I must be the only person who didn’t buy a new motorcycle last year, as BMW Motorrad managed record sales in 2022. Following similar news from Ducati, it seems the global market for motorcycles and scooters has defied some of the issues impacting other industries.
BMW Motorrad will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company in 2023, so they’ll be starting the year in a good mood. In 2022, the German manufacturer shipped 202,895 motorcycles and scooters, which was an increase of 4.4% on 2021.
Launched in 2020 as a new middleweight adventure bike with a fairly short front mudguard, owners can now protect their engine casing and front brake calipers with the new Wunderlich Front Mudguard Extender for the BMW F900 XR.
It might be popular to shorten mudguards on cafe racer bikes, but if you’re riding on off-road adventures, commuting or just getting through the winter months, it can be painful to see the damage and corrosion caused by water, grime and rubbish being flung up by the front wheel of your motorcycle. Especially if you’re not able to clean it straight away, or stone chips become a problem.
So Wunderlich now provide a sturdy thermoplastic extender for the front mudguard of the BMW F900 XR to compliment the particularly short standard example. Measuring 14.9 x 21.6cm, you get extra length with a specially flared lip on the bottom edge to help keep everything away from the front brake calipers. Which is handy.
The new Wunderlich Front Mudguard Extender for the BMW F900 XR
And the black colour matches the design of the original parts, so it won’t look odd or be particularly noticeable beyond cutting down the time spent cleaning your engine casing.
The Wunderlich Xtreme Front Extender for the F900 XR is quick and easy to fit, doesn’t require any drilling, and comes with instructions and fittings for £94. You can find it in the UK via Nippy Normans.
Two very different bikes have been adapted for law enforcement, with both an electric police BMW CE 04, and a more traditional F 900 XR both premiered as new models by the German manufactuter.
As an electric scooter, the BMW CE 04 is possbly the more notable of the duo. With the consumer model recently unveiled, it’s been a quickly converted for police operations in urban and metropolitan areas with a maximum power output of 41hp and a top speed of 120 km/h (74.5 mph). The battery has a range of around 130 kilometres, although there’s no research on how this is impacted when you add the special LED flashing lights at the front, the LED beacon at the rear, and a siren, along with an authorities case.
But it does mean the police might be able to sneak up on you with the minimum of noise, in the Eco, Rain or Road riding modes, and with Automatic Stability Contol, ABS and the opton of Dynamic Traction Control to help them handle most weather and road conditions.
The new electic police BMW CE 04 scooter
The F 900 XR makes more traditional sense as a police bike, given that it’s a nimble tourer with a relaxed and upright riding position for long shifts in the sadle, and has a 105hp twin-cylinder inline 895cc engine which can propel the bike somewhere above 120mph. Plus it comes with all the equipment options for panniers, heated grips, GPS and electronic rider aids you’d expect from the German manufacturer.
The police-spec BMW F 900 XR
BMW Motorrad produces a range of bikes which can be configured for the police, customs agencies, fire brigade or other uses, with the new CE 04 joining the R 1250 RT-P, the F 750GS-P and the F 850GS-P.
here. And you can always find ex-police BMW bikes for sale via a variety of places, including a surprising number available via eBay.
After taking a break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 BMW Motorrad Days dates have been finalised as July 2nd and 3rd in the Summer Garden of the Messe Berlin trade fair grounds, following immediately after the 2022 Pure & Crafted festival at the same location on July 1st.
So if you fancy celebrating all things BMW, it’s time to start looking at tickets and accomodation. The 20th event across almost two decades attracts visitors from all around the world to experience everything related to the German manufacturer and the famous roundel logo. And apparently the attractions and activities next year will be broader than ever to cater for all tastes.
Plenty of chances to ride at the BMW Motorrad Days, if you can resist the lure of German beer for a while…
Previous events drew around 40,000 visitors with stunt shows, freestyle motocross displays, exhibitions from the history of the BMW brand, live music, food and drink stalls, and more. And there are usually some new bikes or products revealed at what must be the largest gathering of BMW enthusiasts in the world.
The 2022 BMW Motorrad Days dates also mark the first time the event will be hosted in Berlin
It’ll also be the first time that the event has been held in Berlin, as it was previously hosted at Garmisch-Partenkirchen just outside the Bavarian manufacturers’ headquarters in Munich. But the company has strong links to the new location, having produced bikes there for more than 50 years, and potentially attracting a new audience by moving the BMW Motorrad Days into a large city. Plus it’s helpful if you want to go along, but need to accomodate less-enthusiastic family members!
Check out a range of motorcycle events and shows to attend, from small local gatherings to the biggest attractions, here. And keep up with all our BMW Motorrad coverage, including new, classic or custom motorcycles, here.
There’s a new free replacement scheme for crack-prone BMW GS footpegs. The parts affected are from the accessory selection rather than original equipment, so standard pegs aren’t an issue. Apparently BMW Motorrad has discovered stress corrosion cracks may occur on the studs in certain milled footrests.
So, if you’ve upgraded your bike, or bought a secondhand model and need to check, the part numbers of the parts in question are:
77 25 2 452 958 Footrest adjustable, left, black solid
77 25 2 452 960 Footrest adjustable, right, black solid
77 25 2 465 256 Set of footrests adjustable, black solid
And these footpegs are offered as accessories for the following BMW GS models:
BMW motorcycle news, including bikes, events and more, here.
here
news and coverage on BMW motorcycles, here