ROAD NEWS
growth amidst the pandemic . BMW Motorrad sales grew 14.8 percent with 194,261 BMW motorcycles and scooters delivered to customers worldwide . “ The fact that we still managed to finish 2021 with this fantastic result for BMW Motorrad not only makes me happy , but also incredibly proud ”, says Markus Schramm , Head of BMW Motorrad . “ It ’ s precisely in times of crisis where you can see how well a team sticks together . This year I would therefore like to express my special thanks to all employees as well as to the BMW Motorrad business partners , who made this success possible thanks to their personal commitment and flexibility . My sincere thanks also goes to our customers for their loyalty , trust and support .” BMW Motorrad ’ s growth came off the back of growth in both Europe and Asia while Britain ’ s exit from the EU also had no impact on sales there . A total of over 60,000 units sold were BMW ’ s adventure juggernauts , the R1250GS and GS Adventure alone , showing the boxer engined models still retain cache amongst riders the world over . Adding into the mix the other boxer models including the R1250RT tourer and the four BMW cruisers from the R18 model family , sales figures in the flat-twin boxer segment account for around half of BMW ’ s total sales in 2021 .
NZSBK CANCELLED
It ’ s news we didn ’ t want to hear , but as of January 26th 2022 it has been announced that there will be no running of the 2022 NZSBK Championship due to - you guessed it - the latest Covid-19 outbreak . The announcement was made via the NZSBK Facebook page this evening that with the cancellation of the flagship Motofest round at Hampton Downs the series could not continue with just three rounds . This also came with a promise that organisers are doing their damnedest to get individual race meetings running at the club level . NZSBK Director Grant Ramage and MNZ Road Race Commissioner Andy Skelton made the following statement to sum up the state of affairs regarding the 2022 NZSBK championship : “ As you will all be aware there is huge uncertainty around the New Red Traffic Light COVID Protocol . “ Motofest ( Hampton Downs ) informed MNZ on Monday ( January 24 ) that they cannot risk running the Motofest meeting and sustain a heavy financial loss . The irony is neither can MNZ .
“ Over the past few years , the COVID situation has decimated the NZSBK Series and placed some huge financial burden around the model . With Motofest withdrawing from the series and unless there are a minimum of four rounds plus sponsorship and a paying gate , the series cannot exist . “ The NZSBK Director and the team were trying to pull a fourth-round into play with the help and supportive nature of the team in the far south , but with the news around Motofest the financial risk is too high , compounded with the Covid dynamic . “ So , with this news , we have taken the decision to cancel the series for 2022 . “ As we alluded to earlier , the financial risk is too great given the impact of Covid on sponsorship , plus the series needs spectators , however , we are talking to clubs to see if we can pull individual meetings together that represent some form of racing that supports the clubs and potentially builds a sounder foundation for the future with more club involvement . We have some options , and we will work through the possibilities .”
24 KIWI RIDER