Why did you buy a BMW?

Why? Because Harleys, Triumphs, and Hondas have stranded me with mechanical failures, and BMW never has - things that broke down on the road have always been either repairable or "MacGyver-able". While the present ride is BMW #9, there have been a couple of others in between... but I came back.

Bought my first BMW in '76 an R75/7 because at that time, imo, the BMW was about the only motorcycle you could ride reliably coast to coast. That was then and this is now and I can't say I would do the same thing again especially now. But, I surely did love my airheads and presently own a beautiful '93 R1100RSL that I'll never part with, she's got a lot of the airhead in her and I still think BMW wrote the book.

Our first was a 2004 R1200C that was still in the crate when we bought in 2006. Don't ride it much. I think it has less than 4,000 miles on it. It was such a cool looking bike. I do enjoy riding it, but the pucker factor bringing it down my steep dirt/gravel driveway just kinda makes me not want to ride it up the driveway.

After that, we bought a 2007 F650GS. Like it so much, we bought another one. That one was the last of the bunch that had the engine made in Germany. His and her bikes. I think those get ridden the most of the BMW's we have.

Then we bought a 1978 R45 from a friend of a friend who couldn't ride on two wheels anymore. It's a pretty rare bike here in the US, but luckily the R65 has many common parts.

Then came the 1978 R90 w/hack. Always thought it would be fun to have a sidecar, but since neither of us have yet bothered to get a three wheeled endorsement, that bike will need to find a new home.

Then we got a 73 R75/5 from a friend, who again, can no longer ride on two wheels. He bought it new when he owned the dealership in Merced, CA.

Our 7th BMW in the stable is my 97 R850R. I've always loved the way that bike looked. And one day, I walk into the Guzzi dealer in Watertown, SD to visit the owners (who are friends of ours) and there it was, parked next to a restored Guzzi El Dorado. 10 minutes later, it was mine.

jammess said:

Bought my first BMW in '76 an R75/7 because at that time, imo, the BMW was about the only motorcycle you could ride reliably coast to coast. That was then and this is now and I can't say I would do the same thing again especially now. But, I surely did love my airheads and presently own a beautiful '93 R1100RSL that I'll never part with, she's got a lot of the airhead in her and I still think BMW wrote the book.

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Change the date to 1975 and your story is my story.
Then, last December I went to buy a pair of boots, and there sat that R9T racer.
Was in my garage the next week.

Found an add from the biggest Harley dealership near Portland that had my bike for sale at a price that couldn't be beaten. Showed up to pick it up and walked right into a mountain of leather, bearded individuals having a BBQ event. Proudly walked out with my Beemer and started it right in front of the shop...

Well, I bought my first BMW (1996 RT) simply because Yamaha had stopped making the Seca 750. I wanted shaft drive and BMW was the only one making something that wasn't a Harley WannaBee. I've bought the rest (K12LT, F650, GS, GS, R12RTLC) simply because they're BMWs!

Dennis

My first BMW was a 1962 R69s. It was posted in the company news paper. The asking price was $600. I called to set up an appointment to see it. What would you offer.

I made an offer of $300.00, the seller said he would consider it. Then his wife said what could you pay for it. I said, $300, cash. She said sold. That started our life with BMWs.

Joined BMWMOA in 1972. purchased life membership in about 1974/75. The wife an I have 3 digit membership numbers.

royce said:

BTW, I am happy on the F800ST but have never drunk the BMW Kool-Aid. My next bike might well be some other brand, depending on whatever my criteria are at the time.

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I love the look of the STs and also what I like: a sport touring bike... good for daily rider as well as longer trips.

tibork said:

I love the look of the STs and also what I like: a sport touring bike... good for daily rider as well as longer trips.

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Mine is ridden almost daily, plus it has been in all the lower 48 west of the Mississippi River and a few on the right side. It is the perfect size for me, fast enough to get me thrown in jail in every state, and comfortable for this 73-yr-old back and knees to ride all day long. I'm looking around but have not yet found anything, from any manufacturer, that I would rather have. Yet.

Good luck.

86 Flying Brick

This is a fun topic so this is a fairly extensive story and thank you if you follow till the end.

I rode Japanese bikes on and off since 1982 but before getting my license, I remember watching an action movie that contained a scene of a police chase with motorcycle police on white K-bikes whipping through traffic. There was something magical about how the bikes handled that always stuck with me. BMW had always been a brand that I thought was out of reach financially for me and I never thought about owning one for the next 27 years.

In 2009 while I was unemployed, I saw an ad in Craigslist placed by a used car lot in New Westminster, BC Canada while I was searching for work. It was an 86 K75 but a previous owner had put on the RS plastic from a K100 in Columbia Silver Colour scheme 616. I drove by many times over the next couple of months and admired how majestic the bike looked parked at the corner of the car lot. Fortunately for me, the bike had no interest from other buyers and I watched the price on Craigslist drop several hundred dollars a few times over the next 4 months until it was nearly half what it originally listed for. I went in for a test drive for the first time, threw a crazy lower offer at the salesman and he agreed to sell it. Whoops... I now had to make up an excuse to tell my wife I bought a motorcycle but without a job, I was scared. So I put the bike into storage at a local motorcycle dealership and 3 months later, after I had started my new job in February, while we were slowly waking up on a Saturday morning, I rolled over and whispered to her... "I have a secret..."

She thought something far worse than my buying a motorcycle as my secret, my teenage kids exclaimed "you weren't really going for interviews were you?" but they all thought like me, it was a beautiful machine when we went to see it that afternoon. I bought it with 162K km in 2009 and after 8 years, pushed it to 285K. This is the only bike I ride all year round and the BMW brand makes me feel like a 'real' biker enduring all sorts wather

I am a proud BMW owner and 1 month before the Salt Lake City rally, purchased and rode a 2004 1150RT to the rally with my buddy. In the summer, after my 23yo daughter finished her motorcycle course and got her license, I kept encouraging her to go with the BMW brand if she had the chance and luckily for her in September, she purchased a low mileage (5K Kms) yellow 2004 F650CS to our garage. I am really looking forward to next summer when we will likely do some moto camping while one day attending my third rally and her first when the rally comes back West.

Thanks

Sunny

FJR was feeling a bit cramped, KLR quite comfortable but too slow for the long trips I've been taking.
I wanted a bike capable of off-highway as well as long distance touring.
Rode a friends R1200GS and decided to make the change to an R1200GS Adv, love it so far, farkling in earnest.

99 r1100rs

Bought so I could ride in the rain when the Harley sits in the garage. Always intrigued by the boxer engine design, very appealing to my eye.

Women throw themselves at me and I get free beer wherever I go....since buying a BMW...…...what's not to love?

Na Cl K9 said:

To me the bikes BMW's made are fun to ride because good bikes are designed to disappear beneath you as you dial up the ride you want. .

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Salty Dog, this resonated with me. I test rode the F750 and just started laughing. So easy to ride. I came to riding late (age 50) and have owned a couple of Hondas, a Triumph Tiger 955 and a Suzuki DR 650. When I started looking for new bike (first time I bought new) I thought I would end up with the Tiger 800 since i am a sucker for British machinery. But it did not make me giggle like the BMW did.

This F750 is so far above anything I have owned before it blows me away. People may be turned off by all of the tech and the potential for problems but while it all works...wow. When I started riding I thought I might someday end up with a BMW because of the reputation for superior engineering. Glad I did it now.


Ack

R90S; What's Not to Love?

After considering a Guzzi or a Beemer because of the shaft drive, I went with the '75 R90S Silver Smoke from Pete's Cycle in Glen Burnie MD. It was just the Cool factor in my youthful daze... Headed off to Daytona in the Spring of '76, and was duly impressed by the whole BMW presence. Later took Reg Pridmore's Class Riding School on the bike, but he showed me what riding is all about on the back of his K100!!! Still have the R90, but it's now Daytona Orange. After the Army wrecked it in overseas shipment, I eventually got some replacement parts from Bob's in Jessup and the story lives on. The primary BMW is now the K16GT, but the R90S still makes me smile!.

Ciao, Phil in Rocket City USA
50 year anniversary of Apollo 11 comin right up!

In 1985, I did a lot of riding with a buddy who had purchased a 1983 R100RS. At the time I was riding a 1982 Honda Goldwing. I was the guy riding in comfort and personally, I thought his bike was ugly. But boy, could he lose me in the curves. I kept wondering why he was such a "better" rider.

One day we took a local ride through the Theodore Roosevelt NP south unit and at one of the stops he asked if he could ride my Goldwing. I hopped on his RS and lead the way, and after a few minutes of getting familiar with his bike I was soon losing him in the curves, and I was just starting to have fun. After slowing to pedestrians standing by the side of the road, one of them, as I was creeping past, gave me a thumbs up and said "nice bike". I just grinned.

After that ride, I was hooked. It was so effortless to ride, and I was soon scanning ads for a nice used BMW. I can say this, in 1985 you didn't find much for used BMW's in the state of ND. We had a Harley dealer in Mandan who dabbled in BMW's, and he usually had very limited stock, but at the time he didn't even have a BMW on the floor. I kept looking, and in 1986 he had a shiny R80RT sitting on the floor that I fell in love with. I ended up purchasing that bike and rode the heck out of it. I have been riding BMW's ever since.

One of my deepest regrets was parting with that R80RT.

I ride a BMW because of the BMW family. There is nothing else like it on earth. Yes, there are good people who don't ride a motorcycle or ride a different brand, but the overall community of BMW riders is second to none. I have many lifelong friends just because I was riding a BMW.Oh yea, and I am a BMW snob too![SUB][/SUB]

About 15 years ago I was driving up the highway and a bike passed me and out of the corner of my eye I noticed something very weird. I caught up to the bike a verified that the back wheel was attached on one side only, thinking impressive engineering, saw the brand and was on the hunt for a beemer.

I had always respected the BMW motorcycle brand because of the German engineering and the no-nonsense design of the 1980's boxers (my first exposure to BMW motorcycles). The practicality, reliability, and functionality of the boxer contrasted sharply with the flashy hyperactivity of the Ninjas and Interceptors, and it appealed to me. But I kept riding my Honda. Then 29 years after I sold the Honda I took a test ride on my '03 R1150RT. Let's just say that my impression of the BMWs was fully borne out by actually riding one. I was sold.

Fit.

I'm a tall boy. Couldn't find a rice rocket to fit me.

Local BMW dealer fit me with an F 700. Low suspension. Rally (high) seat.* Fit GREAT! Extremely comfortable to ride.

No power. No style. After 4700 miles, traded in for R 1200 R. Highest available seat. Doesn't fit as well. But it's SUPER!

When I later complained to my salesman about how crimped my knees are when I get on, he asked, "What about when you get off?" Hmmm . . . good point. I'm fine when I get off hours later. The tightness of knee angle vanishes once I'm on the road.

BMW talks a lot in their marketing about managing height issues for riders. It is universally concerned with SHORT people, not tall people. But the knowledgeable salesman was able to help me.

Let me state it directly. I looked at motorcycles. Couldn't find one. Stopped in to the BMW dealership near me as I drove by. Whattheheck, I figured. I would not have a bike today if not for BMW. Instead, I have about 17,000 miles in last 2.5 years.

*Still have the Rally seat if anyone needs one.