[Rick Lee]

I got the bug a little over a year ago, when a Porsche buddy pulled the cover off his concourse-condition '71 R75/5, white with toaster tank. I got my license a week later and had an '04 R1150R two weeks after that. I really wanted an older one too, as the 993 is almost maint. free now and I need stuff to tinker with. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted the modern safety features of a newer Beemer. Then the job situation changed and I had to start commuting to downtown DC again. This made the bike especially practical, since I could use the carpool lanes with it. Now I have the macdaddy of newish Beemers and couldn't be happier. I still drool over the classic airheads. But I don't long for drum brakes, fussy carbs and weak lighting. When things change, I hope to have an older one, but it will be a weekend toy while my GS remains my reliable, commuter, long-trip workhorse.