Funny ride home
Discussion
Since my Sprint ST got written off, I now ride a BMW K1200GT, wear a Hein Gericke hi-viz jacket and a white lid. Occasionally drivers seem to get worried when I ride behind them and slow down and move over. Which is nice.
Tonight I happened to be riding alongside another Beemer, also with a yellow jacket and white lid. It was like the parting of the red sea - for about 5 miles along the A406 not a single car got in our way! I was giggling like a loon until he went on his way.
So, if you're the BMW R1100 rider who helped me get home that little bit faster, thanks!
Ian
imfinlay said:
Since my Sprint ST got written off, I now ride a BMW K1200GT, wear a Hein Gericke hi-viz jacket and a white lid. Occasionally drivers seem to get worried when I ride behind them and slow down and move over. Which is nice.
Tonight I happened to be riding alongside another Beemer, also with a yellow jacket and white lid. It was like the parting of the red sea - for about 5 miles along the A406 not a single car got in our way! I was giggling like a loon until he went on his way.
So, if you're the BMW R1100 rider who helped me get home that little bit faster, thanks!
Ian
Bloody imitation coppers...
Many years ago I used to have a Honda 250 fitted with a white Rickman fairing (only the oldies on here will remember those!) and used a white helmet. It was the same then. I’d come up behind cars who would immediately dive to the near side of the road and let me past. It was a great way to get through the traffic.
Not so much deliberate copper imitation as I want the stupid cow who wrote off my ST to bloody well see me next time!
The GT (it's an '03) is just brilliant. I mean, really really great. Superbly comfy, great riding position (and very adjustable - seat height, bars, brake/gears), cool standard toys like heated grips, heated seat, power screen, luggage. The engine is incredible. Turbine-like power - get into 6th by 30mph and just accelerate relentlessly.
Handling is best described as stable. Not as fast turning as any sport bike, or even the ST, it's very useable for my A406/A13/backroads riding. Only bad point for me is the wind noise. With my Nolan N-102 it's like a jet engine from 40 up. Putting the screen up helps, but makes it feel a bit weave-y in crosswinds. This is a well known problem, and there are lots of aftermarket screens and addons (like the laminar lip) which are claimed to improve it. I'll try one soon.
Best example for me was the other day, when the other bikers at work were complaining about the cold. I rode in with the grips on 1, heated seat on 1 (on 2 your bum melts), heated jacket and the radio on. I was a bit warm really
I paid somewhat under market rate for my 11K mile '03 on a 53 plate, FSH from BMW Park Lane, 1 owner and extra BMW luggage. Well worth a grand more than I paid.
Ian
The GT (it's an '03) is just brilliant. I mean, really really great. Superbly comfy, great riding position (and very adjustable - seat height, bars, brake/gears), cool standard toys like heated grips, heated seat, power screen, luggage. The engine is incredible. Turbine-like power - get into 6th by 30mph and just accelerate relentlessly.
Handling is best described as stable. Not as fast turning as any sport bike, or even the ST, it's very useable for my A406/A13/backroads riding. Only bad point for me is the wind noise. With my Nolan N-102 it's like a jet engine from 40 up. Putting the screen up helps, but makes it feel a bit weave-y in crosswinds. This is a well known problem, and there are lots of aftermarket screens and addons (like the laminar lip) which are claimed to improve it. I'll try one soon.
Best example for me was the other day, when the other bikers at work were complaining about the cold. I rode in with the grips on 1, heated seat on 1 (on 2 your bum melts), heated jacket and the radio on. I was a bit warm really
I paid somewhat under market rate for my 11K mile '03 on a 53 plate, FSH from BMW Park Lane, 1 owner and extra BMW luggage. Well worth a grand more than I paid.
Ian
My pop used to get this all the time in the early eighties.He bought a Yamaha Martini which was a Yamaha XS1100 Mike Hailwood replica.it had a large white fairing with Martini colour pinstripes/decals,which were red,white and blue.Plus as standard it had a spot light and a fog light at the front built into the fairing.It was more police bike looking than a police bike!People used to slow down in front of him all the time,in fact this cost him the only points on his license he ever got.Followed a women in a 30mph area,she slowed down to about 20mph,he passed her and got caught speeding while passing her at 42mph.
[pic]www.esnips.com/doc/50475c0f-64d1-4ec0-a888-527bf9d5e47a/martini[pic]
[pic]www.esnips.com/doc/50475c0f-64d1-4ec0-a888-527bf9d5e47a/martini[pic]
Edited by rumpelstiltskin on Thursday 22 March 09:22
Edited by rumpelstiltskin on Thursday 22 March 09:22
Edited by rumpelstiltskin on Thursday 22 March 09:27
Edited by rumpelstiltskin on Thursday 22 March 09:27
rumpelstiltskin said:
My pop used to get this all the time in the early eighties.He bought a Yamaha Martini which was a Yamaha XS1100 Mike Hailwood replica.
I always wanted a Yam XS1100 before I passed my test but the review in Bike magazine has stuck in my mind to this day:-
"Mega-bike performance – tea trolley handling!"
Never did get round to riding one!
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