BMW Chatter

[scottmastrocinque]

I only have real photos somewhere of the few I've owned below. They lost me with the Telelever front end.

'80 R100 CS
'86 K100 RS
'94 1100 GS

The end.

Telelever in the front.

Paralever in the rear.

 

[GTM®]

Corrected.
The new R9T is so CANBUS complicated, though they built it to be "easily customizable" which it's not, and the SABCXYZS1000 I4 is a UJM-yawner to me as well. The new M pricing is also silly.

 

[GerryAZ]

Corrected.
The new R9T is so CANBUS complicated, though they built it to be "easily customizable" which it's not, and the SABCXYZS1000 I4 is a UJM-yawner to me as well. The new M pricing is also silly.

Agree—I strongly considered an R9T Scrambler after riding one during a demo event. I am glad I did not buy one because there are no luggage/brackets available from BMW or aftermarket and the CAN bus system would be harder to troubleshoot than the earlier bikes (plus the price of the bare bike was way more than the V85TT Centenario which came with luggage).

The new models with wet clutches, full liquid cooling, and transmissions combined with engine cases are just UJM’s with German prices.

 

[Speciality]

…and massive sales. Just saying; I don’t want one. If I had to have any I’d pick a used R1200RS.

 

[Sempervee1]

My First 1973 R/75/5 long frame and last BMW, 2005 K1200LT. Loved the massive great handling of the K model but with everyone around me suffering rear end failures I offed the big beast when warranty was about to run out as we had no BMW dealers within half a day drive short of coming 7 hours over the pass to Seattle at the time. BMW = Bring More Wallet. BMW's became too Complicated for average home shade tree mechs like me to work on. I've been lucky on mine with everything and commutting 100 miles a day the R/75 100 yards from home a spring in the transmission gave out and I coasted into my driveway!! Brown BMW motors in Pomona Ca. not far from me, said it was all labor to fix the .05 spring that needed replacing in the transmission.

 

[scottmastrocinque]

My First 1973 R/75/5 long frame and last BMW, 2005 K1200LT. Loved the massive great handling of the K model but with everyone around me suffering rear end failures I offed the big beast when warranty was about to run out as we had no BMW dealers within half a day drive short of coming 7 hours over the pass to Seattle at the time. BMW = Bring More Wallet. BMW's became too Complicated for average home shade tree mechs like me to work on. I've been lucky on mine with everything and commutting 100 miles a day the R/75 100 yards from home a spring in the transmission gave out and I coasted into my driveway!! Brown BMW motors in Pomona Ca. not far from me, said it was all labor to fix the .05 spring that needed replacing in the transmission.

I know Bob Brown and his son, Dave Brown, very well. Good guys, nice dealership. I was around when they had the tiny tiny tiny pile place. Not the big corporate store they built 25-30 years ago.

K12000T is an awesome motorcycle. I love that fact that people are "afraid" of stuff happening on K1200 anythings... Keeps the prices much lower.

I tell you that the K1200 engine is the most reliable engine BMW ever built on a motorcycle. I have seen several examples with 150,000+ miles.

I've decided that I want another K bike. I love them. I think I am looking for a K1200GT. I have seen a few super mint condition ones. Maybe soon...

That's Dave Brown on the far left of this photo. Off-road riding school with Jimmy Lewis of Baja 1000 and BMW Paris Dakkar fame (taken a long long time ago). (I'm sanding next to Jimmy and Heather his wife took this photo)

Jimmy is an unbelievable rider. Simply amazing and a great teacher.

After the class, I was riding with him just the two of us, and he literally "walked" that R1150GS Adventure in the photo (BMW had provided it to him to "stress test" it for them for future revisions), right up the flat face of a 6 foot high pedestal rock. Upon reaching the top he kept the front wheel completely in the air, bounced the bike and turned it, then lept it from that pedestal rock to another one about 5 feet away. He then turned it around again, wheel in the air the whole time, and lept her back to the first rock, than let her off onto the sand floor of the desert, and tore off at insane speed kicking a rooster tail on me that would choke a horse.

He was a blast to ride with. I never tired of watching his unbelievably mad skills.

 

[Speciality]

I thought these days BMW stands for broken most weekends…..

 

[GTM®]

and last BMW, 2005 K1200LT. Loved the massive great handling of the K model

I was lucky enough to be part of Cycle World's Annual Travel & Adventure Magazine issue in 2000 when I joined my good friend Paul (my old road-racing cohort) on a "Four-corners U.S. Tour" (which was more of a Iron Butt on steroids) on the just released K1200LT (with a 6-disk CD changer in the saddlebag for cripes sake!). I have fond memories on it, and grinding holes in the fairing lowers along Lolo Pass (Hwy 12), then further destruction in Hells Canyon Scenic Byway along ID/OR, leaving them nearly hanging off after Hwy 36 in OR below... We cringed taking the bike back, but the folks at BMW in Ontario CA here were fascinated and gave us high-fives. Good times.

Lolo Pass (NOT the LT, just an image from the web):


Hwy 36:

 

[GTM®]

Off-road riding school with Jimmy Lewis of Baja 1000 and BMW Paris Dakkar fame (taken a long long time ago). (I'm sanding next to Jimmy and Heather his wife took this photo)

Ah Jimmy, back when his head kind of still fit inside of a helmet. Ha ha. Not only did I get to spend time with him during his time at CW Mag, but I was neighbors with him and Heather for many years when I was contributing to CW Mag.

 

[GerryAZ]

Yes, I rode a lot on twisty roads in the AZ high county with a BMW club and was amazed how well the K LT’s kept up with the more sporting models. Lolo Pass is one of many great motorcycle roads in the Northwestern US. I grew up in eastern Washington and am planning for motorcycle trips up there after I retire.

 

[Sempervee1]

Yes Scott i know Dave and Bob of Pomona BMW when they had a little hole in the wall shop in the bad part of Pomona town quite well & Irv Seaver himself in Orange before Evan Bell took the dealership over with his wife and son. before it was torn down and moved to the other side of Orange. Prolly know alot of the same peeps as I spent 25 years commuting by MC daily to OC. How I racked up 25-35,000 miles of riding a year.. My BMWOA member number goes back to 1979. Boy those were the days... :^) *Ten years from now we'll be saying that about today!

 

[scottmastrocinque]

I bought my first R100RT from Evan Bell, in the old building on the freeway, 40 years ago.

I’ve bought so many motorcycles from him I started calling him “Uncle Evan” 35 years ago. He was a hard negotiator but so was I. We called it “arm wrestling” and I enjoyed haggling with him. He would be poker-faced but I could make him break composure every time. I bought about 6-7 bikes from him in less than 10 years.

He was also a great trading partner when I was at Brattin Motors.

Dave Diaz, the old parts guy, has managed the dealership for decades. He’s a great guy.

I think this was because Brian has zero people management skills and a weird kind of personality in my opinion. I never did get that guy. Just strange. Smart about BMW’s but bizzare.

He is nothing like his Dad at all.

Not even like his Mom, Lois.

 

[Sempervee1]

I bought my first R100RT from Evan Bell, in the old building on the freeway, 40 years ago.

I’ve bought so many motorcycles from him I started calling him “Uncle Evan” 35 years ago. He was a hard negotiator but so was I. We called it “arm wrestling” and I enjoyed haggling with him. He would be poker-faced but I could make him break composure every time. I bought about 6-7 bikes from him in less than 10 years.

He was also a great trading partner when I was at Brattin Motors.

Dave Diaz, the old parts guy, has managed the dealership for decades. He’s a great guy.

I think this was because Brian has zero people management skills and a weird kind of personality in my opinion. I never did get that guy. Just strange. Smart about BMW’s but bizzare.

He is nothing like his Dad at all.

Not even like his Mom, Lois.

Yes, I agree about Brian. I last spoke with Evan in Las Vegas in 2016 at the big Motorcycle auction, we instantly recognized either other. It was there he told me two dear old friends I had not seen or heard from in years had died that worked for him. You might remember them, Phil Arthur and Chris Lissau. We all use to ride up to the Look out above San Juan Capistrano every Saturday before we would head out to somewhere else like the Rock Store in Malibu, etc... *That was when I found out just how good motorcycle riders were and not the bike as former past legend Factory Racer Lance Weil out rode everyone on his Moto Morini 3.5 in the canyons we rode. RIP Lance and your Laverda triple you let me ride that put a big smile on my face. Damn I am getting old reaching that far back. Good memories.

 

[scottmastrocinque]

Yes, I knew them both. Sorry to hear they passed.

Terry Watanabe was there forever in Service and I don’t know if he is still alive. I think he retired.

Tom Tohal has been with Irv Seaver since 1979 and I love Tom. Super nice guy and most knowledgeable vintage guy you could meet.

 

[Sempervee1]

Yes, I knew them both. Sorry to hear they passed.

Terry Watanabe was there forever in Service and I don’t know if he is still alive. I think he retired.

Tom Tohal has been with Irv Seaver since 1979 and I love Tom. Super nice guy and most knowledgeable vintage guy you could meet.

Terry I know from the original store and tom I am familiar with. My life can be told in MC people and experiences more than anything else.

 

[GTM®]

Terry Watanabe was there forever in Service and I don’t know if he is still alive. I think he retired.

Tom Tohal has been with Irv Seaver since 1979 and I love Tom. Super nice guy and most knowledgeable vintage guy you could meet.

My Service Mngr here at GTM worked there for some time, and said that Terry moved back to Japan, but passed away last year. Tom is still there... alive and kicking. And my shop is literally a stone's throw away from Seaver's current shop, south on Batavia a block and a half.

 

[scottmastrocinque]

Terry was hysterical if you understood Japanese humor. He was always reading books in Japanese. Saw him with them at work many many times. Godspeed Terry!

Tom and I were very young together and I have seen him many times since my first bike purchase from Evan in 1985. Tom is a great guy too.

Didn’t realize where your shop was Todd. Very cool.