Cars R OK, but what kind of motorcycle do you have

2000 BMW R1150 GS

Oh, and cars SUCK!

Marco

Don't forget the red, white and blue streamers on the bar-ends, and the 'ringer-horn' with the picture of Popeye on it! You can transfer all of that stuff too.

Congrats on the new ride Nrchy! Mufflers? We don't need no stinkin' mufflers!

Marco

Northern CA without a doubt. NOWHERE on the east coast can hold a candle to these roads. And don't no one give me The Dragon. Yeah, go on and do The Dragon and make sure to by a nice gold frame for the ticket you get from the cops patrolling that legendary and relatively short stretch of road. Seriously, Northern CA's got it all. If you are sticking to the pavement, the closest thing to a public racetrack I've ever ridden is The Klammath River Higway - Rt. 99 from just north of Yreaka twisting 166 miles through a river canyon down to Willow Creek through Bigfoot country. Not very populated, not much traffic. Slow down through the tiny towns and take care on the Indian Rez as the curves, ov which there are oh so many, are no longer marked, and you will also be in open range country. Plenty of offroad excursions in that area, and plenty more great roads where that came from. I'm pretty sure God has made an appearence here on earth briefly as a civil engineer and designed many of the roads in that area. Just gorgeous!!!!

Marco

I'm not at all fond of riding straight lines for long periods of time no
matter how pretty the landscape. Bike or car, it's a drag for the most
part. If I'm crossing hundreds of mile of blacktop most of which is
straight it's a good argument for a cage in my mind. Bikes are most fun
on twisty roads, and in the dirt where your body and the machine
become one and your mind has no time to take in anything other than
the joy you experience in that moment. You can keep your straight
roads...I'd rather walk, read a book or listen to music.

…to each their own…

Marco

I learned to ride, and rode for seven years in NYC. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit till my bike was stolen (with the heavy duty lock on it). I lived in the city so had only to commute over the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge to get into town. It's changed a lot since then (80's). I wonder what riding is like there now.

Congrats on the Speed Triple - a buddy of mine has an old one and has a blast with his. Ditch the useless radar detector (since when do they have speed traps in NYC?) for a damn good alarm that hooks to your cell phone, and a GPS locator for when the alarm doesn't deter the thieves.

Marco

More specifically, the DAYTONA 675 Triple.

Suweeeeet, CW! Looks like a cross between a Ducatti and an R6. Very nice. Yeah, my bud's bike is a late 90's buck naked Speed Triple with the bug eyes. Quite a bit less refined than this I'd say...more of a rat bike.

I can't do the sport bike thing anymore. After twenty years in the saddle, and at 46, my back and knees can't take that riding position for very long. I like long-distance riding, and camping, hence my choice of bike for the past eight years has been a BMW GS (currently an 1150GS). Makes for a great urban assault vehicle as well, and has plenty of low-end grunt to pull out and pass. Triple digits don't thrill me no more, though I still ride rather briskly. They used to when I was younger, but too many scares and slower reflexes, and some really stupid cagers have all caused me to slow down. Can't imagine doing that stuff in NYC...too much debris about, and my memories of the roads that would allow enough room for that speed would cause me to prefer a GS with Ohlins and plenty of travel over a sport bike. Perhaps they're in better repair now(?). That said, my first bike was a 82 Yamaha Vision with full fairing (that's what I learned on in the city). Had a Ninja for a while too. Fun stuff! I rode 12 months out of the year there. I recall riding in the snow and dropping it real slow getting on the Manhattan Bridge. Managed to pick it up as quickly as I went down and get home safely. Ah, those were the days.

Marco

Very impressed to hear that you drove year round in NYC.

Aw' shucks, that was just a walk in the park. I still ride year round here in Seattle, though I've been slacking off these past two years since we've been working on the never-ending house renovation. Every Martin Luther King Day weekend, a group of fellow hard-core two-wheelers go on a little snow-camping weekend trip out to the mountains. Here's a favorite picture of me (left) and two of my friends up at 5400 feet back around this time of year in 02'. The next year we attended I went down on some black ice on the way up so we turned back at around 4200 feet that year. The last two years it's actually turned out to be Rain-Camp. Still well attended, but not by me. The last one I attended had about 75 folks show up. Some come with four wheels, but the vast majority are on two, and most camp in tents. There's been all kinds of creative traction solutions two, from ropes, to chains to actual studs. I think someone actually bought one of those stud inserting guns (not cheap). Some culinary highlights are the turkeys fried in oil (there are usually two or three), pancake breakfast, and the alter of whiskey. It's called "Snow Camp" and it's been going on for over ten years as I recall...I think there was a birthday cake a few years back. Open to all makes and models, as well as to those who just love to ride but are not crazy enough to risk it in February at high elevations. Too late for this year, but hey, if you're in the neighborhood of Mt. Rainier around MLK Day, come join the party!

Marco

So any more info on studded tires, Mr Rainier trips, motcross winter setups etc greatly appreciated. Could I get one of the old school GS Beemer bikes and put studded tires on it? Any idea how long they last?

Stud Insertion Tool (that one's too easy, isn't it?)...and lots of other great stuff. If you are asking about longevity of studded tires, don't know. Call Aerostich and find out. I don't use them, but have seen others at SnowCamp who do, and tell me they are very effective. For more GS and Dual Sport jewelry, some very useful, the bible is Touratech (this is the US distributor, but the company is based out of Germany).

Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask about The BMW GS Evolution. Lots of folks love the older airhead BMW's for their lightness, simplicity and reliability, and ease of maintenance, as well as greater prowess off road when the going gets tough. They retain their value very well too. But, coming from a sport bike background, the newer Oilheads (identified as the Telelever Generation) are sooooo much more fun on the pavement. Virtually everything about performance has improved, but with it comes the added weight and complexity of technology. You may be bored with the 50hp on tap of the older bikes. Another bike I'd consider for those purposes is the newer KTM Adventurer, either the 950 or 980. If you want to read some real-world experiences in a forum format of these types of bikes, and that style of riding, check out ADVRider. They are not as restrained as on this forum, and moderator is a different species altogether over there, so be prepared. There is a big GS list at Micapeak, but it is a subscribers list, and will generate a whole lot of unwanted bandwidth in my experience. If you want to watch a couple of goofballs actually do a bit of good in bringing some legitimacy and respect, to this realm of our sport, into the public eye, check out the "Long Way Around" series that is recently on DVD. If you want to check out someone whose done that kind of thing on a more serious level, without the benefit of support vehicles and TV crew, check out my friend, [http://www.globeriders.com]Helge Pedersen's Site[/url]. If you want to see some very serious talent on two wheels, watch a Trials competition. Those guys rule! Speaking of James Bond, as you did, I saw the guy who did all the stunts for that recent Bond film with the BMW...French stunt rider Jean-Pierre Goy - He did several lenghty demo rides that were just not to be believed at BMW's 80th B'day bash in Tahoe. I'll see if I can find some snapshots I took of him, but they won't do the experience justice.

Marco

Whoops, screwed up on the markup tags on Helge Pedersen's Website. If you are ever interested in going on some really amazing world tours, this is the man to go with. Check out his book, 10 Years on Two Wheels. They also occasionally do some great multimedia presentations at the major bike shows (Daytona Bike Week & BMW National are both pretty regular if he's in the country).

Marco

As far as being a dangerous sport, well, that's hard to deny. Experience and good training, as well as common sense all pay off. Also, as has been pointed out, wear the best protective gear you can buy. Learning to ride in the dirt is a HUGE benefit as there is no better (and arguably safer) way to learn how to control a motorcycle. The very best riders I are all experienced dirt riders. The skills you learn in the dirt, where traction is a frequently scarce commodity, translate directly to the street. I've known many a dirt rider who thinks it crazy to ride in the street, not because they can't, but because of the other traffic and potential consequences. Interesting given my recent experience (see below).

I've been riding since 82', so 25 years now. What I've determined is best expressed by Robin Williams character in, hmmm, was it the move Dead Man(?): "Either you're a smoker or you're not a smoker. Determine which one you are and live with it." The same could be said about motorcyles (and any other of life's pursuits, which is the point the character is trying to make). I tried to quit riding once, but it didn't last long. They didn't have the patch back then though. OK, yes, I've been down a few times in 25 years. Nothing tragic though. You might ask same question of those who've driven a car for that long: how many of you have had a car accident? Really, what's the point. There's also a chance you're struck dead by some disease, or the victim of some terrible accident while walking down the street. Do you let those things determine how to live your life?

I say all this in a rather unique position: my leg is up on my knee scooter to keep the swelling down. I have a 4-inch incision scar on my right foot, and another smaller scar just below that one. Beneath the scars two large screws hold the bones of my feet together while the tendons heal. I am one month into a 14-18 week recovery, most of which is non-weight-bearing on that foot, from a lisfranc dislocation in my foot. Yes, you guessed it, from a motorcycle accident. The worst I've had in 25 years of riding and the only serious injuries ever incurred from riding (and I've been rear-ended by cages on the pavement twice). All that and I couldn't have been going more than 20mph up on a very remote and beautiful dirt road up on Entiatt Ridge. I've also dislocated my left shoulder. It was a stupid mistake having misjudged an obstacle, and I could have sustained the same injuries had I been riding a bicycle. Yes, I was wearing full protective gear and heavy boots. My helmet saved me from a head injury.

What will I do when I can walk properly again? Get back on my bike and ride, of course. How many of you who've been in an auto accident never drive a car again? When I had my accident I was on a camping trip with a group of about eight other riders. One was a middle-aged woman, who was riding pavement with her boyfriend on her Ducati (she had a Harley at home as well). Her occupation was as an ER Nurse. I asked her what kind of serious accidents she sees the most of at the metropolitan hospital she works at. She said that outside of automobile accidents, probably lawnmower accidents (mostly missing digits), believe it or not. Guess you folks who are mowing your lawns better think twice next time you get that death machine out. Maybe we should all just lock ourselves into a small room with a toilet a sink and a slot in the door where food and water is delivered three times a day?

Marco

Ah, I found the correct quote from "Dead Again" which is better than what I remembered, and quite to the point. The character Robin Williams plays, Doctor Cozy Carlisle, a de-frocked shrink working as a grocery clerk:

"Someone is either a smoker or a nonsmoker. There's no in-between. The trick is to find out which one you are, and be that. If you're a nonsmoker, you'll know. "

Marco

Wanted to mention that there are back protectors available. They are a little uncomfortable at first, but when you get used to it you won't even notice that you have it on. Also protects the bottom of the neck a little.

I always wear some kind of back protection when riding. I'd agree that it really doesn't take much effort to add it, and you won't notice it beyond initially putting it on (though sometimes it will effect airflow on hot days - still, after time it is not noticed). There are also many jackets that have spine protectors integrated into them. Bohn Body Armor makes some good spine protection in various sizes, one of which integrates into the Aerostich jackets (rider wear of choice of the circles I ride in). In addition there have been many recent advances in developing more comprehensive protection for the spine and neck in the form of motorcycle airbags, and hard solutions like BMW has been looking at. I was recently in Hawaii where motorcycle wear seems to be limited to t-shirts and flip-flops, largely because of the heat and humidity. Regardless the sight makes me wince. I'm all for freedom of choice, and where the helmet laws are concerned I see it as a Darwinian way of thinning out the population of really stupid people. The only problem with that is ultimately it jacks up all our insurance rates and perpetuates biker stereotypes that other stupid people seem all too willing to embrace.

Just as the room is as critical a component as any other in our systems, just as important as the protective gear motorcyclists wear is the attitude which has been echoed here by many experienced riders: Ride as if you are invisible to others. I also do everything I can to make myself visible to others, such as high-beams and auxiliary lights on-always during daytime hours. Our brains perceive distance and speed via our two eyes (much like our two ears can perceive dimensional perceptual cues). An oncoming vehicle with a single light is far more difficult to gauge speed and distance. Two lights spread as far apart as practical on a bike will lend at least some band-aid to that. As a car approaches the two wide-spread lights appear to go from small and close-together to wider-and-wider spread apart. This is a vital cue to oncoming drivers to help gauge oncoming speed and distance, as well as being more noticeable simply by having multiple lights. A single light practically obliterates that cue and makes it more difficult to gauge oncoming speed. THE most frequent accident for motorcycles in a multi-vehicle accident is being cut off by a motorist turning left in front of an oncoming bike (this from the dated Hurt Report, seems to be confirmed over and over in more contemporary studies of accidents). The most frequent reason given was that the driver either did not see the biker or did not realize how quickly they were approaching.

Regardless of all you do to make yourself noticeable, I would still ride like you are invisible to others. The consequences of not doing so in this country are far too great. In many other countries there is a far greater respect and awareness of motorcycles and scooters and bicycles on the road. Perhaps as gas becomes far more expensive, and more people in this country turn to these alternative forms of transportation, there may be some small steps in that direction. Banning hand-held cell phone use while driving on public roadways would be a step in the right direction, IMO. But now I digress, as usual.

Marco