“As a matter of principle, you should never say never. But for now we are focusing on the World Superbike Championship,” explained Markus Schramm, Managing Director of BMW Motorrad (pictured above). “We have a clear plan for the subject of e-mobility. In the coming years, we see an emphasis on the urban environment. » Access to competition in the electrical field is limited in any case, since only one manufacturer is admitted by Dorna to the Grands Prix. This is Energica which supplies the machines for the “FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. »
“If e-mobility has to be introduced in Superbikes, then we can react. We don't see that today. That's why it's not a problem for us yet », Specifies the CEO of BMW.
“In my opinion, there is a chance that we will not have to introduce e-mobility in a regulatory and rational way,” Schramm believes. “We can introduce it emotionally. We are working on it. For now, e-mobility takes place in the urban environment. »
The CEO of BMW does not fear that the topic of e-mobility will have negative effects. “I see it more as an opportunity. At the same time, I expect we will have internal combustion engines for a long time to come », remarks Schramm.
“Electric vehicle sales will lag somewhat behind the automotive sector when it comes to motorcycles. But this is not a disadvantage for me. This allows us to establish e-mobility on an emotional level” says the CEO of BMW's motorcycle division.
Schramm doesn't have a patented answer for missing engine sound: “In motorcycle sport, it is even more difficult than with cars to hear the sound of the engine. On the other hand, there are already prototypes with high acceleration. So there are also some advantages. But we don't need to force it with a crowbar. It will develop itself. »
Furthermore, Dr Markus Schramm is very satisfied with the brand's activities in Superbike and endurance: “It has been a fantastic debut season for the new BMW S 1000 RR, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team and our employees in Munich have done an outstanding job for WorldSBK.
“Our first season in WorldSBK was a year of learning, for the development of the racing bike. But we didn't have to wait long to celebrate our first podium with Tom Sykes. More podiums followed, and we consistently battled into the top 6 in this series with a top class field. So we exceeded our own expectations. »
“The same goes for endurance. In a very short time, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance team developed an endurance version of the RR, and the team was on top from the start of the first race. »
“We are also delighted to have continued the winning streak with the new RR in international road races. Our new Superbike also had success in national championships, such as the IDM, in which the RR dominated. All these successes in the different racing categories show that our production version of the RR is the perfect basis for developing racing versions meeting different requirements. »
Markus Schramm, BMW Motorrad Director with Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director and Shaun Muir, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team Principal, Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty at EICMA Milan in November 2019.
Photos © motogp.com / Dorna, BMW
Source: Motorsport-total.com
