Sold FJR, New BMW in the Stable

[wfooshee]

I still don't know what the duckbill is for.

Can somebody 'splain it to me so I can decide if I need to add one to the feejer?

 

[beemerdons]

I still don't know what the duckbill is for.
Can somebody 'splain it to me so I can decide if I need to add one to the feejer?

wfooshee: I have been to the BMW Museum and Factory in Munich a number of times. And in 1999 I asked a Bavarian BMW engineer what the purpose of the duckbill was. He gave me a long winded explanation that it provides aerodynamic downthrust and stability, plus directs incoming air to the oil cooler radiator; which indeed is at the end of the duckbill snout.

However, the reason that I asked the question is that just months before flying to Europe I was riding the West Side Highway in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The WSH is a dirt track that runs from interior San Ignacio along the Pacific Ocean shoreline to La Purisima. Just north of San Juanico I crashed at about forty per in a sand wash and snapped off the duckbill.

I was starting to bungee the broken off duckbill to my back seat, when I noticed how much better my R1100GS looked without it. There is still my broken duckbill leaning against a boojum cactus in Baja, and my R11GS runs just fine without it!

 

[Fred W]

Just north of San Juanico I crashed at about forty per in a sand wash and snapped off the duckbill.
I was starting to bungee the broken off duckbill to my back seat, when I noticed how much better my R1100GS looked without it. There is still my broken duckbill leaning against a boojum cactus in Baja, and my R11GS runs just fine without it!

Got pics?

 

[.paul]

Does the SS stand for single seat.

 

[beemerdons]

Just north of San Juanico I crashed at about forty per in a sand wash and snapped off the duckbill.
I was starting to bungee the broken off duckbill to my back seat, when I noticed how much better my R1100GS looked without it. There is still my broken duckbill leaning against a boojum cactus in Baja, and my R11GS runs just fine without it!

Got pics?

Fred W.: This is very embarrassing, I'm an old guy and don't have the computer smarts to post pictures. I've got to change!

But Gary "Mudslide" Miller does have a picture of my friend Dave Cooley riding my GS on the way to Sipapu, New Mexico for Land of Enchantment Rally. Go to https://www.azbeemers.org/forum/index.php?topic=78.0 and open up Gary's link at www.gmiller.shutterfly.com and then type in the password sipapu Dave is in the fourth photo, wearing a red helmet/jacket.

 

[Fred W]

Go to https://www.azbeemers.org/forum/index.php?topic=78.0 and open up Gary's link at www.gmiller.shutterfly.com and then type in the password sipapu Dave is in the fourth photo, wearing a red helmet/jacket.

OK, followed your directions and I have to agree with you. The bike looks considerably better without the "bill".

Now, you just need to get a "normal" colored seat...

Does BMW intentionally go out of their way to make the most bizarre looking bikes?

 

[beemerdons]

Go to https://www.azbeemers.org/forum/index.php?topic=78.0 and open up Gary's link at www.gmiller.shutterfly.com and then type in the password sipapu Dave is in the fourth photo, wearing a red helmet/jacket.

OK, followed your directions and I have to agree with you. The bike looks considerably better without the "bill".

Now, you just need to get a "normal" colored seat...

Does BMW intentionally go out of their way to make the most bizarre looking bikes?

Mi Amigo Fred W.: The common and longstanding joke among BMW owners is - "BMW Motorcycle Design is God's way of showing that the Germans have a sense of humor!" You should've seen the look on my face when BMW brought out the K1; I first saw it at the BMW MOA Rally in Missoula, Montana and I hurt myself from laughing so hard at that monstrosity!

 

[steelhead]

Does the SS stand for single seat.

It does now

Thanks Paul