Memories......

[riceburner]

We've all been riding long enough to have some good memories and stories about our derring-do on 1150s (and possibly lesser bikes ), so does anyone have anything they'd like to share?

One of my overriding memories is my very first ever ride on a standard Rockster. I was looking for a 'do-it-all' bike to serve as a commuter, tourer, and riding-for-fun bike to replace an ageing ZR550 Zephyr, and a 54,000 mile ZXR400. The ZXR gave me kicks, the Zephyr was reliable and easy to work on. I also wanted a bike was very easy to maintain.

So - I did some research and book test rides on a Moto Guzzi Ballabio, and a Rockster. Both looked to have easy to maintain, low-tech engines, plenty of torque, a sit-up riding position, and good reviews.


The Guzzi was disappointing, and the customer service from the shop wasn't great (the test ride was 'led' by the sales-guy who never took me over 40mph... ).

Come the Rockster though, and the sales-team couldn't be more helpful, I was treated like a favoured guest, rather than an inconvenience, and was given as much time as I needed (until closing time). I fired up the bike and went out for an hour's thash with my brother on his R1100S.

By the time I came back I was utterly sold, and I still remember the exact moment: coming out of a village, uphill, we both opened the bikes up hard, and ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iEg3Q- ... el=jtology

Still makes my spine tingle just thinking about that moment.


Just because a bike is sensibly easy to maintain, relatively economical and adaptable to almost any riding task, does not mean it has to be boring!
(oh - and yes I've ridden Japanese litre sports bikes: eg GSXR1000, they don't make me feel special)

[riceburner]

Nobody got any stories to share?

(I put this in the R1150R sub forum in the hope that more people would see it).

[towerworker]

I'm trying hard to respond, most times the board kicks me out?? Lots of login problems these days.

[towerworker]

Maybe I'm lucky this morning!

January 2008, dropped my '04 r on ice and broke left leg in a major way......I now have an expensive piece of titanium that far outweighed the value of the bike at the time.

July 2020, dropped my new to me '05 RT on gravel. Roticerated my right foot about 120 degrees clockwise. It's not really supposed to go that far. But thankfully no damage either time to the BMW's.

Does this count? I've got a bunch more...........

[riceburner]

I'm trying hard to respond, most times the board kicks me out?? Lots of login problems these days.

I know what you mean. I couldn't login for about an hour this morning.

[riceburner]

Maybe I'm lucky this morning!

January 2008, dropped my '04 r on ice and broke left leg in a major way......I now have an expensive piece of titanium that far outweighed the value of the bike at the time.

July 2020, dropped my new to me '05 RT on gravel. Roticerated my right foot about 120 degrees clockwise. It's not really supposed to go that far. But thankfully no damage either time to the BMW's.

Does this count? I've got a bunch more...........

TBH I was kinda hoping for happier memories.... but if that's the way you roll (or not!)

[kirby]

Back in '03 I had bought a K1200RS and had rode about 1000 miles and was getting used to the weight and wheelbase. I very smooth and fast machine but I need to get the first service in at the BMW dealer (always get the first service on a new machine at the place of purchase)itI was the largest and oldest BMW dealer in SoCal but located 160 miles away across the LA basin.

Well I got the machine down there in late afternoon and dropped it off and checked into a motel as I would spent the night and they were going to do it the next day in the AM.
That morning I walked over the dealer and was walking around their big show room when I spotted the Rockster.

Asked the salesman about this strange looking machine as I had never seen one before. He filled me in on some of the details and gave me the brochure to study. I then went on line and after reading the articles completed my introduction.

Then the owner of the dealership came over and we started a conversation . It seems they had 4 Rocksters and had sold the first three fairly quickly but the "burnt orange" one had been sitting on the floor for over 6 months and very few regular BMW types were even interested in talking about it. Seems the traditional Beemer buyer thought it was an ugly joke.

I was intrigued to say the least and just by sitting on it I decided right there I wanted one. So I asked ?how much??

He answered "how much will you offer"....Ha!

Long story shortened...I paid $10,000 w/bags out the door.
I was laughing all the way home!!!

So traded my K bike on it first 1,000 miles and have never looked back..Its was the start to a beautiful relationship that is still in play to this day...

:-)

[riceburner]

Great tale Kirby - the Rockster just gets under your skin if you let it!

[swamper]

My introduction to the R1150R was somewhat of a surprise. I had had a R1100GS a 96, bought it with few miles from a divorced wife who got it in a settlement. Funny the divorce was over the bike, the husband said the bike stays or you go, she ended up with the bike. It only had a few miles on it and had been setting in the garage for a few years, yes she got the house also. I tried to love that bike, my first BMW. I put the usually stuff to make it comfortable but it never got there. It had the factory top case and side cases and I got a nice Rick Myers seat, tried bar backs also. Sold it after a couple years and wrote off BMW's as I thought they only had two models, GS and RT's.
So kept riding my Harleys and wasn't considering anymore other bikes. Went on a summer two week ride I think it was 08 or 09 with my son (V-Strom 650) and riding partner (R1200GS), I rode my Road King (96). We toured though California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. I was hard pressed to keep up with those two but that was fine. They kept a good pace and kept telling me they heard a lot of noise but didn't see me much. Anyway pulled into Hanksville Utah, middle of nowhere for gas one morning and there was a guy on a 2004 silver R1150R. He was loaded for touring and camping and I remember thinking that looks like the perfect touring BMW, sort of a naked RT and somewhat like a GS but way sportier. The guy had installed hand gaurds, skid plate, and had the BMW touring windscreen. I talked with him for about a hour about his bike, he was heading offroad (Gravel) to Bullfrog. My BMW riding partner was amazed that I never new the other models BMW had. I said when we get home I'm going to buy one of those.
When we got back home I looked at Graigslist and found a guy sell two R1150R's (02 & 04). They were both in like new condition with factory lugage and had low miles. Ended up buying both, Silver 04 for me and the Black 02 for my son. I've been a BMW enthusiast ever since buying that first R1150R.

[Boxer]

The latest Slablog Podcast is Mark Cooperstein, an original member of the board here, relating his memories from a trip he took in 1972. Have a listen.

Mark Cooperstein Slablog Podcast