Unixguy
Member
Sunnyside Yamaha in Sunnyside, Washington last week finally got the first two of thirteen that they sold. Given that I put my money down on September 12, I was waiter #1 and took delivery Saturday, May 6. It was parade day in all of the local communities near Sunnyside because the previous day was Cinco de Mayo and Sunnyside is in an area with a well represented Hispanic population. I felt like it was parade day for me, too. :clapping: :clapping:
I have put just over 200,000 miles on four BMWs in the last nine years. A K75RT was my first Beemer, a re-entry machine to motorcycling after spending twenty or so years bikeless (early family life and living in Minnesota where biking is about a three month season ;-) It was a great touring machine, and a very forgiving bike to re-learn (and in some cases learn the first time) good motorcycling skills. I was seduced after 27K miles by a demo red K1200RS, the first year model and one of the first brought into the US (serial number under 100). After 60,000 miles on the K12, I bought a brand new R1150GS which I rode for 77,000 miles before trading it to a buddy of mine for his very low mileage (for a Beemer) R1100RT. I'd always had lust for an R1100RT since I first saw one, and some things you've just gotta do because you've got to get it out of your system. I have now put over 40K miles on the RT, but last September I saw the writing on the wall that the RT was getting to the point where maintenance was increasingly expensive and I realized that I never really bonded with it, anyway. At that point I took the risk to put down money on a bike that I'd never ridden but had heard great things about, the FJR1300.
The 2006 update to the FJR really pushed me over the edge of making my decision. Lots of nice improvements, clearly done based on engineering and customer feedback. It just plain looks sexy in cobalt blue, too.
After doing a Motoman break-in on the local roads near Sunnyside, I had the oil changed and then rode the bike back home to my island north of the Seattle area. All I can say is that the FJR is the bike that BMW should have and could have made a long time ago. The new K1200GT? Sorry, at $5300 USD more list price (and BMW dealers *rarely* discount pricing) for a bike that is at best a close rival to the FJR I'm delighted at my choice. :yahoo:
See you on the road.
Rob
I have put just over 200,000 miles on four BMWs in the last nine years. A K75RT was my first Beemer, a re-entry machine to motorcycling after spending twenty or so years bikeless (early family life and living in Minnesota where biking is about a three month season ;-) It was a great touring machine, and a very forgiving bike to re-learn (and in some cases learn the first time) good motorcycling skills. I was seduced after 27K miles by a demo red K1200RS, the first year model and one of the first brought into the US (serial number under 100). After 60,000 miles on the K12, I bought a brand new R1150GS which I rode for 77,000 miles before trading it to a buddy of mine for his very low mileage (for a Beemer) R1100RT. I'd always had lust for an R1100RT since I first saw one, and some things you've just gotta do because you've got to get it out of your system. I have now put over 40K miles on the RT, but last September I saw the writing on the wall that the RT was getting to the point where maintenance was increasingly expensive and I realized that I never really bonded with it, anyway. At that point I took the risk to put down money on a bike that I'd never ridden but had heard great things about, the FJR1300.
The 2006 update to the FJR really pushed me over the edge of making my decision. Lots of nice improvements, clearly done based on engineering and customer feedback. It just plain looks sexy in cobalt blue, too.
After doing a Motoman break-in on the local roads near Sunnyside, I had the oil changed and then rode the bike back home to my island north of the Seattle area. All I can say is that the FJR is the bike that BMW should have and could have made a long time ago. The new K1200GT? Sorry, at $5300 USD more list price (and BMW dealers *rarely* discount pricing) for a bike that is at best a close rival to the FJR I'm delighted at my choice. :yahoo:
See you on the road.
Rob
