BMW ?? Harley??
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BMW ?? Harley??
It surprises me a little the BMW in America so is liked. If it is to be driven what special BMW, or is it the made in Germany. What makes BMW drive out.
I thought always there all Harley goes. A mistake.
I thought always there all Harley goes. A mistake.
Last edited by Michael on Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gruß ( Greetings) Michael
Paint to Live Live to Paint and pimp your Rock
Paint to Live Live to Paint and pimp your Rock
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DJ Downunder
- Honorary Lifer
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- rearro
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Well I Drive a Bmw Car and I love the german Engineering So when I stared to look for A motorcycle I did Look at Harleys But I am a new rider so I wanted a bike with a really nuetral riding pisition and did not want to pay a small fortune for a good bike so I opt'ed for the Rockster. And besides there is no better bike than A BMW BIKE!! 
04' R1150R Edition 80, 136/2003
Please take a look at this chart from Motorcycle Consumer News, Jan/2006 issue.

No doubt, Harley is No.1 in 750cc + category. It's everywhere.
But I notice one thing, I see almost as many Beemers as Japanese bikes on the road.
Although Beemer's market share is only 1.48% in the States according to this report.

No doubt, Harley is No.1 in 750cc + category. It's everywhere.
But I notice one thing, I see almost as many Beemers as Japanese bikes on the road.
Although Beemer's market share is only 1.48% in the States according to this report.
Lifer #276.


BMW is well respected in America and not well liked. Only a very small number of motorcyclists buy BMWs. The reasons are several:
a. BMWs are for "older" people. And this is true with past models but with the new generation of BMW coming out faster and sportier, who knows where it will lead.
b. BMWs are expensive. Can't do anything about that.
c. BMW doesn't win any races.
For the sport bike crowd, BMWs are not fast or maneuverable and more importantly, not cheap like the Japanese and to a certain extent the Italian sport bikes.
For the cruiser crowd, BMW only had one model - R1200C. Yes, there are variations but primarily there was only one model and now there are none. Most people didn't even know that BMW made cruisers.
For the rest of the people who want a standard type bike, BMWs are much more expensive than their counterparts.
So which Americans buy BMWs? The ones that have both the taste for excellent engineering AND the budget to afford them.
a. BMWs are for "older" people. And this is true with past models but with the new generation of BMW coming out faster and sportier, who knows where it will lead.
b. BMWs are expensive. Can't do anything about that.
c. BMW doesn't win any races.
For the sport bike crowd, BMWs are not fast or maneuverable and more importantly, not cheap like the Japanese and to a certain extent the Italian sport bikes.
For the cruiser crowd, BMW only had one model - R1200C. Yes, there are variations but primarily there was only one model and now there are none. Most people didn't even know that BMW made cruisers.
For the rest of the people who want a standard type bike, BMWs are much more expensive than their counterparts.
So which Americans buy BMWs? The ones that have both the taste for excellent engineering AND the budget to afford them.
Cogito Ergo Vroom - I think therefore I ride.
03 Rockster, 07 Aprilia Tuono R, 07 KTM 990 Adventure
03 Rockster, 07 Aprilia Tuono R, 07 KTM 990 Adventure
Interestingly enough BMW`s represent only a fraction in motorbike sales in Mexico (a market dominated by locally manufactured mopeds and small displacement Chinese imports) but in their market segment (1000cc and more) they are among the best sold. BMW has a long tradition in Mexico, in spite of Harley`s being the choice of police forces around the country. In some cities (like Guadalajara and Queretaro) BMW`s are now even being used by the police and have a large and faithful crowd.
The annual BMW owners meeting attracts thousands of riders not only from Mexico but even from neighbouring countries. An interestin venue indeed that is going to take place this year in Cancun.
Albrecht
The annual BMW owners meeting attracts thousands of riders not only from Mexico but even from neighbouring countries. An interestin venue indeed that is going to take place this year in Cancun.
Albrecht
Well I'm a 15 year Harley guy width a few hundered thousand miles put on them, including nearly a dozen trips out west (I live in NJ in the east) and usually each trip is started off with a 1,000 mile day (NJ to West TN).
My 3 kids also had/have Harlys. My daughter was the first defector, wanting something where she sat more upright. So she picked up a 2 year old roadster. Next, my older son got the "high tech" bug after riding hers for a while. So he picked up a new roadster and proceeded to put 30k miles on it in 3 years.
I got to wondering what all the fuss and damn if I didn't get hooked also. I got an '03 rock and love it, but needed to make some changes to accomodate my riding style.
My #2 son also got the bug, but he needed something different and so got a 990 Duc.
This last summer we were finally able to get a family ride in (first in a long time) and we had a great time in the Smokey Mts in NC.
I still have my Harley though because my wife is most comfortabe on it and i goosed it up to 1500cc's and pull a pop up camper with it.
Since I did not have all the conversion done in time to the Rock this year, I took the HD to New Mexico on a ride with my daughter, who road her roadster.
So we do love Beemers here as well as Harleys. If fact, I just heard some hogs go by my house. It's an unusually warm winter here and everyone is itchy to get back out.
Save riding.
js
My 3 kids also had/have Harlys. My daughter was the first defector, wanting something where she sat more upright. So she picked up a 2 year old roadster. Next, my older son got the "high tech" bug after riding hers for a while. So he picked up a new roadster and proceeded to put 30k miles on it in 3 years.
I got to wondering what all the fuss and damn if I didn't get hooked also. I got an '03 rock and love it, but needed to make some changes to accomodate my riding style.
My #2 son also got the bug, but he needed something different and so got a 990 Duc.
This last summer we were finally able to get a family ride in (first in a long time) and we had a great time in the Smokey Mts in NC.
I still have my Harley though because my wife is most comfortabe on it and i goosed it up to 1500cc's and pull a pop up camper with it.
Since I did not have all the conversion done in time to the Rock this year, I took the HD to New Mexico on a ride with my daughter, who road her roadster.
So we do love Beemers here as well as Harleys. If fact, I just heard some hogs go by my house. It's an unusually warm winter here and everyone is itchy to get back out.
Save riding.
js
js
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socalrob
- Lifer
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Brands by casual observation
Was up to Nucomb's Ranch this past Sunday morning, a fav. LA rider destination. Its about 30 miles up a good technical mountain road, about half 55 mph limit, favored by sport riders, so a bit further through the curves than many HD riders want to go. It was a spectacular blue sky day, 75 degrees F., even at 5,000 feet up the mountain.
At 10 am I estimate there were somewhat over 100 bikes. From memory, the breakdown would be as follows:
BMW - 20 percent, of which maybe half were were GS's.
HD- 5 percent. On the way down I did see a group of 7 or so HD riders coming up. Also, cruisers do tend to show up more in the afternoon.
Motoguzzi-10 percent (a few more than normal, didn't appear to be a group though)
Ducati-10 percent (although sometimes it runs as high as 40 percent, there is a very active group of Ducati riders here)
Triumph - 5 percent (a bit less than normal).
MV Agusta - 0 percent (normally see a few, saw 2 new Brutali's (sp?) last time up)
Japanese brands 50 percent (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki pretty evenly split, I guess a few Kawasakis also. Did see a few pieces of a Kawasaki (at least I assume so as it was bright green) on the side of the road on the way up.)
Also saw a Vespa. Heard some sport riders kidding about be passed by it.
I would say that of bikes I see on the road, at least 10-15 percent are BMW (except on those charity ride things where all the cruiser bikes come out & play).
Also looks to me that those MC sales numbers include dirt bikes. Which makes the HD market share in terms of $$ just stunning (must be 50 percent).
Looking at those sales numbers, I'm very surprised BMW even bothers with bike sales. Hard to believe those numbers can profitably support a dealer network. Don't complain & support your local dealer.
At 10 am I estimate there were somewhat over 100 bikes. From memory, the breakdown would be as follows:
BMW - 20 percent, of which maybe half were were GS's.
HD- 5 percent. On the way down I did see a group of 7 or so HD riders coming up. Also, cruisers do tend to show up more in the afternoon.
Motoguzzi-10 percent (a few more than normal, didn't appear to be a group though)
Ducati-10 percent (although sometimes it runs as high as 40 percent, there is a very active group of Ducati riders here)
Triumph - 5 percent (a bit less than normal).
MV Agusta - 0 percent (normally see a few, saw 2 new Brutali's (sp?) last time up)
Japanese brands 50 percent (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki pretty evenly split, I guess a few Kawasakis also. Did see a few pieces of a Kawasaki (at least I assume so as it was bright green) on the side of the road on the way up.)
Also saw a Vespa. Heard some sport riders kidding about be passed by it.
I would say that of bikes I see on the road, at least 10-15 percent are BMW (except on those charity ride things where all the cruiser bikes come out & play).
Also looks to me that those MC sales numbers include dirt bikes. Which makes the HD market share in terms of $$ just stunning (must be 50 percent).
Looking at those sales numbers, I'm very surprised BMW even bothers with bike sales. Hard to believe those numbers can profitably support a dealer network. Don't complain & support your local dealer.
07 1200GSA & 08 Ducati Hypermotard S
& Honda XR400
Past-04 R1150R
& Honda XR400
Past-04 R1150R
I don't want to sound like I'm patting myself on the back, but I have yet to see a BMW owner who's a poseur. We all ride and we all ride hard. Sure, some HD owners put some mileage on their bikes but most don't. The same with all other brands. But I have yet to see a Beemer owner who hasn't put some decent mileage on his or her bike.
When you stop by the various nexi of canyon roads like the Rock Store in Malibu or Newcomb Ranch, Cook's Corner, etc. You will see BMWs out there en masse. Why? Because we ride'em and we love the curves.
When you stop by the various nexi of canyon roads like the Rock Store in Malibu or Newcomb Ranch, Cook's Corner, etc. You will see BMWs out there en masse. Why? Because we ride'em and we love the curves.
Cogito Ergo Vroom - I think therefore I ride.
03 Rockster, 07 Aprilia Tuono R, 07 KTM 990 Adventure
03 Rockster, 07 Aprilia Tuono R, 07 KTM 990 Adventure
Hi 3Rad
Also Du treibst dich auch überall rum
.
Bist ja genauso schlimm wie ich. Wollte mal sehen was die Amis so toll an unseren Kühen finden.
Bin überrascht was Sie für eine gute Meinung von made in Germany haben.
Also ich bin von BMW nicht mehr so überzeugt!
Werd mir wohl mal die neue 1000er Honda anschauen. Und der Preis
Also Du treibst dich auch überall rum
Bist ja genauso schlimm wie ich. Wollte mal sehen was die Amis so toll an unseren Kühen finden.
Bin überrascht was Sie für eine gute Meinung von made in Germany haben.
Also ich bin von BMW nicht mehr so überzeugt!
Werd mir wohl mal die neue 1000er Honda anschauen. Und der Preis
Gruß ( Greetings) Michael
Paint to Live Live to Paint and pimp your Rock
Paint to Live Live to Paint and pimp your Rock