BMW to pull out of WSB !

[pitternator]

an astonishing piece of news given how much progress has been made this season...BMW only going to race as Motorrad Italia, with just 2 riders.
 
does this mean bmw are cash strapped ?...or are they planning a foray into motoGP?
 
maybe GS sales have dropped !...and economies have to be made...blame Triumph !!     

[Skippernick]

Surely thats bollocks what your source pitternator.

[Hodge]

I thought they were planning a move into MotoGP.

[Lazarus]

heard the same on Saturday when i was watching the Superbikes (I think). And it seems that Melandri is the only rider they are "keeping" - no idea whats happening to Haslam.

[Skippernick]

Well the font of all knowledge MCN haven't picked up on it yet so it must be true because they usually get it wrong.

[pitternator]

Surprised that nobody heard it announced on WSB at Brno sunday....was talked about at length but didnt hear any rumours about why. Just thought the cognicenti on here would know !
 
I just find it very odd, as so much has been written in MCN over last couple of years about how much effort BMW have put into winning WSB, and it was a prerequisite for going further into motoGP...it looks like they are now giving up.BMW italy motorrad wont have the same impact as a full factory team, plus its less riders on the grid so team points will be less.Its yet another nail in the coffin of bike racing ...hence why one side of me does just wonder if its something to do with motoGp...just have to wait and see...
 
I also muse just how serious a threat Triumph and Ducati are to BMW in terms of bike sales...have sales of the GS fallen enough to warrant budget savings ??...given the imminent launch of the Trophy Tourer ( but why in september at the end of the touring season !!)....are they worried about a big fall in sales of GS and RT, both big income generators...
 
I cant work it out when on my recent euro tour there were 16 bmw bikes out of 25 going. Most were GS and RT, there were no triumph or ducati GS wannabees, but there were 2 tiger 800s.That evidence would suggest the explorer has not displaced the GS just yet...

[keithfzs1000]

I heard it and was suitably shocked melandri going onto the other bmw team in wsb Grinilli is it? Haslam surplus to requirements i believe

[Lazarus]

Also remembered hearing that Sylvain Guintoli (sp) turned up at Brno to find out that his team and bike werent there and he was then told that he was no longer riding with them.


what a way to find out.

[pitternator]

latest rumour is spies goin to the WSB bmw squad( motorrad italia) , then hopefully bmw will be going to motoGP if a control ecu comes into force making costs to run  reasonable...feck, talk about shenanigans.so we still could see spies back in moto GP....
 
meanwhile will rossi go back to yamaha !.....seems an odd move, but rossi does have what they all are looking for ...sponsership money !