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I have a new bike :D

By webwench (Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 09:13:59 AM EST) (all tags)

First, I sold the Speed Four for a shade more than I paid for it, despite doubling the miles on it in a year.

And then, yesterday, I bought this

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I have a new bike :D | 35 comments (35 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Wow by hulver (4.00 / 3) #1 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 09:21:31 AM EST

That box on the back looks like some sort of device for carrying human organs.
--
smart, pretty, sane. pick two - georgeha

we didn't take the boxes by webwench (4.00 / 1) #3 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 09:23:51 AM EST

They're huge, like drivng a bus!

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

: Oh thank God by Gedvondur (4.00 / 1) #5 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 09:56:02 AM EST

I am all in favor of BMWs but those boxes were...fugly.
Gedvondur
"Well, one of the two girls I'm friendly with out here is a Christian and she wouldn't do the things I want to do." --Sapphire
[ Parent ]

Bikers by yicky yacky (4.00 / 5) #8 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 10:46:33 AM EST

are a considerate bunch. It's kinda like a stamped, addressed envelope.

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24 days left ...
[ Parent ]

Bikers A.K.A. Organ Donors by anonimouse (4.00 / 1) #15 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 12:03:25 PM EST

It looks like the owner was even more considerate and provided instant cold storage boxes in the event of his own accident!

Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL
[ Parent ]

Who, cool by blixco (4.00 / 2) #2 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 09:23:01 AM EST

Very cool. Paris -> Dakar!
---------------------------------
"You bring the weasel, I'll bring the whiskey." - kellnerin

very nice by cam (4.00 / 1) #4 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 09:44:00 AM EST

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

Bike pr0n! by toxicfur (4.00 / 1) #6 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 10:02:11 AM EST

Sweet! Looks like a nice bike, but I agree with hulver that the boxes look like they're designed for transporting medical waste.
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If you don't get a Bonnie, my universe will not make sense. --blixco

Friend of mine used to have a BMW bike... by atreides (4.00 / 1) #7 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 10:26:46 AM EST

...and he told me the most important secret. The people who work in the BMW stores are snobs. Therefore, if you ever do your own repairs (and get your hands dirty) or, more to the point, don't spend the shit loads of money for them to do it, they will "disown" you.

Truth be told, I can't see how anyone could ever disown you. :) That and this friend is a bit of an asshole...

Other than that, happy riding! Woohoo!

_{He sails from world to world in a flying tomb, serving gods who eat hope.}

GSs might have by blixco (4.00 / 1) #16 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 12:09:55 PM EST

a different crowd. They're some of the more capable bikes for adventurous riding, including places where the nearest mechanic isn't on the same body of land.

BMWs are pricey bikes, but there's a good reason for that. They tend to start getting really well broken in at about 90,000 miles....
---------------------------------
"You bring the weasel, I'll bring the whiskey." - kellnerin
[ Parent ]

: Oh, I know why they're worth it... by atreides (4.00 / 1) #17 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 12:33:45 PM EST

If you can put two guys who together total 500 lbs on a bike and still top 100 mph, you've got something special there...
_{He sails from world to world in a flying tomb, serving gods who eat hope.}
[ Parent ]

WANT by barooo (4.00 / 1) #9 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 10:52:22 AM EST

if fundage were unlimited I'd have a bike something like that. I think I like the boxers better than the bricks. I'll have to settle for my inline 4 itm.

I bought it with a bazillion miles by webwench (2.00 / 0) #12 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 11:39:47 AM EST

so the fundage isn't as bad as perhaps you would otherwise think.

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

a hint? by barooo (2.00 / 0) #32 Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 11:36:00 AM EST

If you don't mind me asking? I'd like to get a new bike in a year or two, but I'm done with my orgy of consumption and plan to live a monastic life for the next 6 months to a year, only spending money on kitchen improvements and house maintenance in preparation for selling...

[ Parent ]

: it's a 2000 model by webwench (4.00 / 1) #33 Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 03:38:30 PM EST

with 107,000 miles on it, and an intercom pre-installed, as well as a few other, fairly minor options. I paid $5000, well under my budget. It's high-mileage but has been extremely well maintained, which I decided was the most important thing.
To wit, I looked at a 2003 model of the same bike with 4,000 miles on it. The guy was asking $10,200. It was 20 miles away. Blue book on it is $8500 (so it was overpriced to start with), the tires were original and flat, the bike was hard to start, and once it ran, if you blipped the throttle, a valve or something in there would make a good metallic bang, which ocould be minor, or could be huge... I decided at that point to shop for a bike that was actually being ridden and maintained, ha.

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

wondering on the break down by sasquatchan (4.00 / 1) #10 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 11:00:08 AM EST

EU/state side feelings on BMW bikers..

US side, from friends that are very active bikers, there's several "classes" of riders -- the 40-something midlife crisis guy that instead of buying a 'vette buys a Harley and maybe put 80 miles on it in 5 years, the 'young' crowd that buys crotch-rockets, and as one friend put it, the "bimmer" bikers.

His stereotype of bimmer bikers are, "solo riders that put lots of miles on their bikes, but aren't terribly friendly to other bikers (aloof)."

Granted, he's a sport biker (I've taped motoGP for him, I think one of his bikes is an FZ-1 ?) but a sport biker who will do 300 miles in one day "for fun".. And does all his own work himself -- clean/new chain, oil, cleaned his valves, etc all except mount new tires.. High standards etc.

Is that the 650? by mmangino (4.00 / 1) #11 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 11:02:14 AM EST

I'm drooling. That will be my next bike. I even want the cases!

Very nice!

that's an R1150GS by webwench (2.00 / 0) #13 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 11:40:46 AM EST

boxy but good :)

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

Ahh by mmangino (4.00 / 1) #20 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 01:19:57 PM EST

I don't think I'm man enough to handle the 1150 version. It turns out the 650 is a thumper, so maybe I'll have to practice handling a big bike! Still, I'm really jealous.

[ Parent ]

I was really surprised by webwench (2.00 / 0) #21 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 02:32:05 PM EST

I was almost scared to ride the thing, but about 50 feet down the road, I was comfortable on it. When it's moving, it doesn't 'feel' heavy or ungainly at all. I have to take a couple of runs at it to get it on the centerstand, though.

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

center stand by barooo (2.00 / 0) #34 Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 05:44:18 PM EST

The best tip I've gotten is put your weight on it. If you syncrhonize your movements by rocking it slightly a couple of times and getting ready, then as you go for it visualize trying to stand on the peg while lifting straight up, it's easy. That and make sure the front wheel is straight. The guy that sold me my 550 pound bike says he was scared to put it on the centerstand. I haven't had a problem and he was quite a bit stronger than I am. What's the weight on yours?

[ Parent ]

530 lbs by webwench (2.00 / 0) #35 Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 08:15:09 AM EST

I'm getting better at it, but it's a serious 'oomph' to get it up there still. I will try that visualization trick. I can get it up on the centerstand about 50% of the time, and on the second try the rest of the time. I wish my stand had a longer lever on it like the Adventure models seem to have. I'm also working out again, which might help :D

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

: yeah by barooo (2.00 / 0) #37 Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 11:58:12 AM EST

leverage is the key. I can get mine up on the stand in flipflops.

[ Parent ]

huh by webwench (2.00 / 0) #36 Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 08:16:55 AM EST

actually, 550 lbs wet.

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

Nice... by jad3675 (4.00 / 1) #19 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 01:07:32 PM EST

Very nice GS. Why no love on the cases? They're what make the GS some damn useful...

I've been riding an '03 Boxer Cup for the last few months, and I've slowly gotten used to the whole bmw experience. Having said that, I can hardly wait to get my Falco back on the road....

the cases by webwench (2.00 / 0) #22 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 02:35:47 PM EST

are surely nice to have, but these in particular had rattly latches and felt really heavy to me on the back when I took it for a little test-ride. Maybe if I were more used to bigger bikes it wouldn't have been so awkward... current thinking is to either use a big duffel tied on the back, or invest in lighter cases this fall if I really want or need them.

More immediately, we'll be picking up a pelican case for the back to hold my laptop when commuting to work. Bungeeing my laptop back onto the back is ok, but probably not an ideal long-term solution, ha.

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

Cases... by jad3675 (4.00 / 1) #23 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 02:44:50 PM EST

Once you start using the cases, you'll never go back to soft luggage.

If you're not against wearing a backpack on the bike, I currently use this:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/mobile-edge-laptop-backpack/
for my commute into work.

Also, JC Whitney sells some givi-compatible luggage that might work for your laptop.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product?tf=Browse&storeId=10101&Pr=p_Product.CATENTRY_ID%3A2010969&productId=2010969&catalogId=10111&N=111%2B10211%2B600014525&rlid=home_best

BTW, the valve adjustments and TB sync aren't half as bad as everyone on the web makes it out to be.

[ Parent ]

: I like those cases/trunks by webwench (2.00 / 0) #28 Sat Aug 11, 2007 at 03:21:02 AM EST

I used a backpack routinely on the Speed Four, but teh fiance had fits about that and has forbidden my using a backpack on the GS. Overprotective? Maybe :D
We're gonna have it gone over completely, servicewise, in about two weeks, basically the 6000-mile service plus a valve adjustment, just so we have a good starting point for the recurring services, and to let the shop find and fix anything that seems about to go before we take our big three-week trip this fall. With the bike being a few years old, we've allotted a fair bit of $$ for that.
After that service is done, the intention is to do a lot of our own servicing. After all (I reason), how bad can a valve adjustment be on something with two cylinders that are stuck right out there in the open? Famous last words...

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

ZOMG, WANT by celeriac (4.00 / 2) #24 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 03:20:45 PM EST

I am looking forward to your conquest of Mongolia on this thing

: hmm by webwench (2.00 / 0) #29 Sat Aug 11, 2007 at 03:24:37 AM EST

will a conquest of North Carolina do for now? We're taking off to do that in the morning... I'll have 500 miles under me on it in the first week

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

You are Batgirl by Arbeit Macht Pie (4.00 / 1) #25 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:08:24 PM EST

and I claim my 5 yadda yadda yadda.

Doesn't batgirl end up in a wheelchair? by webwench (4.00 / 1) #30 Sat Aug 11, 2007 at 03:26:43 AM EST

It never ends well for batgirl

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

: Yes, she does. by Arbeit Macht Pie (2.00 / 0) #31 Sat Aug 11, 2007 at 06:34:16 AM EST

But you know what? She's O.K. with it and that's what really matters.

[ Parent ]

Congrats on the new ride! by crevans (2.00 / 2) #26 Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 10:33:17 PM EST

That bike looks awfully familiar... Might I have seen it in action on a ride report over at ADV Rider?

: that's very likely by webwench (4.00 / 1) #27 Sat Aug 11, 2007 at 12:52:45 AM EST

as I bought it from a member there, off the flea market.
I see you're also an inmate

^{Getting more attention than you since 1998.}
[ Parent ]

I have a new bike :D | 35 comments (35 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback


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