike HP2 Sport riders Oliver ÔÇÿRacketeÔÇÖ Schmidt and Dirk Schnieders celebrated a podium finish, after crossing the chequered flag in third place, while two seriously fast ladies ÔÇô Babette Schneider and Insa J?ñschke ÔÇô finished in a creditable 18th place.
ÔÇ£To finish in 18th place out of 30 starters wasnÔÇÖt a bad effort, all things considered,ÔÇØ said Babette Schneider, the former R6 Cup competitor ÔÇô who along with Katja Poensgen and Nina Prinz, is recognised as one of the fastest women in German motorcycle sport. ÔÇ£I was satisfied with the outcome in spite of some difficulties during practice, because Insa and I had to share a motorcycle, when it would have been better if we could have had a machine each. It was tough out there and by the end of the race, I felt drained due to the long stints in the saddle. Although I wasnÔÇÖt completely satisfied with my lap times the overall experience was great.ÔÇØ
Results
1. Team Motobike (BMW S 1000 RR)
2. SPS Race Team Motorland Mannheim (Yamaha R1)
3. Motorrad Stein (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
4. Schiller (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
5. FRS-Attack Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
Class 4 (motorcycles with a maximum of three cylinders)
1. KTM Zentrum Heilbronn (KTM RC8)
2. Ducati am Ring (Ducati 848)
3. Team Motobike 3 (BMW HP2 Sport)
4. Ducati Frankfurt (Ducati 1098)
5. Buell Racing Bonn (Buell 1125CR)
18. Team Motobike 2 (BMW HP2 Sport)
Japanese success for BMW G 450 X
Today, April 24, 2009, 2 hours ago | Admin BMW
It was a case of first round and first place for the BMW G 450 X in its debut in the All Japan Cross Country Enduro (JNCC) series held recently, where BMW Motorrad-supported rider Koikeda Takeshi celebrated victory on the new sport enduro.
Thirty-one-year-old Koikeda was on a 2009 G 450 X provided by BMW Motorrad Japan for this first race of the JNCC All Japan XC Enduro series. Showing unrivalled skills, he won the opening round of this prestigious off-road championship that takes place on a variety of terrain, including fields, tracks and motocross courses. With a race duration of three hours and a lap of around six kilometres ÔÇô or at least nine minutes for the quickest riders ÔÇô the JNCC is an exciting competition format that placed the BMW rider right in the mix with a variety of 450cc and 250cc race machinery from the Japanese ÔÇÿBig FourÔÇÖ manufacturers.
Despite atrocious weather conditions, which meant that his laps were actually taking between 27 and 32 minutes to complete, Koikeda Takeshi remained focussed throughout and secured the top spot on his BMW G 450 X.
ÔÇ£It was an amazing event and I was delighted to win on a BMW machine as an enduro rider,ÔÇØ said the former All-Japan National Motocross Champion, who spent many years racing 250cc dirt bikes. ÔÇ£The main course, as well as the Extreme section, had some great downhill sections that resulted in a challenging, but exciting lap that needed 30 minutes to complete.
ÔÇ£Because of the weather during the race, vision was bad at times due to the amount of rain and mud flying around but I managed to get close to the front after the first lap and started to put pressure on the leading rider. After my second pit stop the rain and lightning got worse and it was pretty tiring out there but I kept my concentration levels high and was able to take the lead and ride to the finish without making any mistakes. This was a new environment for me and there are lots of things I still need to learn but it was great to have the support of BMW Motorrad Japan and the G 450 X.ÔÇØ
Koikeda Takeshi will be back in action for the next round of the JNCC on 17 May and will also be competing in the 2009 Japan Enduro Championship series, which takes place from April to September.
JNCC round one result
1. Koikeda (BMW G 450 X)
2. Kobayashi (CFR 450R)
3. Ozaki (YZ 450F)
4. Uchiyama (WR250F)
5. Hoshino (YZ250F)
