verstehen
As happy as a little girl
After a brief bout of highway-legal motorscootering in the late 80s and a three-decade/two-wheeled hiatus following, I've been riding motorcycles – with the enthusiastic support of my Mrs – for just over two years. That time has seen me ride over 15,000 miles on Anglo-American iron (Bonneville, then Bullet, then Sportster, then Road King, then Street Bob, now Chieftain) and take multiple classes (MSF BRC1 and BRC2, Ride Like a Pro) to hone my technique and road strategy.
As my Indian sits in winter storage at the dealership, offseason thoughts turned recently to the very first motorcycle I ever rode (around a suburban cul-de-sac; no gear and no license): a high-school acquaintance's BMW (likely an R75/5, but could have been an R90/6—my memory of that day in 1981 is fuzzy). I never got it out of first gear, but the experience left an imprint (even if the model of the bike didn't). Admiration for German engineering in other contexts and a recent interest in the sport touring genre saw me contemplating a BMW motorcycle of my own . . .
. . . when suddenly a new and extremely cool dealership in my town got in trade a 2001 R 1100 RT with very low miles (8400) and a can't-refuse price. After a weekend of intensive study on this and other BMW motorcycle forums, I took a test ride on an unseasonably mild January day, didn't refuse the price, and did sign the paperwork.
I like the 2001 RT because it looks quirky and Teutonic (like it could be ridden by Dieter from Sprockets – note profile pic – or any member of Kraftwerk), not generically insectoid. I also like how riding it feels at once vintage (especially in its agricultural shifting—shades of my earlier Bullet and Sportster) and yet refined. Only 17 miles (the test ride) into my roundel renaissance (which was not an early version of the band-name that became My Chemical Romance), I can't wait for spring to wash away the snow, ice, and salt and let me pile up some more.
In closing, I'm glad to be here and will likely be soaking up knowledge in the Oilhead forum.
Cheers,
Verstehen (a.k.a., Lex)
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