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  • Anonymous
    Guest
    18/07/2007 at 12:30 am
    Post count: 2134
    #2124

    Hi all,My name is Nick, I've been lurking here for over six months, but figured it was time to introduce myself. I am 47, married for 24 years to Wendy, and have two kids. Our son has just turned 22, and our daughter is about to turn 15. I originally trained as an automotive machinist (engine reconditioner!) and stayed in the industry for ten years before moving into industrial sales, mainly selling industrial bearings, seals and transmission equipment. I now run an industrial laundry in South Auckland, and live on a small lifestyle block just south of the Bombay hills.I bought my first BMW bike in Jan 1986, an R90/6 that was only 10 years old but had suffered badly at the hands of successive animals. I "rescued" it, and proceeded to do a rolling upgrade over the next seven years while still using it for commuting to work. I ultimately retired it at the end of 1992 after the bottom end began to develop a terminal rattle. I couldn't afford to fix it at the time, and parked it in the garage. For the next few years I ignored it, and then in 1997 decided to attack it with a Plan to convert it into an R90S replica.Then the Plan changed in 1993 when a genuine "matching numbers" R90S in bits became available. All the bits I'd accumulated and put aside for the R90/6 project were diverted to the R90S. I completed a full nut, bolt and rivet rebuild just over 12 months ago and I've now done 4,500km on it. My wife rides a Buell XB12S, & we try to get out on the bikes as often as time permits. We also have an R75/5 toaster, and an R50/5 project that my daughter has claimed, wanting me to help her rebuild it over the next year or so.I joined the Register in 1986, and made some lifelong friends as a result. I enjoyed the various events and AGM's, and served as secretary in the early '90s. In 2001, I established a Classic Corner of the Register, and ran that for a few years before stepping down to do some study. In the early years when the Register had its own Parts operation run by Walter deBeurs on a voluntary basis, there were many advantages to membership in the form of knowledge and advice as well as spares at reasonable prices. I haven't been involved in recent times with the Register, as I feel that it has become increasingly irrelevant to riders of older bikes. Gets a bit tedious having folk who own new/near new BMW's regarding people like me as a little weird/living in the past/too broke to afford a new bike/a luddite/too slow to keep up/scared of modern technology/ or any number of other assumptions. It strikes me as slightly strange to be seen as "fringe" in a one-make club on one level, yet many one-make clubs seem to set pecking orders according to the value of members' machines.regardsNick PloegI've included a few photos:

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    18/07/2007 at 7:40 am
    Post count: 305
    #8127

    Hi Nick!All I can say is, "Embrace the fringe!!"  You have a great bike, and I would love to see it on one of the rides.  In San Francisco in 1996, I bought a 1976 Daytona Orange R90S in unrestored condition.  It needed a little top-end work, but the cosmetics were good.  I loved that bike!  I was at a historic motorbike meeting in Sonoma (the old Sears Point Raceway) and caught up with Reg Pridmore.  He signed the rear fender under the seat and smiled for a photo with me & the bike.  Two years later, I sold the bike the day before I left the states to a collector.  He paid $1000 extra for the photo, leaving me with a b/w xerox copy! In the three years I had that bike, I got laughs and giggles from the mainstream, non-European bike riders, but to the BMW crowd I was Elvis!  That, and the only BMW rider they'd ever seen under 30!I think you'll be surprised at the welcome you receive when you come out for a ride.  The forum and newsletter stuff gets left behind when we're actually USING our bikes.  Plus, when you show up, I won't be the one with the fringe bike!Dave

    Dave Ross
    Moderator
    18/07/2007 at 9:07 am
    Post count: 2310
    #8128

    Hi Nick, I remember your Classic Corner, could you be talked into resurrecting it for us? An R90S is a cult bike as you well know and your ones has got to be one of the nicest ones around. I am not sure  who is to blame for the perception that the club only caters for the newer bikes. I love my R80GS Basic (I know it's only a spring chicken) and I have started to work on my own bikes. I can do all the service work and some minor repairs. Perhaps members feel that the pace of the club rides is not suited to the older models? I don't know. I also suspect that a lot of the older bikes are owned by the older riders who just don't go riding as often as they used to.  I'd love to join an airhead only ride, but that may annoy the fours and the triple riders 🙂 It's up to the riders to do something about it. I would also like to see tech days, where people could learn how to do simple repairs and a basic service on their bikes. I am happy to fiddle on my own bike, but I would not be experienced enough to teach someone else. Thank you for you intro and your thoughts. As far as the club is concerned, it's not what someone rides it what the person does that counts.Cheers,Alex

    Richard Kuysten
    Participant
    18/07/2007 at 11:00 am
    Post count: 623
    #8129

    Hi Nick, long time since we heard from you.  In fact the last time Jean and I saw you was at Pokeno when we were having an ice cream and you rocked up with the new Kawasaki 650 for Wendy – remember? has she still got it?Nick you are a real enthusiast with lots to offer and it's a little sad that you think as you do regarding how others in the club see you.  It's true that the newer machines tend to rule but there are always some who love the traditional BMWs and we see them at rallies all over the country.  For instance Paul Edlington and Darryl Applegate were at the last RAG on their early air head GSs and Paul on his R90S from Wanganui.  These folk enjoy their riding on machines they choose to ride and still take part in club activities albeit at their own pace.  But surely that happens whatever machine one rides.  I don't know anyone in the club who thinks they are in any way different from other members just becuase of the machine they ride.  Welcome back it's good to hear from you.  🙂Malcolm

    Murray
    Participant
    18/07/2007 at 8:01 pm
    Post count: 487
    #8130

    What these guys said Nick. It's good to hear from you. I recall the year I joined the register, it was 1995 and I'd just bought my 86 R80RT. I thought it was just the bee's knees. Now I ride an HP2, but only because it's what floats my boat at the moment. I don't give a monkeys what people ride or how old or new it might be. The thing I like about the Regisiter is that diversity is there, even if your not looking for it. I remember all the help and friendly advice I got from the likes of yourself and Walter, amongst many others in the Register, when I joined, and in many ways that continues. It's just great to have such knowledge on all things BMW pretty much on tap. Isn't that pretty much what it's all about?Anyhow, good to hear from you. Look us up if you're down around Wellington some time.CheersGarry

    Anonymous
    Guest
    20/07/2007 at 12:42 am
    Post count: 2134
    #8131

    Oops! Seems my tongue-in-cheek comments might have been a bit harsh!I am aware that there are folk still involved in the Register who are happily still riding airheads. I am aware that there is room in the Register for everyone. For me though, that's not really the issue.My concern is that for owners of post-classic BMW's (late '60s - early '80s) there are probably more compelling attractions to rub shoulders with owners of Ducatis, Triumphs, Nortons, Moto Guzzis and Laverdas of a similar vintage. The challenges of ownership, maintenance and restoration inherent with owning an older bike are quite different to that of owning a late model bike where the only backup required is the local dealer's phone number stored in one's mobile phone.The experience of riding an older bike is similar, but different compared to a modern bike. In fact, arguably the mindset is quite different. The level of resourcefulness and self-reliance in maintaining an older bike would probably frustrate someone used to the "plug-n-play" of a new or near new bike. To misquote Mao, "to those who understand, no explanation is necessary. To those who don't, no explanation is possible." The satisfaction derived when one is actually riding a self-maintained machine is hard to explain, but there is something about the way the older bikes do things that generate (in my humble opinion) a greater sense of achievement when mastered. No, I don't like doing everything the hard way....! Yep, there are compromises in terms of performance, handling and brakes, but in real terms an older bike can surprise point-to-point. So unless your club runs are conducted at speeds consistently above 200kph, I don't think that there's an issue here. My bike is quite capable of sustained runs in exess of 160kph (on closed roads, under strict supervision etc). I simply suspect that owners of the post-classic BMW's have less in common with owners of modern BMW's, and more in common with owners of other post-classic makes.I suppose I'm also disappointed that BMW at a corporate level has chosen to turn its back (figuratively speaking) on its heritage. Instead, companies like Triumph, Enfield, Ducati, H-D and even Kawasaki are milking the "retro" market for all it's worth. BMW stopped building the Type 247 we were told because it was no longer able to comply with noise/emissions regulations. Yet we see other manufacturers continuing to produce air-cooled bikes that continue to comply. We see now the proliferation of BMW models with vertical singles, vertical twins, and transverse fours, with some driven by rubber bands. No air-cooled horizontally opposed shaft-driven bikes among them. It could be said that BMW's bike division has gone out of its way to bury its past. I find it ironic considering that BMW's car division has maintained a clear lineage in their model range right back to the late '60s and early '70s, and a clearly defined set of parameters that still distinguish the current range such as the Hofmeister "hook" and kidney grilles, front engine/rear wheel drive, in-line four and six cylinder engines, and so on. Yet having said all that, I have considered owning a modern bike as well. If I did though, it definitely wouldn't be a BMW, because none of the current line-up appeals in the slightest.Which is all a long-winded way of questioning whether the Register is the best place to run a group set aside for people like me, or whether a stand-alone group would better serve those folk.Your thoughts?Nick

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    20/07/2007 at 2:00 am
    Post count: 15
    #8132

    While the Register may have been a club for enthusiasts in the past it evolved into an extension of BMW NZ's marketing arm. To promote the new models and urge members to support the dealer network. This is why I am no longer a member.If they were asked to sod off, the club could easily revert back to an enthusiasts club.Regards Max former Member & Editor & still riding 2 Beemers.

    Brian
    Participant
    21/07/2007 at 1:29 pm
    Post count: 63
    #8133

    Nick, My name is Jim Fisk and I am a member of the Registry also and I know how you feel. I know I don't posses half the skills you do as a mechanic, but I try to do as much as possible on my own. I live in the states, where I am fortunate enough to be able obtain parts for my machines. '65 R69S, '92 R100RS, and a '92 R100GS. And I am also the Maine Airhead airmarshall. And I am nominating you for the New Zealand airmarshall!!! Because you have faith in your”antique” also. Check out this site. If nothing else it keeps all of us “Airheads” in one common location. And if ya ever get to Maine, please DO call. Airheads rule!!!http://www.airheads.org/

    Dave Ross
    Moderator
    21/07/2007 at 8:51 pm
    Post count: 2310
    #8134

    Hi Jim,how is the riding season going? I agree, airheads are cool bikes. I love the tractor like quality of my R80GS Basic. And it is as solid as a rock. A lot of modern bikes will spit plastic all over the place when they fall over, a boxer just leans a bit on its side. Alex

    Brian
    Participant
    22/07/2007 at 12:04 am
    Post count: 63
    #8135

    Good so far Alex. Did a good stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina last month. Past week I was in the Adirondaks in northern NY. Beautiful roads and country, except it has a lot military jets doing low level flights. Ugh. but both rides on my RS. Still purring like a kitten at 100+k I am off to Vermont[GS] next month and NE Pennsylvania in Sept. will try to put up some favorite shots for you and the rest of the registry. Cheers, Jim

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    20/08/2007 at 10:07 pm
    Post count: 286
    #8136

    Hi NickI enjoyed your post and it got me to thinking about what the club is then drifting off to past memories thento current projects. I look forward to catching up with you on a ride some time.This post has been an interesting read. It seems some of the members of older bikes feel the club isn't what it was and in some ways has left them. I'm not sure that's what a club should do and I can't see why it can't continue to meet their needs. To me the bigger picture is we all love bikes followed by a common interest in BMW's.The club should reflect the membership and maybe there should be more ride options. Recently I've seen the three options of road ride meet there, road ride together to get there and gravel ride. (I see the gravel ride didn't attract the riders) It seems to me that anyone in the club can organise types of rides for anything and many do. Hopefully we'll get more gravel and off road rides going in Auckland.I kind of think when you get down to the smaller picture were a bunch of fringes held together by the bigger picture. There's the older bikes, newer bikes, airheads, parallel twins, in line fours, GS's, HP's, and now G's. Isn't it the range of bikes that adds colour to the club? The interesting thing is on the rides there are so many bikes that turn up you really start to get a sense of how diverse BMW is. It's also great to see the range of bikes on display. On the last ride the airheads were in the majority with the four and parallel twin being the fringe bikes. I'm just not sure anyone saw it that way we all just enjoyed riding and there are some great roads to ride on. Riding as a group does have compromises but thats part of doing the group thing. I would love to see more of the older bikes on the run and I'd love to see more newer bikes. (I'd also like to be a better rider and all advice is appreciated) I just saw this as a BMW club. BMW cars have changed so much as well there are so many different models, Z3's, X5's, X3's and a mini. It seems to me they have continued to grow both types of vehicle and add to the range. "I bought a bike because they said I was too old to play with Meccano sets".Just as their is a diverse range of bikes there is also a diverse range of riders. Some buy bikes to ride and others like tinkering or a mixture but isn't that what motorcycling is all about. Sadly today too many vehicles and especially cars can no longer be worked on by the enthusiast because of the electronics. Well actually it just slows us down. I miss the simpler mechanicals. You lift a car bonnet now and you get a sense you need to call a plumber.I've never met a motorcyclist I didn't like. I even thought what Ron Wood did with the F800 engine was impressive. http://www.flattrack.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=100&topic_id=25940&mode=full&pageIf someone knows how to get a picture on here feel free to post pictures of Ron's bike. I thought it is a pretty impressive machine.I own an F800. I love the bike. I love to tinker and pull things to pieces. I'd love to build up a dual purpose bike with BMW running gear. I'm looking forward to the F800GS coming. What I looked for in a bike was a light bike that could be thrown around and was around 750cc with no chain. BMW made a bike that fits me well. I'm mid 40's and really don't have the time to pull things to pieces as often as I would like. I've restored a car in the past and when I slow down a bit will probably strip down and rebuild bikes. I love bikes. (okay late 40's).I expect to slow down a lot over the next 12 months but then my plan is to spend more time overseas each year. I have small projects at the moment that I don't get time for. I love to ride as well and its a case of which do I do. I have an XR250 that I'm getting back on the road at the moment. I'd love to strip it down and rebuild it but time just doesn't allow it. I remember the phrase "chassis up rebuild". Nowadays there is no chassis. I remember when I got the chassis fully together on the old car I restored (48 Series E, black, two door with sunroof, front opening windscreen and yellow racing stripe) and got the engine in and wired up. I cranked the thing into life. Yes actually cranked it. And then I put a few boards across the chassis and sat a box on it and spent the rest of the day driving around the block taking some of the neighbours for rides. You just can't do that today. Firstly, cars don't have chassis, secondly, someone would call the police and thirdly the guy would give you a ticket. Back then I think the traffic officer would have just laughed and asked you to take it home and park it when you've finished but he wouldn't have come because no one would have rung.Cars have become overly processed and homogenised for consumption. Bikes haven't. They're things you become passionate about and the diversity is what adds colour to the motorcycling scene.5262671imgwn5.jpg

    Anonymous
    Guest
    20/08/2007 at 10:39 pm
    Post count: 2134
    #8137

    Hi Desamothank you for your thoughtful and considered response.I have been a little surprised by the lack of interest in this subject. When I initially posted my intro, I realised that it may not reflect the views of the majority, and expected some interesting debate. I've been disappointed by the apathy, and the lack of constructive criticism.A real issue for me though, is that BMW is now a motorcycle brand that is building bikes I personally just don't like/respect/admire any more, and wouldn't seriously consider buying. New/late model BMW bikes are no doubt competent, but are light years away from the values that BMW previously held. By contrast, most other manufacturers BMW competes against are still building bikes that display clear lineage and DNA back through the last several decades.Thanks again for your thoughts.Nick

    Dave Ross
    Moderator
    21/08/2007 at 12:37 am
    Post count: 2310
    #8138

    By contrast, most other manufacturers BMW competes against are still building bikes that display clear lineage and DNA back through the last several decades.Thanks again for your thoughts.Nick

    Hi Nick,I don't quite see what the problem is. BMW still has the bikes with the lineage as well as others. The K bikes go back to the early eighties. BMW used to build singles before the Rotax engines. At the end of the day they are a business and here to make money. They also have to keep up with the latest regulations on emissions etc. If you don't like the modern bikes, don't buy any. The old ones can be kept alive indefinitely. If you prefer bikes from other manufacturers, buy their product. It still won't stop you from coming riding with us. I have a feeling that your own attitude and I quote"I haven't been involved in recent times with the Register, as I feel that it has become increasingly irrelevant to riders of older bikes. Gets a bit tedious having folk who own new/near new BMW's regarding people like me as a little weird/living in the past/too broke to afford a new bike/a luddite/too slow to keep up/scared of modern technology/ or any number of other assumptions. It strikes me as slightly strange to be seen as "fringe" in a one-make club on one level, yet many one-make clubs seem to set pecking orders according to the value of members' machines."is the barrier. Unless of course you have been hanging out with the wrong crowd. You can't blame people for preferring new bikes to the classic ones. Not everybody has the skill, time or inclination to do their own work on the bike.Come to the next lunch ride (Tuakau), so we can admire your R90S.Cheers,Alex

    Anonymous
    Guest
    26/08/2007 at 8:51 pm
    Post count: 2134
    #8139

    “Come to the next lunch ride (Tuakau), so we can admire your R90S”Wendy & I came to a lunch ride just over a year ago and were completely ignored, except for Peter Kurz and his wife who briefly said hello. Why would the Tuakau ride be any different?Alex, I think you have missed my point completely. There seems to be more interest in letterboxes and old buildings on this forum than motorbikes. Apart from the occasional comment from a GS rider having got his bike a little dirty. In the nine months I've been signed up to this forum, there has been virtually nothing remotely relevant to me. And as for "hanging out with the wrong crowd", what's that supposed to mean? I tend to hang with people of like mind, so if I take your comment to its logical conclusion, I'm part of the wrong crowd already and clearly don't fit here anymore.NickNick

    Dave Ross
    Moderator
    27/08/2007 at 12:43 am
    Post count: 2310
    #8140

    Nick, I am sorry if we are not on the same wave length. It's not the first time I have missed the point completely. Blame the modern bikes for the small amount tech talk, there is not all that much that goes wrong with them. The letter boxes and old buildings are a result of the tours that we do. I can't change your perception, as this is unique to you. The way I see it, people turn up to rides, and then enjoy a meal and a chat afterwards. Did you talk to people and found you had nothing in common, or were you waiting for people to approach you, like Peter did? I usually make an effort to talk to people, especially new members. However, I don't see myself as the official entertainer. We provide the opportunity to ride and meet and the rest is up to the individuals

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