New addition to the stable. A BMW...."Bring More Wallet")

[VanRiver]

Due to my "Mental Illness" of loving big cruiser motorcycles and my profound addiction to always watching the motorcycle section of Craig's list....I broke down and bought another bike "I just had to have". Picked up a 1999 K1200LT BMW that has been parked in a gentleman's back yard for the last 6 years. He rode it up to Calgary Canada from Florida and then just parked it and never rode again due to age, illness, and life getting in the way......long story short I was able to pick it up for a song ( 1,100 USD) from a really really nice guy who wanted his once charished BMW to go to a good home.

 

Sorry Mother Yamaha to stray from your loving brand, but you need to build me a NEW water cooled V4 cruiser again!!!!!

 

I think the BMW should polish up nice (since she was out in the sun unprotected for so many years I need to redo all the upholstery (seat, rear speaker covers,etc) and install a new windshield but that is expected.....everything else weathered pretty good considering the elements up here in Canada.

 

Will be nice to have some modern conveniences on a bike, like ABS, motorised adjustable windshield, heated seats and grips etc..... which I miss on my MKII Ventures.

 

Here she is fresh from being picked her up from the seller's house...... before any cleaning, polishing, wrench turning and loving from her new owner......now the fun starts to learn how the Germans build bikes! And to find a fitting name for her too of course.

 

 

[cowpuc]

:scared:Absolutely GORGEOUS Riv!!!! Definitely a treasure to which I say = CONGRATS MY BROTHER:thumbsup:!!

Hmmmm,, name,,, lets see here,, what pops into ol Puc's mind,,,,, ok,,,,, if it werent for the fact that you already checked her gender and found out she's a she I would have suggested "Chance" - a solid eloquent western manly name with a possible sublimenal hidden message of "Mom Yam, you had your Chance"..

Being she's a she I might suggest something like "FiFi" as in Fine Find but pronounced Feeee Feeee!!

What ever ya name her I would like to welcome her to her new home!! Give er hug from ol Puc and tell er I seen it before = her probability of finding her way back to CTFWing where she belongs just went up 100% by landing in the hands of my buddy Riv!!!!

[BlueSky]

Beautiful bike in the photos. A guy in chicago is the president of a K1200LT club and he posts a lot of good info on the web.

 

One of my neighbors recently sold his with 115k miles on it and bought a leftover 2014 Kawaski Concours. He rides 70 miles a day going to and from work.

[CaseyJ955]

That is sleek and smooth! Excellent acquisition!

 

Dont worry about Mother Yamaha, she didnt worry about us .

 

Luckily Mother Yamaha is free to produce air cooled narrow angle twins and put them in bikes that weight more than the effen sun!

Luckily We are free to purchase performance touring bikes from manufacturers that still make them with a focus on a gem of an engine.

 

I think your really going to like that K1200. Pretty silky smooth liquid cooled inline 4, DOHC, 4 valves/cyl, EFI and other. I got to ride one a short ways and it was impressive, the torque and silky smoothness. I most recall how relaxed and stable it was at very illegal speeds. It was the first big bike I rode and by the time my feet were up it felt like a much lighter machine.

 

One thing I respect about the Germans is they prioritize Function before Form, then go back and perfect the form. Many of the tourers for the American market are Form before Function, which might become obvious if you go in with high expectations and push them to hard. I suspect you and I are on the same page about what a touring bike should be, or you would not have bought that thing!

 

Telelever is sweet but might take some getting used to, it feels different. Google final drive issues, a few had them. They can be finicky so maintenance is critical on that actual authentic Performance Touring Bike! I suspect you may be spending a few bucks to get her back on the road. Dont forget to check tire date codes since it's been parked a while.

 

You can "chip" that bike for a boost in performance and get some neat exhaust systems if that is necessary. Please keep us posted on how this comes along, I'm really interested in this. Had I found that bike instead of you it would be in my workshop. See, I'm excited for you, on your behalf!

[RandyR]

Very Nice!! I had a 1997 K1100 for several years and it was a sweet riding motorcycle. I'd only had 'naked' bikes before, this being my first with a fairing and windshield.

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by RandyR

[VanRiver]

Thanks @cowpuc, you are the Grand Master of naming motorcycles! I think "Fee Fee" is perfect!!!!!!!! The more I price replacement parts and filters for this bike the phrase "WOW that is a high FEE $$$" is always coming to mind......but I like your analogy of "Fine Find" best!

 

Thanks as aways buddy!!!! "Fee Fee" says Hi and hopes to meet you, Tippy and Tweeksis some day! Speaking of Tweeksis, hope she had a good time out at the Yamaha event and rubbed elbows with the new generation Yamaha's! They have a lot to learn from her.

 

:scared:Absolutely GORGEOUS Riv!!!! Definitely a treasure to which I say = CONGRATS MY BROTHER:thumbsup:!!

Hmmmm,, name,,, lets see here,, what pops into ol Puc's mind,,,,, ok,,,,, if it werent for the fact that you already checked her gender and found out she's a she I would have suggested "Chance" - a solid eloquent western manly name with a possible sublimenal hidden message of "Mom Yam, you had your Chance"..

Being she's a she I might suggest something like "FiFi" as in Fine Find but pronounced Feeee Feeee!!

What ever ya name her I would like to welcome her to her new home!! Give er hug from ol Puc and tell er I seen it before = her probability of finding her way back to CTFWing where she belongs just went up 100% by landing in the hands of my buddy Riv!!!!

[VanRiver]

Hi @BlueSky! I totally agree, the guy in Chicago you mentioned has made some totally AWESOME videos on youtube for the K1200LT!!! I also like his Chicagoland, I'm just waiting for him to say "Da Bears" in one of his videos! I have been spending hours watching them, even before I bought the bike just to educate myself on these "strange" motorcycles. My hat is off to that guy and I think I may have to make a small donation to his motorcycle club for the value I have gotten from those videos. If I had more time (and skill) I would have liked to do something similar for our DIY Venture maintenance topics but....I always find a reason not to record when I do a job on my bike.....or what I do try to record and edit looks so unprofessional that I never post it.

 

Beautiful bike in the photos. A guy in chicago is the president of a K1200LT club and he posts a lot of good info on the web.

 

One of my neighbors recently sold his with 115k miles on it and bought a leftover 2014 Kawaski Concours. He rides 70 miles a day going to and from work.

[cowpuc]

Thanks cowpuc, you are the Grand Master of naming motorcycles! I think "Fee Fee" is perfect!!!!!!!! The more I price replacement parts and filters for this bike the phrase "WOW that is a high FEE $$$" is always coming to mind......but I like your analogy of "Fine Find" best!

 

Thanks as aways buddy!!!! "Fee Fee" says Hi and hopes to meet you, Tippy and Tweeksis some day! Speaking of Tweeksis, hope she had a good time out at the Yamaha event and rubbed elbows with the new generation Yamaha's! They have a lot to learn from her.

 

You are welcome brother = ANYTIME!!

 

Tweeksis had a RIOT out there!!! Guys at the main parking gate for the official Americade unveiling and show area treated her like she was some kind magical Icon = should a seen her prancing around in there... Just before the unveiling happened we took her up the road a few miles to get her blessed by a couple of wonderful Christian Motorcycle Association members who had a booth set up (see pic). We all joined hands and the lovely couple asked the Lord to bless Tweeksis with good health and fair winds = really special!! When we came back to the unveiling we were late so we parked on the road side (metered parking for cars) and I kept an eye on her - sheesh,,, even the local towns people were taking pics of that sweet lady - definitely a respectable bunch of folks in the town of Lake George.. Sorry about the Riv,,, got me all wound up talking bikes!! Looking forward to the day we meet and I get to see your new scoot (WOW = truly a FINE FIND brother!!).. Hot Dogs for everyone when that happens my friend!! Ride em if ya got em and brother - WE got em aint we?

Edited June 11, 2017 by cowpuc

[VanRiver]

Howdy CaseyJ955! Yes, you hit the nail on the head when it comes to Function and Form. As a example, although this BMW has all the bells and whistles on her, all the controls are so simple and clean on the handle bars compared to other bikes including my MKII.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the Telelever feel and the final drive issues! As for the performance chip upgrade, I confirmed that my bike already has that "upgrade" installed so I'm pleased with that!

 

Check out this Stuntman and BWM professional test rider wheely this 900+LB machine (wow!!!) You will need to skip to the 9 minute and 15 second mark of the video to see him ride the big old K1200LT.......Wish my MKII could lift the front wheel off the ground like that!:

 

 

That is sleek and smooth! Excellent acquisition!

 

Dont worry about Mother Yamaha, she didnt worry about us .

 

Luckily Mother Yamaha is free to produce air cooled narrow angle twins and put them in bikes that weight more than the effen sun!

Luckily We are free to purchase performance touring bikes from manufacturers that still make them with a focus on a gem of an engine.

 

I think your really going to like that K1200. Pretty silky smooth liquid cooled inline 4, DOHC, 4 valves/cyl, EFI and other. I got to ride one a short ways and it was impressive, the torque and silky smoothness. I most recall how relaxed and stable it was at very illegal speeds. It was the first big bike I rode and by the time my feet were up it felt like a much lighter machine.

 

One thing I respect about the Germans is they prioritize Function before Form, then go back and perfect the form. Many of the tourers for the American market are Form before Function, which might become obvious if you go in with high expectations and push them to hard. I suspect you and I are on the same page about what a touring bike should be, or you would not have bought that thing!

 

Telelever is sweet but might take some getting used to, it feels different. Google final drive issues, a few had them. They can be finicky so maintenance is critical on that actual authentic Performance Touring Bike! I suspect you may be spending a few bucks to get her back on the road. Dont forget to check tire date codes since it's been parked a while.

 

You can "chip" that bike for a boost in performance and get some neat exhaust systems if that is necessary. Please keep us posted on how this comes along, I'm really interested in this. Had I found that bike instead of you it would be in my workshop. See, I'm excited for you, on your behalf!

Edited June 11, 2017 by VanRiver

[VanRiver]

Hi @RandyR, thanks! Your K1100 is a pretty sweet ride.....you always remember your first! Do you still have the K1100 or did she find another owner when you upgraded to your current scoot?

 

Very Nice!! I had a 1997 K1100 for several years and it was a sweet riding motorcycle. I'd only had 'naked' bikes before, this being my first with a fairing and windshield (and 1st with shaft drive).

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=109348

[VanRiver]

cowpuc my friend, you can hijack my threads anytime, actually I encourage it!!!!!! I'm really glad Tweeksis got the respect and adoration she deserved at the event! I still believe Tippy and you should have been in those Yamaha promo videos and brought up on stage to state the truth compared to those other couples they found! "We don't need Bluetooth I can get that for $200 aftermarket, we need the water cooled V4 engine from the vMax!" as the Yamaha executives start scrambling on stage and probably throwing real knives at ya!

 

 

You are welcome brother = ANYTIME!!

 

Tweeksis had a RIOT out there!!! Guys at the main parking gate for the official Americade unveiling and show area treated her like she was some kind magical Icon = should a seen her prancing around in there... Just before the unveiling happened we took her up the road a few miles to get her blessed by a couple of wonderful Christian Motorcycle Association members who had a booth set up (see pic). We all joined hands and the lovely couple asked the Lord to bless Tweeksis with good health and fair winds = really special!! When we came back to the unveiling we were late so we parked on the road side (metered parking for cars) and I kept an eye on her - sheesh,,, even the local towns people were taking pics of that sweet lady - definitely a respectable bunch of folks in the town of Lake George.. Sorry about the Riv,,, got me all wound up talking bikes!! Looking forward to the day we meet and I get to see your new scoot (WOW = truly a FINE FIND brother!!).. Hot Dogs for everyone when that happens my friend!! Ride em if ya got em and brother - WE got em aint we?

[RandyR]

Hi RandyR, thanks! Your K1100 is a pretty sweet ride.....you always remember your first! Do you still have the K1100 or did she find another owner when you upgraded to your current scoot?

 

Well, the K1100 was my first bike with fairing and windshield, but probably my 10th motorcycle more or less. I've been riding since 1964. Mostly street Hondas and Triumphs previously, with a Yamaha XS1100 thrown in. The K1100 wasn't repaired properly following an accident and insurance claim. So I washed my hands of it as I wasn't in the mood to fight with them any more. But, fast forward a couple years and I bought a new RSTD in 2008 which I still own. I'm not sure the RSTD is an upgrade from the K1100.

 

Not in the picture of the K1100 were removable bags and luggage box. It was a nice package.

Edited June 11, 2017 by RandyR

[CaseyJ955]

Howdy CaseyJ955! Yes, you hit the nail on the head when it comes to Function and Form. As a example, although this BMW has all the bells and whistles on her, all the controls are so simple and clean on the handle bars compared to other bikes including my MKII.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the Telelever feel and the final drive issues! As for the performance chip upgrade, I confirmed that my bike already has that "upgrade" installed so I'm pleased with that!

 

Check out this Stuntman and BWM professional test rider wheely this 900+LB machine (wow!!!) You will need to skip to the 9 minute and 15 second mark of the video to see him ride the big old K1200LT.......Wish my MKII could lift the front wheel off the ground like that!:

 

 

Now theres a guy that can flick a massive touring machine around like a YZ250. That is something to see!