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BMW's 100 year Anniversary Bike
- Thread starter dinandan
- Start date
Visian
look out!!!
lmo1131
New member
For what it's worth...
I think BMW has lost it's way. There is nothing distinctively "BMW" to make them instantly recognizable from UJMs. What happened to that bare-bones, "form follows function" Teutonic mindset that made the marque what it was? Too many industrial design school grads* with CAD surfacing-programs, and not enough nuts & bolts engineers, and managers that ride their own products and listen to their customers. Hr. de Waal being a notable exception.
I won't buy a new BMW, until 1) It is air-cooled - yeah, I know, emissions level are harder to attain - I don't care ... WORK ON IT! 2) I can maintain it myself and fix it with the on-board tool kit, 3) it doesn't have so much bodywork on it that it looks like a car, better yet, how 'bout no bodywork,4) it's shaft-driven, 5) and this is a big one ... it weighs less than 460 pounds wet, and 6) the biggest one ... it costs $6,000, or so.
Guess I'm stuck with my /5. Too bad I can't buy a new one, I'd like to.
I mean seriously, if Royal Enfield can continue to new sell motorcycles based on an upgraded, old design (EFI, electronic ignition, electric start) why not BMW?
My $.02USD (.016 Ôé¼)
* I am an Industrial Designer.
I think BMW has lost it's way. There is nothing distinctively "BMW" to make them instantly recognizable from UJMs. What happened to that bare-bones, "form follows function" Teutonic mindset that made the marque what it was? Too many industrial design school grads* with CAD surfacing-programs, and not enough nuts & bolts engineers, and managers that ride their own products and listen to their customers. Hr. de Waal being a notable exception.
I won't buy a new BMW, until 1) It is air-cooled - yeah, I know, emissions level are harder to attain - I don't care ... WORK ON IT! 2) I can maintain it myself and fix it with the on-board tool kit, 3) it doesn't have so much bodywork on it that it looks like a car, better yet, how 'bout no bodywork,4) it's shaft-driven, 5) and this is a big one ... it weighs less than 460 pounds wet, and 6) the biggest one ... it costs $6,000, or so.
Guess I'm stuck with my /5. Too bad I can't buy a new one, I'd like to.
I mean seriously, if Royal Enfield can continue to new sell motorcycles based on an upgraded, old design (EFI, electronic ignition, electric start) why not BMW?
My $.02USD (.016 Ôé¼)
* I am an Industrial Designer.
Visian
look out!!!
i think you need a used R11GS. seriously, it's close to what you say you want.
also, i am willing to be that BMW sells way more bikes than RE.
35634
Mars needs women!
Attachments
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bunkyone
Guest
Hey all: Imagine this bike with a R1100 motor, 5 speed and ABS brakes. Add a large BMW gas tank, and bingo, this is what we want!! I could see this selling pretty darn well. (I can even see Ural selling a fair number of them at that price.) If only it had another twenty horse power.... Vaya con Dios, Dutch
C
criminaldesign
Guest
a retread would be cool. triumph does well with the 'modern' bonnie's. an regular old airhead styled bike with fuel injection, dual front brakes and 800-1000cc.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RtujErcwuX2HjDl9zxST2A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QUlLxCsQNp0/THR4_Jhv-rI/AAAAAAAAClc/Zf9uw5SjMTs/s800/Screen%20shot%202010-08-24%20at%2010.06.01%20PM.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/houstonmcintyre/Random?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></table>
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RtujErcwuX2HjDl9zxST2A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QUlLxCsQNp0/THR4_Jhv-rI/AAAAAAAAClc/Zf9uw5SjMTs/s800/Screen%20shot%202010-08-24%20at%2010.06.01%20PM.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/houstonmcintyre/Random?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></table>
lmo1131
New member
Not takin' that bet... I'd bet they do too. Which just means that if RE can do it on their 500cc twin, that BMW could get the price down to my price point as well.
Another reason I wouldn't buy a new BMW is because I could not service it myself, and my nearest dealer is almost 150 miles away. The reliability of these machines is what made the BMW name synonymous with dependable, long distance touring.
It's certainly why I bought my /5 in 1973. I could keep that thing running regardless of what the road threw at us.
But then maybe the average new "motorcyclist" isn't capable, or even interested, in maintaining anything as simple as an airhead ...
edit- a friend of mine did a business plan to determine if it would be possible to set up shop refurbishing old Airheads to "new" condition. Nope, too much legal (product liability) hassle was what killed it.
A
angysdad
Guest
BMW's 100th anniversary bike will require a third wheel. Either a sidecar or a 'Spyder' type set-up. They are not attracting new riders fast enough, so if they want to keep their aging customers vertical, that third wheel will be required for balance.
I am joking, but only partly.
A 100th anniversary BMW factory sidecar rig...might I dare dream...
I am joking, but only partly.
A 100th anniversary BMW factory sidecar rig...might I dare dream...
mika
Still Wondering
The Enfield bet (declined) left me curious about their actual sales numbers. This is from their parent company Eicher 2009 annual report.
The year 2009 has been an extremely good year for your Company with
an all time high sales of 51955 motorcycles against 43298 motorcycles
during 2008, thus registering a growth of 20%. Performance was good
in both domestic as well as export markets with sale of 50002 motor
cycles (previous year 41542) and 1953 motorcycles (previous year
1756) respectively.
To the topic at hand:
- BMW built a single to restart the company in the post war era, so why not again?
- Take a cylinder from the HP2 and turn it into a high performance single.
- Put it in a frame with comfortable ergonomics but a sporting design.
- Minimal, if any bodywork
- I would be happy with a chain drive.
I would like to see it as an expansion of the sport line but in the long haul the engine could be the basis for all sorts of fun bikes.
The year 2009 has been an extremely good year for your Company with
an all time high sales of 51955 motorcycles against 43298 motorcycles
during 2008, thus registering a growth of 20%. Performance was good
in both domestic as well as export markets with sale of 50002 motor
cycles (previous year 41542) and 1953 motorcycles (previous year
1756) respectively.
To the topic at hand:
- BMW built a single to restart the company in the post war era, so why not again?
- Take a cylinder from the HP2 and turn it into a high performance single.
- Put it in a frame with comfortable ergonomics but a sporting design.
- Minimal, if any bodywork
- I would be happy with a chain drive.
I would like to see it as an expansion of the sport line but in the long haul the engine could be the basis for all sorts of fun bikes.
MCMXCIVRS
More toys than space
BMW has always been building the latest and most advanced motorcycles, even the airheads were high tech for their day. I hope they keep pushing the limits of design and technology and I hope that the 100 year bike represents the pinacle of technology for 2023.
If BMW was still only building 1970s technology airhead type motorcycles I'm sorry to say I would not be a BMW owner. I doubt I'm alone on that.
Roy.Jackson55@aol.com
You stupid, fix it!
I've been wondering this question ever since I saw BMW's 80 year anniversary Rockster.
Any Ideas what BMW's 100 year Anniversary bike will be???
R-1300- RS Pearl White with a teal seat, Just a guess but I will buy one..
Any Ideas what BMW's 100 year Anniversary bike will be???
R-1300- RS Pearl White with a teal seat, Just a guess but I will buy one..
darrylri
Cannonball Rider #52
Ed Miller/MCMXCIVRS has it right.
BMW is not going to build a 100th Anniversary bike that looks like a /2, an Airhead or even an R32. They didn't build a New Isetta or a new 2002 for 2002. They aren't doing retro bikes like Triumph and Ducati.
BMW is a forward looking company. They are very aware of their past, and very proud of it, but they don't rest on those laurels. We think their current designs are ugly because it takes a while to grow into them. They are designs that reflect what is possible at present.
The 100th Anniversary bikeS will be whatever the current high end models are at that time with some kind of added package. Look at the R100 Last Editions or the current 30th Anniversary GSes for a clue.
BMW is not going to build a 100th Anniversary bike that looks like a /2, an Airhead or even an R32. They didn't build a New Isetta or a new 2002 for 2002. They aren't doing retro bikes like Triumph and Ducati.
BMW is a forward looking company. They are very aware of their past, and very proud of it, but they don't rest on those laurels. We think their current designs are ugly because it takes a while to grow into them. They are designs that reflect what is possible at present.
The 100th Anniversary bikeS will be whatever the current high end models are at that time with some kind of added package. Look at the R100 Last Editions or the current 30th Anniversary GSes for a clue.
