Well, I'm back from a day at the BMW doctor's office with the Touring Limo. All in all a very fun and productive day. Got to ride the RT up and back, Nate's crew chief solved the mystery of the blown headlamps, I test rode the F800GS and got to talk about next season with Nate Kern.
The mystery is really weird. It seems that the stereo system was only the catalyst and nothing more. The right low beam headlamp leed (yellow) and severely chaffed and when the bass notes vibrated the leed it went to ground and that blew the bulbs. A temporary fix is now in place while I await a completely new head light assembly. Go figure that one. It has prolly esisted since installation and only presented itself because I use the stereo system. First owner didn't.
The GS test run was a kick. If you ride it you will want to buy it. Great feel, brakes and overall smootheness. Not over powered but enough to let you know that you can call on it when needed. Bike only had 80 miles on it so I didn't exceed 5k on the revs. Very good ergo's and the seat was more comfortable for my taste than my RT low seat. The bike is definately not too tall for us height challenged dudes. Chain drive is very smooth. Sorry Curve but chain technology has advanced also. After the boxer this bike is anoraxic in it's width. You do feel a little heat from the radiator on the inside of your thighs. I wonder how that will feel in th heat of summer? Displays are very easy to interpret even without reading the owners manual. The stock suspension on rough asphalt was nominal. The tires had not yet been scrubbed in but I could tell that with a third of a tank of gas it will heel very nicely. Getting on and off with the topbox is somewhat awkard for us short legged riders. BMW still needs to perfect a sidestand that locks in place when there is weight on the bike. You'd still want to have it in gear when parked. Speaking of gears, They were really smooth, both up and down shifting. Well, if I win lotto I'll go get one immediately after I quit my job.
My conversation with Nate was productive from a BMWSR point of view. This next season will be one of transition in my opinion. This is solely my opinion after our talk. I can only say that Nate will be much more visible to many who like to hang out where bikes all run in the same direction. This next year will be one of those fleeting opportunities to rub elbows with a master of BMW racing. Don't miss out on your shot when it comes your way. Nate has become a dedicated student of racing the BMW way.
There are lots of bike on the show room floor including a HP2S ABS. Didn't have the K13S there yet but there a real deals to be had on K12S's.
Like I said, it was like a free run in the candy store today. Temp 75 with clouds and no rain. Yep, it was a good BMW day all around. I feel sorry for all you riders that are snowed in right now. Spring's coming.
