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BMW Confident Going Into Daytona 200

7K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  sarnali2 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Original Article:
http://www.motorcycle.com//news/bmw-confident-going-into-daytona-200-75781.html
BMW Confident Going Into Daytona 200

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#3 ·
Come for the racing, stay for the shredded final drive chunks all over the track.

I kid, I kid. I hope BMW wins, just to stick it in the now meaningless race's craw. Plus, it appears someone figured out how to paint a race bike and make it look nice. That counts for a lot in my book.
 
#8 ·
Motorcyclist magazine said they were 4 seconds off. At Daytona, that is meaningless. In all the years I've attended the 200, there was only 1 race that was anywhere near that close, the year Duhamel and Mladin were swapping the lead for 200 miles. 2001 maybe, I forget. It will be fun to see BMW at the event no matter how the do. Wish Buell was in the game too.
 
#7 ·
The 600s put out some 15+hp. It's the ability to be an endurance racer that will allow it to place well. As long as they can keep one of the bikes in the 10 ten at the end of the first hr they should have a legit chance at a decent finish.
 
#12 ·
Duhamel, Hodgeson on Hondas, Eric & Ben Bostrom and Jason DiSalvo on Yamahas, Chaz Davies on Attack Kawasaki, Jake Zemke on the Erion Honda, Roger Lee Hayden on the Kawaski, Larry Pegram on Ducati are just a few.

Fading memory is the first to go. We're not in our 20s anymore and the guys we remember the most have long since retired. The majority of Superbike snobs (Mladin and Spies are 2 that come to mind) will sit it out because they think riding the 600s are beneath them. The real racers will find themselves on bikes. With the list of different machines racing the 200 we should be entertained no matter who wins.
 
#24 ·
Yep- but on the bright side it's a two year deal and when Ben goes to GP next season Neil will be fighting for second. When Honda gives him the one year extention and Matt retires for 2010 then the championship is Hondas for the taking. Baby steps, you know.
 
#26 ·
I'm glad to see BMW competing again. The more manufacturers involved the better. However I'm not sure how racing will improve BMW sales, which is the basic reason for racing efforts. BMW's trying to be attractive to younger buyers since BMW has an aging market problem somewhat similar to HD's. Younger buyers aren't going to run out and buy new K12s any more than they run out and buy new Heritage Springer HDs. They'd like to but most can't afford them. They'll end up on R1s rather than K12s because they are 1/3 cheaper. Same same the 650s.

Finally, BMWs sporty models (Ks and 650s) are still inferior performance-wise to the competition. I just don't see racing as much of a boost for their sales. The young will still opt for the
$6K cheaper and faster R1.

(Is anyone else irritated that BMW decided to use the "K" prefiz for the new transverse chain drive engines same as for the K12 Bricks?)
 
#27 ·
A friend of mine just bought a K1200R that's a rolling art work, runs like a bat outa' hell too. Of course he's in his late 50's and paid close to $20k for it...

still, I'm sure the fact that they're racing at Daytona was a major factor in his purchase..(ahem...)
 
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