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Small cylinders, electric bikes for BMW Motorcycles

Frankfurt, Germany - BMW Motorcycles said Wednesday (November 11) it would rely increasingly on small-cylinder models and even electric bicycles to achieve massive sales growth over the next five years.

The division, part of the BMW auto group, said it was aiming to sell 200 000 motorcycles per year by 2020 compared to 124 000 in 2014.

Fast-growing markets

Asia and South America are the main target zones for accelerated growth, it said.

BMW, which has a cult following for its large-cylinder motorbikes, said it would now also focus on models below 500cm3.

Its new BMW G310R model, presented Wednesday, was specifically tailored for fast-growing Asian and South American markets, it said.

BMW Motorcycles would also focus increasingly on urban mobility, especially with electric bicycles, division chief Stephan Schaller said.

Big-cylinder bikes would, however, remain BMW's core business.

BMW sold 121 000 motorcycles between January and October of this year.

New battery-powered BMW

BMW's experimental eRR, a project with the Technical University of Munich, Germany, is a battery-powered electric  supersport motorcycle concept. The new bike borrows design and chassis elements from the supersport motorcycle S 1000 RR, however using an all-electric drive.

Stephan Schaller, head of BMW Motorrad, said: "Since their market launch, the RR is giving the creeps to motorsport athletes. If acceleration, handling or topspeed – the RR is setting standards. However, if acceleration on the first metres, up to 50 - 60km/h, is the point, the RR’s 148kW have to admit defeat by another BMW product: the C evolution with its electric drive.

"What happens when combining a sport motorcycle and an electric drive? The experimental vehicle eRR brings the topic zero emission and electric drive on a new, more fascinating level."

BMW Motorrad will announce technical details of the eRR at a later date.

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