BMWBMW

Yamaha's & Aprilia's loss is BMW's gain, Yamaha announced it would not be fieliding a WSB team & Marco will not be 2nd banana to Biaggi. So Melandri will be riding a S1000RR in 2012! BTW Congrats to Carlos Checa clinching the 2011 championship!

I saw this, along with the great races this weekend. I guess this means Corser is done, although I haven't heard that officially said. I'm guessing he may be retiring. No Yamaha factory team next year. This doesn't bode well for WSBK. No Ducati team (factory) and now this? They need to get rebuilding soon, or the circuit could be in trouble.

Now it will be put up or shut up time for BMW. The learning years are over.

They will have a rider way capable of consistently winning races (recent races, unlike Corser ) so if we get a Rossi/Ducati situation with Melandri then I guess it really is the bike.

rickrwh wrote:Now it will be put up or shut up time for BMW. The learning years are over.

They will have a rider way capable of consistently winning races (recent races, unlike Corser ) so if we get a Rossi/Ducati situation with Melandri then I guess it really is the bike.

The Ducati privateer team did very well with Carlos Checa (his run in Magny Cours was great) while the factory gets to save lots of money. May be a new Yamaha privateer will form in 2012?

Haslam and Melandri do fit the bill. Actually while BMW Italia tests Tony Elias, it can try out Eugene Laverty, the other Yamaha rider. He has done an excellent job in his first year. In the WSBK BMW riders have been consistently in the mid pack with some podium finish in 2011. 2012 look even more promising.

BTW Beemers have been competitive in the U.S., UK, France, and Italy in Superstock, Superbike, and endurance races. We'll get to watch more racing programs in 2012. . Anyone selling a S1000RR?

If by competitive you mean winning races consistently, then the BMWs have not been competitive in any superbike-spec class that I am aware of.

BSB http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_British_Superbike_Championship_season

AMA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_AMA_Pro_American_Superbike_Championship_season

In Germany they have been competitive if you count the fact that there are no Ducatis or Suzukis http://www.idm.de/

They won a superbike championship in Canada but that's equivalent to about 2/3 of an American championship so it doesn't really count.

Not trying to bash the BMW, I think it's a wonderful platform but I think in full out superbike trim, they're going to have a hard time beating the Japanese/Italians.