What do non-riders say about the R?

[Wass]

I was stopped at a light on my Rockster and there was this guy at the gas station kittycorner to where I was, about 75 yards away, pumping gas. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but man was he gesturing wildly at my bike to his buddy.
I think he liked it. Or hated it.
I zoomed away very quickly when the light turned, gave the dude a friendly wave.

[nova1150r]

I stopped by the Star Bucks to take a break from work and sat outside to enjoy the weather. I rode my bike there and while I was relaxing a man asked me if that was my motorcycle and I told him "Yes". He asked me what kind it was so I told him it was a BMW. He said "Nice. Did you know there's a car company by that name too?" I told him, "No, I didn't know that! Thanks for telling me."

[vinman]

I rode my BMW to the 2004 Sturgis Rally with another BMW rider. At one point, we stopped at a Crackle Barrel for breakfast. On the way out, I was greeted at the cash register by a nice elderly lady. She smiled at me and asked if we were riding Harleys. When I told her we were BMW riders, she looked bewildered. Either she never heard of BMW two-wheelers or she couldn't believe we weren't following the sheep on Harleys. I didn't bothered to ask.

This is not unusual in some parts of the country. I've run into quite a few people that didn't know BMW made motorcycles. I had one old guy at a gas station in Ohio that stood right next to my bike while I was fueling, staring at the bike and shaking his head in disbelief the whole time. At another gas station I saw this BIG guy pull up on his harley. He looked the part: shaved head, goatee, no shirt, leather vest, girlfriend on the back of his bike wearing high heels. He's sees me filling up and immediately walks right over to me looking at me and then my bike. He was about 6'2", maybe more, and easily 250 lbs. But a muscular 250. I'm 5'8", 155 lbs. He doesn't say anything and has a very serious look on his face. So after a few uncomfortable seconds and me deciding that my meager skills in jiu jitsu aren't going to be enough to handle this guy, I smiled and said "Ever see one of these before?" All I got was a flat "No." He looked at the bike some more and then walked away.

[wncbmw]

I've told this story on this forum before but will tell it again. Blame old-timers disease.

While at an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, an expensively dressed woman gets out of an expensive BMW car, looks over my bike and says I should be ashamed to have taken the BMW emblem off a car and put in on my bike!

She was incredulous when I told her they made bikes before they made cars.

[Capt. Blackadder]

"Wooooww... now that's a beautiful bike."
"What's that sticking out there?"
"Why didn't you get a Harley?"
"Yeah, but it's not a 'real bike'... "
"You paid more than $10K for that? You got hosed!"

[scottybooj]

My wife (a non-rider) says that the bike is 'hot' and that I look 'hot' on it.

nuff for me!

[xaque]

Granted it was said about my F650 CS but it still rings along the same lines...

I was tooling around that back roads when my gf and I stopped at a pizza place for lunch. The scariest looking indian rider rolled up. Vintage indian, matte black/red paint. He had bones hand painted on his leather jacket.

I'm there standing next to my silver, clean, Fuel Injected BMW motorcycle.

He says: "Hey!... That thing the CS?!"

To which I gulped hard and replied with a feeble "yep....."

"Man, those are wicked sweet" he says "I'd really like to have one of 'em"

Then I retorted that he was riding a "real bike" etc etc etc.

He quiped "nah, this piece of crap!? I'd rather the BMW"

I made a nice friend that day...



-Xaque-

[elmosisu]

I have a Rockster.....

" is that one of them "Starship Enterprise" looking BMW's?"
( He was refereing to a R1150gs)

from a harley guy...pretty funny
" you gonna get those tumors removed?"

that is one huge bike! ( refering to the tank and coolers)

"I bet that is one of the fastest bikes out there!!"
( little kid..........I didn'ts say no)


rick

[gagator79]

I was leaving a Ted's Montana Grill in Atlanta when a young couple comes walking up...The guy was completely lusting after the bike (2002 Atlanta Blue). He said that he had been looking at bikes for about 2 years, and the the Roadster was the nicest looking bike he had seen in person. His wife was a pleasant surprise...instead of rolling her eyes and dragging him away, she said he would look sexy on it and nestled up to him...I bet he has one by now!!!!

[DJ Downunder]

I've riden bikes all my life and grew up on dirt bikes..I knew nothing of BMW motorcycles and one day in my late teens I saw my first BMW (a GS I think)...I laughed so hard I amost cryed....I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever seen...

DJ

[iowabeakster]

I Still think My R is funny looking, but I love it just the same.

I was at a gas station in Minnesota and an older gentleman approaches me and says:
"Hmmm, I didn't know they made motorcycles."

I reply something like: "yep, for quite a while now, I believe."

He shakes his head disapprovingly and grumbles,"I guess it's probably well built."

I respond:"I sure hope so."

I happen to glance over at his car and say: "Hmmm, is that a 7 series?"

He brightens right up and says,"Yes it is a 760 XSA(or whatever)," and struts off. Never have I seen a man so advanced in years strut like that!

[frozennorth]

Usually I hear: "Nice bike"

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 the same thing my wife said. Now she can't wait for me to buy the 1200 so that she can inherit the 1150

[DK]

Last summer, I was sitting at a redlight in Southeastern Ohio when this guy pulls slowly through the intersection leaning out the window. I could tell he's checking out the R and when he got closer he shouts, "You're ridin' the best!" I had to go get a bigger helmet after that.

One of the best stories I heard about the BMW's looks happened many years ago, mid 1970's. Some friends were out on a trip when they stopped at a roadside rest. They were riding Japanese bikes and were standing around looking at BMW parked there. One guy in the group made a comment about how ugly it was. The guy who owned the bike happened to be nearby and responded with the best line, "Yeah, but it'll be ugly for a long time."

[Neck Tooth]

I've lurked here for a long time, so here are some stories.

Riding my R1100R across the country last summer en route to my grad school, I had a couple of interesting conversations.

First one, I was at a gas station somewhere in Montana. I pull up to the pump, next to a guy on a Victory cruiser. He immediately comes over and tells me that it's so nice to see a "real bike" and that he was jealous he'd sold his old R1100GS. I kept trying to talk up his bike, which was beautiful, but he kept bringing the conversation back to how much he missed his old BMW and how he wanted to sell his Victory to get an 1150GS.

Then, in Rapid City, SD - this was about a week before Sturgis, so the place was crawling with HDs. I pull into the gas station and am filling up when a young couple walks over. The guy says that I've got the best bike in the parking lot. His wife/GF/whatever agrees, saying "Oh, yeah! I love the way BMW bikes look!"

Since arriving at grad school, everyone in my program wants a ride. Key quote from one of the women: "What's a gal got to do to get a ride on that beautiful bike of yours?"

Just remembered this one: At my last job, I pulled in and parked one morning. One of the female VPs walks over and takes about 5 laps around the bike, squinting at it the whole time. I take off my helmet and say good morning to her. At which point she sniffs and says, "Oh. It's not a Harley," then walks off. You'd think the BMW roundels would be the first giveaway, but I guess not.

[The Kurch Man]

For some reason, and I don't really know why, but people think the bike must scream and travel at the speed of sound. Perhaps it's the design - who knows?

Anyway, I did not buy the bike to break sound barriers, but I bought it for the riding experience ... but the speed thing always seems to pop up with people for some reason.

[hotzuk]

Well, I was playing hooking from work and took a ride up in Adirondack park. A guy with a Ducati Monster with the 996 engine (forget the exact mode) blew by me. I was not going to have that so I down shifted, gave a little throttle and I was right with him step for step.

We both pulled over at a gas station. He got off his bike, looked at mine and stated " I was initially going to get a Beemer but the Ducati salesman told me that if I wanted handling/performance that Ducati was the way to go. I must say that you were with me through ever turn, look comfortable doing it and I love the setup of your bike with the top case (Givi), tank bag and I see you have the racks for the system cases. If I had it to do over again I would go with the Beemer (R1150R Yellowjacket"

I felt really good

[Arjen]

'What happened to that guzzi?'

[Spilferderber]

argument:

[Harry]

I had lunch at a biker bar in Jessup Maryland yesterday called "Daniel's." Of course my '05 was the only BMW around. Plenty of folks were looking at it and as I was leaving, a beer swilling biker chick said to me "so exactly how many miles do you have on that anyway?" I told her that I bought it in January and had put 2,700 on it so far. Her boyfriend said "amen."

While they drank, primped their skull bandanas and double checked the fasteners on their leather chaps, I rode off.

Harley riders know the deal.

One time a old woman was staring at my 1990 K75 and asked me if I had stuck the "BMW" emblem onto the tank. She didn't believe that they made bikes.

I stopped off at a Harley dealership in Frederick MD back in January and as I walked into the showroom, I heard the salesman say to the saleswoman (as he was looking at my bike) "I'd really like to have one of those." She replied in an irritated voice "I thought you were a Harley guy?"

When I did my first "Iron Butt" challenge in '04, I pulled up next to a cute brunette at a stop light in Toledo OH. She was in a convertible M3. I looked at her car and with mock surprise said "They make cars too??" She got a chuckle out of that;)

http://www.toddlaneart.com/motorcycle

[ebiker]

Back to the late 1970's and a ride to visit my father in Northeast Pennsylvania. I rode my recently purchased 1977 R75/7. Dad was a WWII combat veteran who served in Italy and France.

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?", he asked. Well, Harley made over priced junk at the time, but dad wouldn't hear it.

My Uncle from Texas was also visiting. Uncle Joe remarked:"Well, at least the kid doesn't ride a Jap piece of crap". Uncle Joe had served in the Pacific during WWII as a B-29 crew chief. Being a "Gearhead", Joe admired the quality of German machines, but he hated anything made in Japan.

It was then I told Joe I had bought a new Datsun 280Z. (made in Japan)

After the shouting wore down, I kept a low profile.

It was a short visit.

Ed..