BMW Riders Association
The BMW Riders Association (RA) is one of two organizations that grew out of one national BMW motorcycle club formed over 30 years ago. BMW Riders Association, has become the club for those interested in the whys and wherefores of the company itself, motorcycle riding, and a more intimate and friendly atmosphere at their annual events. The RA’s BMW magazine, On The Level (OTL) is highly opinionated, and oft-quoted, even in the commercial press. OTL also pays close attention to the European bike press and intrigue within BMW AG around the world. Close attention is paid to new model R&D, as well as to nuggets of past model history. RA also enjoys very close ties to the Vintage BMW Owner Ltd. club.
If you’re serious about your riding, you’re in the right place. The BMW Riders Association is an international community of BMW riders focused on the machine, the marque and the company that makes it all work. It is their mission to enhance the BMW motorcycling experience for their members and provide a forum on the history, current offerings and the future of the marque.
Projects
2011 | BMW Riders Association, On The Level Magazine: April 2011 | Article (Back In Black! • 2011 BMW R 1200 GS Triple Black) – Copywriting | Creative Consulting / Style / Design / Motorcycle Concepts [unpublished]
On The Level Magazine | April 2011
Back In Black!
By Casey Gobbi
I got my hand stamped and made my way down the escalator and arrived at the lower level of the Jacob K. Javits Center for the 2011 New York International Motorcycle show. I started peeling off my outer layers, stuffing them into my backpack. Flung my backpack over my shoulders, got my bearings and took a quick glance at the map of the floor layout to find the location of the BMW pavilion. As I made my way over, the glow of the BMW marque came into view like a full moon over the ocean. The noise of the presentations and crowd was loud, however my mind slowly tuned it out as AC/DC’s song “Back in Black” began to play in my head beginning with Angus Young’s famous guitar lick along with Phil Rudd’s drum beat, and Brian Johnson’s classic rock vocals -
“Back in black
I hit the sack
I’ve been too long I’m glad to be back
Yes I’m, let loose
From the noose
That’s kept me hanging about
I keep looking at the sky
‘Cause it’s gettin’ me high
Forget the herse ’cause I’ll never die
I got nine lives
Cat’s eyes
Usin’ every one of them and running wild
‘Cause I’m back
Yes, I’m back
Well, I’m back
Yes, I’m back
Well, I’m back, back
(Well) I’m back in black
Yes, I’m back in black!”
While the song began playing in my head, my pace quickened and I made a B-line to BMW. In the shadows of the dimly lit space, behind a crowd of people, I catch a glimpse of a tire, then spokes, and then as I drew closer, I saw the light reflecting off of the front faring which came into view. Like running an obstacle course, I dodge a couple of people to get to her. I came to a halt and found myself standing right in front of her. There she was – the 2011 BMW R1200 GS Triple Black Special Edition express delivery all the way from Germany. She was beautiful – it was love at first sight. Destiny was staring me in the face. I had been waiting for seven long years for BMW to finally make a sexy GS motorcycle. Before I knew it, I grabbed onto her handlebars and threw my leg over her and slowly slid into the saddle. Ahh, a perfect glove-like fit. The ergonomics were spot on. I felt at home and all the prolonged anticipation of waiting for this bike went away.
The fit and finish was the best I have seen of all the R1200 GS bikes to date. This special edition motorcycle received a treatment that reminds me of the king of cool Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special clad in his black iconic leather suit combined with the sophistication of James Bond’s custom-tailored tuxedo. The previous R1200 standard GS motorcycles seem child-like in comparison with their primary color metallic paint schemes of yellow, red and blue.
My desire for an all-black do-it-all motorcycle that looks badass started back when I was a kid, being influenced by the Batcycle designed by Tom Daniels which was built in April 1966 by Richard “Korky” Korkes & Daniel Dempski, of “Kustomotive” for the Batman TV show and Ian Fleming’s James Bond movies where all the villains rode all-black motorcycles that seemingly came out of no where for the sneak attack. I so wanted to be one of those guys riding around on those 2-wheeled urban assault vehicles.
I am not here to bash BMW Mottorad’s designers or engineers, I just want to push them to make more daring and innovative designs than being so conservative. Why does the standard GS have to lack style and why don’t the designers look to the past for inspiration? Why can’t the GS combine utilitarian functionality with style? For instance, Choppers and Bobbers take a minimalist approach, the Café Racers are stripped down and sleek. The Dakar Rally dual sport bikes are dirt worthy with their racy desert paint schemes. And there is nothing like the old classic BMWs painted in elegant glossy jet-black with Bavarian cream pinstripes, fantastic! And we can’t forget the stunningly beautiful Vincents with their all-blacked out components and polished engine blocs – shear timeless design. So I was in search of sophisticated performance, utilitarian functionality with sex appeal.
The R1200 GS is BMW’s top selling motorcycle of all time, so in my opinion the top-selling bike should look the coolest, right? So why is it not so aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and why is it not getting the attention it deserves? I love utilitarian design; I like when function dictates the look of an object, but I don’t necessarily like when form comes before function. As a creative director, I think and try to blur the line between form and function, forming a seamless transition making for a natural organic fluidity of sorts.
BMW practically invented the dual sport category, and I have the utmost respect for that, but it seems like looks and style were thrown out the window over the years. So why can’t a well-engineered dual sport motorcycle look cool and be aesthetically appealing as well? We, as motorcycle enthusiasts, need to let David Robb, head of BMW Motorrad Design Studio, know what we like. If BMW Motorrad wants to gain and grow their ridership and bring in younger consumers, especially here in the United States, they need to enhance the outward appearance of their GS bikes with an overall aggressive design giving it more of a Rock ‘N’ Roll attitude.
For instance, I would like to see a combination of the recently discontinued aggressive HP2 styling with the sophistication of the new Triple Black GS to create a sexy more real world high-performance adventure-tourer. I give BMW’s Motorrad Design Studio props for actually designing the BMW Lo Rider Concept, another request I made for a German version of my all time favorite bike design, the Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat. Will BMW ever make it? Who knows, but I can’t wait around. The hi-tech chopper Lo Rider Concept looks great with its jet-black non-metallic glossy paint with satin aluminum knee cut outs and inlaid matte black rubber kneepads. Blacked out rims and engine, and asphalt grey metallic swing arm, rear frame and valve covers are similar if not identical to the Triple Black GS, proving they can design a true modern motorcycle with retro vibes. If only the designers would apply that philosophy to the GS in order to give it more dynamic street cred. I actually like the bigger R1150 GS Adventure and the R1200 GS Adventure with their more sculpted shapes and blacked-out frames, forks, wheels, front fender extensions, and matching colored two-tone seats. Why could they not apply that tough look to the standard GS over the past years? Finally, after a long wait they pretty much did just that with the 2009 R1200 GS Special Edition. Followed by BMW’s homage to history with the 30th Anniversary GS bikes, great idea! Lets keep that momentum going in that direction for all the standard GS models. One newly added design element I do like is the GS embossed badge on the seat, which adds some depth and detail to what was previously a lack luster seat.
BMW’s cars keep evolving stylistically from generation to generation in a consistent manner, but the popular GS line-up has been stale over the years. Some bikes like the GSA, the new F800 and the discontinued techno-tough HP2 are progressive looking, but the standard GS, which fits me better and suited my needs, was the ugly duckling of the bunch, despite the recent facelift. I also looked at the KTM 990 Adventure, but due to lack of customer service and dealerships nearby at the time, deterred me from getting the bike. I really liked what Harley Davidson was doing with their new Dark Custom line of motorcycles, with its dark black color scheme and matte finishes – no more chrome and shiny bits making their bikes look 100% better. I just didn’t want to spend all that money on a great performing motorcycle that to me was a less then attractive and disconnected looking.
We all know the R1200 GS is a well-engineered tough bike and can take a beating; I just want it to look as cool and tough as it is. Is that really too much to ask? After years of making requests directly to BMW Motorrad USA and posting my desired dream bike in a popular online adventure forum, it seems that someone was listening and reading, because sure enough, after a long pain-staking wait, BMW Motorrad finally delivered as they also did previously with the BMW R1200 C Stiletto that derived from a mock-up and request I posted online. Sure, there are way more pressing things in this world, and there are guys that only care if their wheels are round, but for me it is about fulfilling a childhood dream of having just one motorbike to do-it-all and look good doing it. I am not the first to conceive of an all-black bike and certainly not the last. There are guys out there who spend a ton of money customizing their bikes just to get that all-black treatment.
After reading this article, you the reader might assume I only like black, but truth be told I actually like all sorts of colors. However, my personal taste is non-metallic muted earth tones with a more sophisticated monochromatic color scheme of glossy, satin and matte finishes with some polished or brushed aluminum, titanium and nickel metals is all good, carbon fiber is even better. The one thing I really dislike that BMW uses on their bikes and vehicle rims is that dull silver metallic paint, which does not enhance the GS lines at all, which if anything actually detracts from it, and it is a pain in the ass to keep looking clean.
Black is not just about being a tough guy. To me, it is a state of mind. It’s about the anti-bling. It’s about standing out without standing out, if you know what I mean. Stealthy, elegant, classic, timeless, old-school, that’s what it means to me. No emotions, but all emotions. With this particular bike, it is about Mods meet Rockers with a little Dakar Rally thrown in for a little spicy zest. It’s about looking cool and being able to go anywhere, any time, in any weather. It’s when you can throw on your old vintage biker jacket with a pair of jeans and some biker boots and hit the town or grab your Aerostich Roadcrafter Two Piece Suit and go cross country, I like that concept a lot. It’s about rocking it old-school style with sophistication.
Why do I feel we are forgetting the past? Heritage and lineage I think is critical in design language and looking to the past will help you to navigate the future. I think BMW is slowly getting it, with the recent 2010 3 Series television commercial that recently aired here in the U.S. with it’s cool vintage and modern footage, and with the well executed BMW Classic Live Special – 30 Years GS anniversary magazine. It is important to pass the torch or at least guide it to the next generation graciously, so we can start to make the designs our own.
What does the future hold for the GS line-up? The one thing the GS has let slip in the past years is the Paris-Dakar racing heritage that propelled the Adventure / Dual Purpose phenomenon. With the 30th anniversary models, the racing style is slowly creeping back, which looks awesome. However, it has been a long time since the factory racing days back in the glory ’80s for BMW Motorrad. I feel to advance the technology of the GS, BMW Motorrad Motorsport needs to get heavily back into the Dakar and Baja Rallies, as it seems BMW has done just that this year along with their autos, yippee! The HP2 missed the mark out of the box regarding adventure-touring to some extent; the style and performance were there, but it lacked any real-world functionality without aftermarket third-party equipment. And its intimidating 36″ ball buster of a rock-hard seat height, made no sense for the average rider. An HPGS would have been killer! More expensive, but you virtually would have not had to do anything to it, which in the long run may have been less costly.
Recently Italian designer Oberdan Bezzi has introduced a successful rendering of the BMW R1250 GS adventure-touring motorcycle. With its retro vibe and more aggressive design, it still keeps the continuity and the family resemblance of the GS line, but with evolution and not revolution. I totally dig the BMW retro race scheme; it pays tribute to the Paris Dakar Rally racers of years past but still looks fresh and up-to-date.
The more off-road capable BMW Off Ride is another really slick bike designed by Oberdan Bezzi and Fabio Marcaccini, an ex-Dakar Rally racer, who fabricated it. It is by far the sexiest and best-looking modern GS to date with its matte/non-metallic glossy black finish and polished aluminum/stainless steel trim. Its blend of clean sophistication and retro vibe are similar to the techno-tough BMW Lo Rider Concept. All it needs is a left pannier, passenger pylion seat and pegs, and the well-built GSA’s Stainless Steal Luggage Rack, since the standard plastic one is useless (all removable if desired), to complete the minimalist look.
I hope BMW is paying attention to these designers with their successful GS renderings. BMW Motorrad should consider hiring or commissioning Oberdan Bezzi, Fabio Marcaccini and Alex Earle to help design the future GS bikes, why – because they get it! I can’t see why the standard GS can’t have additional models like a Touring, Dakar or HPGS Edition. It makes sense to me to offer them; the BMW Off-Ride is definitely the one I would get.
If you haven’t seen Alex Earle’s renderings of his versions of the BMW GS Adventure Concept, you have to check them out. They are similar to Oberdan Bezzi BMW R1250 GS design, but way more futuristic and cooler. Bezzi’s BMW R1250 GS design is practical and will bridge the gap, but Alex Earle’s BMW GS Concept is what the GS and GSA could and should be; an ultra sleek, modern, utilitarian, nimble tank. A do-it-all, “Swiss Army Knife of Bikes” motorcycle. Earle’s BMW GS concepts and renderings are stunning, cool and stay true to BMW’s progressive engineering, which now is finally represented on the outside. Maybe one day we will see a High Performance GS touring bike from Bavarian Motor Works? If you build it, we will ride it.
Complacency is not a good thing. Past, present, and most importantly the future are the critical guidelines to go by when designing the next generation of GS motorcycles. It would be nice to see BMW make the special editions part of the regular line-up instead of only offering them in limited numbers. I definitely think BMW should keep their Motorsport racy white, blue red color scheme in the GS line-up like they do with their sport bikes, makes sense to me because I am sure there are others that would like the racy/retro color combo in the future when it is time for a new bike.
I realize the Triple Black GS is not for everyone, but I’m glad I waited, I am finally content with the styling. Like the old say goes “good things come to those who wait.” I have to thank BMW for actually producing this bike, and I have to personally thank BMW Motorrad USA’s Community and Communications Manager, Laurence Kuykendall for taking my phone calls and listening to my requests. It is amazing what a color or lack of color can actually do to the appeal of this great motorcycle, so thank you!