Misplaced Pages

#120879

96-496: The series features national championships for seven classes, open to professional and amateur motorcycle riders. The headline Pro Superbike category features the best riders from across Canada, with the champion winning the Canada Cup every season. Bridgestone became the official sponsor and tire supplier of the series in 2023, and will remain in that role through at least the 2026 season. The Canadian Superbike Championship

192-435: A 12-time national champion. The 2018 season began the same way with five consecutive victories, enough to help secure Szoke a 13th championship, but rival Ben Young would end his win streak at the final round. The end of 2018 forced Jordan Szoke to return to Kawasaki after eight years away from the brand, while Ben Young took over as the lead rider for BMW Motorrad . The switch worked well for both Young and BMW, winning

288-522: A continent–wide scheme called Truckpoint wherein fleets can take their vehicles to any Bridgestone approved garage throughout Europe and get Bridgestone specialist work carried out on their tires. There are no Bridgestone factories in the United Kingdom but there is a technical bay at which tyres returned by dissatisfied customers are inspected in Coventry . The plant at Ulyanovsk , Russia and

384-424: A crash at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was enough to hand Szoke his fourth consecutive championship and tie Crevier with six all-time. Szoke would run a privateer Honda effort in 2010, winning every race to record the perfect season and win his seventh crown. The 2011 season saw Szoke return to Kawasaki while McCormick piloted an all-new BMW Motorrad program. It proved to be an excellent match for McCormick and

480-427: A departure from BMW's naming convention. The R series are built around a horizontally opposed flat-twin (boxer) engine. As the engine is mounted with a longitudinal crankshaft, the cylinder heads protrude well beyond the sides of the frame. Originally, R series bikes had air-cooled heads but are now produced only with partial oil cooling or water cooling . The type of internal combustion engine cooling used across

576-689: A large number of Firestone global production sites into the Bridgestone organization. These sites included North America, Central and South America, Europe, New Zealand and other locations. Bridgestone also commenced production in Turkey. In 1992, the company established regional corporate offices in Europe and the Americas. Nashville –based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSA) is the American subsidiary of

672-823: A major manufacturing tire factory in Australia: located in Salisbury, South Australia (this plant was eventually decommissioned in April 2011). Bridgestone has State Offices in all states of Australia, and has a large number of retail outlets across the country. In 2000 Bridgestone Australia Ltd. purchased the BANDAG Retreading plant and its operations in Australia. Bandag Manufacturing Pty Limited has 35 franchised dealers across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Nouméa. Bandag Manufacturing Pty Limited

768-655: A majority share holding. As of mid–2007 the Australian operation was delisted from the Australian Stock exchange and became a solely owned Division of Bridgestone Corporation (pending minority shareholder approval as per Australian Corporate Law). Following the cancellation on Friday, 11 May 2007, of all shares held by minority shareholders, Bridgestone Australia Ltd. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation of Japan. The selective capital reduction and subsequent privatisation which cost $ 49 million

864-587: A return in 1982 saw Steve Dick claim the second-ever title following races at Shannonville and Atlantic Motorsport Park . The national series would then take a backseat to regional racing for the next three years, as no official national champions were crowned in 1983, 1984, or 1985. The demand for a national championship re-emerged in 1986, and the RACE Series (then a regional organization) took over management duties. The first full campaign featured five rounds in five different provinces, as Michel Mercier claimed

960-788: A single camshaft in the crankcase (variously above or below the crankshaft), the Oilhead has a camshaft in each head. (It is still technically an overhead valve engine rather than a true overhead camshaft unit, as the camshaft bears onto very short pushrods which operate valve rockers). In 2013, BMW introduced water-cooling to its boxer range. The engine is still used in the BMW R nineT line of motorcycles. In April 2020 BMW launched its cruiser BMW R18 with BMW's largest boxer engine featuring 1,802 cc (110.0 cu in), 90 hp (67 kW) and 158 N⋅m (117 lbf⋅ft). From 2013 (R1200GS), some BMW bikes have water-cooled heads, but (like

1056-461: A steel cord plant in Clarksville, Tennessee , named Bridgestone Metalpha. Metalpha is currently ranked as the top provider in the global steel cord market. In May 1988, a takeover bid of America's No. 2 tire manufacturer, Akron, Ohio –based Firestone Tire and Rubber Company , was successful, and Firestone was placed under the Bridgestone umbrella as a subsidiary company. This purchase brought

SECTION 10

#1732790956121

1152-562: A teenager. That would lead him to the United States in 2003, with Pascal Picotte returning to Canada to replace him on a lucrative deal for Suzuki. Picotte would dominate the next two years of CSBK, winning championships in 2003 and 2004. Injuries would limit him in 2005, however, while Szoke only raced select events north of the border, leaving Francis Martin to claim his second national crown that season. Jordan Szoke would return to Kawasaki in 2006 after winning his first title with

1248-436: A three-segment nomenclature for motorcycles. The first segment indicates the engine type, the second indicates the approximate engine displacement in cubic centimeters (with one notable exception: the F 650 GS, which has an engine displacement of 798cc ), while the third indicates the class of motorcycle (e.g., sport, sport touring, dual-sport, etc.). The three segments are separated by blanks. A similar 3-segment nomenclature

1344-507: A wet clutch and a unitary construction gearbox. It was at this time also that the K bike shaft drive moved from the right side to the left. Despite this new engine, the traditional flying brick K engine continued in service with the giant K1200LT luxury touring bike until 2009, at which point the flying brick bowed out along with the K1200LT. This was the event that presaged the development of the ultimate K engine in terms of size and complexity,

1440-467: Is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume , Fukuoka, Japan . The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi ( 石橋 ), meaning 'stone bridge' in Japanese. It primarily manufactures tires , as well as golf equipment . As of 2021, Bridgestone is the largest manufacturer of tires in

1536-406: Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Australia Limited, and operates under license to Bandag Incorporated. In 2006 Bridgestone purchased Bandag Incorporated, which is now a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation. From the purchase in 1981, the Australian operations of Bridgestone have been run as a publicly listed company on the Australian Stock exchange. Bridgestone Corporation has maintained

1632-475: Is now named Bridgestone Americas, Inc. The tire division is Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC. In April 2012, Bridgestone Americas opened up its new Bridgestone Americas Technical Center in Akron. The $ 100 million facility, located just down the street from the former headquarters, tire plant, and technical center, houses 450 employees whose jobs are to develop innovative and advanced tire technologies for

1728-643: Is produced at Loncin's plant in Chongqing , China ), all BMW Motorrad's motorcycle production takes place at its plant in Berlin , Germany . Some engines are manufactured in Austria, China, and Taiwan. Most of the current motorcycles in BMW Motorrad's range were designed by David Robb , who was the company's chief designer from 1993 to 2012 when he was replaced by Edgar Heinrich . The most popular model

1824-461: Is still the R 1200 GS with 23,681 units sold in 2015. BMW have a long history in motorsports with many successes in a wide range of disciplines including Isle of Man TT, Dakar Rally, and Superbikes. There are four lines of BMW motorcycles: The series differ primarily in the class of engine that each uses. The F Series of single-cylinder BMW motorcycles was first launched in 1994, as the F650 , and

1920-532: Is the R1200GS and its sibling R1200GS Adventure, which sold 24,467 units – accounting for 28% of BMW's annual production. Current production includes a variety of shaft and chain driven models, with engines from 310 cc to 1,802 cc; and models designed for off-road , dual-purpose , sport , and touring activities. In 2008, BMW introduced the DOHC Boxer HP2 Sport, and entered

2016-449: Is the motorcycle brand and division of German automotive manufacturer, BMW . It has produced motorcycles since 1923, and achieved record sales for the fifth year in succession in 2015. With a total of 136,963 vehicles sold in 2015, BMW registered a growth of 10.9% in sales in comparison with 2014. In May 2011, the 2,000,000th motorcycle produced by BMW Motorrad was an R1200GS . The company began as an aircraft engine manufacturer in

SECTION 20

#1732790956121

2112-667: Is the first new tire plant in the city of Akron in more than 70 years. Bridgestone also opened up a $ 6 million test track adjacent to the Advanced Tire Production Center to support passenger tire testing and development. The test track opened in autumn 2022. Bridgestone has invested more than $ 125 million in its Akron operations since 2012, when the company opened the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center. Bridgestone has major manufacturing plants in many countries around

2208-427: Is used for BMW automobiles. However, there is significantly less consistency across the range with respect to the second segment (engine displacement/100). Engine type: Engine displacement in cc: Styling suffix designations: Additionally, a bike may have the following modifiers in its name: Examples: K 1200 S, R 1200 RT, F 650 GS, R 1150 RSL, K 1200 LT, K 1200 LT-C, R 1200 RT-P, R 1200 RSA, S 1000 RR. Prior to

2304-456: The 2007 season to the 2010 Formula One season . On 2 November 2009, Bridgestone announced that they would not be renewing their contract to supply tires to Formula One teams after 2010. The company said it was "addressing the impact of the continuing evolution of the business environment". Pirelli announced in June 2010 that it would serve as sole supplier for tires in the 2011 season . In

2400-649: The Duolever . As of 2018, the Duolever has been used on all K1300 and K1600 models. The official BMW Motorrad explanation of the duolever includes this: The advantage of this front wheel suspension on the motorcycle market at present is its torsional rigidity. The BMW Motorrad Duolever front wheel suspension is not influenced by negative forces in the same manner as a conventional telefork whose fixed and take-off tubes twist laterally as well as longitudinally during jounce/rebound and steering. Its two trailing links absorb

2496-655: The R1100S BoxerCup Replika (a model with its own race series) shows that the Telelever fork provides responsive and predictable handling. The term "Telelever" is a portmanteau word from "Telescopic fork" and "Lever"; the "lever" being the wishbone arm. In 2004, BMW announced the K1200S, incorporating a new front suspension based upon a design by Norman Hossack . BMW recognised this fact but paid Hossack no royalties. BMW named its new front suspension

2592-526: The R90S used the 247 engine; and its successor, the R100RS, was fitted with an oil cooler. An "Oilhead" is a name to describe BMW flat-twin motorcycle engines with partial oil-cooling, and to distinguish these engines from the earlier air-cooled "Airhead" models. The Oilhead's finned cylinders have conventional air-cooling, but the four-valve cylinder-heads are oil-cooled. Unlike earlier BMW boxers which had

2688-553: The S1000RR , as he won the first six races of the year to end Szoke's run of five consecutive championships. However, McCormick would move to World Superbike the following year, allowing Szoke to move to BMW in his place and repeat as champion in 2012 and 2013. It appeared as though Szoke would add a tenth championship in 2014, but a mid-season injury handed the title to Jodi Christie and Honda . Szoke would add perfect seasons in 2015 and 2016, and won all but one race in 2017 to become

2784-463: The "hexhead", BMW inverted the Paralever and moved the torque arm from the bottom to the top of the drive shaft housing (photo right). This reduces underhang of components and tends to increase ground clearance in right lean. The term "Paralever" is a portmanteau word from "Parallelogram" and "Lever". The "lever is the swinging arm; and the "parallelogram" is the shape between the four elements of

2880-466: The 1930s, soon after they started making tires. Today, Bridgestone diversified operations encompass automotive components, industrial products, polyurethane foam products, construction materials, parts and materials for electronic equipment, bicycles and sporting goods. Diversified business generates about one-fourth of total sales in the Bridgestone Group. BMW Motorrad BMW Motorrad

2976-574: The 1980s and 1990s, Bridgestone provided tires to the Le Mans sport prototypes of teams Nismo and TOM's , backed by Japanese automobile manufacturers Nissan and Toyota respectively. In the early 1990s, Bridgestone expanded to Mercedes-AMG , which entered the DTM and later Le Mans and the FIA GT Championship . The brand left international sports car racing in 2000, but remains as one of

Canadian Superbike Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue

3072-478: The 1980s by developing race tires for feeder series like Formula 2 , Formula 3 , Formula Ford , Formula Opel Lotus and karting . In order to increase the Firestone subsidiary's brand awareness, Bridgestone Firestone NAH Ltd , re–entered the Firestone brand into CART open-wheel racing in 1995 to challenge Goodyear . The tires proved better and Goodyear left the series for 2000. Since then, Firestone has been

3168-476: The 2005 K1200S. The new engine generates 123 kW (165 hp) and is tilted forwards 55 degrees. It is 43 cm (17 in) wide, giving the bikes a very low center of mass without reducing maximum lean angles. In October 2008, BMW announced the new K1300GT, K1300S and K1300R models, all of which feature a larger capacity 1293 cc engine producing up to 175 hp (130 kW). The new engine produces maximum power output 1,000 RPM lower than

3264-483: The Bridgestone Corporation. BSA and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market Bridgestone, Firestone, and associate brand tires for consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles and operate

3360-648: The Bridgestone Museum. Sales surpassed ten billion yen in 1953, placing Bridgestone at the top of the tire industry in Japan, and celebrations were held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the company's foundation in Kurume. The sale of nylon tires was started in 1959, and work forged ahead with the construction of the new Tokyo plant, which was opened in 1960, in order to cope with the fast–expanding market for motorization. The company issued stock shares and

3456-580: The CEO Yoichiro Kaizaki, aiming to improve Bridgestone's name value in the European market which was greatly inferior compared with their archrivals, Michelin . Though it was scheduled to enter the championship in the 1998 season at first, this was brought forward to 1997 because the engineering section led by Hirohide Hamashima had quickly advanced development. Thus, Hiroshi Yasukawa, the general manager of Motorsport Department, also made

3552-460: The Japanese brand. Taylor would win in 1994 and 1996, while Munroe was victorious in 1995 and 1997. The duo was beat in 1998 by fellow Kawasaki rider Jordan Szoke , the first rookie champion in CSBK history and at the time the youngest winner at only 19 years old. Despite being the overwhelming favourite in 1999, Jordan Szoke switched to Honda and struggled in the opening rounds, eventually losing

3648-509: The Japanese off-road racing motorcycles but the most unusual and significant was the use of a single pivot point for the drive sprocket and the swing arm. This unusual configuration allowed for a very tense drive chain with no slop and eliminated acceleration squat. The former benefit saves on chain and sprocket wear and the latter allows for a more consistent drive geometry and fully available rear suspension travel during heavy acceleration. In mid-2006, The F Series added two new motorcycles to

3744-399: The K & R Series. Paralever is a further advance in BMW's single-sided rear suspension technology (photo right). It decouples torque reaction as the suspension compresses and extends, avoiding the tendency to squat or rise under acceleration and reducing tyre chatter on the road surface. It was introduced in 1988 R 80 GS and R 100 GS motorcycles. In 2005, along with the introduction of

3840-551: The Olympics and Paralympics when they expire at the end of 2024. In 2010, Bridgestone acquired the naming rights to the home venue of the NHL's Nashville Predators calling it Bridgestone Arena . They were also the title sponsor for Copa Libertadores , the top competition for South American club football , from 2013 to 2017, and Copa Sudamericana from 2011 to 2013. The predecessors of Bridgestone began making diversified products in

3936-456: The Telelever and the Duolever front suspensions for several years, has partly returned to telescopic forks in the 2015 model year with the introduction of the R 1200 R and R 1200 RS. Englishman Ernest Earles designed a unique triangulated fork that, unlike telescopic forks, resists the side-forces introduced by sidecars. BMW fitted the Earles fork to all its models for 14 years from 1955. In

Canadian Superbike Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue

4032-666: The Tokyo plant in 1962 to house the new Technical Centre, and a progressive system of research and development was established. On the product front, 1967 saw the sale of the company's first ever radial tire , the RD10. Bridgestone's first overseas plant since the end of the war was opened in Singapore in 1965, and production was also commenced in Thailand in 1969. The 1960s for Bridgestone was an era of overseas expansion that also included

4128-466: The areas of technology, production, and sales in the early days. Eventually, improvements were achieved in quality and manufacturing processes which led to the business rapidly expanding in domestic and overseas markets. Wartime regulations were in effect throughout Japan during World War II , and tires also came under the jurisdiction of these regulations. This resulted in nearly all of the company's output being used to satisfy military demand. 1945 saw

4224-410: The best use of the experience and networks in Europe since the Bridgestone's European F2 era ( 1981 – 1984 ) and constructed logistics for Formula One at once. The first title was acquired right away in the second year, 1998 by Mika Häkkinen and McLaren – Mercedes . And Bridgestone users took five Drivers' Championship titles and five Constructors' Championship titles ( 1998 , 2001 – 2004 ) for

4320-400: The braking and suspension functions. Braking forces are taken back via the wishbone, thereby eliminating brake dive . During braking, the trail and castor angle ( rake ) increases instead of decreasing as with traditional telescopic forks. Some riders used to conventional forks reported that the Telelever can initially lack "feel", and that the absence of dive is initially disconcerting; but

4416-441: The brand in 1998. He would quickly become the feature name of the series, winning the first six races of the season in 2006 to capture the overall title. Crevier's latest return to CSBK nearly resulted in a seventh championship, but Szoke would hang on to defend his crown in 2007 and 2008. The 2009 season featured the start of one of the most iconic rivalries in series history as teenager Brett McCormick won four races for Suzuki, but

4512-594: The championship and reached the milestone of 100 MotoGP victories in 2012. Nine–time World Champion Valentino Rossi was 'Bridgestone Tyre Adviser' having won two MotoGP titles on Bridgestone tires in 2008 and 2009. In May 2014, Bridgestone announced they would leave Moto GP at the end of the 2015 season. Bridgestone is currently the Official Tire of the Olympic Games , but have stated they will not be renewing their worldwide partnership agreements with

4608-413: The championship to Francis Martin. The 2000 season saw the return once again of Crevier to CSBK, who would win his fifth career title despite an improved year from Szoke. Crevier would defend his title in 2001, becoming a six-time national champion. A switch to Suzuki in 2002 would prove to be a wise decision for Szoke, who won five races and secured his second national title, four years after winning as

4704-473: The championship, leaving to race in the United States the following year. That left Duhamel as the favourite for the 1990 title, but Mercier would win four races to secure his third and final crown. Crevier would return to Canada in 1991 and entered a period of dominance for Kawasaki , winning championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993. The mid-1990's brought more success for Kawasaki but with multiple riders, as Michael Taylor and Don Munroe traded championships for

4800-403: The company celebrated its 50th anniversary. At the same time, the company initiated activities to strengthen its home base that supported overseas expansion strategy with the aim of being ranked as one of the world's top three manufacturers of rubber products. New production facilities were also established in Thailand, India, Poland, China, the United States and other countries. The company changed

4896-518: The company were further reinforced after this. After the war the company started making bicycles, with the Bridgestone Cycle Company being formed in 1949. From 1952 the first complete powered bicycles were produced, with a 26cc engine. In 1958 the first 50cc Bridgestone motorcycles were manufactured, but the company's main income was from supplying tires to its rival motorcycle makers such as Honda , Suzuki and Yamaha and it

SECTION 50

#1732790956121

4992-562: The company. In June 2022, Bridgestone opened up its $ 21 million Advanced Tire Production Center which replaced the Firestone Advance Tire Works Plant at the original Firestone Tire and Rubber Company headquarters which opened in 1910. The new building is home of the company's racing tire production for the NTT IndyCar Series . The plant manufactures all Firestone Firehawk racing tires. It

5088-509: The discontinuation of the R27 in 1967, BMW made motorcycles with single-cylinder engines. These were similar in design to their larger flat-twin motorcycles, including the use of shaft drive, but the engine was mounted vertically within the frame. The K series BMWs have water-cooled engines of three ( K75 ), or four (K100, K1100, K1200, K1300 ), or six (K1600) cylinders. Up until 2004, all K series engines, whether three or four cylinders were that of

5184-621: The early 20th century and through World War I . BMW manufactured its first motorcycle in 1923, the R32 , which featured a flat-twin boxer engine. BMW Motorrad still uses the flat-twin boxer configuration, but now manufactures motorcycles with a variety of engine configurations. With the exception of the G310 series (which is produced at TVS' plant in Hosur , Tamil Nadu , India ) and the C400 series (which

5280-400: The end of armed conflict, but the company was devastated by the war. The Tokyo headquarters was destroyed during an aerial bombing raid, and all overseas assets were lost. The plants in Kurume and Yokohama escaped unscathed, and production was able to resume immediately after the war ended. Brushing aside the problems caused by a labour union strike that lasted for 46 days, the foundations of

5376-456: The establishment of Bridgestone Americas in the United States in 1967 to act as Bridgestone's USA representative sales branch. At the start of the period of Japan's economic stagnation, brought about by the first oil shock, the company was placing even more emphasis on establishing its own technology for the manufacture of radial tires, and it was also at this time that further domestic plants were constructed and fitted out. Its Super Filler Radial

5472-537: The event, this was the year that use of sidecars peaked and quickly fell off in most European markets (e.g. the UK) but the Earles fork system was well liked by solo riders too. It causes the front end of the motorcycle to rise under braking — the reverse of the action of a telescopic fork. The mechanical strength of this design sometimes proved to be a weakness to the rest of the motorcycle, since it transfers impact pressure to

5568-465: The final drive housing, potentially reducing drive train losses. All of the original format K engines were also mated to a dry automotive-type clutch. The uniform use of the traditional K engine ceased with the K1200 models in 2005, with a new 1200 series engine that was radically different from the flying brick in that it was a conventional transversely 55-degree slant-mounted four-cylinder engine coupled to

5664-411: The first rookie champion since Szoke while also winning the title at just 19 years old for Suzuki . Young would steal the championship back in 2022, narrowly defeating Dumas in one of the closest championship battles in series history. In 2023, the series partnered with Bridgestone to become the official sponsor and spec tire of the series through at least 2026. Young would add a third championship in

5760-507: The first year under Bridgestone, completing the title comeback after Dumas led for majority of the season. Prior to the 2023 season, PMP founder and longtime CSBK president Colin Fraser sold the organization and series to former pro racer Ross Millson. [REDACTED] Bryce DeBoer (Amateur) [REDACTED] Vincent Wilson (Amateur) Bridgestone Bridgestone Corporation ( 株式会社ブリヂストン , Kabushiki gaisha Burijisuton )

5856-592: The founder, Shojiro Ishibashi , made the "Tabi" Socks Tire Division independent and established the Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. "Bridgestone" was named after the name of the founder, Shojiro Ishibashi ( 石橋 ; lit.   ' stone bridge ' ). Foregoing dependence on European and North American technology, the Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. set its eyes on manufacturing tires based largely on Japanese technology. The fledgling company experienced many difficulties in

SECTION 60

#1732790956121

5952-553: The frame where damage is more difficult and expensive to correct. Developed by Saxon-Motodd in Britain in the early 1980s, the Telelever fork aims to improve handling stability during cornering and braking. The Telelever uses conventional telescopic forks , but the stanchions contain only lubricating oil. Springing and damping functions are dealt with by a monoshock attached to a "Telelever" wishbone . The wishbone pivots on

6048-420: The front of the engine block, and the wishbone's forward end is attached via a rose-joint to a brace connecting the fork sliders. As there is no lower triple clamp, the fork sliders are longer and lighter than on a conventional telescopic fork, and the greater slider/tube overlap reduces both torsional flex and unsprung weight . The Telelever system's main benefit is that it separates the steering function from

6144-425: The introduction of the K 100 series and the R 1100 series motorcycles, the letter prefix was always the same, and the numbers were either based on displacement, as mentioned above, or were just model numbers. The first BMW monolever suspensions appeared in 1980 on the then-new R80G/S range. It had a single universal joint immediately behind the engine/gear-box unit. This system was later included on updated versions of

6240-434: The largest network of commercial stores across the country, GCR's reach extends nationwide. The letters of GCR reflect the last names of the original company founders Balie Griffith, Harold Crawford and Perry Rose. In 2015, Bridgestone Americas Inc. signed a deal giving its dealers the option to install digital air calibration machines from Excel Tire Gauge Inc. in their stores. The digital air calibration machines streamline

6336-514: The line up. The Scarver was different from the F650GS variants in that it utilized a belt drive system opposed to a chain, had a much lower seat height, and was intended for on-road use. All F650 motorcycles produced from 2000 to 2007 used a 652 cc engine built in Austria by Rotax and were built by BMW in Berlin. In late 2006, the G series of offroad biased bikes motorcycles was launched using

6432-573: The lineup, the F800S sports bike and F800ST sports tourer, both which use a 798 cc parallel-twin engine built by Rotax . Both motorcycles also feature a belt drive system similar to what was in use on the F650CS. In 2007 the single-cylinder F650GS was replaced with the twin-cylinder F800GS and F650GS models. The latter uses a de-tuned version of the 798 cc engine fitted to the F800GS, marking

6528-591: The main suppliers in the Super GT series. Since April 2023, Bridgestone became the main tire supplier for the Super Taikyu championship series replacing Hankook , which supplied its tires briefly until forced to exit the series due the latter's Daejeon plant fire. In 2002, Bridgestone entered the Grand Prix motorcycle racing 's main class MotoGP . From 2009 to 2015, it was the exclusive tire supplier of

6624-818: The marketing office in Moscow were sold in December 2023 as Bridgestone withdrew from the Russian market, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine . As part of reinforcement plans, the company purchased a plant in Tennessee from the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company , its first manufacturing plant in North America, and started the production of radial tires for trucks and buses in 1983. Bridgestone also has

6720-608: The model designation became the K1100. The K1100LT was the first with the new engine displacement. In 1998 BMW increased the size again to 1,170 cc. This upgraded flat-four engine appeared in the K1200RS. This engine continued in production for the K1200LT range, with a power-boosting update in 2004, until the end of the LT production run. The later K1200 engine is a 1,157 cc transverse inline-four, announced in 2003 and first seen in

6816-656: The name from Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. to Bridgestone Corporation in 1984. In 1988, Bridgestone purchased the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio . Placing considerable financial and personnel resources into rebuilding Firestone after the purchase, Bridgestone achieved surplus annual profits for the year 1992 with BFE ( Bridgestone Firestone Europe ) and again in 1993 with BFS ( Bridgestone Firestone USA ). The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and Bridgestone Tire Company Ltd. USA were amalgamated in 1990 and became "Bridgestone Firestone North American Holdings Ltd" . The North American subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation

6912-600: The national championship with a win at the final round in Shannonville . The next two seasons saw eight different riders win races across 13 events, with Mercier defending his title in 1987 before Rueben McMurter took the championship in 1988. However, the 1988 season brought the debut of Miguel Duhamel and Steve Crevier, who would become the biggest names in Canadian racing over the next two decades. Both Crevier and Duhamel would trade wins in 1989 with Crevier winning

7008-458: The oilheads), the new engines still use air-cooling for the cylinders. Approximately 34% of the cooling is attributed to the water-cooling which is concentrated in the highest heat-generating areas such as around the exhaust-valve seats, etc. The inlets are now on top of the cylinder (not behind as before) and the exhausts are below (no longer in front). Between the introduction of the R39 in 1925 and

7104-442: The opening two races and adding a historic comeback victory at Atlantic Motorsport Park to win his first national championship. The COVID-19 pandemic meant only an abbreviated two-round schedule could take place in 2020, as Young decided not to defend his crown. That left Szoke to another perfect campaign, winning his 14th and most recent championship. Young would return in 2021 but lost to series debutant Alex Dumas , who became

7200-410: The original "flying brick" layout, so called due to the external appearance of the engine. The layout of these original K engines is unique within motorcycling in that the engine is mounted lying on its side, with the crank on the right side of the bike and the cylinder heads and valve gear on the left. This format had the advantage of allowing the drive system to have only one 90-degree translation within

7296-543: The period that competed with Goodyear ( 1997 – 1998 ) and Michelin ( 2001 – 2006 ). Especially, cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari and Michael Schumacher functioned well in this period. From 2008 to 2010 Bridgestone was due to be the sole tire supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship. However, because Michelin chose to conclude its Formula One tire programme at the end of the 2006 season , all teams used Bridgestone tires from

7392-578: The previous engine, producing more torque due in part from a butterfly flap fitted in the exhaust. In 2011, BMW launched the K1600 range—the K1600GT and K1600GTL—featuring a new 1,649 cc (100.6 cu in) straight-six engine , which is mounted transversely across the chassis. The engine is angled forward by 50°. The engine was originally used on the Concept 6, a concept bike that

7488-518: The rear suspension (rear drive, drive shaft, transmission, and lower or upper brace). Other motorcycle manufacturers have patented similar designs, including Arturo Magni for MV Agusta and Magni-Moto Guzzi machines, and Moto Guzzi 's Compact Reactive Shaft Drive. In 1935, BMW fitted the first mass-produced hydraulically damped telescopic fork to its R12 and R17 motorcycles. BMW still uses telescopic forks today on its F-series, G-series, HP, and S1000RR motorcycles. The R-series, which had used only

7584-746: The region and a 32 hectare research and development centre near Rome, Italy . The company distributes more than 25 million tires a year through 17 national sales subsidiaries and 2 distributors. They directly employ over 12,000 people with Mr. Tsuda as CEO. At present there are national headquarters in the following locations: Vienna , Austria; Prague , Czech Republic; Hinnerup , Denmark; Vantaa , Finland; Fresnes , France; Bad Homburg , Germany; Athens , Greece; Budapest , Hungary; Dublin , Ireland; Milan , Italy; Moerdijk , Netherlands; Oslo , Norway; Warsaw , Poland; Alcochete , Portugal; Madrid , Spain; Sundsvall , Sweden; Spreitenbach , Switzerland; Istanbul , Turkey and Warwick , UK. Bridgestone EU runs

7680-530: The same 652 cc engine fitted to the F650GS, although that engine is no longer manufactured by Rotax. The latest version of the 652 cc single engine fitted in the new G650GS is now produced in Berlin after 2 years production in Loncin, China. In November 2007, the G450X sport enduro motorcycle was launched using a 450 cc single-cylinder engine. The G450X contained several technological improvements over

7776-527: The serious off-road competition motorcycle market with the release of the BMW G450X motorcycle. BMW Motorrad motorcycles are categorized into product families, and each family is assigned a different letter prefix. The current families are: BMW Motorrad achieved record sales for the fifth time in succession in 2015. With a total of 136,963 vehicles sold in 2015, BMW registered a 10.9% increase in sales in comparison with 2014. The biggest single market in 2015

7872-576: The single tire provider for the successor Champ Car World Series , the IndyCar Series and its feeder series Indy NXT . Bridgestone has supplied tires in Formula One since 1997 , although the company one–off produced Formula One tires at the 1976 and 1977 Japanese Grand Prix for Japanese entrants such as Kazuyoshi Hoshino 's Heros Racing and Kojima . The Japanese company decided to supply tires for Formula One in 1995, backed–up by

7968-664: The six-cylinder K1600 series fitted to the K1600GT and GTL models. The first K-series production bike was the K100 , which was introduced in 1983. In 1988, BMW introduced the K1 which had the Bosch Motronic fuel injection system. From 1985 to 1996, the K75 740 cc three-cylinder engine was produced. In 1991, BMW increased the displacement of the K100 from 987 cc to 1,097 cc and

8064-871: The tire inflation process by automatically inflating or deflating tires. In 2017, Bridgestone Americas consolidated many of their business units into a single building in downtown Nashville , Bridgestone Tower . Nearly 2,000 employees work in the new skyscraper, nestled between the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center . In April 2020, due to demand by essential service providers during COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee , Bridgestone Americas announced plans to restart its North American commercial tire plants as well as its North American Firestone Industrial Products and Firestone Building Products manufacturing facilities. Bridgestone started to invest in motorsport in

8160-474: The various R series engines leads to the use of the distinguishing names airhead and oilhead. Airheads are BMW motorcycles with an air-cooled vertical-single or horozintally-opposed twin engine that were built from 1923 to 1995. Most airheads made from 1969 to 1995 used the BMW 247 engine , although 248/1 engines were used on mid-sized R-series motorcycles from 1978 to 1993. Even high-performance motorcycles, such as

8256-599: The world's largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. In November 2010, ASA Automotive Systems Inc. was selected by the Consumer Tire Sales division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (BATO) as the software provider for their North American consumer dealers to supply the industry's leading 'All–in–One' Point–of–Sale, Accounting and Inventory shop management software. In 2014, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) unveiled its newly rebranded GCR Tires & Service division. With one of

8352-508: The world, followed by Michelin , Goodyear , Continental , and Pirelli . Bridgestone Group has 181 production facilities in 24 countries as of July 2018. The history of the Bridgestone Tire Company, Ltd. , founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi in Japan. The first Bridgestone tire was produced on 9 April 1930, by the Japanese " Tabi " Socks Tire Division (actually made jika-tabi ). One year later on 1 March 1931,

8448-587: The world. As of 1 April 2011, Bridgestone has 47 tire plants, 29 tire–related plants, 19 raw materials plants, 89 diversified product plants, 4 technical centers, and 11 proving grounds globally. Some of the major plants are located in: Bridgestone Australia began as the SA Rubber Mills in 1939. In 1980 Bridgestone took over the Australian plants which were at that time operated by the Uniroyal Tyre Company . Bridgestone Australia had

8544-578: Was approved and completed. Bridgestone Australia Ltd. was delisted from the ASX on 30 May 2007. Bridgestone EU has its head office in Brussels, Belgium , and was set up in 1990 as Bridgestone/Firestone Europe SA. Before that, a representative office in Belgium set up in 1972 and sales subsidiary companies and importers in each countries were selling products imported from Japan. There are 7 production plants in

8640-616: Was built by Aprilia around a carbureted 650 cc four-stroke, four-valve, single-piston engine, and chain drive. The mission for the F ;650 was to provide an entry-level BMW motorcycle. In 2000, the F650 was redesigned, now with fuel injection, and labeled the F650GS . An off-road focused F650 Dakar model was also launched that year. 2002 saw the addition of the F650CS 'Scarver' motorcycle to

8736-528: Was established in 1980, the first season to feature a multiple-event schedule. This came on the heels of the inaugural national event at Edmonton in 1979, won by George Morin. The 1980 season saw two events in Edmonton and Shannonville , with Morin earning the first-ever national championship and #1 plate in Canada. A lone event at Edmonton in 1981 meant no official national championship would take place, but

8832-597: Was later decided to cease motorcycle manufacturing. In 1952, Ishibashi founded the Bridgestone Museum of Art and located it at 10 Kyobashi 1–chome, Chuo–ku, Tokyo 104; Bridgestone Corporation's company headquarters. In 1951, Bridgestone was the first company in Japan to begin selling rayon cord tires, and a five–year project to modernize production facilities was started. This year also saw another Bridgestone building opened in Kyōbashi, Tokyo , which contained

8928-501: Was listed on the stock exchange in 1961. A new system of administration was ushered in by Shojiro Ishibashi as the chairman, and Kanichiro Ishibashi as the president. As part of the transition across to administrative reform, the Deming Plan in honor of W. Edwards Deming , which involves overall quality control activities, was adopted, and the company was awarded the prestigious Deming Prize in 1968. Also, additions were built onto

9024-463: Was once again Germany (23,823 units), followed by the United States (16,501 units), France (12,550 units), Italy (11,150 units), United Kingdom (8,200 units) and Spain (7,976 units). With an aim for 2020 to supply 200,000 vehicles to customers, BMW Motorrad is targeting an increase of its dealership from around 1,100 to 1,500 in the future. As it was the case until now, BMW's most successful motorcycle

9120-562: Was placed on the market in 1978, and in 1979 the company introduced the high–performance POTENZA radial tire, from an Italian word for power. The company was actively engaged in overseas expansion activities at this time. In addition to starting up production in Indonesia and Iran in 1976, it also invested in a Taiwan tire manufacturer and purchased a tire plant and a plant for diversified products in Australia in 1980. The founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, died on 11 September 1976. On 1 March 1981,

9216-614: Was shown at the 2009 EICMA Milan Motor Show . BMW claims that the engine at 560 mm (22 in) wide, just 67 mm (2.6 in) wider than the K1300 engine, is the narrowest six-cylinder engine ever produced. Cylinder bore is 72.0 mm (2.83 in) and the distance between cylinder centres 77 mm (3.0 in). The camshaft is hollow, with cam lobes pressed on, which saves around 2 lb (0.91 kg). The engine has electronic throttle control and multiple drive modes which can be set according to road conditions. BMW uses

#120879