BMW K bikes (Bricks)


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Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
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Biking in Britain, circa early '60s.

The riding adventures of Tom, and Tom's friend.


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1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT. Projects: 1993 & '96 K1100RS, & 1st '98 K1200RS.
The Mystic, Big Block, 2nd K1200RS, K12R & K13 are running & ridable.
    

brickrider2

brickrider2
Life time member
Life time member
Great video!  Lovely old Matchless.  It recalls the times before indicators and mirrors were required.  All in all, it brings back into focus a Britain I'd all but forgotten.  Plenty of smog, but no rain (?).  When did you last see a rider wearing leather mittens? And those plates with the "L" -- I take it they indicate Learner. Most enjoyable.  Thanks for posting the video.  cheers


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1996 K1100LT
    

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
North London - Collindale/Kingsbury/Hendon, I think, evidenced by the gasworks and the end of the M1 motorway. The 'other' bike is a Triumph Cub and the scooter appears to be a Guzzi Galliati (sp?) or a Bianchi of some description. Numberplates are 'A' reg making both bikes 1963. I had an 'A' registered Ariel VB600 (actually it was a 1958 model) which was one of only two bikes I ever regret selling.

I lived in Kingsbury in the late Seventies - some places never change.

[Edit] Come to think of it, most likely Hendon because that's where the road transport school was based.



Last edited by Dai on Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:03 pm; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
L plates do indicate a learner, both in UK and OZ, and there are generally restrictions on displacement, horsepower, pillion, speed limits, and even times of the day they can be ridden. They're the ones being ridden like experienced heroes. Gotta get your bruises somehow. Next come P plates. We know that surely means professional.


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1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT. Projects: 1993 & '96 K1100RS, & 1st '98 K1200RS.
The Mystic, Big Block, 2nd K1200RS, K12R & K13 are running & ridable.
    

td5

td5
Platinum member
Platinum member
Yes the Learners were restricted to 250cc and the cub if not the S was a blistering 10hp!


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"Never rely on signals given by anyone, except a policeman." K_engi10
1988 / K100RS
2013 / R1200GS
2015 / K1300R
2002 / R1100S BCR
    

Born Again Eccentric

Born Again Eccentric
Life time member
Life time member
Two Wheels Better wrote:L plates do indicate a learner, both in UK and OZ, and there are generally restrictions on displacement, horsepower, pillion, speed limits, and even times of the day they can be ridden. They're the ones being ridden like experienced heroes. Gotta get your bruises somehow. Next come P plates. We know that surely means professional.
I like the way they cover the headlight with the L plate...that's a safe thing to do! Also, note the absence of any road markings at the junctions. Thankfully, we now have lines everywhere to try and bring some discipline to the road. 

In the UK, after passing your test and ditching the L plates, it is entirely optional whether you want to tell everyone that you are an inexperienced driver by wearing a P Plate. Most don't. I don't think I have ever seen them on a bike. I made my daughter put P plates on her car for 3 months after passing her test - they didn't seem to make any difference to the way others drove though (tailgating etc.).


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"Never rely on signals given by anyone, except a policeman." Uk-log10 "Never rely on signals given by anyone, except a policeman." Sco-lo15
                              Paul  "Never rely on signals given by anyone, except a policeman." 905546712

"Heidi" K100LT 1991 (Grey) (VIN 0190172 Engine No. 104EB 2590 2213) - 5th owner. January 2014 (34,000 - 61,000 miles and counting....)
"Gretel" K100LT 1989 (Silver Grey) (VIN 0177324 Engine No. 104EA 2789 2211) - 4th+ owner. September 2015 (58,500miles and counting....). Cat C Insurance write-off rebuild Feb 17
"Donor" K100LT 1990 (Red)  (VIN 0178091 Engine No. 4489 2024) - 6th & final owner (crash write-off now donor bike).   June 2012 (73,000 miles) to November 2013 (89,500 miles)
    

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
Born Again Eccentric wrote:In the UK GB
FTFY Paul  Razz Different rules over here; you are required to put up R (Restricted) plates for twelve months after you pass your test and there's lots of things you can't do, like exceed 45mph and use motorways. Mine lasted three months until I felt comfortable with the car. Twisted Evil Additionally, the insurance companies treat you as being a reasonable risk while on R-plates and a poor risk as soon as they expire i.e. your insurance premium doubles!!!! There's no crossover between motorcycles and cars, so my 40+ years experience on the road counted for nothing and for insurance purposes I was treated like a snotty-nosed 17-year old. There's next-to-no insurance competition over here and we know it. Last year everyone's insurance premiums increased by 80% because the underwriters felt like it. The excuse given is usually 'civil unrest', even though that has effectively been a lie for the last twenty years.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

Corkboy

Corkboy
Life time member
Life time member
And in the South of Ireland, its "N" plates (for Novice), after the L plates. For two years I think.  
They are the ones to give a wide berth, as they now think since they've passed a test, they know it all.

I don't think they have as many restrictions as the P platers in Oz (both my nieces are Australian - I had to remove the P plates from the car when I was driving it - here it is common to see both an L plate and a N plate on the car, when the parents are driving it).


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Regards,

Corkboy '87 K100RS SE (The black one - one of the two bikes I'm sorry I sold)
             '87 K100RS 0140995 (Gone)
             '97 K1100LT 0188024 (Gone)
             '08 K1200GT Wedge - but still a K
             '08 Transalp 700
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
And in OZ it's a ticket for any driver of that vehicle with a full licence who has not removed either the L for Learner or P for Provisional plate from said vehicle after the kiddies have driven or ridden it.


__________________________________________________
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT. Projects: 1993 & '96 K1100RS, & 1st '98 K1200RS.
The Mystic, Big Block, 2nd K1200RS, K12R & K13 are running & ridable.
    

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
That's the theory across the UK too, but I've never heard of anyone getting prosecuted for it.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
I stand as witness to the law prosecuting coz they can.


__________________________________________________
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT. Projects: 1993 & '96 K1100RS, & 1st '98 K1200RS.
The Mystic, Big Block, 2nd K1200RS, K12R & K13 are running & ridable.
    

brickrider2

brickrider2
Life time member
Life time member
Here in the wild west on North America, the authorities don't seem to care much at all if you know how to ride a motorcycle.  It's all about business $$$. Learner or Novice plates? ha!  If you've got enough guile to talk someone into financing your Hayabusa, or some other big bore rocket, you're "good to go", as they say. 
I have a vivid memory of being at a dealership some years back when the purchaser of a new bike wrecked it while trying to pull out of the parking lot.  I often wonder if that guy lived long enough to run in the machine. I hope he wasn't married with kids.


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1996 K1100LT
    

Two Wheels Better

Two Wheels Better
Moderator
Moderator
Back in about 1977, I was 17, already riding my R75/7. I pulled into a southern New Hampshire Suzuki dealership and got the keys to a new GS1000 for a 'test ride'. I ripped down a back country road at 130mph, skinny tyres and tiny single disc brake up the front. Man, was I stooopid. I'd been riding on the road for a year, but on bikes for several more years prior. Hey, wisdom is not the prerogative of youth.


__________________________________________________
1977 R75/7-100, '93 K11/K12 Big Block, '95 R100 Mystic, '96 K1100RS, '98 K1200RS, '06 K1200R & '09 K1300GT. Projects: 1993 & '96 K1100RS, & 1st '98 K1200RS.
The Mystic, Big Block, 2nd K1200RS, K12R & K13 are running & ridable.
    

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