Any BMW Riders out there?

imac david

Hi,



for the last few years I've been riding first a BMW K100 Lt, then the R1100 RT, and now the K1200GT. It's been around 10 years since I rode a Jap sportsbike (which was the CBR600).



With the last 2 I've noticed that when cornering at speed I find it very very easy to scrape my left foot, but much harder to get the right boot down (I rarely got the K100 low enough as the frame goes all wobbly and made me feel worried).



Question - is this due to the shaft drive, or my riding? I can't remember if there was a difference with the CBR. Does the rotational torque help getting the bike down when turning left? Or am I subconciously nervous about right handers as I have more body weight on my throttle wrist?



Does anyone relate to what I'm asking?



Cheers,



David



PS the bike looks symmentrical



PPS Sorry - I meant to post in AppleOutsider. Can the mods move it?

trailmaster308

Nice to see another rider on the forums. I have ridden the RT (the newer version) and the GT, when looking for a new bike this year. Both are great bikes, liked the RT better for my riding style. Whenever I ride the side cylinder bikes, I always felt weird about dragging the engine casings. That aside I have always be able to get down more on my left side (easily seen on my toe stops on my Joe Rocket boots). I think its because on my throttle side I have a tendancy to pull my toe in more against the frame. The left side I swing my foot out more. Not sure why?!?



Dont think the shaft drive makes much difference. At least I couldn't tell.



Just two weeks ago I made a major change in my riding style. I purchased an '06 Ultra Classic Harley. I needed to get something more comfortable for my wife and I. This coming from an '04 GSXR-1000. Ahhh the good ol days!



Post some pics of your bike and I will try to do the same. Happy riding and be safe man!

imac david

Hi,



for some reason I'm not allowed to add attachments. I have a 27kb picture of my bike, and if I find out how to post it I will.



Interesting that you too find it easier to get the left boot down. I assume from your reply that you found that even with a chain drive?



I'm right handed, are you? Again, I'm wondering if that is a factor?!



Talking of comfort, last September my mother asked if she could come to France with me on my bike, the R1100RT, from London (UK), a round trip of about 400 miles. She was 68. The last time she'd ridden any sort of bike was back when she was 20, 21. She found it extremely comfortable, with no aches and pains to show for it. So from that perspective I can recommend the R! It did have the Comfor seat arrangement, mind, with a top box that had the back rest attached.



Enjoy the Harley!



David

splinemodel

I'm thinking about buying a scooter or small motorbike, although I've been told that if I get a motorbike my car insurance will jump up a bunch. Is this true?

imac david

That isn't true in the UK. Bike insurance and car insurance are completely seperate, and owing (or not owing) a car does not affect the premium for the bike insurance.



What are you getting the bike/scooter for? If it's for commuting to work, and you wear a suit, I'd recommend a scotter. Most designs protect the legs from the wind, and so it is easier to keep a suit clean on one.



I had a Piaggio Vespa for years just for this purpose, until I moved too far from the office and had to switch to trains.



Cheers,



David

splinemodel

Quote:

Originally posted by iMac David

That isn't true in the UK. Bike insurance and car insurance are completely seperate, and owing (or not owing) a car does not affect the premium for the bike insurance.



What are you getting the bike/scooter for? If it's for commuting to work, and you wear a suit, I'd recommend a scotter. Most designs protect the legs from the wind, and so it is easier to keep a suit clean on one.



I had a Piaggio Vespa for years just for this purpose, until I moved too far from the office and had to switch to trains.



Cheers,



David

Thanks. I do not wear a suit to work, but I do wear slacks that might be easy to rumple. I live 3.0 miles from work (5k) which is pretty close as far as the USA is concerned, but there is minimal public transportation in this area (it's all god-damned sprawl). I also live less than 3 miles from almost everywhere else I ever go on a regular basis. I would consider a "real motorcycle" but all the roads are flat and straight, so what's the point other than pure utility. . .



The other perk of scooters is that many of them don't even require a motorcycle license, although it might not be a bad idea to get one anyway.

imac david

From what you've said a scooter is your answer. A lot of them come with a small boot (trunk in American!) under the seat, which is highly useful for storing a helmet.



Other benefits are better fuel consumption, and usually cheaper insurance. Their downside is, obviously, lower top speeds and smaller engines and so not great for longer trips.



But from what you've said that isn't important.



For me, I regularly have to do a 400 mile round trip, hence the BMW with shaft drive & 1200cc engine. Oh, that's another benefit of a scooter. Small motorbikes all have chain drive. And that means approximately every couple of months you have to get the spanners out to adjust the chain tension. And that's just a pain, if you forget as I used to do.



Cheers,



David

splinemodel

Thanks for the info. I've talked to some of the crew already. Along with two co-workers and a generally goofy friend (who's actually English, for what it's worth) I will be looking into starting a SCOOTER GANG.