World Superbike stars at BMW Motorrad Days

With a packed racing schedule over the forthcoming weeks that includes events in South Africa, America, the republic of San Marino and the United Kingdom, Troy Corser’s and Ruben Xaus’ next public appearance in Germany will be on the first weekend in July, when they will be at the 2009 BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

It will be the two riders first visit to BMW Motorrad Days and they will be on hand to meet the fans, sign autographs and take in the unique atmosphere that occurs when 35.000 international BMW fans descend on the picturesque Alpine resort for a weekend of fun and partying dedicated to motorcycling.

Troy will be there on the Friday,  while Ruben will be staying in Garmisch throughout the weekend, and is looking forward to experiencing the special atmosphere for the first time.

As a special bonus, the official BMW Motorrad Motorsport team hospitality unit will also be at BMW Motorrad Days, complete with show bikes and official team merchandise for sale. If you’ve not had the chance to make it along to a World Superbike round yet, then come along and see where the team eat and meet, where sponsors and special guests are entertained, and where the two riders go to relax in-between races.

With approximately six weeks to go until this year’s BMW Motorrad Days event, more information about the programme, accommodation and the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area can be found by visiting the www.bmw-motorrad.com website.

The Danish company Firexpress has gone a long way in meeting this important need with its fully equipped BMW R 1200 RT fire fighting motorcycle. 

Designed as a first response vehicle for inner-urban authorities, the motorcycle is based on the Authority R 1200 RT-P, which is in service with police and emergency services throughout the world. 

After thorough testing, BMW Motorrad has approved the fire fighting R 1200 RT, when used in accordance with Firexpress operating procedures. 

The R 1200 RT is fitted with an innovative package of equipment that makes the bike a complete fire fighting unit in its own right. 

It can suppress a blaze until larger units arrive, or in the case of car fires and other smaller fires, it can complete the task solo. In some situations the fire fighting motorcycles are deployed in pairs with great effect. 

Two interconnected 25-litre tanks, mounted in the pannier position, are pressurised via a pillion seat-mounted cylinder. These tanks are pre-mixed with water and foam, giving the ability to fight different forms of fire. 

A 30-metre hose connected to the patented ‘pistol grip’ lance-nozzle, gives the fire fighter many options in fire suppression. 

A system of valves regulates pressure so that when the water leaves the tank and flows to the hose there is no air and only water in the line, giving maximum efficiency in using the available liquid. 

At the point of delivery at the nozzle, with 13 bars pressure, the operator can select the type or mix of retardant and the power needed.

J.D. Power: Arai ranks highest in customer satisfaction!

Incredible but true: for the 11 th consecutive year Arai has scored first place in the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study^SM.

The study measures the overall satisfaction of motorcyclists with their new helmet in three key factors: ventilation, face shield, and design and styling; which consist of 11 attributes: quietness; ventilation/air flow; de-fogging; face shield ability to keep wind out; face shield ability to resist scratching; ease of replacing face shield; scratch resistance of shell; color/graphic design; weight; ease of fastening the strap; and fit and comfort.

The official J.D. Power press release states:

With a score of 830 on a 1,000-point scale, Arai ranks highest and performs particularly well in the ventilation and design and styling factors. Shoei follows with a score of 815 and performs well in face shield. Icon ranks third overall with a score of 806.

“Arai continues to improve in the areas critical to customer satisfaction, which has further differentiated it from other manufacturers,” said Tim Fox, research manager of the powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “Arai’s focus on fit and comfort—the most important consideration when purchasing a motorcycle helmet—and its ability to cater to different types of riders have given the manufacturer a consistent edge in satisfying customers.”

Overall satisfaction with motorcycle helmets has increased to an average of 766 in 2009—up 5 points from 2008—the highest level since the study’s inception in 1999.

The study finds that while the percentage of helmet owners who conducted research online before buying has remained relatively steady from 2008 at 36 percent, the proportion of helmet owners who purchased their helmet online has increased—up to 17 percent in 2009 from 14 percent in 2008. Additionally, those who purchased more expensive helmets ($200 or more) are more likely to both research and purchase their helmet online. More than one-half of these helmet owners researched online prior to their purchase, and 22 percent of them made their purchase online.

The 2009 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 4,600 purchasers of new 2008 model-year motorcycles who provided information about their most recent helmet purchase experience and helmet use. The study was fielded in September and October 2008.