Labels: Bike Events

Congratulations to Paul Williams, Tyron Brudvig, Jason Dalrymple and Kerith Johnson who represented Vines Motorrad at the GS Trophy this past weekend, you made us proud!






Keep up to date with Vines BMW Bikes events by visiting: http://www.vinesbmwbikes.co.uk/events/

Labels: Bike Events

Preparations for Vines Bike Fest 2012 are underway, save the date in your diary 14 & 15 July. More information is to follow.

Labels: Bike Events

On Ride To Work Day, motorbike and scooter riders around the world show just how enjoyable their daily commute is. By riding to work we demonstrate that life would be better if more people rode motorcycles and scooters every day, with time savings, less congestion and reduced travel costs. So join us on 18th June for Ride to Work Day.

Melandri makes history with BMW Motorrad’s first ever WSBK win!
BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s Marco Melandri scored a historic first Superbike World Championship victory on the S 1000 RR today at Donington Park circuit in the UK, with team-mate Leon Haslam just a few bike lengths behind in second place. This momentous race one result is the best to date for the factory team.

Having both qualified on the front row of the grid for today’s races, it was Haslam who took the early lead, swooping around the outside of pole-sitter Tom Sykes at Redgate Corner, with Melandri settling into third. In dry, but blustery conditions, Sykes was pushing Haslam all the time, finally taking the lead when Leon ran wide on the fourth lap at Goddards.

With Max Biaggi closing in on Marco Melandri, there were soon two Brits leading two Italians, with Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa trying to join the quartet out in front. By half distance, it was Melandri who began to look the most composed, fighting off challenges from rival Max Biaggi and then following his team-mate past Tom Sykes at the Melbourne Loop to move up into second place behind Haslam.

Now, with two BMW S 1000 RRs at the front, it was a race to be the first rider to make history and claim the first ever WSBK victory for BMW. With seven laps remaining, Melandri passed Haslam into Redgate Corner, but Haslam retook the lead later the same lap. With both riders visibly pushing hard and in danger of tripping each other up, there was no margin for error with Sykes and Biaggi now back in the frame.


Unfortunately for Leon, he was forced into the gravel trap to avoid a braking manoeuvre by his team-mate, but was somehow able to stay upright and rejoin the race, albeit behind Sykes. Melandri now had a clear lead and it was left to Haslam to try and find a way past the Kawasaki rider, which he did at the Foggy Esses, with just one lap remaining. Despite a blisteringly fast last lap by Leon, he was not close enough to challenge his team-mate for the victory and Melandri crossed the finish line 0.728 seconds in front to celebrate a truly historic maiden win on the RR and the first ever for BMW Motorrad Motorsport.

It was a thrilling opening race that saw five manufacturers in the top six. BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK team riders Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini finished race one in tenth and 11th place respectively.

Race two was full of excitement and drama, which lasted until the final corner of the final lap. Having treated thousands of his British fans to yet another thrilling race at Donington, Leon had fought his way right to the front and was just seconds away from his maiden WSBK win for the team when another rider collided with him and knocked him off the track, due to his over motivated maneuver, which caused Haslam to take out his team-mate in the consequence crash. All Haslam could do was pick up his RR and push it over the line for a single point.

Despite this unfortunate incident, it was nevertheless a historic day for BMW Motorrad, who are now third in the WSBK manufacturer standings and will go into the next round at Miller Motorsports Park in the USA in two weeks time full of confidence. BMW Motorrad Italia’s Ayrton Badovini finished in a solid sixth place in race two and his team-mate Michel Fabrizio recovered from a ride-through penalty to finish in 13th place.


Marco Melandri: “It is an awesome feeling for me to put my name in the history books of a factory like BMW Motorrad. I could not have imagined dreaming of this when I was young. I just want to say thank you to BMW Motorrad in Germany, to the team at the track and to everybody involved in the project. We have been working so hard and we have never given up, even when we were encountering some difficulties. We will keep pushing, and I am more than happy.

“I am disappointed with the result of the second race of course. I was trying to pass Leon in the final corner although I knew it would be difficult. Anyhow, I am a racer and I had to try. I ran a little wide and expected Leon to pass me back – finishing second would have been ok for me. Then Leon was hit and he crashed. His bike hit me and I crashed too. I feel sorry for both Leon and me but that’s racing. We now have to keep our heads high and look forward to Salt Lake City where we hope to be fighting for wins again.”

Leon Haslam: “What a day. I had a good pace in race one. In the end, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed with the second place. I had a big wobble out of Coppice and it actually put me on the right hand side of Marco instead of the left, and he braked a bit earlier that lap. I had nowhere to go, so I opted for the gravel. It was kind of a combination of things which caught me out. But fair play to Marco, a BMW 1-2 result is just fantastic. Right now I just want to forget race 2. I feel a bit frustrated because I was going for my first win for BMW Motorrad – at my home round. But we were denied that deserved victory. The crash was not my fault at all… Anyhow, that’s racing, and we now look forward to the next round. Hopefully we can turn things around at the next race meeting in Salt Lake City. I want to dedicate my race 1 result to Robert Fearnall, who was a close friend of the family.”

Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director): “The first race was absolutely thrilling. We saw bike-to-bike action and our opponents gave us a hard time on track. Marco’s race was impressive: he organized his race excellently, showed great overtaking abilities and subsequently deserved the victory. For us it is even more satisfying to see that Leon was also able to showcase his talent. He also showed great battles on the track and completed BMW Motorrad’s first double victory in World Superbikes. This 1-2 is the result of hard work of all the people involved in this project – in Munich, in Stephanskirchen and at the track. A big Thank You to our riders and the whole team.

“The second race again was great – until the last corner. It is just too disappointing to see both riders crash guiltlessly when leading the pack in the final corner of the race. But now we have to keep our heads up and look forward to Salt Lake City. We hope to fight for wins there as well.”


Results

Race one
1. Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 2. Leon Haslam (GBR) BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 3. Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 10. Fabrizio (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK Team; 11. Badovini (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK Team

Race two
1. Rea (GBR) Honda; 2. Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia; 3. Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki; 6. Badovini (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK Team; 13. Fabrizio (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK Team; 15. Leon Haslam (GBR) BMW Motorrad Motorsport; DNF. Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW Motorrad Motorsport.

Labels: BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Donington Park circuit, Leon Haslam, Marco Melandri, S 1000 RR, Superbike World Championship, WSBK

The Big Brew – in aid of Spinal Research

On Saturday 5th May, Guildford and Caterham Motorrad dealerships held an event to raise money for Spinal Research. Guy Martin (famous motorbike racer) created Ride Out after recovering successfully from a crash, and the Big Brew is part of this campaign. At Guildford, cakes were on offer for a £1 donation, while Caterham hosted a barbeque. Although the rain kept a lot of people away, we managed to raise £115.38 for the cause. Thanks to everyone who made cakes or bought tasty things from us that day!

Labels: F 800 GS, G 650 GS Sertao, R 1200 Raylle

Hard-earned podium for Haslam at rain-affected Monza

A rain-affected day of racing at Monza saw BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s Leon Haslam come from 14th on the grid to finish in second place in the second World Superbike race of the day, after the first one was cancelled due to safety issues. Team-mate Marco Melandri finished in fourth, despite having fought his way up to third before the race was red-flagged due to rain falling on part of the circuit.

Having already played a big part in qualifying, the weather continued to affect the WSBK programme. After race one had been red-flagged and then subsequently cancelled, everyone was hopeful that race two would go ahead, despite the possibility of rain and some visible damp patches on the track.

However, after a short delay, a scheduled 16-lap race two got underway, with eventual winner Tom Sykes taking his chances and pulling a healthy lead in the early stages. With Sykes clearly out in front, it was left to the two BMW S 1000 RR riders and Aprilia team-mates Eugene Laverty and Max Biaggi to fight for the two remaining podium positions.



Haslam – who made a great start from the fourth row of the grid – had battled his way past Jonathan Rea, Biaggi, Laverty and his own team-mate, using both the slipstream effect and the power of the RR to slingshot past his fellow competitors. By half distance, with Haslam in second place and Melandri having just battled back up to third, it suddenly started to rain, bringing out the red flags. A result was declared and taken back to the last completed lap, relegating Melandri back to fourth place, but with Haslam able to celebrate his third podium of 2012.

“The conditions this weekend were tough, especially today with different track conditions," said Leon. "Anyhow I felt confident to fight for a top position. Starting from 14th on the grid was not ideal though as overtaking in these conditions is quite difficult as you have to leave the dry racing line. Anyway my race went really well, but when I was second Tom already had pulled away. A big credit to BMW Motorrad and my crew who did a great job. I am really happy to be back on the podium. I am now looking forward to racing in Donington at my 'home' race.”

Marco Melandri added: “It was the right decision today to cancel the first race. It had rained a lot, and there are different surfaces on the track. While the new tarmac doesn’t allow for the water to drain away, the old asphalt is different and dries up very quickly. It would have been dangerous to go out with the rain tyre under these conditions. The second race went well for me. I decided not to push too hard in the beginning of the race just to get into the rhythm. I started to feel really comfortable in the lap before the red flag. I felt quite good on the bike, but unfortunately the rain came too early.”




The final word went to Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director), who said: “It was dramatic how this weekend went, with our strong start in qualifying, the tricky and irregular conditions in Superpole and today’s extremely changeable weather. It would have been too dangerous to ride in the rain. So the red flags were absolutely right, because the safety of the riders has highest priority. Leon again showed a superb performance with his best result on the RR to date, despite his disappointment in Superpole.

"And thanks to Marco’s strong performance we nearly could have celebrated a double podium. But this is racing. A big thanks to the whole team for the hard work and to both riders, who gave their very best. We also send our heartiest congratulations to our BMW Motorsport colleagues for the victory and the third place at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. We are delighted that our comeback to the DTM is so successful.”

Today’s result means that Marco is currently fourth in the 2012 championship on 72.5 points, with Leon sixth, on 68 points. The WSBK championship now moves on to Donington, England, which takes place next weekend.



Race one
Cancelled due to safety reasons

Race two
1. Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 2. Leon Haslam (GBR) BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 3. Laverty (IRL) Aprilia; 4. Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 10. Badovini (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet; DNS. Fabrizio (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet.

Labels: BMW Motorrad Motorsport, BMW S 1000 RR, Leon Haslam, WSBK

High-speed WSBK thrills expected at Monza

As the fourth round of the 2012 Superbike World Championship rapidly approaches, speed is very much of the essence as the super-fast Autodromo Nazionale di Monza hosts the next two WSBK races in this exciting series, which continues on the weekend of 5-6 May.

With speeds approaching 330 km/h recorded last year, high-octane action is guaranteed, especially with four BMW S 1000 RR riders expected to be in the thick of the battles at the 5.793 km track. Furthermore, it is a riders’ favourite too, with plenty of opportunities for overtaking thanks to slip-streaming and passing on the brakes.

At Monza though, it’s not always best to be out in front, as following riders can get a ‘tow’ from you, allowing them to ‘sling-shot’ past, allowing for frequent changes of position. A fast motorcycle isn’t enough at the historic Italian track; the brakes are tested to the absolute limit, as are the tyres. The circuit is a good one for BMW Motorrad, as the team celebrated its first ever WSBK podium two years ago with Troy Corser. Last year, it was Leon Haslam on the podium on the RR, so he is naturally hoping to be back on the rostrum come Sunday.


“We are making big, big steps,” says Leon. “In Imola we had a double podium and if things had gone a bit differently we could have challenged Carlos Checa for the win. In Assen we definitely had the chance to win in both races – if we had chosen the right tyre and if I hadn’t crashed. These are a lot of ‘ifs’, but at least we now can say ‘if’ when we are talking about victories!

“Monza is a track I like. I got on the podium last year and it could have been a double podium had I not been taken out in the first corner in race two, when another rider crashed. On this circuit you have a lot of heavy braking and you need to get the bike balanced for this. Leading onto the long straights, you need to get out of the chicanes well. The Aprilia is going to be the bike to beat there, but our RR is fast and strong. I am hoping for a good race and again to challenge for the win.”

Haslam’s confidence is shared by his team-mate Marco Melandri, who was also on the podium there last year, albeit on a Yamaha. However, he believes the fast circuit should also suit the RR and will be hoping to more success in front of his Italian fans.


“I think that Monza can be a good track for us. It is a very nice circuit and has completely different characteristics than other motorcycle racetracks,” says Marco. “It is very, very fast, with high speeds and hard braking. I like all the corners, but ‘Ascari’ is something special – it is a combination of three corners in a row – so it is great fun. I hope that the weather is going to be better than at Assen. We just have to keep working hard and be consistent during the races. The championship is open and it is easy to make mistakes, especially under tricky conditions, so we need to be focused and give our best in every race.”

This is a view shared by Head of Race Operations Andrea Dosoli, who believes that the team has a real chance of success in Italy: “In Assen, we showed that we were competitive in all conditions, but we went back home with not as many points as could have been possible,” he says. “To get them will be the target for the race in Monza. It’s a special racetrack with long straights where we will be able to make best use of the powerful RR engine, but we have also to be ready for the slow chicanes with their changes of directions, as well as the famous ‘Lesmo’ and ‘Parabolica’ corners.

“Our riders have good memories from last year’s races in Monza, as they were both on the podium. Already last year, Leon was one of the contenders for the win and the RR has been continuously developed since then so we are confident that our talented riders will fight again for the top positions. In preparation for the races we will work on the set-up, trying to get the maximum from all the new parts we have introduced during the last tests.”


This will also be a ‘home’ round for the BMW Motorrad Italia team, with Michel Fabrizio and Aytron Badovini returning to the circuit where they both enjoyed success in 2011, with Fabrizio finishing fifth and third, and Badovini scoring a top six in his debut Superbike year on the RR.

The third round of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race also takes place on Sunday morning, with anyone on a RR looking forward to racing at Monza. The BMW Motorrad Italia team took the top two places in 2011, with four out of the top seven riding an RR. Current championship leader Sylvain Barrier missed out on victory by 0.159 seconds last year, but after two consecutive victories so far in this year’s series the Frenchman will surely be feeling confident, so watch this space.

BMW Motorrad motorsport fans will be glad to know that a full race results service including previews, qualifying and race reports will be available throughout 2012, in English and German, on the www.bmw-motorrad.com/superbike website. Fans can also subscribe to a motorsport newsletter to receive news directly via email: www.bmw-motorrad.com/newsletter.

Labels: 2012 Superbike World Championship, BMW S 1000 RR, WSBK

Support Spinal Research Charity Brew.

Just a reminder the Big Brew is being held this weekend and we are supporting this charity initiative on Saturday!

We're asking customers to ride out to us for the Big Brew in aid of spinal research.

We trying to raise as much money for this charity as possible, so join us this Saturday, 5th May, for a cuppa and something sweet at Vines of Guildford or a cuppa and something off the BBQ at Vines Caterham in exchange for a £1 donation...every penny counts.

Guy Martin, British motorcycle racer and mechanic was lucky he wasn't paralysed when he broke his vertebrae in his back at the Isle of Man TT in 2010, but not every rider is as fortunate. In the words of Guy, "Taking part in The Big Brew can make all the difference to people living with paralysis." Everyone who takes part in the Big Brew will be entered into a free prize draw for them and a friend to meet Guy.

As well as getting into the free prize draw, you can enter into the Grow and Show competition by growing or creating your own sideburns. The most outstanding will win a Focused Events Track Day on the fill Moto GP Silverstone circuit. Take a look at this video for some ideas.

We hope to see everyone this weekend!

Labels: Bike Events, Guy Martin, Isle of Man TT, Moto GP, Ride Out, Spinal Research Charity, Vines Caterham, Vines of Guildford