In my line of profession I have had a lot of opportunity (and obligation) to attend factory and facility tours. Actually it has always been the most fun part of my job as I find assembly lines and production logistics strangely intriguing.
Just recently BMW has started in Berlin with the production of the new scooter line. I had expected a fully automatized production facility (something along the line of German efficiency etc.), and was surprised how much manpower is being put into assembling those bikes. They build about 80 of those per day in two shifts with no more than fifteen people per shift. Fascinating.
One different kind of a tour is being presented by Dougie Lampkin, British trial world champion at Renthal. Hmmm, nobody ever offered my to bring my own vehicle...
Dougie Lampkin tours Renthal Ltd from Renthal Ltd on Vimeo.
It is good to see that not everything gets off-shored to cheap labour countries, and some pretty good stuff is still getting manufactured in good ole Europe.
Thanks for the video of the BMW. I hear demand has been so brisk in Europe that the scoots aren't expected to make an appearance in North America until the 4th quarter of 2012. I wonder how they will be received here.
ReplyDelete~k
They look a whole lot nicer than the burgman, in my opinion, and the bulk of BMW products are of superlative quality - though I've recently heard that one of their other attempts at scooterdom - the C1 - was as ungainly as it was strange. This looks a bit more "middle of the road." If gas prices keep going up, I see good things for its future.
ReplyDeleteBrady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and life
The BMW scoots have not gone on sale yet - due March 2012 I believe.
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