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BMW tours

I just read this from the World of BMW website under their ‘next years tours’ section:

Q: Which of the far-away tours are set to run in 2010?

RH: The magnificent Discover South Africa tour sold out very quickly this year and we will definitely be running it again in 2010 with a similar itinerary. Customers were attracted to the spectacular scenery, fantastic food and the visit to the Private five star game lodge and the chance to see the big five. At this stage, however, we are not sure if we will be running one or two trips to South Africa in 2010.

The Moroccan Desert Experience will also take place again next year with more of an emphasis on nice hotels, swimming pools, and spas also with lower mileages. It is suitable for couples or solos on touring bikes.
**
I think I get the idea of who are the market for these tours. It won’t be long before they forget the motorbikes altogether and just get a bunch of affluent mature Brits to lunge from one luxury hotel pool to the next.

Review of Jupiter’s travels DVD

For some reason I just bought this film originally made in 2001 (and its the ancient Macs that give the date away – Ted uses one of those Batman-ish black Mac G3 laptops that I have stashed away somewhere). The film follows veteran motorcycle traveler Ted Simon on part of his second round the world on two wheels trip made when he was 70 years old. These kinds of films face a couple of challenges. One is that Long Way Round and its sequel have set the tone for these biking travel pics with a kind of fast paced (annoying) reality TV style. Filmaker Manfred Waffender’s approach is very different. This is a more slow paced introspective take on life on the road. Lets be up front. I wanted to enjoy this but found it awful mostly. Ted, despite being a legend can be a miserable old git and talks endlessly about being old. His mission, following the tracks of a journey made in 1974 to ‘see how the world has changed’ was destined to be disappointing and possibly mawkish and misguided. Its a low budget film – nothing wrong with that at all – but part of its low budget is that it ends abruptly with the juorney 1/3 way through, with a voice over of Ted on the phone telling someone where he will go next. In my view, this is a poor ending. But Waffender and his team have a sensitive eye to their surroundings and there are one or two beautifully lingering shots, almost frozen frames, of people and buildings in Africa. here’s an aesthetic sense that you get nowhere in the Way Round documentaries. But once the film ended (abruptly) I found myself recalling that the experience of watching this had set me back €25. Hmm. You can get the film from post@waffender.de if you still want to. Or email me and I will give you my copy for free.

More on the Beamer

This machine has been sitting huge and intimidating on the road outside my house, draped in an Oxford rain cover.
outside-home
It was time to bite the bullet and get the step ladder out and try to climb on top and drive away. I had another dangerous destination in mind – this time Tesco at Milton. Aha, good news! The annoying gear problem seems like the clutch needs tightening up (however you do that on such a complicated bike). A little adjuster screw on the lever gives you an extra millimeter or so of movement and it seems to help – so maybe I’m not looking at a new gearbox. And at last, a biker nodded to me. I had thought there was a conspiracy of unfriendliness to people on BMWs (honestly – I’m not rich and overpriviledged). Tomorrow I get up at the crack of dawn to take it down to BMW Motorad in Hertford for a service and ‘inspection’ (sounds quite military). Two discoveries when riding today: first, I can actually get my foot flat on the ground so will cancel the leg lenghtning session I had booked at the spiritualists and second I have finally worked out what the engine reminds me of – it sounds exactly like the old Citroen Deux Cheveau. Now that‘s high performance.

The company of BMW owners*

In that liminal space between parting with the money and owning, and with some time on my hands, I browse the UKGSers website. There are all kinds of useful threads there, including: where to stick your GPS. But there is a strange downbeat feel to some of them and I wonder if it reflects the character of BM owners. One of the most depressing is the ” I’ve had pain and tension in my right arm and shoulder since riding the GSA. I think it is to do with feeling tense about having spent so much money on it….” Then there is the chorus of folk swearing by spending out on the extended warranty listing the £1000s of repair bills, remarking that Japanese manufacturers don’t even offer extended warranty as their products are so reliable that no one would buy it. Then there’s the ‘brake-failure’ thread…
* Its an interesting slip of the keyboard that I wrote ‘owners’ rather than ‘riders’.

oh no, what have I done!

I just went down to a motor dealer in Hitchen who had a Beamer for sale on ebay. First I rang up about it and they said, sorry but someone is coming to see it, we’ll call you if they don’t turn up. I gave up and forgot about it. They rang me to say he hasn’t come. I rode down there enjoying getting back on a bike again. they showed me to ‘the bus station’ where it sat surrounded by dusty broken down cars, looking hardcore and beautiful and in immaculate condition – with 11,000 on the clock. They left me the key and said try it. Up on the centre stand I didn’t dare get it down and tried to climb on top and found I couldn’t reach the ground. So I though ok, BMW GS Adventure is not a bike for me. However I thought I won’t get this close to one again to try it out and the seller was including a low seat, so struggling and with the help of one of their salespeople we got the low seat on and the bike off the stand. Now, climbing on it and moving it around became a piece of cake. Where is this heavy unwieldy bike that people have written about? they phoned up the bos whose bike it is and he told me, ah someone is coming to see it and they have first refusal. I give up for the third time, then enjoy a confident ride home, wondering how different a GS would feel. In the bath and covered in soap, the phone rang and I learn that the bike is mine if I want it. Dripping I read out my card number for a deposit. I think this might mean I have become or very soon will become a GS owner. I can’t quite belive it. After all the hype – which is so consistent that I have to believe it – this bike seemed, on first experience, to be so normal and not as intimidating as I imagined. Let’s see how the next week falls out.

My motorcycling personality

Well, it is nearly midnight …

“What’s YOUR Motorcycle Personality?”
Instant Motorcycle Personality Analysis!

* Motorcycle Personality TestAre you “obnoxious”? How about a “liar”? Any chance you might want to add “stupid” to the equation? (Or, perhaps none of these apply to you!)

* On the other hand, would someone describe you as a “hard-core, motorcycle riding fanatic”?

* Of course, there’s all kinds of motorcyclists in the world. Does the term “inspirationally abnormal” best depict who you really are?

* Do you know any riders who are “bold, adventurous, spirited, philosophical and experienced in many areas of life”?

* Hey, you might even be fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to know a rider who is a “mature, intelligent, fact-filled encyclopedia.”

There’s MUCH more you can learn about yourself in this MOTORCYCLE PERSONALITY TEST. Regardless of what personal quirks and/or insights this analysis will conjure up for you, the only known cure is to ride more…

NOTE: This TWISTED GRIP MOTORCYCLE PERSONALITY TEST is simply for fun! If more than one answer seems right for a question, select the one that “best” applies to you. To receive your free analysis, enter your name & email, and click “My Personality.”

Analyzing

Michael’s Motorcycle Personality!

Hey Michael, below are the results of your MOTORCYCLE PERSONALITY TEST.

This was created and brought to you by Motorcycle-Intelligence.com, publisher of MOTORCYCLES ONLY, the world’s #1 newsletter for riders who can tolerate occasional motorcycle whimsy — all in addition to news, tips, and practical insights about riding, motorcycle gear and rider safety.
Question 1:

I am interested in motorcycles because:

Your Answer: C1
I enjoy riding

Analysis:

You are an adventurous creature who loves independence and freedom, and are not held back by risk. As well, you are secretly admired by those who wish they could be more like you (and who may also consider you “crazy,” or more precisely, “inspirationally abnormal”).

Question 2:

I ride motorcycles primarily to:

Your Answer: C1
Enjoy riding by myself

Analysis:

You are free-spirited, independent, actively competent and dexterious, as well as quite self-assured. You are a natural leader and go your own way: no one can tell you how to run your life. You enjoy life more than any non-rider you know. You’ve solved most of the primary problems in the world, and if you could spend a little less time riding, you could help get those resolutions implemented!

Question 3:

I think “motorcycle safety” is:

Your Answer: B1
Something I continually learn more about.

Analysis:

You are intelligent and/or experienced enough to respect the concept of reducing calculated risks for the purpose of enjoying long-term motorcycle pleasures. You are a good friend to yourself and to others, and all things considered, you have a pretty good life. You would help another in need (including non-bikers) and represent the cream of the crop within the global brotherood of motorcycle riders.

Question 4:

I primarily ride:

Question 4:

I primarily ride:

Your Answer: B1
When it’s at least minimally warm enough, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s sunny or raining.

Analysis:

You are a serious and seasoned motorcycle rider who not only can’t get enough of a good thing, you are self-secure, competent, hearty, have good riding gear, and quite likely have a lot of good riding stories.

Question 5:

Here is what I think about wearing a motorcycle helmet:

Your Answer: B1
I always wear a helmet, regardless of whether the law says I need to or not.

Analysis:

You balance your freedom and pleasure with practical responsibility. You have confronted the reality that if you want to enjoy motorcycle riding a long time, a high-quality helmet is an important part of ensuring your survival. Heck, that helmet of yours even has the potential to help your family, friends and associates to benefit from your brilliant and entertaining companionship indefinitely into the future.

Question 6:

The “Best” motorcycles are those that:

Question 6:

The “Best” motorcycles are those that:

Your Answer: D1
Go the longest distances in relative comfort.

Analysis:

You are bold, adventurous, spirited, philosophical and experienced in many areas of life. Even though you are a kid at heart, statistically speaking, you are over the hill. You are enjoying life more than most every non-rider you know and your non-riding friends think you’re eccentric.

Congrat’s! You passed the Twisted Grip Motorcycle Personality Test!! Keep an eye out in your email inbox for MOTORCYCLES ONLY, your FREE newsletter with news and tips on motorcycle riding, motorcycle safety, and occasional whacky motorcycle whimsy.

Motorcycle-Intelligence.com
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