newguy asks - R1100S models to avoid?

[bradzdotcom]

aaacckkk!
i get up this morning and there's a bbs hairball that's still stuck.
soo...hack on this for a while.

i have the '04 rep. i have saddlebags and mounts for it too. i've even been seen in public with them bolted on in all their bland, black glory.

i guess i'm the odd one out, but i bought the S specifically because it was a good dual-purpose bike.

it can go touring. it can go through the twisty roads.

it doesn't do either of these things brilliantly. sometimes it doesn't do it well at all.
most times, it does both things "okay". maybe "pretty good" at best.
but it's not a touring bike and it's not a canyon carver.

it's a dual purpose bike.


at least, that's why i bought it.
oh, and in my job, if it DOESN"T have a shiit load of the appropriate stickers on it...people will stare and point.

...brad
ps: from what i've read on this board, you can raise, lower, pull-back, push-away, slide, remove, grind and "upgrade" dang near every part you can see. and then some.
go for the best dollar deal. half the fun of adopting an S is playing with it.

i suggest a scavenger hunt: why don't some of you guys go out there and track down a really good deal on a bike, then figure out what you need to tweak it (like ck's build-a-bike), and give this man a few options? (besides, it's always fun to spend someone else's money).

[Rapid Dog]

what Brad said.
...so Brad, how DO you touch the ground on that Bahnstormer?...

[Highlander179]

Maybe Brad's not short in the inseam, Pops?

[Rapid Dog]

...specifically because it was a good dual-purpose bike.

well said...

The biggest 'S" myth is that it is a "BMW Sportbike"....not!
BMW has always, and will continue to make widely focused, utilitarian motorcycles.
No matter how they dress it up, it's still a touring machine, that likes to roll thru sweepers...

Now that's all I need...

[bradzdotcom]

i wear 30 inseam levis, so i ain't no gazelle.
when i stop at a light, i touch the ground the way i was taught:
right foot on peg, brake casually on.
left hand on lever, brake FIRMLY on.
clutch in, bike in first gear. idle. only idle.
the left big toe (and a tiny bit of the others) goes on the ground.
if you can't reach, you can scoot your hips just a smidgen to the left when stopping. an inch of hip is worth about 2 inches of leg.
when you balance yourself properly, there's not much weight on the toe.

and not much chance of somebody rear-ending you and spitting you too far forward (like into traffic at an intersection), because if they do hit you, you're probably going to low-side immediately (front brake) and if your hand slips off the clutch from the jolt, the bike will die (first gear/idle).


...brad

[elquicko]

[i]
clutch in, bike in first gear. idle. only idle.
[/B]

Thank you for stating this! I ride with a guy who insists on revving his KRS at every light like he is on the line at a GP race. Don't know if he is trying to impress or what. So annoying!
Incidentally, he also rides a Harley which I think is where he picked up this horrible habit.
Sorry to hijack.
Ryan

[Rapid Dog]

...listen up good sonnyboy, Uncle Brad here is tryin' to teach ya something.
I have a 32 inch inseam and even I can barely flat-foot...though I do have the rear shock stretched a few silly millimeters...

[JonyRR]

'zactly what brad said; I'm also 'little', 5'6" & 29" inseam and I have no problem at all...the above technique is exactly correct for both a street and dirt bike. I have a KTM 380 and have no issues with it, either; just find a tree to lean up against, and when you're riding you should never have to put your feet on the ground and rarely take 'em off the pegs anyway.
Proper balance is the first thing a motorcycle rider should learn; go buy a trials bike and ride it religiously for a year or 2 and see how much your street riding improves....you'll be amazed at how much better everything is when you can balance correctly; anyone remember seeing the old-time trials riders stop the bike, turn off the engine, crawl around on the scoot and even do a headstand on the seat, all with no sidestand down? Even practicing on a mountain bicycle is good for this.

[Highlander179]

Originally posted by Rapid Dog
well said...

The biggest 'S" myth is that it is a "BMW Sportbike"....not!
BMW has always, and will continue to make widely focused, utilitarian motorcycles.
No matter how they dress it up, it's still a touring machine, that likes to roll thru sweepers...

Now that's all I need...

You're contradicting yourself. Its not a touring machine either.

[Rapid Dog]

...um, uh, okeh whatever you say Highlander...

...now that Jony guy, he's old as dirt!, at least 70's dirt...

[Highlander179]

Originally posted by Rapid Dog
...listen up good sonnyboy, Uncle Brad here is tryin' to teach ya something.
I have a 32 inch inseam and even I can barely flat-foot...though I do have the rear shock stretched a few silly millimeters...

Why the hell do you think you need to flat-foot? If you need to flat-foot than maybe you should be riding a V-Rod. I'm listening to Brad. He is very knowledgeable and not condescending about it either. Maybe you should listen too?

Isn't it time for you to take your nap?

BTW, I could be as old as you, for all you know. I just don't think old or complain like my gramma does.

[ckcarr]

Originally posted by Highlander179
BTW, I could be as old as you, for all you know. I just don't think old or complain like my gramma does.

No you aren't.

And we are old and wise so we can find things like this: Birthday February 2, 1972

[JonyRR]

Or how about just 'stronger than dirt'...now queue up some Doors, Rapid, pass the mushroom bowl around, turn on the blacklight over the hendrix poster and let's party....(I bet I'm younger than you by one year!)

[Highlander179]

Originally posted by ckcarr And we are old and wise so we can find things like this: Birthday February 2, 1972 [/B]

Nice one. Can you also tell how many fingers I'm holding up right now.

You're a funny man, CK!

BTW, ageism works both ways.

[Rapid Dog]

...I don't get about you old folk...

now just a freekin' minute...nobodys condecending here so don't get your fur all brushed backwards...

that said, you're remark (above) seems to communicate you're just a pup...with an attitude, so what gives?

sheesh!

[ckcarr]

Yes! Just one, the middle one no doubt (if I was Shannon I'd have a picture).

[Rapid Dog]

...or you could be 1 year older JRR!...

...mushroom bowl, heh heh, that IS funny

[JonyRR]

You'll love this one, youngsters;
My license plate frame says it all:

better a has-been
than a wanna-be

[bradzdotcom]

in the "old days" right after steam engines faded out, i was a magazine guy and the manfacturers took all of the mag guys out on multi-day junkets to try their stuff. most of us rode/tested both street and dirt. most of us were avid racers and NONE of us were riding anything we had any respect for. all our test bikes were always run through the crusher after we were finished...so we were far from gentle with them. part of our job was to try and break them.

and we were a picky bunch, especially about things like the stopped procedure, and throttle blipping. we always had to train newbies.

teach somebody the right procedure. then, when they stop later and revert back to the wrong way, you can lightly tap them from behind (a little love bump to the rear wheel) to remind them.

throttle blippers are usually guys who started out riding in dirt.
we dealt with throttle blippers by first using embarassment. pull next to the blipper, hold your throttle a little over halfway open....leave it there....lean over and look directly at him. when three or four guys surround a blipper and do this....they tend to stop blipping.
the other method (a bit more abrupt) was to wait until you got to a light, get off your bike, take his ignition key out and drop it on the ground in front of his front wheel. that worked too.

of course, being older, wiser, fatter and slower i would NEVER EVER do any of the afore-mentioned these days.

...brad

[Highlander179]

Originally posted by Rapid Dog
now just a freekin' minute...nobodys condecending here so don't get your fur all brushed backwards...

that said, you're remark (above) seems to communicate you're just a pup...with an attitude, so what gives?

sheesh!

sorry I forgot the emoticon. It was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. Like, ya know, "old guys sitting on the front stoop with chaw in cheek complainin' bout the world revolving too fast." Maybe if I had this , , , , , , or , it might not have come off as hard. Who knows.

Anyway, I give up. I need some more coffe.