BMWST has the BEST Members!

Agreeably, it's not a new statement or revelation - but it's one that deserves to be noted yet again. Allow me to digress . . . .

In late July - Back at the UNrally - a couple of camhead owners - BMW_Ken (The Stig) and DaveCinNO were listening to me acknowledge my need to replace my 94,000 06 RT. Perhaps to get me to shut up - Ken mentioned that there was a 13 RT for sale in CA with low miles on the board (the post has been removed - don't waste your time). I'd seen it too, but it was way more than I wanted to spend. 4 days later, the priced had dropped faster than a prom dress and I was just as excited as if I was a teen again. Long story short, the deal went south after my offer was accepted and I think everyone in the know has figured out the guy sold it to someone else for more money. To his only credit - he returned my money. Throughout this ordeal - and believe me, it was, Ken, Dave, Bernie, Marcopolo and TerryofPerry were along to offer advice, input, express wonderment and concern and finally, relief and comfort to Yours Truly.

Let me just digress a tiny bit more. When this started to unfold, I had been away from my very, very understanding long suffering wife for the month of July while riding - plus a week in June to ride out to CA (and START in April & FART in Sept). So.... I'd been gone on my bike a long time and our blissful nightly conversations were about riding and biking. And of course, she endured her daily concern for me (and all riders) while I was away. So she's understandably a little overloaded on all things related to motorcycling. When I finally make my triumphant return home, it's fairly late on a Sunday and the first time we have to really catch-up is Monday night at dinner. She lovingly asks me how my day went . . . . and wait ......for it . . . . I told her I'd just bought a new bike! (I'd made and had my offer accepted on the CA bike earlier in that day) And the expression on her face was simply..... priceless. I guess I should have started with telling her I was looking! So maybe it's a good thing it didn't work out after all. (to her credit - she didn't object- but she was certainly bewildered - when is this madness going to end?!)

Back to the Story.....

I've continued to look - primarily for a camhead - so all of my goodies from the hexhead will transfer over - plus I wanted to join the BMWST Exclusive RT Camhead Club founded by Ken and Dave (and who wouldn't?!). All my Wethead friends tell me I'm crazy not to look at Wetheads. Well.... we all know I'm crazy, so there's nothing new to see here. The search kicked into high gear over the last week or so, and here's where the folks around here all come into play.

There was a sharp potential in WI and Lone_RT_ Rider (Shawn) responded enthusiastically with great info about the dealer who had the bike for sale and offered to go look at it. GREAT! Opps - it's already SOLD!

I checked to see if Bud had posted anything about buying a new bike this week.

Next was a bike in South Florida and Jake answered the call and offered honest insight and advice that steered me clear of troubles with that one.

On Thursday, there was a bike in Grand Rapids - and I called Burt on Friday and he answered the call and offered to go look at the bike the next day (Saturday)! He also offered glowing praise of the Grand Rapids dealer. GREAT!

But during the meanwhile, a new listing popped up in VA that peaked my attention. Twistyguy (Peter) and Endobobdds (Bob) both offered to go look at the bike on Sunday. WOW!

I had already decided (I thought) that the VA bike was the one I wanted - if it checked out. Come Saturday, Burt calls me from the Grand Rapids dealership and can hardly contain himself the bike is so nice - and comes with everything but the kitchen sink. I feel awful telling him I'm waiting to hear about a bike in VA that Peter and Bob are going to check tomorrow (Sunday). But as Saturday wore on, I began to reconsider my bias towards the VA bike - even if it checks out. I decide - after the Grand Rapids dealer had closed - that in-fact the Michigan bike is the one I should make an offer on. I don't tell Peter and Bob, because if I can't reach a deal in MI, then the VA bike is where I'll turn.

Sunday comes and Bob and Peter meet at the sellers house and look over the bike. Peter rides it and takes video - both of the bike and his ride! They both enthusiastically endorse the VA bike. Now I have to tell them I'm a indecisive turd and want to pursue the MI bike - which I can't do until the dealership opens on Tuesday. I call the VA seller and give him the bad news - and he is very understanding.

Again throughout this process & back and forth from one bike to the other and back to the other - Terry, Bernie, Mark, Dave, Ken, Bob and Peter are in the loop and offer opinions - and privately - I'm sure just wish I would buy something and leave them the hell alone! During this time, the Exclusive BMWST RT Camhead Club revised its bylaws to make becoming a member much more difficult.

Come Tuesday, first thing I make an offer on the bike in MI - which was on consignment. But . . . I don't hear back..... and by 3pm, I'd started to plan out when I could pick up the VA bike and what my offer was going to be. And the phone rings - offer accepted in Grand Rapids! (only one salesperson working on Monday, so she had her plate full). And I didn't want to call the dealership back till the very end of the day and seem too eager.

So, I woke up yesterday morning at 3:30a - a half an hour before I went to bed - and drove up to Grand Rapids to take Burt to breakfast at 8 - the very least I could do - and to pick up the bike at 9. EXCEPT! Burt is no stranger to the excellent breakfast establishment we graced with our presence and my money was no good there! Just wow!

Home safe and sound with my new dancing partner:

Grand Rapids Burt:

So while I'm thrilled to have a new to me bike to get acquainted with, I'm more overcome by the all the folks who came out of the woodwork to offer their valuable time, patience, understanding and assistance in my search for a new bike. They offered to help out in a moments notice and made no small investment of their own time - each of them being through - and I mean THROUGH in their checking out of the bikes or offering input and opinions. While these relationships aren't defined by this narrow slice of time shared while bike shopping - it is illustrative of the great folks that are here and a testament to the deep friendships we bond through the interactions we encounter when we take a chance and attend one of the many gatherings BMWST has.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - it took me YEARS to get out from behind the keyboard to make an event- and even then, it was only at the invitation of Jake - that got me to FART. And my life, friendships and riding have been forever changed so much for the better, that (for once) I'm at a loss of words to adequately express myself. Thank you for that!

And if you, dear reader, are A) still reading and B) Haven't had the pleasure of meeting the fine people here in person by attending an event - I strongly encourage you to do so. Your life will be enriched and so will ours.

Congratulations Dave!!!

I look forward to seeing your new ride and how you trick this one out.

Are you planning to continue the water crossings

Beautiful bike, I know you'll dig it. I like mine a lot.

Yay!! Nice ride, like the color. Camhead is the best.

Congratulations Dave!!!

I look forward to seeing your new ride and how you trick this one out.

Are you planning to continue the water crossings

Well..... I do have side case protectors!

Great bike! I found a hexhead R1200R in Atlanta last year. Marty went and looked at it for me he also had good things to say about the dealer. So I made a deal and did a fly and ride. Randy picked me up at the airport and put me up for the night. He drove me to the dealer the next day and waited until the deal was set. I really fell in love with this bike on my 3 day ride home to PA. I even met up with Lawnchairboy and Tytass in VA Beach. So I must heartily agree we have a great community here. See you at START!

Welcome to the club young man. 13's are sweet and like you I transferred a bunch of stuff from my 2005RT. Told the wife how much money I saved

until she showed me the receipts for the all the must haves I'd bought.

All the members here are great. :clap:

Congratulations, Dave! Well done, BMWST!

Nice looking bike, good find. Actually it looks fast just sitting there. Welcome to the club.

Congratulations on your new bike and many happy and safe miles.

Looking forward to checking it out in person at the next START in Sparta, NC.

Enjoy the Farkling!

Congratulations Dave!!!

I look forward to seeing your new ride and how you trick this one out.

Are you planning to continue the water crossings

 

 

Well..... I do have side case protectors!

Yeah, had you pegged for a GS as your next ride, you know, after the splashdown. Truth be told, a GS or GSA aren't the best swimmers either.

Nice story, and a nice bike too!

Pat

BMW makes bikes?

Congrats on the new bike.

I've been away for three days, driving to Austin, TX and back picking up a DMC sidecar to attache to my R 1150 R.

Otherwise I might have been shopping for a different bike as that is my hobby. I did sell the C 650 GT scoot last Sunday so there is some money in the bike fund.

Thanks one and all! I hope to do a good shake-down ride today, and tomorrow get the cobwebs out of her properly

John and I share an experience that I'm sure has repeated itself over and over around here. And of course, it's not just scouting for bikes when our community comes together. Many folks here routinely go above and beyond to help each other out.

A quick word about Grand Rapids BMW. 5 or 6 years ago, Mrs Indy Dave and I were in Michigan for a week on vacation. We made a day trip to Mackinac Island, and while bicycling around the perimeter of the Island, we happened upon a family doing the same and had a nice visit and then went our own ways. With dusk approaching, we got in line for the ferry ride back to the mainland, coincidentally enough, the family we'd met earlier in the day got in line behind us. We chatted some more and boarded the ship. Just past the breakwater, I felt a disconcerting vibration and we lost forward thrust. [ A Three hour tour . . . ??] While the engine was running, there was nobody home in the drive department - a final drive failure no doubt.

While we waited to be towed, the dad (from the family we'd met) and I started talking about motorcycling. General conversation at first, but he began to ask specific and probing questions. Finally he asked how many miles I ride a year. I must have passed his test, because then he gave me his business card - and low and behold, he was the Service Manager (and brother of the owner) of Grand Rapids BMW (GRBMW)! We stopped in the dealership on the way home and bought the Mrs a jacket and I was impressed with the atmosphere and stock of GRBMW, particularly compared to the Indy shop. I wasn't a hug fan of the service dept in Indy - and so I rode up to GRBMW a few years ago and had some service work done. And while the service manager brother has moved on, I've continued to buy some gear from GRBMW and they do an exceptional job of fostering a rider community that the Indy shop (and others) could learn from.

The deal on the Camhead was as simple and straight forward as anyone could hope for - the kind of dealer transaction you know is possible, but sadly rarely seems to happen. So apart from the 'feel good' one gets when acquiring a new bike, this also felt good because GRBMW really caters to the riding community, regularly hosting educational events and gatherings - and it felt good to support them.

Susan the knowledgeable sales gal (remember - they had this bike on consignment - so that price reflects the unrealistic expectations of the seller and Pre-Winter pricing):

Susan the knowledgeable sales gal

I'm often wrong about these things but Susan, looks a bit like the wife of Scout 6, a board member here. I think she's a member here also. Now that would be funny if so.

Pat

How many miles on the new ride?? What kind of oil will you use and why? Tyre choices??

Inquiring minds want to know.

Susan the knowledgeable sales gal

 

I'm often wrong about these things but Susan, looks a bit like the wife of Scout 6, a board member here. I think she's a member here also. Now that would be funny if so.

 

Pat

You are correct, SIR! Funny, we were chatting and Burt mentioned Mitch 'from the board' and I thought that was odd, assuming Susan didn't have a reference! Small world indeed! And again - more great people!

Rich - Bhhaha!! Don't worry, that's already started - but for now - I just want to establish a baseline and see 'what I've got' before figuring that all out. And I have a feeling Mrs Indy Dave will be showing me a stack of receipts for the 'must haves' that I don't already have!

Congratulations Dave!!!

I look forward to seeing your new ride and how you trick this one out.

Are you planning to continue the water crossings

Took those words right outta my mouth, you did.

See absolute proof that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Yep, stuck in my head because I remember her fracturing an ankle out in Salida at the UN. You know, hooning it up on a GS!

Pat

Susan the knowledgeable sales gal

 

I'm often wrong about these things but Susan, looks a bit like the wife of Scout 6, a board member here. I think she's a member here also. Now that would be funny if so.

 

Pat

Susan is Scout 7. She and her husband were at the UN last year.

Congratulations Dave. Can't wait to see the bike at START.

Congrats Dave... Now, if you happen to know anyone looking for a good deal on a 44K millage hex head...

Shawn

Hey, I didn't know it was fractured until I got home! That was an interesting ride!

It was great to meet you, Dave! I will try to be on the board more to hear about the rides that are ahead of you.

Hey, I didn't know it was fractured until I got home!

 

I do remember you toughing it out, but my outstanding EMT skills (not ) told me you did a good job.

Pat

Congratulations Dave!!!

I look forward to seeing your new ride and how you trick this one out.

Are you planning to continue the water crossings

 

 

Well..... I do have side case protectors!

 

Yeah, had you pegged for a GS as your next ride, you know, after the splashdown. Truth be told, a GS or GSA aren't the best swimmers either.

 

Nice story, and a nice bike too!

 

Pat

Pat - and that's my conundrum. The GS/GSA - like Indy Dave - ain't no petite machine for gitt'n muddy N' going swimming all hog waller like.

John - Yes, I will be transferring over the lights!