The automotive world has been buzzing of late about BMW‘s upcoming i3 electric car having an optional range extending gas-powered motorcycle engine. As our sister site Autoguide.com reports, the i3 will be available with an optional two-cylinder BMW motorcycle engine to power a generator which can recharge the electric motor and extend the vehicle’s range to 250 miles compared to a range of 60-90 miles relying just on the battery.

It turns out that two-cylinder motorcycle engine will actually be provided to BMW by Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco. This should be no real surprise as Kymco supplies several engines for the smaller-displacement BMW motorcycles including the engine for the single-cylinder G450X and the parallel-Twin engine used in the BMW C650GT and C600 Sport maxi-scooters. Continue Reading »

BMW reported sales of 12,057 motorcycles in the U.S. in 2012, representing a 14.0% increase on the 10,572 units sold in 2011.

Leading the way was the S1000RR, with BMW selling 1,934 of the sportbikes this year. That represents a 20.9% growth over the 1,600 S1000RRs scooped up by American consumers in 2011.

Also performing well for BMW are its six-cylinder K series bikes in their first full year on the market. Consumers clearly preferred the GTL over the GT model, buying 1,601 of the K1600GTL compared to just 697 units of the K1600GT. Continue Reading »

BMW‘s maxi-scooters have only just started going on sale in North America and already there’s a recall for the 2013 BMW C600 Sport in Canada.

According to Transport Canada, the fairing side panels on certain BMW C600 Sport scooters can loosen and detach while moving at very high speeds. In such a situation, the detached fairing poses a hazard to the rider and passenger as well as other vehicles and bystanders.

At the moment, only the C600 Sport is included in the recall. The BMW C650GT is not included at the moment. The GT has a different fairing than the Sport, so it may not have any similar issues. The recall is also only announced for Canada, but a U.S. recall may soon follow from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue Reading »

When BMW released its second quarter report last month, the company reported a 4.2% decrease in BMW and Husqvarna motorcycle sales due mainly to a struggling European economy. The economic woes persist but BMW appears to be recovering, reporting a new sales record for the month of August.

BMW reports sales of 7,400 motorcycles and scooters in August 2012, a company record for the month and an 11.3% increase from the 6,646 units sold in August 2011 and 14.7% more than the 6,405 units sold in August 2010.

Sales were buoyed by the introduction of the new C600 Sport and C650GT scooters to the European market. The maxi-scooters should provide an additional boost when they reach other markets such as the U.S., BMW’s second largest market. Continue Reading »

BMW predicts a record year for motorcycle sales despite a 2.3% dip over the first six months.

The first half of 2012 saw BMW sell 59,189 units, down from the 60,580 units reported for the same period in 2011. The decrease is primarily because of a 13.2% drop in sales in June. BMW sold 10,271 units during the month, compared to 11,831 units in June 2011.

Excluding June, BMW’s January to May sales figures totaled 48,918 units, up from 48,749 sold over the first five months of 2012. BMW attributes the disappointing June sales to the economy in key southern European countries. Continue Reading »

David Robb, the man responsible for BMW‘s split-face motorcycle design, has left the German manufacturer.

A native of Boston, Mass., Robb joined BMW as its design chief in 1993, and over the ensuing 18 years expanded the company’s product line to include the top selling R1200GS, the six-cylinder K1600GT and GTL, and the S1000RR superbike (that’s him on the far right in the picture above).

The 56-year-old’s latest design to enter production are the C600 Sport and C650GT maxi-scooters. It was under Robb’s hand that BMW motorcycles developed their signature split face and asymmetrical headlight designs. Prior to joining BMW, Robb was a designer for Audi and Chrysler.

Robb’s departure was somewhat of a surprise and comes with a bit of mystery and controversy. According to a report by AshOnBikes, Robb abruptly left BMW shortly after the EICMA show in Milan in November after an internal dispute, and the departure was only officially announced now.

Continue Reading »

BMW has started production of its new C600 Sport and C650GT but still hasn’t officially released pricing information for its two new maxi-scooters. BMW Canada however may have let slip pricing for the C650GT: CA$11,900

BMW Motorrad Canada is holding a contest to give away a C650GT, and the contest rules list the scooter’s MSRP. Of course, the $11,900 price tag is subject to change, especially as the scooter isn’t expected to arrive in Canada until late 2012 as a 2013 model. Still, the tentative pricing gives us an idea of how much the scooter will cost in the U.S. Continue Reading »

The two-wheeled orgasm that is EICMA is over, and now comes the waiting for the sexy new machines on display to arrive. You’ve seen our EICMA 2011 coverage (and if you haven’t yet, tsk, tsk!), read the juicy details and gazed longingly at the photographs. But how do these new models look in motion?

While we still have a little while to wait before seeing these new motorcycles (and scooters!) up close, the manufacturers have released some promotional videos to show off their new models. We’ve compiled a number of these videos and created a top 10 list of new bikes from EICMA 2011. Continue Reading »