Welcome New Members (and old) - Introduce Yourself!

[QSIMDO]

Aaah...cut & paste. I love it.
From the old;

Hello!
Just filling out the paperwork for a new 1150r!...57 years old this year,riding for 45 of them.
Presently on a Duc Monster 900 but made the fatal mistake of taking a 1150r out for a test ride.
I was suddenly comfortable on a bike again and heck, the BMW handled and isn't all that slow!
I look forward to learning from your experiences!

That was the old board.

I've been having a ball on the R for several months and don't regret the descision at all. Wonderful, flexible machine.

"QSIMDO" was my M900 Monster, which I just sold. I looked at it and thought "Hmmm....Monster....hunch back tank...what would fit on a license plate? QSIMDO." And.... Quite Simply It Means Ducati Owner.
I'm "Greybeard" on some other boards...may change to that here for continuity.

I can trace family motorcycle involvement back to 1910 with a picture of my Grandfather and Grandmother on a 1910 Indian and we've been riding every generation. Wish they'd kept the bike!
Unfortunately our 2 sons have never shown interest in riding, but I think the grandson and 1 grand daughter are coming along.

My early years were around farming but my father was a tool & die maker...a true craftsman...who grew up during the Depression and I learned a lot from him.

Vocationally it's been a true Renaissance Man experience. Everything from projectionist in a porno house to executive head-hunter specializing in manufacturing and robotics to now truck driver/equipment operator. Still a member of SME, never got a degree but advanced education a mix of engineering and business. Hey, it was the '70's

Ex Navy "brown water" Engineman, '66-'69.

Enjoy machining, welding, wood working...most anything you can get painful cuts and slivers from.

Physical limitations keep me away from long-distance touring so I terrorize the local area 2-300 miles a week.

Also, it's very nice to see some people my own age here. Other boards there's a definite generation gap!

Anyway, love the sport and safe riding to all!

[geordie50r]

Hi there,
Steve here from north east england (geordieland). Been lurking around the board for a few months. Got a 50r since 2002, mostly days out from home, great roads within 15mins and a few weekends up to scotland. Got a 8 day trip to Norway sorted for July 05.

Oh, three kids 8, 14 , 17, grey haired at 43, usual family stuff. Brought a property in florida last year, off plans, without realy knowing what we were doing- what the heck! the price looked good..... (HELP!)

Complicated work arrangements, do three days for a charity working with innner city youth and spend two days helping the wife with with her consultancy bussines.
Roll on July.

Gan Canny

steve

[Habu]

Hi, Bob J here. I first found out about the board when I started considering the R1150R in 2004. You guys definitely helped convince me to make the purchase.

I'm 45 and been riding about 27 of those years. I got hooked on motorcycles while living in CA, but am now trying to make the best of short riding seasons in Minnesota. Bikes I've owned.

76 Honda CB 360T
81 Honda CB 750C
87 Kaw Concours
96 Honda GL 1500
01 Honda GL 1800
01 Suz SV650
04 BMW R1150R

I started on the wings when I got too old to be comfortable on the Concours on long trips. We do a lot of two up touring on the Gold Wing now, pulling a trailer with camping gear. I got interested in the naked bikes as kind of an 'anti-wing', something light, and sporty, much better suited for commuting, and with that classic motorcycle look and feel. I loved the SV, but it ended up just not having enough 'mass' for me. Plus, the chain maintenance was getting a bit of a hassle.

I'm really loving the R. While I originally thought it would be a commuter and Sunday romp bike, I've broken down and bought the system cases, and the wife and I are looking forward to some weekend motel jaunts on the Beemer.

I like to do some of my own wrenching (oil changes and such), where I can't do too much damage. Looking forward to participating on the board, and getting your help to keep me out of trouble.

[jsp1948]

My name is John Parker (jsp1948; [email protected]). I joined the group a couple weeks ago after purchasing a 2003 1150R. For the past 7 years I've been riding an '87 R80RT; suffice it to say the Roadster is a completely different experience (which I'm loving). I am a complete fan of BMW bikes; love the style, engineering & reliability.
I'm 56 and have been riding off & on since I was a teenager. I am currently 3/4 of the way through treatment for rectal cancer (which made the 'new' bike a lot easier to justify)
I live in Pepperell, MA (just SW of Nashua, NH) & use the bike to commute. However, there are hundreds of miles of great 'cycle roads throughout NH & VT for the weekend jaunts.
This is a great site. Seems like a lot of like-minded yahoos. Lots of comraderie & good info. Keep up the good work.

Peace all ~

[bakernks]

As some of the old timers might remember, I used to be here regularly, then my laptop (made of carved limestone and vines) finally let out it's last gasp, quieting my griping for the last year. I am returned, now, from the olden days. Bear with me, as I'm still learning my new Dell/ windows XP computer, and it will be awhile before I re-establish my Mt. Everest icon, etc.
I still ride the trusty '02 R1150R, Rainmaker, and have added a BMW '05 650G/S thumper to the stable. It is still windy out here in Kansas, and I still have to lean the 650 to one side to go straight down the highway because of it, but the 50R, supreme roadster that it is, justs romps down the road, with the wind blowing ME around, but rarely the Big Thirsty. (more on that story!,later..)
Look for me to join the fray as usual , folks, and I'll try to be nicer this time out, to go with all this nice looking layout of our beloved website.

[SoCalR1150R]

Hi All,

It's great to find a place to share the Beemer experience. I live in Carlsbad, CA which is about 30 miles north of San Diego on the coast. I commute daily on my new R1150R to La Jolla about 25 miles south of Carlsbad on the 101. Every day I come to an intersection where I have a choice to make, turn left and get on I-5 and get to work in a hurry (I mean a REAL hurry), or go straight to the coast for a left turn on 101 and the most beautiful 40 minute commute you can imagine. You guessed it, I always seem to go straight to the coast to see what the ocean looks like this day. It's amazing how different the same water can look from day to day. One day it's dark and menacing, and other's the sun is just coming up making the wave breaks look like bright shiny foam. I then cruise at 35-40 miles an hour for a mile or two past the powerplant letting the engine warm before I start to open her up. The new Remus exhaust I put on makes this baby sound and perform at slow speeds like a big cat stretching getting to ready to leap. The stretch between Carlsbad and Leucadia/Encinitas is the first place I get to open her up just to tease the engine, along this stretch are several beaches where the water is merely meters away from the road and a couple of campgrounds where if I'm lucky someone will have started an early morning campfire providing that delicious aroma of burning wood.

The slow down through Leucadia/Encinitas lets the exhaust rumble a bit with a few blips to enjoy the gurgle. The stores are not yet opened except for the custom coffee shops, Pannikan in Encinitas is always a worthwile pitstop for great expresso and homemade scones, muffins and other delights.

The next stretch of beach between Encinitas and Solana Beach is where you start to see black gliding objects in the water, these are the early morning surfers catching some waves before they head off to their day jobs. It's not unusual to see men and women alongside the rode wrapped only in a towel as they change into or out of their surfing wetsuits. I've seen some pretty hilarious sites because of this habit. This is also the second sprint of the day but not as fast as the first because it is more populated with people and cars. Always welcome are the red stop lights for in California we can go to the head of the line and get clean air when the tree goes green.

A small beach between Solana Beach and Del Mar is always a favorite place to take an ocean peak because it is open to dogs off leash. Take a look here and you will know what pure joy is when you see all kinds of dogs running and playing in the waves. There is a small river that feeds into the ocean at this point and the water is warmer for both the dogs and the dog owners that sometimes have to wade in to get them out. If you were to look to the left here you will see the Del Mar race track where part of SeaBiscuit was filmed.

The next little town is Del Mar, where I occassionally meet the VP of my company for coffee, he rides a new HD Deluxe. Good side story here, one day we were sitting having coffee and a guy walked by, looked at our helmets, looked back at the bikes. The VP started to stand up to tell him about is bike when the guy said, "Is that your BMW over there? That is a really cool bike!". When he saw the look on the VP's face he added, "The other bike is really nice too, but tell me about the BMW". I was smiling all over, on the inside of course.

Dropping out of Del Mar to Torrey Pines State Beach and up the hill through the park is where the fun really culminates. First the view down to the beach is oustanding as you see all the bay and La Jolla. The topper is when you start to go up the hill as the road is temporarily at this point down to two lanes because of bridge reconstruction, but going up the hill it opens up to three lanes which makes the traffic dissappear and the hill is approximately one and a half miles long made up of 4 long sweeping curves, at this point you can really open it up. It is the safest 100mph you can hit on the streets and fun to boot. At speed the R1150 R is rock solid and leaning in to the sweeping turns is just a dream.

That's how I start my day everyday, the trip home isn't to shabby either.

I'm currently looking for a helmet cam that I can record some of this beauty and post. It may not be soon, but when I can I'll get pictures of this ride and post. I am one lucky dude.

Cecil

[SDog]

Greetings, folks. I'm Paul from London and I bought a silver 2003 R1150R late last week. Having taken it out over the weekend and to the sea-side, I'm a happy man.

I've still got a naked SV650 knocking around (trying to sell it) and rode that for around 8 months. Before that I was riding a CG125 for a year. Actually, it taught me to ride in the thick of London's rush hour traffic and was quite good fun.

I'm 40, a shrink and director of a local charity. I used to be a software exec (10 yrs, mostly in the US) and before that I worked in international relations. I now live very close to work and walk in, so the bike is purely for pleasure.

Hoping to ride from Bilbao to Jerez (where my aunt lives) this year, with the gf riding pillion. May be too late to organize all the detail but we'll see!

Good to join you folks.
Cheers,
SDog

[ffilmar]

I was an occasional off-road rider years ago. Last year the bug bit me
and I did the MSF thing and picked up a F650CS. Great bike. I rode it
everywhere and in all weather. It was my daily commuter and I rode
rain, shine, cold and (sometimes) snow.

As my skills improved I wanted a different bike. At first I was
looking for a dual-purpose - rode the 1200GS and 650GS. Great bikes
but not comfortable. Then I asked about deals and such and there was a
titan-silver '04 just put together and gassed up. I hopped on, took it
for a spin and signed the papers before I left.

I did have the sport screen but took that off for summer. I have the
rails and city cases (sometimes) and soft top-case. It is my daily
commuter - I rarely drive the cage anymore. I have been lurking the
board a bit and the tech-tips have been awesome. So now I am ready to
come out and contribute.

The R1150R is a keeper, that is for sure. I hope to have mine for many
many miles.

[bmrgrl]

Hello all,
I bought my silver 04 R this fall. I have found this site very helpful for both maintenance and general information.

I started riding 4 years ago at the age of 53. Put 58,000 miles on my first bike, a Vstar 1100. Since I frequently ride with friends with BMWs I went to the "dark side" (my husband has an LT). Since I am 5'4" with a 27 inch inseam I had to get creative to find the ground with the R. Put on 1" lowered Works shocks and had Rick's Custom Seats in Seattle lower and greatly narrow the seat. I do have to be darn careful on gravel and uneven pavement as my margin of error is pretty narrow! My riding partners find humor in my quests for flat landings.

I now have 10,000 miles on the R and am really enjoying the power and quickness in the twisties. My Vstar was a great bike, but the R is just more fun! Just finished a two week trip to the SW and even found the R to be comfortable on a long trip.

Looking forward to getting to know all of you!

Laurie

[1150rTodd]

My name is Todd and I live in Jacksonville, FL. I am 34 and love long walks on the blah blah blah... Some may remember me as 1150rrider, since that is what my screenname used to be but for some reason I can't have it again.

I got my first motorcycle about five years ago. It was a 1982 Suzuki GS650. Great bike to learn on. In 2003 I purchased my 2002 R with 6,000 miles on it and any accessory on it I could ever want, except a Big Mak and a Sargent. Since then I have put 23,000+ miles on the bike. Since I live in Florida most of the riding around here is pretty damn boring, so for fun I go with some friends up to N. Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee to get some quality riding in.

Personal stuff: I went to school in Pensacola at the University of West Florida where I studied Economics. I currently work as a Network Administrator. I am currently a contractor at a Naval base. I have many Microsoft certs plus a Cisco cert.

[jrh1230]

Just got my beakster last Friday. I noticed the post from someone regarding their bad experience with a new Sportster and I must say I'm surprised. I love mine! But to each his own and I digress...

I added the R to the garage to allow for some two-up, short distance touring with my wife. For my sake, I hope the bike lives up to its billing! So far, just like the Sporty, it's awesome!

I hope to pick up as much information and as many tips on the boards as I have on others for my other bike. The community of owners and riders is always the best source of the *truth* about them, eh?

Thanks for being here!

later,

jr

[Promethean]

Hi there,
I'm Promethean, 30, in Central PA and a fairly new rider. I work in software consulting as a Quality Analyst. I started riding in Aug of last year with an '82 KZ440 when my car died on me and I needed reliable transportation in a pinch. Put on about 7000+ miles on the KZ before I was forced to face the fact that I had to move up to a bigger bike after a couple of traffic incidents.

I had a set of requirements that the new bike had to fulfill. It had to have good pulling grunt for 2-up riding, upright seating position, good ergonomics, should sit high, have a bulletproof engine, comfortable for long trips etc.

That narrowed it down to the V-Strom and the 850R. Test rode them both, the V-Strom was a little to tall for me, 850R just about perfect...made an offer on the 850R....didn't buy it. Test rode the 1150R, fell in love with it even though I'm on tippy toes when stopped.

I've had it for a little less than a month with ~800 miles and ride it to work and everywhere whenever I can. I have to say....I'm hooked.

And yes, I'm a lurker.

Regards,
Promethean

-------------
2003 R1150R

Piedmont Red is the fastest colour

[twinboy]

Just thought I would say hello and introduce myself.I have been riding since 1970 when I purchased my first bike, a Triumph Daytona 500.I am lucky enough that my wife bought me a 2004 R1150R for my 50th birthday in 2003.Yes she has a sister but you don't want to go there!Trust me on that one.My wife has a Ducati 900 Monster and is an outstanding rider.We are able to ride the many excellent roads around the Asheville NC area where we live.We were able to ride to the Superbike races at Barbers in Birmingham in April so we do take road trips when we can.We are also into vintage bikes and plan on attending the British Bike Rally in Hiawassee Ga next week.Anyway I am looking forward to contributing to the list.
John

[ranmar850]

hello all
I've mostly been lurking in the Rockster forum, thought I should introduce myself. I'm now 52, have no trouble coping with the flat bars on the Rock, and have been riding more or less continously since 17. Started on street bikes in Sydney, survived(not all of us did). After moving across the country to a remote area, dirt bikes were the only thing that made sense, so road bikes were off the agenda for a long time. But I came back, via a Norton Commando, which I still have ( and have just acquired another for restoration) Also had a GPZ900r (zx900 Ninja in the US) until very recently, used as a general hack. Home is 600km north of Perth, and the roads are a bit straight to be interesting, though are now all bitumen I've been on a couple of other forums over the years, and find them great value.
I see Greybeard posting above -were you under that name on the old Cycle World forum? Mostly in the Classic bikes section-quality posts. I was there a bit when I first acquired the Commando
Cheers
Ralph

[queenpdog]

I'm Julia, queenpdog. Got my moniker when living in New Mexico. I used to relocate prairie dogs from areas that were going to be developed. I fell in love with prairie dogs, so don't tell me about how you go to South Dakota to shoot them on some "game ranch".
I've been riding for 15 years or so, but my love for motorcycles started at age 4. I used to ask my mom and dad for a motorcycle every day. Finally I got a little toy one with a button that made real motor sounds. I was hooked. The ferro '04 R is my third BMW. I had a '78 R100RS in Havana gold, then a '01 F650GSA. I moved up to the R for a little more comfort on longer rides. I am loving this bike.
I am 37 and happily hooked up (for 12 years). My partner likes to ride too and currently has a Honda Ruckus. She was tired of old, broken down Honda motorcycles and couldn't decide what bike to buy. She loves the Ruckus.
I bought a 1970 Honda CT70 that is currently not running. Anyone have a wealth of knowledge about their electricals?
I work for a bicycle parts distributor, and bikes are another passion of mine. Also love my dogs, playing hockey, drinking good beer, and snowboarding. That's about all. I'm a born and raised Minnesotan and would love to ride with other Minneapolitans. Send me a message--let's go ride.
Julia

[hemdale]

Hi all !

I'm new here ! My name is Bruce and even if my name sounds pretty much american...I'm a french guy from Paris !
I'm 31 yo and I've been riding bikes only for the last two years...

I really like your site and you got great infos !

Ride safely and enjoy life !

Peace.


Hem

[Ebet]

My name is Elizabeth, nickname Ebet. I am 41 years old and started riding three years ago, although before that I wanted a motorcycle for as long as I can remember. I started with a 250 cc Honda Reflex scooter, which was a blast and easy to learn on after MSF class. Then I got a BMW 650CS, then a used 650GS, and now a month ago my 2004 ferro 1150R. Put black Jesse cases on it and they are great. I ride almost every day, including an 85-mile daily commute to work through Los Angeles and Orange Counties, so I have gotten good at lane-splitting and avoiding murderous SUVs. Do some touring too, mostly around California. I ride about 25K miles per year. Sometimes I feel like the world's only female motorcycle commuter but I am sure there are plenty of others - just don't see them very often. Many non-riders consider me (and the rest of us) insane, but that is their problem, right? The 1150R is a fantastic bike and makes it all worthwhile.

[Doug]

Welcome all!!

[oldjerseyrider]

Hi

I'm Paul from Jersey in the Channel Islands. I've posted on this board a few times since I discovered it a few months after I bought my R1150R (Black, ABS) in 2001.

I started riding bikes when I was 16 (52 now). Have ridden the following (with gaps of no bike) starting with Lambretta 175cc, then a BSA single, Honda 90 trail version (in Botswana for 2 years), Yamaha 650 twin, BMW R80/7 (1980-2001) before getting the R1150R).

Find this forum an excellent source of knowledge, humour and the odd bit of philosphy. Certainly beats others I have posted on, which feel positively "cliquey".

I like the R1150R but am considering trading in for a R1150GS / R1200GS - something with a but more wind / weather protection for the occasional long trip.

Again - great forum (thanks Doug).

[jonothan]

I'm not sure if I should be here or not, seeing as I've just passed my Direct Access Mototorcycle Test and bought myself an R850R. So firstly, do I belong here?

I must say I'm totally thrilled with it, a gorgeous bike. Very forgiving and easy for a new biker.

She's two years old, 8,000 miles, and has hardly ever been ridden in the wet. One previous 60 year old owner who is a member of the IAM. Two new tyres, and it is mint, absolutely bloody mint.

£265 Fully Comp insurance for a year and I only passed my test a week last Monday. Good, huh?

Having given it a great deal of thought, I have wanted a BMW R850R for some time, thinking it would, for me, be the best bike as a first bike after my Direct Access Test.

There were none around when I failed my test two weeks ago. Then, the weekend before last, three were taken in part exchange at the local BMW dealers. So when I finally passed my test on the second attempt, there she was, all shiny and ready for me.

She has the heated grips (which you cannot tell by the pictures), the screen and the hand guards as well as the pannier rail, and protectors for the cylinder heads. The dealer has thrown in a set of matching panniers (that was the deal clincher). So she's well equipped. No ABS though.

Funny, that. No R850Rs anywhere for ages and then three to choose from. She rode very well on the test ride, I must say. Very smooth and easy, for a big bike.

I'm a GP (General Medical Practitioner) from Grimsby in Lincolnshire (UK).

Cheers

Jonothan