| Well, my bike (which is the OLD bike) was great for 1 or 2 day rides but anything longer than that and it was a royal pain in the ass (literally).
When I originally bought it, I bought it for me, for a toy, not really knowing how much I was really going to use it. In a straight line, on a sunny day, there�s not much on the road that can beat a cruiser for bottom end power (grunt) and casual riding pleasure. Plus it�s a real poser bike and looked bloody good. Top speed was bugger all but definitely enough to kill oneself (certainly enough for me anyway!!). Two people on the bike, was exactly the same as one. The bike has so much power you didn�t even notice there was another person there. With the crowd from work, I was doing quite a few 2 day rides down country roads. Being so low the cruiser was continuously bottoming out and scraping the tar in a shower of sparks. This looked great from behind (so I�m told), but was definitely unnerving if you are on the bike (plus the sound was like finger nails scraping down a chalk board). It looked like the bike part of my life was here to stay, so I decided it was time to upgrade to something more suitable to my needs. I looked around and settled on a choice of three bikes. (1)Honda ST1300, (2)Yamaha FJR1300, and (3) the BMW 1150RT. These were all serious (you ride them with a straight, serious face) long distance sports touring bikes (ST = Sports Touring). This is opposed to a full on touring bike, which is like a Honda Gold wing (Called 'A Tank with handlebars' or 'A car on two wheels'). I did heavy research on the net (lifted weights while I was on there), set out my needs and wants list, then rejected the BMW, as it was only a 2 cylinders and my main wish was for a 4 cylinder (to make it nice and smooth riding). The FJR is a racing bike in disguise, with a more sporty riding position leaning forward. I wanted a nice upright day long riding position so that got the boot too. Also when going into the shop and saying to the salesman "Tell me all about the bike, I know nothing about it" He said "Well.... it can do wheel stands in second gear!!!" I looked at him with my grey hair , over my glasses and thought "WANKER!!" That left the Honda which I went down and rode. Very impressive. The engine was fantastic, luggage capacity brilliant, gearbox super smooth, and the electric screen to die for. After a lot more in depth research on the net (wearing a snorkle), it appears that the heat from the engine is a REAL bugger in the summer. This is a problem with bikes with fairings and screens, on the Honda it comes back through the gaps of the seat and tank then bakes (burns) the legs and lower body. It was a real big issue and major complaint with Honda ST owners all over the world. I looked at the accessories you could get for the Honda and they were basically bugger all. A top box, heated grips, ABS brakes, speakers (no radio) and that was just about it. It came in red or blue (I really wanted a silver bike) and the models they were selling were plated 2004. I asked about 2005 plated models as I�d lose money when I went to sell, as it was then an older bike. They didn�t have a clue and could only offer that it would be when the 04 models had all sold out, which could be the end of 05!!! This was all rather slack on their part I thought. I took Steves BMW 1150RT for a good run, but I really wanted a 4 cylinder engine. I wanted Steves bike, with his fairing and colour, but with the Honda engine and gearbox in it. Oh and the Honda screen which was bigger. Whilst I was pondering all this and pretty disappointed because nobody seemed to make the bike I wanted, BMW had brought out a new model to replace the 1150RT. I looked up the new BMW1200RT on the net and started seeking information on it. In short it was bloody ugly!! It had fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!! It looked like a bubble on wheels!!!! The Accessories were amazing though, but it was still a two cylinder. Reports were few and far between as it was so new. I waited (patiently) and eventually some tests came in from the motor cycle magazines. They said it was an amazing machine and BMW had really listened to its owners on minor complaints about the older 1150 machine. The bike was completely re-designed from the ground up. They kept the good bits and added new bits. The gearbox was re-designed and was now not so klunky. The fairing had changed radically, to stop the bike going up in flames when it was stationery for too long, on hot windless days (I kid you not!!). The screen was bigger and the engine CC's larger. The bike was lighter and more powerful. It also had a balance shaft to stop vibration (the curse of two cylinders). They were tipping it as a completely new machine. Still though.... the pictures on the net made it look bloody ugly and it still only had two cylinders. Anyway I went to have a look, and in the flesh it really wasn't that bad to look at. I spent a lot of time wondering why the pictures on the net made it look ugly, but in the flesh it was O.K.. I suddenly realised that the pictures on the net had the top part of the fairing painted, but the lower part was black. This actually hid the lower part (blended it away) so all you saw was the top part, hence the bubble look. It came in three different colours. 'Granite Grey Metallic' (kind�a silver), 'Dark Graphite Metallic' (close to black), and Piemont Red Metallic (definitely RED!!). I noticed on the net that the picture of the 'Dark Graphite' had a silver lower fairing and not a black one. I asked if all the colours could have the silver lower fairing and the salesman thought they could, at no extra cost too. I decided to go back up there and took it for a test ride. Ooooooooooo Ahhhhhhhhhh��.. ABSOLUTELY MAGIC (errections errections....!!). The thing stuck to the road like shit to a blanket. The screen wasn�t quite as good as the Honda�s but that could be fixed afterwards if need be. Heated grips came standard and so did a Radio/CD player, speakers and cruise control. The price was an arm, a leg, and your first born. I don't like kids anyway, so thought "what the hell, you only live once. The only way I was going to get a good deal was put in the hard work going round the dealers. My bike had a whisker under 27,000 kilometres on the clock and I wanted to keep it like that. Riding round the dealers would have been too fatiguing so I had to go by car. The bike was securely strapped in a box trailer, and I was off. I gave myself three days to get a bike and finally managed to sign on the dotted line after at the end of the third day. I ordered a Granite Grey Metallic bike with silver lower fairing. It came with:- ABS, power assisted brakes. Electric screen. Electronic cruise control. Am/Fm/CD player and speakers. Heated hand grips. Computer control. Individual heated seats. Tank bag Large BMW top box (Don't ask how much). Computer oil level indicator. Clear indicators. Chrome exhaust. Electronic suspension adjustment. Extra socket (like a cigarette lighter socket) Engine protectors Pannier protectors. As far as I know I was the first one in Sydney to order and receive the Granite Grey Metallic with the silver lower fairing. None of the dealers from Sydney to Newcastle had seen or ordered one. When it came in and they saw it, they said they would now keep it as a stock item it looked so good. |
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| My NEW new bike. |
| It looks good naked as well (no panniers or top box). I've since extended the rear fender and the front fender to stop crap flying everywhere. (yes thats a cows skull in the garden) |
| Fully dressed. Panniers, top box and tank bag. |
| Radio/CD control (on fairing). Screen control, suspension control, cruise control, hazard warning lights button, horn, left indicator, volume and station search on left handlebars. |
| Computer control, starter, kill switch, heated grips, right indicator, indicator cancel switch and heated seats on the right (and me squinting in the mirror). |
| I extended the rear mudguard to stop crap flying up in the rain. BMW on the very first models gave this bit of plastic away with the bike. Within weeks though, it was no longer free and they were selling it for $50.00. Then you had to buy the screw to hold it on separate!! I made one and had it on the bike as easy at winking, in less than an hour, from parts laying around the garage. Total cost $0.00 |
| Extended part ------>>>> |
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