Gotta have it moments

[Anonymous]

#2309

G'day,YoungJim wrote, apropos the Taupo Track Day:The last time I rode Taupo track it cost me a lot of money !!!!!!For 2 years I had resisted all efforts by Experience BMW to try out a 1200GS as I was very happy with my 1150GS but half a lap on a 1200 made me go in the next day and order one Which sorta led my mind to recalling  some of my "Gotta have it" experiences, and realising all my favourite vehicles have arrived at home after such moments. The 1935/36/37 hybrid Austin 7, the YL1 and CS5E Yamahas, the T250 Suzy, the RX2, the VN wagon canoe carrier, the GS650G Suzy, the K100LT and the latest, for the last coupla years, the R1100S.I was a good little citizen and held off buying my first Boxer for 39 years. First time I ever saw one was on a rainy evening, in Hamilton, 5 minutes after I had just made my last payment to W White (Waikato) for the YL1, and I fell in love. I instantly promised myself I would get a Boxer the year after I had paid off my house.I never bought a house until I was 45: we paid it off quick, then booked another car up on the revolving credit, then two scooters for my wife, then the K100, you know how it happens. Then we paid off the house again, and I said, "That's it, we have to start retirement proofing the hut."To the everlasting credit of her indoors, she said, "No, go and get your bloody Bee-Em twin and get it out of your system."I set off with a shopping list, as you do, though the R-eleven hundy I had lusted after since I had seen the first photos of it was at the top: R1100S, TL1000, SV650/SV1000, VTR1000 (yeah, ridiculous list for a pansy rider like me, but what the hell).Experience had four eleven hundys on the floor that day, but only one without ABS (had bad karma with ABS on the K100, and expected to have the boxer for aeons, so that suited me): the colour on the bike was gorgeous. Sold, right there.As a formality I took it for a test ride. Up Carlton Gore and onto the motorway, already worked out the bike is a harsh ride, got no noises with its factory exhaust, got way more go than I'll ever handle, stupid ride for an old geriatric, and I JUST HAD TO HAVE IT! Half way across the Newmarket Viaduct I managed to work my shopping list out of my pocket and consign it to the slipstream.I still love the bike, I still can't ride it in the manner to which it should be accustomed; after an 800Km day ride it leaves me rung out and exhausted, whereas on the K100 there was no daily limit, you just kept riding. Given my 'druthers, I'druther suffer on the eleven hundy any day than cruise on the K. And I'll just bet there are as many "gotta have it moments" amongst you as there are letter boxes or abandoned weatherboard buldings.

[aegis4805]

#8827

nice reflection Bwucie  🙂 cheers for posting

[Dave Ross]

#8828

My dream bike was and is the R1150GS. It still puts a smile on my face every time I start it up. I still think it is a cool looking bike, and the new models from BMW have not changed that.If I had an endless supply of money I would have more bikes. I would add the Megamoto Hp2 and a nifty 250 Enduro. I am counting myself lucky as it is, so instead of spending money on new bikes I will use that money to ride my bikes at hopefully more exotic locations in the future.

[Tony Russell]

#8829

Being a man of varied taste, and a weak soul in addition, a number of motorcycles have had me in their possession over the last few years. After a lay-off (kids and all that which I wouldn't have been without) I decided to start riding again and a BSA Spitfire (remember those…?) was dutifully restored before shaking itself and me to pieces. Then one day I saw the most beautiful thing – a thing of smoothness, power, exclusivity and…. well, we'll leave it at that.The shop was a decent one with a profound understanding of the value of a real motorcycle, and they agreed to do a straight swap between the low-mileage K100RS , best year 1985 vintage, and my exclusive, highly desirable, gleaming red Spitfire (Don't know how I made them believe that, but they did..). The K and I (after our relationship was firmly settled, he introduced himself as Helmut..) spent 8 years and 240.000 kilometers  (sorry..150 thou miles) together and then one day an inner voice told me that he was worn out. Helmut was traded for a Honda Varadero ,which I suppose was allright, apart from a ferocious thirst and a remarkable unwillingness to do anything decent below 3000 revs. The H... lasted 1 season, then my fancy was caught by a gleaming new Lucifer Orange Tiger 955 from the excellent 05 production. This was fun - I mean- serious fun. I spent the summer vacation pogosticking around England and going up the 33% gradient of Hard Knott Pass with passenger and full holiday luggage was..... interesting. Till the spokes in the rear wheel started  snapping. Which was when I realised that the 06 Tiger had cast wheels and in September same year I was owned by one. This was very well till spring came along and I discovered that the new Tiger actually handled pretty marvellously and could be ridden ridiculously fast. Which disagreed with Her On The Pillion ,so if I were to continue my  career with bikes I had to do the decent thing, which I did and bought a 1200 LT. This was a surpise as, after I fitted Wilbers suspension and got a bit more ground clearance, it could be ridden at a very decent pace without Her On The Pillion really noticing. We dashed around in Europe indecently fast till reality caught up with me. That is - it caught up with my wallet in the form of the dreaded 60.000 K service. Having paid the bill, cancelled all holiday plans for the rest of the year and cut down to two warm meals a week, it was decided that the LT had to go. It was replaced by, of all things, a new H.... Varadero. Don't ask why, because I do not have a plausible explanation, but the fact remains. The H actually stayed for a full season and even a winter in the basement but my inner man told me, in no uncertain terms, that things had to change. It was about this time that  I spotted an R1150RT, dark blue and actually rather attractive, apart from the fact that it was a boxer and I never liked boxers because they were so retro and wide and gutless and oldfashioned and...So I took the thing for a ride which lasted an hour longer than I thought it would have. Then I gave Her On The Pillion a ride (no, gentlemen... on the bike :wink:) and to my great surprise I was suddenly and most unexpectedly owned by a Boxer. We did 22000 miles the first season, no troubles whatsoever. Right now, Gottfried is sleeping his winter beauty sleep in my heated basement and, being such a loveable, charming and deceptively fast and easy-handling charmer, I think I finally find a worthy replacement for Helmut the K.  Who, by the way, has now covered 350.000 K (OK-218 thou miles) and is still in excellent health. I spoke to the new rider the other day, and he says that the compression test now reads exactly the same as it did at 60.000 miles. (I gave him the read-out of that one..) I guess my diagnosis of worn out was more about me than Helmut..So, if any of you gentlemen ever doubted it - motorcycling is about love and finding The Right One. And enjoy the hunt ....  just like in real life 😀

[honeybear.2399]

#8830

 My gotta  have was a  new Ducati 907ie.  Stuck a photo of it up in the Kitchen, till she who must be obeyed said,  “For god sake go and buy the darn thing”  I always do as I'm told ( yea right)  so I did.  Had it for 14 years, over 100,000 KM before I traded it for the R1100S  Phil

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