Picture Of The Month! Cumbria England Countryside View! (Click Image for a Larger View)

Every month customers send us killer photos and I see no reason to keep them to myself so what better way to say thanks for sharing than to post them in this Picture of the Month spot..

Our Feb POTM was contributed by Garth who resides in Cumbria England. He says of the picture..."This is just outside of a small town called Penrith in the county of Cumbria England looking towards Blencathra fells in the lake district. It was taken at the end of October 2010. Weather was sunny but a cool 5 C and the camera is a Panasonic TZ 10 lumix compact. I'm no camera buff and I find a compact a good camera to have in my pocket when on the bike."

If you would like to contribute your own"worthy" shot for our newsletter, here's what I'll need. First.. just email me 1 or 2 of your best digital shots. It'll need to be at least 1024x768 in size or larger and preferably A. Of a BMW K1200S or K1300S, K1200RS, K1200R, R Sport, S1000RR, or any model year K1200GT or K1300GT and B. In focus.

Big Brother Visits Illinois: Another Reason To Avoid the State..

December 27, 2010 (CHICAGO) -- At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day, more than 100 new laws went into effect in Illinois. If you are traveling in Illinois this year and think about "opening it up" on our straight, flat roads, you might want to take a look at a couple of new laws.

Cracking the throttle will no longer result in just a speeding ticket, thanks to a new Illinois law which went into effect January 1 that targets people driving 100 miles per hour or faster. The new law has two important parts:

• It makes speeding in excess of 30 miles per hour a Class B Misdemeanor with a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,500 fine.
• It also denies court supervision for aggravated speeding.

Things Are Tough All Over: Doing Business in 2011!

Damn!! I just heard that Cycle Gadgets, one of the larger accessory shops, went out of biz. (see blurb below) I've bought all kinds of stuff from them through the years and regularly refer our customers to them if they are looking for something we can't provide. And just days before, I got word that another company we do biz with has also closed it's doors..EMI Group aka European Motorcycle Imports. Almost every other week I hear of another vendor going down in flames. The Labor Department announced 159,000 people lost their jobs last month. Worst job loss in five years. Here's the ironic part, all 435 members of Congress still have their jobs. How does that work out? Think it's just the US economy going south? Think again. Our European counterparts are also struggling to stay afloat.

This is not good on so many levels. Yes, most of us (at least the ones not working for the government) are well aware of how bad the economy is and how it is effecting each and every one of us in our own respective fields of business. What many don't realize is how scary bad things are in the motorcycle accessory business in particular. As most of you know me as a straight shooter...( can I still use that term?).. I'll share this insider's bit of industry flotsam..

I speak with vendors (big and small) on a daily basis all around the world. It's a common tale of woe and despair. Other vendors are contacting me.. usually feeling me out ... probing for info.. not wanting to "reveal" their own predicament for fear that they'll .. oh I don't know.. look bad... think that we'll think they are poor business people.. whatever. They innocently ask.. "How is biz?" which is the code phrase for.. " Is your biz in the crapper, too? Please reassure us that it's not just us..Help me Obi Wan Kenobi!"

I'm getting this so often as of late that I have a pre-typed response to my fellow vendors which goes something like this. "Don't feel bad, my friend. It's not just you and you shouldn't take it personal. This is the worst we've ever seen it since I started this biz 13 years ago. About 20 months ago after 9 straight years of 30% increases in revenue..  sales leveled off... then slowly but surely they started to decline. 12 months ago biz was down 30% and stupidly I figured that's about as bad as it would get. Wrong. Today biz is down 80%.. Scary, isn't it?  Of course winter is the slowest time of year, but even Christmas sales  flatlined here.  NEVER seen that before. Am I afraid? Yes.. However.. I'm optimistic that if we can hang on long enough... ride it out.. things will return to normal and we'll be prospering again. Trust me.. you are not alone. My suggestion .. hang tough, look at this like a  lifestyle downscaling opportunity, and trust in the force"

BMW Sees Nearly 4% Growth in USA: S1000RR Their Best Seller! (as seen in BMW Motorcycle Magazine)

BMW Motorrad USA today announced they saw a nearly four percent growth in sales in 2010. This may not sound impressive given the 12.3% growth BMW Motorrad saw globally, but motorcycles sales in the US overall continued their downward slide by double digits in 2010.

BMW sales were helped by the February launch of the S1000RR. The BMW superbike became the best selling bike in BMW’s US lineup—selling better than the R1200GS which is BMW’s best selling bike worldwide in spite of it's ugliness. In its first year, the S1000RR earned numerous media awards in the US, including Robb Report’s “Best Sportbike,” Cycle World’s “Best Superbike for 2010,” and Motorcyclist’s coveted “Motorcycle of the Year” Award. Other popular models in BMW’s lineup—R1200GS, R1200GS Adventure, and R1200RT—benefited from the introduction of updated engines and posted strong sales, as well.

According to Mac McMath, National Sales Manager of BMW Motorrad USA, BMW is anticipating another strong year in 2011 as supply improves to meet continued demand for the S1000RR and as the new six-cylinder touring bikes make their debut.

6. New Product Alert! Hate the looks of those "fugly" license plate helmet locks? Can't afford the expensive Easy Helmet Lock that we sell due to the economy being in the crapper? Here's a cheaper alternative. The Helmet Lok is carabiner with a twist...it LOCKS. Specially designed for motorcycle applications, it secures your helmet (or other valuable gear) and gives you a little peace of mind when you're away from the bike. Unlike a typical carabiner where the latch opens inward and restricts the size of the opening, the HelmetLok latch opens OUTWARD. This allows it to fit around handlebars, frame tubes, or other parts of your motorcycle measuring up to 1-1/8" diameter.The latching lever contains a programmable 3-pin combination lock which you can change anytime. To secure your helmet, slip the HelmetLok around your frame, hook your helmet d-rings or straps thru the caribiner, close the latch and spin the combo dial. Done. These should fit virtually every motorcycle on earth. Under $40.

7. New Product Alert! "WOW" is the word that comes to mind after seeing my first pair. MotoZen levers are top quality (some of the best I have seen!) There are so many adjustment options on these that it'll make your head spin so getting the ergos right on your bike has never been easier. Click Here for a Flash Video to see them in action.. You can even adjust these on the fly! Individual replacement parts are available. You deserve the best and without plundering your wallet. This is a new product to the market and not all color options are available yet. Currently, the part that attaches to your bike and the actual lever are ONLY available in black.. However.. the end lever (the part with the hole in it) and the adjuster knob are available in red/blue/gold/silver/black. Click Here for explanation. We have these for every model year S1000RR, K1300S, K1200S, K1200R, K1200R Sport, 2007-08 K1200GT, R1200GS, R1200GS Adventure, R1200R, R1200S, R1200ST, and HP2 Enduro. Cost is a reasonable $170.US pair delivered!

8. New Product Alert! The good news just keeps on comin'. We just added the entire line of Remus Slip-On Exhausts for the BMW R1200GS and Adventure to our most holy website.

2011 Texas Hill Country K12 / K13 Rally: April 10-14, 2011

Location: Hwy 39 near Hunt - 22 miles from hwy 83
Where: River Inn Resort in Hunt, Texas
When: Sunday thru Thursday, April 10-14, 2010 (arrive Sunday - leave Friday)

Please call 1-800-841-0501 and tell them you are with the BMW motorcycle group. (No on-line reservations available) Call Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm cst. Sat. and Sun. 9am to 4pm cst., only. A one bedroom is $60.00 plus tax, some do have sofa sleepers. Lodging is limited, so Book early to guarantee a room. You can secure your reservation with AMEX, MasterCard or Visa....7 day cancellation policy, however there is a $25 service charge. They all have a refrigerator and microwave.

Agenda: Meet. Ride. Talk, Eat. Ride. Talk.

2011 Blue Ridge Parkway K12 / K13 Rally: May 12-15, 2011

Where: Wattstull Inn, just north of Buchanan, Virginia
When: May 12th thru 15th, 2010 (Thur – Sun)

Call Wattstull Inn for reservations.
540-254-1551 / Mention: i-bmw group
SPECIFY ROOM TYPE - single, double, king

Blue Ridge Parkway info and maps can be found here and here

Alternate Lodging (info only) : Super 8 – Bedford or Days Inn – Bedford or Peaks of Otter Lodge

The 12th Annual Deals Gap K12 / K13 Rally: October 6-9th, 2011

Where: Fontana Village Resort
Nearest town: Robbinsville, NC
When: October 6th-9th, 2011 [Thur-Sunday]
Reservations: Direct 800.849.2258

30 lodge rooms w/ 2 queen beds/ns: $85+tax 7-10 2br cabins with 1 queen and 2 twin beds/kitchen/ns: $120+tax When calling, specify room or cabin. Lodge rooms are in the Garden units with parking outside the door. Cabins will be either the Laurel or Hemlock cabins. Reservations for blocked out rooms will end 45 days prior. Saavy? Be sure to mention i-bmw group when booking. Thx to my good buddy, Bert B for arranging this event!!

NOTE: I-bmw.com is not an official sponsor of any posted events. Event participation is the sole responsibility of the attendee. Motorcycle riding is potentially dangerous and can result in personal injury or death. You and you alone are responsible for your own safety. Ride within your own ability.