mika
Still Wondering
The motorcycling world viewed from the saddle of a 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 shop for motorcycling information.
TodayÔÇÖs Birthdays / Calendar
World of BMW news
Classic BMW riders in Japan
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
club:
Mississippi Valley BMW Riders, #134
founded:
3/1/1984
contact:
Dennis Frank
502 Unit #2 Jenkran
Morrison, IL 61270 US
meetings:
2nd Wednesday each month, 8pm, call for location
events:
Winter Campout, February
Fall Campout, September
Gem??tlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling
one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.
I think you will find that when you come here.
Sheboygan Breakwater, WI
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
Travel Information ÔÇô Driving Conditions and other related information sites.
News:
whp580.com : Millions of dollars lost in Harley-Davidson strike
earthtimes.org Honda Press Release - Honda Aircraft Company to Establish World Headquarters and Production Facility in Greensboro, North Carolina
Bikes in the Fast Lane does a breakdown of Ausie motorcycle sales for 2006
The arguments over Bear Butte, liquor sales and the Sturgis Rally continue in the S.D. Legislature.Yankton.net : A.I. Seek Limit on Booze Business.
Ask yourself how BMW MOA would handle the situation? We may never have or want a national rally the size of Sturgis but we can bump into the same issues in the process of site selection.
theKneeslider.com: Triazuma by Ludovic Lazareth ÔÇô another threewheel sport bike.
Part of business is overcoming obstacles that limit your growth. In England for a bike manufacturer that can be identified in one word, insurance. Inter-bike.co.uk : Fixed price insurance on Buell motorcycles.
Buell rumors about dirtbikes pop up again. theKneeslider.com ÔÇô Buell planning competition dirt bikes?
Moto Guzzi 940 Custom webBikeWorld.com gives us a press release and pictures.
Adventure Posts:
Salcar Hes thinkingcould lead to wonderingcould lead to learning.
mailtribune.com: When facing predators use your intuition.
Gear:
theKneeslider.com : Motorcycle themed computer case / backpack.
webBikeWorld.com : Urban HelmetÔÇÖs N20A gets a look from wBW. There is a caution in the opening paragraphs about the propensity of riders to jump on low price at the expense of safety ratings. Higher price may not mean greater safety but I am afraid that we need to be reminded that is the reason for the expense in the first place.
Motorcycle Repair and Care:
Diagnosing and replacing the Oilhead Hall Effect Ignition Impulse Sending Unit by Dana E. Hager. Draft edition 9/26/2004
Riding Skills:
Some of you will not survive the trip to the Motorcycle Show or the next trip to your dealer with your wallets intact. [url=http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/learn_your_new_bike/]Here are some exercises to familiarize yourself with your new motorcycle form Motorcycle Cruiser.
Wonderings:
About - Nice guys finish last
They finish.
They usually finish in one piece.
The Greeks ran a race for torch bearers, the winner was not the first across the line but the first to cross the line with a lit torch. The race is not always to the swift.
First place may go to the first over the line but winning is in the eye of the beholder.
I have always lost when I made relationships a competition.
Woot
Todays Woot
The Blog
Over Heard in New York | Voice of the City
Bike Candy:
All things BMW
BMW Group Press Club:
PressClub USA
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - TEST IN JEREZ - DAY 3
6th February - 8th February 2007
Day three - Thursday
Weather conditions: Rainy most of the day
Temperatures: Air: 14/17??C, Track: 14/18??C
Number of cars participating: 14
Nick Heidfeld:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.07-02 / BMW P86/7 V8
Test kilometres today: 156 km (34 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:29.497 min (lap 32)
Timo Glock:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.07-01 / BMW P86/7 V8
Test kilometres today: 120 km (27 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:30.211 min (lap 21)
Programme:
Due to bad weather conditions and in view of the limited testing mileage, the team decided to stop testing at mid-day. Timo, who had his first proper run in the F1.07 started the day making starts on extreme weather tyres. He then changed to standard wet tyres and worked on a baseline set-up. Systems and diagnostics checks were also on his programme. Nick also tested the extreme weather tyres before switching to standard wet tyres. He worked on the fine tuning of the traction control and also made some diagnostics checks.
What comes next:
The BMW Sauber F1 Team will be testing in Barcelona from February 12 to 14.
PressClub Canada
Up-and-coming filmmakers in Berlin. Films supported by the BMW Group in the programme of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival.
Munich/Berlin. This year, the largest public festival in the world will once again be enticing film enthusiasts, experienced filmmakers and young talents to Berlin. Once again, the choice of films overlapped in many places with film projects that had been supported by the BMW Group. The provision of support for high-quality, innovative films and the commitment to up-and-coming filmmakers have been a regular component of the BMW Group's involvement for films over the last 70 years.
The Berlin International Film Festival will be presenting the following BMW Group projects from 8th to 18th February:
Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday).
The section "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" (German Cinema Perspective) features new discoveries in the German film landscape of the previous year. The four documentaries and eight feature films selected in 2007 include the 25-minute film "Aschermittwoch", which marks the d?®but of the "HFF M??nchen" graduate Ileana Cosmovici. It tells of the young doctor Andreas, who has to contend with his twin sister's drug dependency, and policewoman Sandra, as she copes with the intrusive approaches of her colleagues.
Blindflug (Blind Flight).
In his 61-minute film "Blindflug" completed for his graduation from the "Film Akademie Baden-W??rttemberg", Ben von Grafenstein depicts the love life of materially saturated yuppies by means of the most brilliant dialogues. This feature film, which is undoubtedly worth seeing, is also featured in the "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" section.
Jagdhunde (Hounds).
Henrik and his 16-year-old son Lars live in an old farmhouse in the countryside. They have little to say to each other, and are also rather isolated newcomers. Lars feels even more lonely when he learns about his father's new girlfriend. But then Lars gets to know Marie, a deaf girl from the village. The chaos of feelings becomes even more intense when the mother and her lover appear for the festival of love. The 86-minute film completed for the graduation of Ann-Christin Reyels from the "HFF Potsdam Konrad Wolf" features young star Constantin von Jascheroff as Lars and is being shown both in the "Internationale Forum des Jungen Films" (International Forum for Young Film) and the "Generation 14plus" section.
Bl?Âde M??tze! (Silly's Sweet Summer).
Twelve-year-old Martin has to move to Bellbach with his parents. Nothing is as it was before. When Martin falls in love with Silke, who is the same age, he feels Oliver's fist. Martin has to fight: for Silke, against Oliver, but ultimately for the friendship of both of them. This coming-of-age film is being shown in the children's film section "Generation Kplus". Munich director Johannes Schmid made his cinema d?®but in film theatres in East Germany with this film from the novel of the same name by Thomas Schmid.
PressClub UK
PressClub Australia
BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle named All-Terrain Car of the Year
9 February 2007
The BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle has been named All-Terrain Car of the Year for 2007.
It was the second year in a row, that the BMW X3 won the readers' poll held by respected German magazine, 'Off Road'.
The win was decisive with the BMW Sports Activity Vehicle leading by more than ten percentage points ahead of the next-placed vehicle.
The refined and re-invigorated performance-orientated X3, which has just gone on sale in Australia, clearly asserted itself among the 14 vehicles that had been nominated for the SUV class, taking 24.2 per cent of the total votes cast.
Every year since 1982, the readers of 'Off Road' magazine have been casting votes to find the most popular all-terrain vehicle on the German market. A total of 56,448 votes were cast in the latest poll.
For BMW, this is a clear vote of confidence from an informed public and yet more confirmation of the strategy of placing riding enjoyment and extremely good handling right at the top of the list for the all-terrain vehicle segment.
Moreover, at the award ceremony in Munich, BMW came in for an additional honor. The German Four-Wheel Association (Deutsche Allrad Verband [DAV]) awarded the company its prize for 2007. This was an expression of appreciation by the nationally active interest group for riders and owners of four-wheel driven vehicles for the high level of technical skill and expertise demonstrated by BMW in the development of its intelligent xDrive four-wheel system. This system is controlled permanently by an electronic module. The variable power distribution between the front and rear axles results in a unique riding experience, not only for BMW's SAV models. Thanks to its unique interfacing with the DSC stability control, engine controller and, optionally, also with the active steering, the extremely fast and precise-acting xDrive promotes not only off-road surface grip but also riding dynamics.
The accolades reflect the market success currently enjoyed by BMW in this segment.
In 2006, a total of 113, 997 BMW X3 vehicles were delivered worldwide; this represents an increase of 3.0 per cent compared to the previous year. In Germany alone, the BMW X3 was sold more than 23,000 times, giving it a market share of 10.3 per cent in the all-terrain vehicle segment.
All in all, BMW was again able to maintain its position as the most successful brand in this vehicle class in 2006 both in Germany and Australia. Despite the impending model renewal, the BMW X5 once more played an important role here. Taken together, the BMW X3 and BMW X5 claimed a market share of 15.0 per cent in the all-terrain vehicle segment in Germany.
In Australia, the BMW X3 and BMW X5 claimed a leading market share of 21.9 per cent of the luxury SUV segment.
TodayÔÇÖs Birthdays / Calendar
World of BMW news
Classic BMW riders in Japan
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
club:
Mississippi Valley BMW Riders, #134
founded:
3/1/1984
contact:
Dennis Frank
502 Unit #2 Jenkran
Morrison, IL 61270 US
meetings:
2nd Wednesday each month, 8pm, call for location
events:
Winter Campout, February
Fall Campout, September
Gem??tlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling
one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.
I think you will find that when you come here.
Sheboygan Breakwater, WI
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
Travel Information ÔÇô Driving Conditions and other related information sites.
News:
whp580.com : Millions of dollars lost in Harley-Davidson strike
earthtimes.org Honda Press Release - Honda Aircraft Company to Establish World Headquarters and Production Facility in Greensboro, North Carolina
Bikes in the Fast Lane does a breakdown of Ausie motorcycle sales for 2006
The arguments over Bear Butte, liquor sales and the Sturgis Rally continue in the S.D. Legislature.Yankton.net : A.I. Seek Limit on Booze Business.
Ask yourself how BMW MOA would handle the situation? We may never have or want a national rally the size of Sturgis but we can bump into the same issues in the process of site selection.
theKneeslider.com: Triazuma by Ludovic Lazareth ÔÇô another threewheel sport bike.
Part of business is overcoming obstacles that limit your growth. In England for a bike manufacturer that can be identified in one word, insurance. Inter-bike.co.uk : Fixed price insurance on Buell motorcycles.
Buell rumors about dirtbikes pop up again. theKneeslider.com ÔÇô Buell planning competition dirt bikes?
Moto Guzzi 940 Custom webBikeWorld.com gives us a press release and pictures.
Adventure Posts:
Salcar Hes thinkingcould lead to wonderingcould lead to learning.
mailtribune.com: When facing predators use your intuition.
Gear:
theKneeslider.com : Motorcycle themed computer case / backpack.
webBikeWorld.com : Urban HelmetÔÇÖs N20A gets a look from wBW. There is a caution in the opening paragraphs about the propensity of riders to jump on low price at the expense of safety ratings. Higher price may not mean greater safety but I am afraid that we need to be reminded that is the reason for the expense in the first place.
Motorcycle Repair and Care:
Diagnosing and replacing the Oilhead Hall Effect Ignition Impulse Sending Unit by Dana E. Hager. Draft edition 9/26/2004
Riding Skills:
Some of you will not survive the trip to the Motorcycle Show or the next trip to your dealer with your wallets intact. [url=http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/learn_your_new_bike/]Here are some exercises to familiarize yourself with your new motorcycle form Motorcycle Cruiser.
Wonderings:
About - Nice guys finish last
They finish.
They usually finish in one piece.
The Greeks ran a race for torch bearers, the winner was not the first across the line but the first to cross the line with a lit torch. The race is not always to the swift.
First place may go to the first over the line but winning is in the eye of the beholder.
I have always lost when I made relationships a competition.
Woot
Todays Woot
The Blog
Over Heard in New York | Voice of the City
Bike Candy:
All things BMW
BMW Group Press Club:
PressClub USA
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - TEST IN JEREZ - DAY 3
6th February - 8th February 2007
Day three - Thursday
Weather conditions: Rainy most of the day
Temperatures: Air: 14/17??C, Track: 14/18??C
Number of cars participating: 14
Nick Heidfeld:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.07-02 / BMW P86/7 V8
Test kilometres today: 156 km (34 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:29.497 min (lap 32)
Timo Glock:
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.07-01 / BMW P86/7 V8
Test kilometres today: 120 km (27 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:30.211 min (lap 21)
Programme:
Due to bad weather conditions and in view of the limited testing mileage, the team decided to stop testing at mid-day. Timo, who had his first proper run in the F1.07 started the day making starts on extreme weather tyres. He then changed to standard wet tyres and worked on a baseline set-up. Systems and diagnostics checks were also on his programme. Nick also tested the extreme weather tyres before switching to standard wet tyres. He worked on the fine tuning of the traction control and also made some diagnostics checks.
What comes next:
The BMW Sauber F1 Team will be testing in Barcelona from February 12 to 14.
PressClub Canada
Up-and-coming filmmakers in Berlin. Films supported by the BMW Group in the programme of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival.
Munich/Berlin. This year, the largest public festival in the world will once again be enticing film enthusiasts, experienced filmmakers and young talents to Berlin. Once again, the choice of films overlapped in many places with film projects that had been supported by the BMW Group. The provision of support for high-quality, innovative films and the commitment to up-and-coming filmmakers have been a regular component of the BMW Group's involvement for films over the last 70 years.
The Berlin International Film Festival will be presenting the following BMW Group projects from 8th to 18th February:
Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday).
The section "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" (German Cinema Perspective) features new discoveries in the German film landscape of the previous year. The four documentaries and eight feature films selected in 2007 include the 25-minute film "Aschermittwoch", which marks the d?®but of the "HFF M??nchen" graduate Ileana Cosmovici. It tells of the young doctor Andreas, who has to contend with his twin sister's drug dependency, and policewoman Sandra, as she copes with the intrusive approaches of her colleagues.
Blindflug (Blind Flight).
In his 61-minute film "Blindflug" completed for his graduation from the "Film Akademie Baden-W??rttemberg", Ben von Grafenstein depicts the love life of materially saturated yuppies by means of the most brilliant dialogues. This feature film, which is undoubtedly worth seeing, is also featured in the "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" section.
Jagdhunde (Hounds).
Henrik and his 16-year-old son Lars live in an old farmhouse in the countryside. They have little to say to each other, and are also rather isolated newcomers. Lars feels even more lonely when he learns about his father's new girlfriend. But then Lars gets to know Marie, a deaf girl from the village. The chaos of feelings becomes even more intense when the mother and her lover appear for the festival of love. The 86-minute film completed for the graduation of Ann-Christin Reyels from the "HFF Potsdam Konrad Wolf" features young star Constantin von Jascheroff as Lars and is being shown both in the "Internationale Forum des Jungen Films" (International Forum for Young Film) and the "Generation 14plus" section.
Bl?Âde M??tze! (Silly's Sweet Summer).
Twelve-year-old Martin has to move to Bellbach with his parents. Nothing is as it was before. When Martin falls in love with Silke, who is the same age, he feels Oliver's fist. Martin has to fight: for Silke, against Oliver, but ultimately for the friendship of both of them. This coming-of-age film is being shown in the children's film section "Generation Kplus". Munich director Johannes Schmid made his cinema d?®but in film theatres in East Germany with this film from the novel of the same name by Thomas Schmid.
PressClub UK
PressClub Australia
BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle named All-Terrain Car of the Year
9 February 2007
The BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle has been named All-Terrain Car of the Year for 2007.
It was the second year in a row, that the BMW X3 won the readers' poll held by respected German magazine, 'Off Road'.
The win was decisive with the BMW Sports Activity Vehicle leading by more than ten percentage points ahead of the next-placed vehicle.
The refined and re-invigorated performance-orientated X3, which has just gone on sale in Australia, clearly asserted itself among the 14 vehicles that had been nominated for the SUV class, taking 24.2 per cent of the total votes cast.
Every year since 1982, the readers of 'Off Road' magazine have been casting votes to find the most popular all-terrain vehicle on the German market. A total of 56,448 votes were cast in the latest poll.
For BMW, this is a clear vote of confidence from an informed public and yet more confirmation of the strategy of placing riding enjoyment and extremely good handling right at the top of the list for the all-terrain vehicle segment.
Moreover, at the award ceremony in Munich, BMW came in for an additional honor. The German Four-Wheel Association (Deutsche Allrad Verband [DAV]) awarded the company its prize for 2007. This was an expression of appreciation by the nationally active interest group for riders and owners of four-wheel driven vehicles for the high level of technical skill and expertise demonstrated by BMW in the development of its intelligent xDrive four-wheel system. This system is controlled permanently by an electronic module. The variable power distribution between the front and rear axles results in a unique riding experience, not only for BMW's SAV models. Thanks to its unique interfacing with the DSC stability control, engine controller and, optionally, also with the active steering, the extremely fast and precise-acting xDrive promotes not only off-road surface grip but also riding dynamics.
The accolades reflect the market success currently enjoyed by BMW in this segment.
In 2006, a total of 113, 997 BMW X3 vehicles were delivered worldwide; this represents an increase of 3.0 per cent compared to the previous year. In Germany alone, the BMW X3 was sold more than 23,000 times, giving it a market share of 10.3 per cent in the all-terrain vehicle segment.
All in all, BMW was again able to maintain its position as the most successful brand in this vehicle class in 2006 both in Germany and Australia. Despite the impending model renewal, the BMW X5 once more played an important role here. Taken together, the BMW X3 and BMW X5 claimed a market share of 15.0 per cent in the all-terrain vehicle segment in Germany.
In Australia, the BMW X3 and BMW X5 claimed a leading market share of 21.9 per cent of the luxury SUV segment.
