Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

• .... .. - .... _: .....I- ."' ... .., - Happenings In Motorcycling Announcer Allen Hughes (far right) congratulates 9-year-old Curtis Hermann (flanked by his parents), who was the top individual fundraiser at the 11th annual San Bernardino Ride for Kids dual-sport ride, riding in memory of his late sister, Breanna. Ed Schneiderhan (far left) raised the second-largest amount of pledges. The Ride For Kids series of fundraising rides to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation kicked off with a record-setting start at Glen Helen Raceway. When all pledges were counted, organizers had $87,875 more with which to fight the biggest cause of cancer deaths in children. That's more than $17,000 over what was raised last year, which in itself was a 55-percent increase over the amount raised in 200l. Among the riders eager to hit the trails were Malcolm Smith and his daughter Ashley, and Paul Krause, whose 6-year-old son Brandon is a brain-tumor survivor. The ride kicked off with the Celebration of Ufe presentation to recognize those to whom the ride is dedicated. Survivors in attendance included Michelle Higa, Brandon Krause and Gabrielle Garvin. They held up a large ceremonial check for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in the amount of $80,000; the accountants still had last-minute funds to record, so the final tally wasn't known until the next day. The top individual fundraiser for the second year in a row was 9-year-old Curtis Hermann of Palmdale, California, who rode his XR80R 475 laps over two days around the Hungry Valley motocross track in what he and his parents dubbed the ·second annual Laps 4 Love." (Last year, he rode 295 laps in one day.) By the time he was finished, he'd raised $17,382 in memory of his sister, Breanna, who died of a brain tumor two years ago. Ed Schneiderhan was the runner-up fundraiser, with $15,464 - a huge increase over the first year of the ride, when he was the top fundraiser with $600. The Orange County Dualies raised $26,396 for top-club honors, while Nationwide Cycle of Palmdale was the top dealer, with $17,383. Bob Sackett won an XR 1OOR in the drawing. Mark Kariya By ALA CATHCART • - BMW to Revamp Line-up First reported in these columns as long ago as April, 2001, then later officially denied by former BMW Motorrader president Marco von Maltzan, speculation in Germany now insists that BMW management is indeed focusing on revamping the Boxer twin and K-series four-cylinder ranges, though not in time, as was originally believed, to mark the 80th anniversary this year of the company's entry into the motorcycle business with the debut of its first shaft-drive flattwin, the R32, launched lit the ParIs Show in 1923. Well-informed German sources have declared for some time that BMW is developing a replacement family of engines for its current range of four-cylinder bikes, with the "Flying Bri<:k" lengthways in-line design originally believed due to be replaced by a Boxer-style f1atfour with vertically stacked cylinders, to cIllferentiate it from the Honda Gold WIng, whlch is its main rival in some key markets. However, those sources now Insist that this optlon has now taken a blIck seat to a eportier c:onc:ept in the shape of a more comoelltlollal but extremely compact IIquId-cooIed across-the-fr_ In.JIne four·qIInder format, stiR with a Bosch fuel· JaIec:ted cIohc 16-vehe c:yIinder 1-.:1 but. unlike previDus BMW fours, employing a wet multi- pille cIutd1as well• • sill-speed geerbox. ~ , in • n1IIjor ,jepe..... frorn BMW's Jft"/IOua IIIUItk:yIJnder practice. lhe new K4 wII employ belt flneI drive, as 8eIlcIJ inl.Ioduted on lhe Inn'. Ri50CS street single. repIllc. ing the shaft drive employed on all BMW Boxer twins since the R32's debut 80 years ago, and likewise all models in the K 100 four-cylinder family, this year clocking up its 20th birthday. A more conventional aluminium twin-spar chassis than on the current K·series models will be employed - not unlike, however. the K 1200RS's Bimota-inspired Deltabox frame, with the engine employed as a fully stressed chassis member, but an innovative so-called Duolever twin-linkage rear end, with a vertical shock actuated by a link at each end. A Telelever front end will be retained, albeit in much lighter, slimmer guise with a far shorter shock positioned under the steering head, and the consequent absence of any fork deflection allows BMW to incline the cylinders of the engine forward considerably, to aid handling by lowering the cee of gee and increasing front weight bias. Bore and stroke of the engine is understood to be 77 J( 58mm, for a capacity of 1080cc. However, the real excitement surrounds the engine package of the top-of. the-range fourcylinder sports model likely to be launched at Intermot 2004 on BMW's home ground in Munich - the 1'4 Kompressor, as in supercharged. For according to persistent rumours, BMW is reputed to be planning to launch the first supercharged sportbike of the modem era from a major manufacturer. According to respected German monthly magazine MO, BMW's molorcycle engineers have been working closely with their counterparts In the company's British· based Mini subsidiary, whose supercharged Cooper S is back-ordered for several months and has been acclaimed by press and public for its successful reinvention of II small-<:apacity supercharged sports saloon (sedan). According to key Industry sources, BMW MolomIder is already testing a K4 Kompressor prototype fltted with • supercharger package derived from the Cooper S. which incorporates a small Intercooler and is deUvering upwards of 150 bhp with literally expIoslve accelelation fa' II bike weighing around 2451

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