Troy and ‘sparky’ wow the crowds at S 1000 RR preview

BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory rider Troy Corser recently took the wraps off the allnew S 1000 RR superbike in a fun-filled evening for bike fans in the UK, organised by BMW dealer SBW Motorrad at Panshanger Aerodrome in Hertfordshire, north of London.

Fresh from the final round of the 2009 Superbike World Championship series where he has been campaigning the factory S 1000 RR race bike, the two-times Superbike World Champion showed spectators the exciting new series production bike. He then entertained them with some stories from the racing world and some insights into the new bike’s performance. Although the new S 1000 RR customer bike isn’t due into BMW Motorrad dealership showrooms until its official launch date of 5 December, the bike has made selected appearances all over the world, including BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Bol d’Or in France, the Athens Motorshow in Greece, the EBMRIDERS customer event in Spain, demonstration laps at British Superbike Championship events, and the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Italy, to name just a few.
This particular ‘evening with Troy Corser’ charity event took place at Panshanger Aerodrome, just a few miles from the dealership, and raised vital funds for the Riders for Health, BBC Children in Need and the Herts Air Ambulance charities.

Tyre smoke laced the chill night air outside the aerodrome as Marc ‘Sparky’ Chennel performed stunts and tricks on a F 800 R prepared by SBW Motorrad to warm up the crowds who had been first in line to support this ticket-only event. ‘Sparky’ stepped in at the last minute to help out after first-choice stunt rider Rick English – an experienced freestyle rider and motorcycle racer – was injured while working in his ‘day job’ as a film and television stunt performer.

Riding Rick’s SBW-backed BMW F 800 R stunt bike and despite only having about an hour to familiarise himself with the powerful naked roadster, top bike drifter ‘Sparky’ managed to find enough grip outside the aerodrome to entertain the crowds and build up a great atmosphere for the main event – the unveiling of the S 1000 RR.

Appearing through a cloud of tyre smoke, the powerful 193 hp superbike was finally revealed in all its glory, helping make the evening a great success by all who attended. Troy Corser, Rick English and ‘Sparky’ were busy after the show meeting bike fans, conducting interviews and photo calls, and talking to current and prospective customers about the world of BMW Motorrad.

The ticket sales, along with an auction that included Troy’s race boots and gloves, and a day’s private stunt riding tuition with Rick English, raised over £3000 for charity. The final word went to SBW Motorrad boss Stephen Crowder, who was delighted with the reaction to this special event.

“There’s still a few weeks to go until fans of the S 1000 RR can see it in the showrooms, test and even ride away on one, but this evening with Troy was special,” he said. “We sold a lot of tickets and despite the threat of rain outside the aerodrome, it stayed dry long enough for ‘Sparky’ to do his stunt routine. When Troy and our regional sales manager Dave Halsall rode from the hanger under the floodlights on the S 1000 RR bikes, there was a great reaction. Troy then helped with the charity auction and everyone went home thrilled at what they had seen, as well as the prospect of the imminent arrival of the new BMW Superbike.”