OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
EXCITING CONTENT electronics is a part of that . We have the electronics competence in-house at BMW Motorrad and so there would be no question about using this in-house know-how .” In the relatively recent past BMW had a reputation for building everything but race replicas , real world race-oriented machinery . The S and now M series of Superbikes certainly make BMW ’ s Sports bike image unmissable , but Doctor Schramm is keen to correct what he sees as an incorrect idea of BMW and its sporting prowess . “ Racing has always been and will always be in BMW Motorrad ’ s DNA . You just have to look into our history ; already 100 years ago , BMW motorcycles caused a furore on the race track . That went on through all the decades until now . BMW Motorrad has always been closely involved in racing , be it in circuit racing , in road racing or also in off-road racing . Motorsport is an integral part of the history of BMW Motorrad and that is also mirrored in our image . We always get that confirmed by our customers , too . For sure , there might have been a short period of a few years in the last decade when we did not have a race replicas or production street racers in our portfolio but that really has been a very short period compared to our long history – and that short period was over when we presented the BMW S 1000 RR some years ago . In November 2018 , we then decided to introduce the M brand at BMW Motorrad . A clear and strong statement ! Two years later we released the first M bike , and more will follow . The M 1000 RR has been selling well beyond expectation and our engagement in racing clearly supports this . So , yes , we are a proud manufacturer of sports bikes ; this is an important pillar in our portfolio , and to be committed to high-class racing is a logical step . Success in racing is a synonym for sportiness and performance – that goes for every manufacturer .” We cross the Alps now to the other European manufacturer in WorldSBK and statistically the most successful WorldSBK manufacturer in just about every single list you can think of . WorldSBK and Ducati go hand-in-hand , even of there has been a hiatus in official involvement for short periods of time . But now ? All official , lots of privateers taking the benefit too and still winning races or scoring podiums with lots of different riders and teams . So after all these decades , all that success , and winning both MotoGP and WorldSBK races , why is Ducati in WorldSBK in its present form ? “ The process of knowledge transfer between racing and product has
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