What do non-riders say about the R?

[DJ Downunder]

When he saw the BMW he blew up!! "Je**s Ch***t, you bought a G*D*MN Kraut motorcycle" "What the hell's wrong with riding a Harley?",

Too funny...

DJ

[beemerphile]

What looked to me like a wannabe Harley rider (prejudice showing) wheeled up beside me on his ragged out bicycle at a gas station and stopped to give my R the onceover. The he looks at me with all the seriousness he could muster and says...

"Direct drive, no chain"

I said: "Yeah, been that was since 1923"

He said: "Don't look that old"

I said: "Me or the bike?"

He said (like I wasn't joking): "The bike"

[scottybooj]

hotzuk???

Well, I was playing hooking from work

You're a man of the night?

[Kazushi]

I have a friend who is a Triumph rider, about a year ago he traded is his old Triumph for a newer model (daytona 955?), once I got my R850R I payed him a visit to show off... He went crazy, he kept saying, wow you did it, find me one too !!! got to have one....

I guess he appreciates quality over HP

[ebolean]

no stories yet - but I really enjoyed the ones posted so far

Bob

[tor1150r]

I get much of the same as the others.
Mostly nods of approval but the best is 'BMW makes bikes?', or, 'THAT must of cost a few $$'.

Whatever the comment is, this bike is sick enough to warrant some kind of acknowlegement by most passers-by.

[dragonmojo]

Usually it's "how much" and/or "how fast"?

So I tell 'em $20,000 and/or 200mph, since I figure they aren't resourceful enough to do their own research. And if they don't believe me, perhaps it was enough to light a fire under 'em to do a little research.

Otherwise, I can remain smug being the proud owner of a honkin' fast $20,000 bike.

[Eqyn Dad]

We were doing a bike raffle at the local Quaker Steak & Lube (Bike Night) last year for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and I had pulled my R right up near the tent. I overheard one "biker" tell another buddy, "man look at the size of those carbs".

[Boxer]

I pulled into a Chevron off of I-20 on my way to Texas with the Roadster strapped on the back of my little truck. There was a group of bikers there with mostly Harleys and a couple of GoldWings. The ones inside the store told me they had come from Lubbock and were heading back after a visit to a prison in Louisiana. They were members of a Christian Riding group.

Well, one big guy in the parking lot had ventured over to my truck and was studying the bike. I didn't have the cases on and he asked me what that round thing was on the right side below the seat. I explained about the charcoal canister and he just laughed and said he thought for a minute it was a turbo contraption of some sort. He liked the bike though and was complimentary since he had other buddies who rode Airheads.

[gagator79]

I was headed to my brother's house on Easter Sunday for dinner...stopped at a light and a Chevy Avalanche pulls up next to me. A 60-65 year old woman leans out of the passenger window and says "Wow...Nice Bike!!". Her husband was driving and said "I have always wanted one of those...best looking bike on the road". He said he had been riding a Honda for many years, but always wanted a Roadster.

Gotta love it...

[Mclintoc]

I've got a rockster, and, though I love the styling, I didn't expect most others to like it, but I get compliments on it wherever I go.

My favorite comment was, "you riding across country?" The implication was that, even though I didn't have any luggage on the bike, a bike that "exotic" must surely be from somewhere else. I said, "no, just riding around town."

A few people have commented on the price, thinking I must have some dough to be riding a Beemer, when in fact my bike cost a lot less than the Harley that the average blue-collar joe is riding.

I think, but I don't know, that in Europe they have more of a stigma. Only a certain group of people ride Beemers and you know who they are before they open their mouths. I only infer this from reading Brit Bike Mags. But I would like to hear from you Europeans on this. In the US the market is dominated by Harleys and if you don't ride a Harley you ride a crotch rocket (or Goldwing), and so people are at a loss to classify you, which is the best part of it.

[sjbmw]

I was in a crowd of american made v-twin owners and someone piped up "shoulda bought a harley" and I replied "cant afford it I only had 10k to spend on a bike I am not rich enough to own one of those, maybe someday"

the other guys standing there went "only 10k?" in amazement.
a few of them started getting a closer look....asking questions...yes it's a twin cyclinder...

guy was sorry he made that comment my bike was the center of attention.

[Kazushi]

BMW bikes are easier to find in EU, in Greece we have R's from WWII that are still ride worthy, I see one or two at least once a month...

The past couple of years, the GS has become very popular, they have become a status symbol and everyone regardless of background wants a GS (when they can't afford a Cayen) !! This was the main reason I got a R and not a GS

Currently we have three bike tribes, the neo-biker who buys a GS because everyone else does, we have the BMW enthousiasts, and we have all the rest...

I think, but I don't know, that in Europe they have more of a stigma. Only a certain group of people ride Beemers and you know who they are before they open their mouths. I only infer this from reading Brit Bike Mags. But I would like to hear from you Europeans on this. In the US the market is dominated by Harleys and if you don't ride a Harley you ride a crotch rocket (or Goldwing), and so people are at a loss to classify you, which is the best part of it.

[Darius]

I recently bought a 2004 r1150r silver with 6500 miles. I found it on this board which continues to be a very valuable information source (shifting technique, oil burning, brake squeal, cleaning, seat discomfort, etc.)

When I purchased the bike I sent pictures to family and friends and received the following reactions:

From Mom: Gorgeous, Have you given it a name?
From brother #1: I would rather not see you on one of these, unless you’re riding around your basement slowly.
From Brother #2: Chicks will swarm!
From Brother #2's 3 year old son: That's cool!
From a friend to just moved to CO: Looks like you could get here (from NH) by bike in about an hour.

From some of my rides:

A long hair hippie type in a Jeep pulls up next to me at a light with a big smile on his face, gives me a thumbs up and says: “Nice, bike!"

At another light a quasi red neck looking driver in his 18 wheeler missed his green light while looking down at me waiting to turn left. Cars behind him started honking which is when I looked up and saw him half smiling half gawking at me. He let another half green pass before moving on.

Fueling up one day a man approached and wanted to know all about the bike. Told me he was restoring an early 70's BMW auto. He wanted to know all about the R engine. He almost refused to believe the bike was two years old, a tribute to the original owner. If his wife wasn’t waiting impatiently in the truck I might still be talking to him.

Needless to say I am thrilled to be riding an r1150r.

[Skiman]

" What does "Ruzor" mean?"(referring to the lettering on the Rocks tank)

"Wow! It has 2 engines!! That must go wicked fast!!"

"Where is the exhaust?" (After I droped the can) I replied that it was a Hydrogen fuel cell and that water dripped out of the cat.

and I guess this is common: "What kind of bike is that really? BMW doesn't make motorcycles!!"

[dragonmojo]

And the one I will not hear again for another 8 months....."You ride in the winter, YOU ARE CRAZY!"

FOUR months of winter is 4 months too many!

[dragonmojo]

My favorite is from my girlfriend: "That's a very sexy bike" Which just goes to prove that red is definetly the best color.

That's what I keep telling these guys..........

My bikes ARE my girlfriends...

[dwayne]

My Harley riding friends say my BMW is ugly. On the other hand, BMW riders simply look at the odomoter and check the mileage. Some will occasionally ask if the bike surges.

Whether I'm riding my HD or BMW, most non-riders will typically ask how fast the bike will go or how much it cost. Then they'll sometimes tell a story about a friend who seriously injured himself on a motorcycle.

Ditto.

[JCsman]

Had an engineering consultant I was working with look at the right hand cylinder and ask, "What's that?" He was amazed when I showed him the oposing cylinder. Apparently he'd never noticed a boxer layout before. Of course he saw the 150mph speedometer and assumed it would hit 150.

Another engineer, knowing I'd come a couple of hundred miles that morning said, "But it's so small...".

[Lost Rider]

The one I like is "You'd better get some guards for those heads in case you have to lay her down".

I explained I have no intentions of "laying her down". She stops must faster on rubber tires.

I get that one quite a bit.