Perhaps most impressive was how smoothly the various events seamed together over the three days of the rally.  Special thanks to Jonathan Sharpe for essentially managing the rally and his crew of volunteers (my apologies if I leave anyone out):
Roy Fant
Marvin Wilson
Steven Rowe
Bill and Justin Kurtz
Dave Westfall
Bubba Edwards
Ian Schmeisser
Will Bulmer
Bill “Bitchin Volvo” Gould

The rally prize drawings were exciting this year as well.  BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta and Klim Technical Apparel gave away a Badlands Pro riding suit valued at $1568.00 won by Don Moschenross.  Also, BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta and Schuberth gave away a C3 World Graphic helmet valued at $749.00 won by Grant Brunson.
El Capitan Wooldridge won the show bike contest with “Bobs Bobber” built by our own Bill Kurtz.  Irony here is that the bobber in question beat TWO of Bill Kurtz’s other creations: The Daytona Orange R90S and the Dual Plug R100 bobber with the big white tank!  All in all there were some really nice bikes in the contest and so we believe the voting was fixed.

Bobber in question.

The Captain in question.

The Builder in question

Random picture of dogs hanging out in the service department.

Our Friday April 27th Ducati 1199 Panigale launch was a huge success with over 150 fans packing Westside Pie in Midtown anxious to see Europe’s Newest Superbike.  Richard Devot handled MC duties and pulled the cover off this beautiful machine.  Also, if the ticket you received at the door (assuming you RSVP’d) has any of these numbers on it you should stop by....you’ve WON SOMETHING:  1115, 1127, 1142 or 1154.

Maintain eye contact. Maintain eye contact. Maintain eye contact.....

Eric Lange is back in town with his company Ride Adventures.  He leads some AMAZING dual sport adventure tours all over the globe and in our own backyard.  He posted a good read about his visit to the Mountain Rally here:

http://www.rideadv.com/ride-adventures-tour-and-rentals-blog/bid/84896/BMW-MOA-of-Georgia-s-Mountain-Rally-No-longer-a-Regatta

Clayton Anderson did an awesome job putting together this video play-by-play of his Rally experience that can be viewed here:  http://youtu.be/VSKBx4ti_nE

We have some bad news for you dual sport fans.  The Husqvarna and GS rally we had planned in Dawsonville this month has had to be cancelled.  A scheduling problem with the demo truck combined with Bobby Jr making mashed potato of his knee forced us to cancel the event.  We’re hoping to possibly host it in October or November.  Our sincere apologies for this.

Knee carnage: Tree -1, Bobby -0

A few random product notes:

Our favorite LED auxiliary light company, Rigid Industries recently released this awesome torture test video (http://youtu.be/EXMzkh-NzJk) of their lights.  Best $285 you can spend to improve both conspicuity and forward visibility.

We have finally received the new Schuberth S2 full face helmets in stock!  Stop by and check out the worlds quietest full face helmet!

On to upcoming events:

BMW Announced a pretty impressive reward for anyone looking to buy a new bike in May or June.  It’s called the Ride Free program and its exactly that!

The famed BMW Motorcycle Owners of Alabama Great Chicken Rally continues it’s tradition Memorial Day weekend (Friday to Sunday).  If you have not attended this rally before everyone is welcome and it’s an absolute blast!  More information available here: http://www.bmwmoal.org/rally.php

Nate Kern is hosting his next riders school at Roebling Road Raceway on May 11-12.  His entire schedule can be see here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kern-Private-Track-Days/77343295078
Nate will also be hosting S1000RR-fest on Saturday and Sunday 16 and 17 June.  If you’re the proud owner of Germany’s class leading superbike be sure to sign up for what promises to be a great 2 days of on-track instruction.

Lastly, we finally got some new flags out front!  Our old BMW flags were as worn as a Harley rider’s motorcycle trailer...heeeeeyyyyooooo!

-Thanks for reading
Sean DeAngelis

Thanks for reading another exciting newsletter from the Southeast's Premier European motorcycle dealership! This month's newsletter comes just a week after our Spring Open house kicked off our busiest time of year. If you were not able to stop by you missed a really good time, and hundreds of miles logged on our fleet of Demo bikes. Let's not forget the really fought-after commodity, Mandy's banana pudding! Also, the BMW Owners Club of Georgia was kind enough to donate two $50 gift cards to the prize drawing at the Open House.  Congratulations to Shaun Lewis and Stephen Kraynak for winning these gift cards.

Racing Update:

In case you hadn’t heard already, the Spaniard, Carlos Checa on his Ducati 1098R has won World Superbike in 3 out of 4 races at Phillips Island, Australia and Imola, Italy.  The BMW riders, Italian Marco Melandri had a 2nd place finish at Phillips Island; and Leon Haslem, the Brit had 2 finishes at 3rd place in Italy.  It appears that out of the gate both manufacturers are battling head-to-head.

FYI:  Nate’s upcoming Track Day Schedule is as follows:

May 11-12 (Fri/Sat); June 16 -17 (Sat/Sun), July 28 – 29 (Sat/Sun); Aug 25 -26 (Sat/Sun);
Sept 17, Oct 8 & 29, Nov 19 and Dec 10th (all Mondays)
Contact Brett Zeitz at his e-mail:  fjrcaptain@yahoo.com  phone 678-357-8395
Nate frequently has less than 20 riders, and usually runs just two groups. The price remains $180/rider/day (2-day events @$340 total)

Also this month Road Atlanta Raceway is hosting a major AMA road racing event.  The 2012 Big Kahuna Nationals will feature the fastest racers in the United States competing for the ultimate go-fast motivation….money ?.

You can purchase tickets to the event right here at BMW Ducati Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta!  Click here for more information.

Ticket prices are as follows:
1 Day Saturday April 21st  $50.00
1 Day Sunday April 22nd  $50.00
2 Day Saturday and Sunday  $75.00
3 Day Friday, Saturday and Sunday  $90.00

Looking ahead:
Friday May 18th through Sunday May 20th we are planning on hosting our 2012 GS and Husqvarna Mini Rally at our 200 acre private recreational facility in Dawsonville, GA. It’s been two years since our last GS event was held here and it was a rousing success!!  Once again, Bill Conger, from the BMW Performance Center (fresh from his first experience at riding in the Dakar Rally) will be available to give pointers to us on how to stay upright in the dirt ?
Stay tuned to this newsletter and our Facebook page for the exact details on the location and sign-up info.

If, perhaps, you are looking for a good excuse to get out-of-the house, see friends, support local businesses, and check out Ducati’s newest and fastest two-cylinder motorcycle, make plans to attend on Friday April 27th at 7pm when we will host our official unveiling of the new Ducati 1199 Panigale at Westside Pie in Midtown.  Of course the theme is Italian and pizza will be our main course.

Email DucatiRich@bellsouth.net to RSVP to attend the event.  This is Ducati’s two- cylinder competitor to the current class leading BMW S1000RR.  We’re all very excited to see which bike takes Superbike of the Year honors and the prestigious Masterbike Award for 2012.

In our “Not Motorcycle Related” headlines:
Bob “El Capitan” Wooldridge decided to take the nickname a little too seriously and picked up this beautiful 33 foot R69S Of The Seas (a/k/a Cape Dory):

In the Parts Department’s unwavering support of El Capitan in his endeavors both on land and sea, we found this sailing instructional website:
The Wooldridge Guide To Sailing
The maiden voyage is next week when El Capitan and friends will be sailing the vessel from the maintenance dock in Baltimore to Daytona Beach, FL.  Be sure to stop by and wish him luck.

Whether he makes it all the way to Florida is yet to be determined.  He’s on a timeline to be back in ATL to do his usual “Chef Detail” for the Saturday night steak dinner at the upcoming BMW Motorcycle Owners of Georgia, Georgia Mountain Rally, which starts on May 3rd.    By the way, “yours truly” will also be at the Rally peddling my wares.  You can get the full details by clicking here.

Lastly, be sure to DVR this weekend’s opening round of Moto GP roadracing on Speed!  Have Ducati and Valentino Rossi been able to sort out the GP12 machine?  Will the BMW powered CRT bikes be able to keep up with their factory supported counterparts?  Will Stoner and Honda run away with another season?  Will one of the umbrella girls suffer a wardrobe malfunction during the live feed?  We’ll know these answers and more Sunday morning!

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

-Sean DeAngelis

Who: Bobby Wooldridge, BMW Ducati and Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta
Where: 2012 NASA Rally Sport Sandblast Rally, South Carolina
Why: "Closed Roads. Flat out racing. And You"

Every now and then we see a photo or read a story that inspires us to get the behind-the-scene story and inside the mind of the those riding in KLIM. This particular shot (introduced to us from our Southeast Regional Sales Manager, Jerry Robison) was shot by Joe at www.facebook.com/tenthirtyonephotographic.
The rider, Bobby Wooldridge has a pretty cool day job and we think you'll like what he has to say about riding motorcycles in silly ways with silly friends.

Learn more about the SandBlast Rally and RallyMoto in general here http://sandblastrally.linaracing.com/2012/ and http://www.nasarallysport.com/main/ .

What’s your day job? VP and GM @ BMW Ducati and Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta

How long have you been riding motorcycles? Since 1980. My first bike was a Yamaha 80 and I rode up and down a half-mile-long gravel driveway all day long in Minnesota during the summer months, eventually graduating a 100 square mile region of gravel roads, riding with friends, lighting off fireworks and shooting things—primarily inanimate. In the summer of 1981 I graduated to an XT100 brand new off the dealer floor, spoiled I know.  My family moved in ’86 to Southern Florida and that effectively put my off-road riding (or anything moto for that matter) on hold until the age of 30 when I moved to the ATL (Ed. note: That’s Atlanta for everyone that doesn’t have subwoofer in their trunk or who has been hiding under a rock since 1995) and our family decided to open up a BMW shop).

How many times have you raced the Sandblast Rally? This was my second go at it. I skipped 2011 and in 2010 it didn’t end well for my HP2E (ask Jonah Street his impressions as he passed by

What’s the best thing about racing the Sandblast? RallyMoto in general is fun for me because it brings me back to my roots—running wide open on gravel or back country roads. I did very well at the Black River Stages Rally Moto events with a class win in 2008 and an overall win in 2009.

What’s the worst thing about racing the Sandblast? If’s it a wet, white clay mess like it was in 2010, it’s smarter to sit at home on the couch, but that’s not necessarily the better option, though.

Tell me about your bike and any modifications to your machine you’d like to talk about: The BMW G450X is a great bike for the 450cc “Dakar” class in RallyMoto. I have equipped it with an Akrapovic full exhaust and the best suspenders money can buy—aka Ohlins TTX front/rear.  However, it did lead me to my first class win in completely stock form.

What’s the best ride you’ve ever been on? I’ve been blessed with some epic rides. From hosting a Husky dealer meeting with Malcom Smith riding our trails to us riding across the desert terrain of Phoenix or the hard slimy eastern enduro riding places like Windrock/Coal Creek ORV, all with great company.  However, most notable would probably be the BMW K1200S launch on the Nürburgring running tapped out on a closed track with 100 other K1200S launch attendees.

If you could ride anywhere, where would it be and who would you take with you? Next year the “ole Man” and I are planning to follow the Dakar ’13 on bikes, still working out the details.

Why do you choose to wear the KLIM Adventure Rally Jacket and Pant? Conditions mainly and the ability to hold my “stuff” for the day’s festivities on a bike with zero storage, much like my BMW HP2 Enduro. My primary use for the adventure jacket is adventure touring and commuting. I prefer my Klim Dakar pants and a jersey for most of my dirty riding with a Powerxross pull over for the cold/wet dirt rides.

What about KLIM makes it a great choice in motorcycle gear? Higher quality materials and features without all of the “catalog boys” fashion typically found in any parts warehouse catalog (pockets in enduro/offroad pants is big for me)

What’s the most annoying thing about Jerry Robison? He can talk more than any girl I’ve ever dated, hahhaha!

What is the thing in your life that is close to as awesome as motorcycles? Haven’t done much of it lately as the dirtbike bug is much stronger, but I enjoy a nice day of rock crawling in my jeep.

First off we praise the arrival of the new F35 Lightning fighter jets at Dobbins Air Force base.  These single engine monsters are blowing the eardrums off staff and car alarms alike here at 1750 Cobb Parkway.  Come on by for a look and listen, we’ll have ear plugs ready.

Next up we’ve received two of three new helmet offerings for 2012.  The Schuberth C-3 World Graphic models retail for $749 and we have great inventory of every size and color!

It’s the same great helmet that has continued to be our #1 seller since it was released state side in March of last year with the added touch of “Adventure Touring” graphics.

The second new arrival in the modular helmet segment of our market is the Shoei Neo Tech.

With a retail price of $649 the new Neotech competes directly with the Schuberth C-3 but offers a slightly more oval shape; a huge plus for the 10-15% of clients that just couldn’t manage the shell of the Schuberth.  It FINALLY integrates the drop-down sun visor that had been missing from the Japanese manufacturer’s modular offering the last 5 years.  Feel free to drop by and try one on, we’ve got every size and most colors available!

Our Spring 2012 Open House Event is rapidly approaching.  Saturday March 24th we’ll be hosting demo rides, door prizes and delicious food prepared by El Capitan and one lucky “volunteer” employee.  Plan a stop during your Saturday ride here at BMW Ducati Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta to enjoy the festivities!

Now for some racing news both at home and abroad:

Bobby Wooldridge Jr. has been thrashing a BMW G450X and a Husky TXC310 to some impressive local results.  At the Sandblast Rally he took 2nd place in the Dakar class on the Beemer.  He followed up two weeks later at the SORCS Enduro with a blown out chain, while running toward the front of the Iron Man class resulting in a DNF.  The following weekend he redeemed himself with a class win aboard his TXC310.  At the same race our very own Mandy Rinne took second place in the Women’s class aboard her TE250!  Then last weekend Bobby scored 4th place, just off the podium in some NASTY conditions at the Cherokee Enduro aboard the same TXC310.

Meanwhile Marco Melandri started 13th at the Phillip Island World Superbike race and came all the way through the field to finish 2nd! The weekend results in BMW and Melandri sitting in second place for the riders standings, and BMW sitting 3rd in the manufacturers standings. Also of note was Leon Haslam leaving the Australian continent in 8th place overall after and EPIC crash in last weeks practice on the same track.

Carlos Checa sits comfortably in 4th place overall after crashing hard in race one and winning race 2 aboard his almost-factory supported Ducati 1098 proving he is still the man to beat in premier production superbike racing.

Finally on the racing front a big thank you and congratulations to Atlantans for completely selling out the Atlanta round of AMA Supercross. The evening ended with KTM taking their second Supercross win this year (and ever for that matter) thanks to the racing talents of Ryan Dungey. A great time was had by everyone in attendance.

In the “check out what we got” category we found have for sale THIS beauty:

“Is that a 2004 BMW R1200C in nearly MINT condition with heated grips, factory chrome engine protection bars, factory side cases, chrome comfort handlebars, anti lock brakes, a Corbin touring seat with backrest and sport windscreen?” you ask….ABSOLUTELY! $7300 lands this gem in your garage so feel free to stop by for a demo ride.

Unfortunately we will not be offering demo rides on this one. Matter of fact we’ve been strictly forbidden from riding, sitting on, moving, kissing or standing within 3 feet of it.

Lastly, a few bullet points for some upcoming fun:

- Our 2012 GS off road event has been moved from April to May 18th tentatively so we can ensure better weather. Stay tuned to this newsletter and our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/BMW-Ducati-Husqvarna-   Motorcycles-of-Atlanta/156511481038175) for exact details.

- Nate Kern has posted his track school schedule under the “info” tab of his facebook page here:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kern-Private-TrackDays/77343295078?sk=info ......$180 gets you the most fun you’ve had on 2 wheels in a LONG time.

- Our own Joey Casey will be announcing / MCing the Spring Classic Motocross Amateur National at Mill Creek Alabama March 12th-17th! Spend a day watching some awesome southeast motocross racing and say “hello” to the guy in the tower.

Well that wraps things up for March. Hope to see you at our March 24th Open House Event and thanks for reading.

-Sean DeAngelis

]]> http://bmwmcoa.com/wordpress/2012/03/bmw-ducati-husqvarna-march-newsletter/feed/ 0 http://bmwmcoa.com/wordpress/2012/01/bmw-ducati-husqvarna-january-newsletter-year-in-review/ http://bmwmcoa.com/wordpress/2012/01/bmw-ducati-husqvarna-january-newsletter-year-in-review/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:06:28 +0000 Bobby http://bmwmcoa.com/wordpress/?p=496 Hey Everyone and thanks for subscribing to our end of year / beginning of year newsletter. December, and winter in general, have been incredibly kind to us so far with temperatures agreeable if not beautiful most days. It's certainly been our busiest "slow season" in memory with last weekends' Toy Run to Hiawassee/Towns County Sherriff's Dept and the general holiday craziness. With 2011 winding down faster than Cleveland Browns fans enthusiasm after one quarter of football, we’re all looking forward to another fantastic year of European motorcycle excitement !

Coolest Christmas present I received this year?  Check it out:

Why yes that IS a sweater with Santa riding a duck similar to the cover of Meatloaf’s “Back Into Hell” album, surrounded by stars.  Believe it or not, this gift is genius.  My girlfriend got it for me, and I can’t think of a better way to ensure fidelity than to send the love of her life to holiday gatherings all season long wearing this beauty.  It’s a sharp contrast to the shirt I received last Christmas in reaction to my affinity for bad 80’s pop music:

Moving right along...

Nate Kern Private Track Days have secured some AWESOME dates for 2012 at Roebling Road Raceway just outside Savannah, GA.  The price has stayed the same at $180 per rider per day and events are limited to 30 riders.  It’s a LOT of track time for the money.  All information is loaded on the facebook page here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kern-Private-Track-Days/77343295078?sk=info

Also coming in January Schuberth will be releasing the new “World Graphic” C-3 modular helmet.

It’s a nice venture from the typical “angles and skulls and flames” graphics of the other manufacturers these days.  $749 MSRP.

And for the S1000RR tourer in your life:

Don’t forget on January 27, 28 and 29th is the Great American Motorcycle Show.  Held again this year at the North Atlanta Trade Center.  The BMW Ducati Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta booth will be setup as always, feel free to stop by and talk shop!

OK now for the two biggest events of 2012:

- We will be having out Spring Open House on Saturday, March 24th this year.  As always there will be food, demo rides  and discounted apparel and accessories.  Be sure to plan your weekend ride with a stop by the open house!

- April 20, 21 and 22nd we will be holding our Second Annual GS / Multistrada Dual Sport Event! If you didn’t make it to our last one, we’ve secured the same 300 acre location in America’s original home of NASCAR and moonshine...Dawsonville, GA.  There will be dirt riding instruction, organized rides, and a marked and closed off “skills course” for playing.  Details are still being hatched out every day so stay tuned for more information.

Well that closes things up for this month’s newsletter.  Be sure to get in some late season riding and feel free to stop by.

Sean DeAngelis

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kern-Private-Track-Days/77343295078

for details.

November brings HUGE congratulations not only to the Cleveland Browns for scoring their first offensive touchdown in 3 games but also to Bob “El Capitan” Wooldridge on his 2^nd successful knee replacement in as many months.  The Captain is up and around almost good as new and hopes to be back on a bike in a few weeks.  Sincerely, we’re glad to have him back at the helm 9am to 6pm.

Looking forward to December:

-Saturday December 17^th is our annual Customer Appreciation Day.  We’ll be here from 9am until 5pm with plenty of food, soda and Christmas cheer (eggnog?) for everyone.

-The following day, Sunday December 18^th is our annual Toy Run assisting the Towns County Sherriff’s Department to benefit the local Women’s Shelter.  (It’s always a pleasure to help out the Hiawassee law enforcement.  Especially because they patrol the roads immediately surrounding the annual Georgia Mountain Rally.  Wink, wink ).  We’ll be meeting here at the dealership between 9am and 10am and stepping off at 10:15am.  Breakfast will be provided by BMW Ducati Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta.  Bring your new and unwrapped toy to fill our toy chest before heading out on a great late season ride in the North Georgia Mountains.  Our escorts, Larry Doughty and Greg Gunn have, once again, offered to “lead the way” – in other words – keep us in line. The ride will end at the Towns County Sheriff’s Department located at 4070 State Highway 339 Young Harris, GA 30582-1842.

-December 24^th, Christmas Eve, we will be closing at 2pm so if you have a last minute moto-gift that needs purchased be sure to get here before we head home for the holiday.

If you’ve been trying to buy a Gerbings heated jacket liner this year you’re probably aware that demand far exceeded supply.  A lot of this was due to manufacturing failures of their Asia production facilities.  Well the good news in this story is that Gerbings has purchased and is tooling up their NEW production facility in North Carolina!  This means that effective almost immediately all Gerbings heated garments will be made in the USA using 100% American Made Materials.

Lastly, an extra loud “Go Dawgs!” for Georgia who is playing LSU for all the marbles this Saturday December 3^rd at 4pm eastern time on CBS.

1. I only retrieve the mail from the mailbox more than once a week IF I'm waiting for a new moto-toy. That is to say I apologize to the fine people at the Powder Springs Water Department for the late payment. Unfortunately your bill did not coincide with the arrival of my new Throttlemeister, those sweet CRG frame sliders, or my new Shoei RF1100.

2. The invention of the "We" gift. I spent an hour convincing my girlfriend that she really does fit a medium Shoei RF1100 (see bullet point number one) even though it was easily 2 sizes too small, and she got mildly light headed after 5 minutes of wearing it. The key to "We" gift success is a plausible deniability that said gift is not solely intended for use by you the purchaser.  Might I suggest a paint scheme that one could pass off as “It looks great on you Babe!”  But you’re wondering:  Sean, could you possibly wear that ridiculous pink helmet just because it’s the model you really want and your girlfriend believes it’s for her?”  Answer: “Absolutely!”

3.  I budgeted $85 for an illuminated Santa Claus riding in a sleigh being towed by 8 reindeer and red-nosed-Rudolf. But then the Michelin Pilot Road 2 was replaced by the new Michelin Pilot Road 3; and the increase in price meant that I had to pull $46 from the Christmas decoration budget, and add it to the tire budget.  The result were some old flashlights taped to the roof and gutters, red and white spray paint on the “angry illuminated pumpkin” Halloween yard statue and only 4 reindeer. What should have been a pretty Christmas-tastic yard now looks more like a poorly lit red-and-white angry pumpkin chasing after 4 goats, one of which has a bloody nose.

4.  My girlfriend recently explained to me that a washer and dryer had become a necessity at our house.  Unfortunately my workbench was positioned over the hookups to the water faucets, and I had my welder plugged into the 220 outlet.  At 32 years old I’m able to tell when compromise is required.  And no I don’t mean “compromise” in the traditional sense of the term where she says we are eating chicken and rice for dinner, and I say I want steak again and so we “compromise” and eat chicken and rice.  We “compromised” and got the washer and dryer…atop the dryer sits my welder and I’ve bolted the bench vice to the washing machine lid.  This means I can clamp my custom made exhaust brackets, lay a weld on them and then tip the entire assembly back for inspection by opening the washer lid!

Be sure to stop in “Black Friday” November 25^th or Black Saturday November 26^th and mention this email to save 10% on that perfect “We” gift for you or the motorcyclist in your life.

Thanks for reading

-Sean DeAngelis

Welcome to the BMW Ducati Husqvarna Motorcycles of Atlanta November 2011 Newsletter.

Two words: OPEN HOUSE. That's right ladies and gentlemen November 5^th is our 2011 fall open house.

We'll have the representatives here from the BMW Performance Center to talk to you about the upcoming class schedule.

Tim McCarty will be here to do custom earplugs again.

The representative from KLIM will be here to showcase their riding gear

Doors open at 9am and stay open until 5pm.

Lunch will start at 11 and continue until it’s gone.

We’ll have sale pricing on many in stock items, demo rides of nearly every  model, door prizes and……

wait for it……Brats and WOOLIE CHILLI!

Bring your appetite because The Captain will be cooking up the legendary cool-weather dish all day!

October has brought some incredible weather our way and it seems like everyone that comes in the door is prepping for a ride.  Fall is in full swing as is evident by the following:

- The trees in the north Georgia mountains are in full Technicolor dream coat.

- We’ve sold through nearly half of our Gerbings Heated Clothing supply

- Kirk Mellish has started using the dreaded “frost warning” phrase in his daily predictions

- The Cleveland Browns wide receivers are dropping passes like Coly McCoy was lobbing them napalm spheres.

Ducati confirmed that there WILL in-fact be a Streetfighter 848 in our near future!  The world’s best naked bike just got a more street friendly little brother.  You can check out the official details here:

http://ducati.com/bikes/streetfighter/848/index.do

We’d like to take a moment to respect the motorcycle industries’ heartbreak over the death of Marco Simoncelli during the 2^nd lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix.  I’d also like to put a little perspective on just how devastating Marco’s death is.

Last night I watched the St Louis Cardinals win game 7 of the World Series and with that the 2011 Major League Baseball championship.  The television coverage that followed showed all of St. Louis rejoicing in the streets.  Downtown was packed with celebrating residents; players will be etched in the fabric of the city as “heros” and the elation will last for weeks to come.  In Italy, should an Italian rider win just one Moto GP race, the celebration is every bit that intense and more.  In Italy Marco Simoncelli, Velentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso are as household names as Drew Brees, Lebron James or Justin Bieber.  The country lost a national hero, and with him a huge part of their identity.

Moving forward to brighter things!

November is always a fun time for the motorcycle industry because we typically see the various brands of apparel and accessories releasing their new year’s products.  Here are a few links to some cool new toys:

Shoei has released their 2012 street helmet lineup:

http://www.helmethouse.com/

Arai has brought back the Signet

http://www.araiamericas.com/default.aspx?pageid=57#/helmets/moto/signet-q

Sexy new color available for the Ducat Multistrada 1200:

http://ducati.com/bikes/multistrada/1200_s_touring/index.do

Well that’s wraps it up for this month.  We hope to see all of you at the November 5^th open house!

Ride safely,

Sean