when a perfect stranger comes up and compliment's you on your machine.....
I took an unscheduled trip out to Athlone yesterday morning and stopped in at the Athlone East rest area for a coffee.

Just sitting there letting the world go by and a passer by strolls up and says "that's a nice BMW, is it yours"

Kinda makes you feel good to be the owner....

;-)

Rod

Took a trip out yesterday too, 250 miles or so. Cork to Tullamore to Stradbally Wood to Cashel and back to Cork. Sunshine all the way. Until dark that is.

Amazing how the K bikes perform, great milemunchers!!

92KK

Yep brilliant and comfortable
And I got into Tullamore too around 12.30
Just popped in to see Mr Tilley but no sign
What time were you there ?
Smashing sunny day and great roads

R

Similar thing happened to me on my way down to Dingle last July.
I was getting petrol and car stopped and the driver asked if he could take a photo to show his friend who has a BMW.
I guess that as they are becoming rarer on the road they will start to attract more attention. Many people not familiar with bikes don't even know that it's a Beemer.
Was up the Antrim coast road on Friday, Olaf. Nice run.
You would know that autumn was here. Traffic was very light and met no other bikes.

Fit a sidecar and everybody wants to talk to you. (Can take ages to get anywhere!)

Paul.

Yup. Only thing more eccentric than a side car owner is someone who puts a K engine in a hovercraft.

My posts disappear!!

sidecar paul wrote:Fit a sidecar and everybody wants to talk to you. (Can take ages to get anywhere!)

Paul.

Add a red dog to the sidecar and you have a chick magnet!

Shame I am too old to know what to do....like a dog chasing parked cars.

I can always count on a good chuckle when I check in here at the forum

sidecar paul wrote:Fit a sidecar and everybody wants to talk to you. (Can take ages to get anywhere!)

Paul.

Yes, and people ride beside you on the highway for miles.

Rod,

Was in Tullamore at 10am.....didnt leave until well I think 4pm.

Had a great day, was actually looking over an old house for someone who then treated me to a very nice lunch. All in all a nice day. the bike spent the day parked up on the side of the street.

There is always a good laugh here, I am tempted john to take another trip up to Antrim, but also want to take a more detailed trip up to Comber and Castlewellan and a few more palces. I found my Grandads cousins house in Ballynahinch when I was up there, my grandad's house is gone but not a surprise, my grandads sisters house in Belfast is gone too. Such is the march of history.

I was very taken with Newcastle and the area, worth another trip. Its not so far from Dublin....Hillsborough is within a breakfast reach!!!!

Is there another use for a K engine.....? Cheaper than psychotherapy.!!

92KK

Good one Sean, Paul isn't that the joy of it,
CF , I don't mind the onlookers , it's just that when they take a photo whilst in motion you never get to see the final print, mmmmmm..

DeRodster wrote:when a perfect stranger comes up and compliment's you on your machine.....
I took an unscheduled trip out to Athlone yesterday morning and stopped in at the Athlone East rest area for a coffee.

Just sitting there letting the world go by and a passer by strolls up and says "that's a nice BMW, is it yours"

Kinda makes you feel good to be the owner....

;-)

Rod

Must be the same guy who stopped me in Athlone last April! It was at the Applgereen Station heading west on the bypass, He came running over waving at me saying "I know where there's one of those in a Shed!" and chatted enthusiastically for the next 10 mins.

+1 Olaf...it's cheaper than physcotherapy!

88

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:Rod,
Was in Tullamore at 10am.....didnt leave until well I think 4pm.
trip up to Antrim, up to Comber and Castlewellan house in Ballynahinch Belfast Newcastle Dublin....Hillsborough 92KK

Well I wasn't in Tullamore or Castlewellan or Ballynahinch or any other number of places with names becoming more difficult to pronounce.
I was at the drive through at Baulkham Hills.
Young bloke had no idea what what the bike was (thought the badge may have given it away) and was amused at me putting it on the center stand for what was going to be a very brief stop. 'Doesn't it have a kick stand?' "Well yes, but if I use it blah blah blah smoke blah blah blah fire alarms blah evacuations'.
He liked the look of it, was surprised at the age and that it was still running.
Not sure it was a compliment on the bike as such, but it was nice it got a bit of attention.
Five minutes later I made my purchase (couple of long necks) to take home and watch the V8s up on the Goldy.

rossco

rossco wrote:
trip up to Antrim, up to Comber and Castlewellan house in Ballynahinch Belfast Newcastle Dublin....Hillsborough 92KK

Well I wasn't in Tullamore or Castlewellan or Ballynahinch or any other number of places with names becoming more difficult to pronounce.....
rossco[/quote]

Whaddya talkin' about Rossco - he's making it easy by not writing them in Gaelic: Beal Feiriste, Tullach Mór, Baille na h-Ionsha, Baille Atha Cliath etc.....couldn't be simpler.

Everyone knows you have to go to Wales to get unpronounceable names

88

Gaelic ? I got a jar of that in the pantry

More ramblings.
Maybe people are a bit baffled because things are now at a point where K bike owners no longer fit into a category.
After all.
We aren't an arse in the air cafe racer type.
We aren't trying to look like an easy rider on a Hardly Ableson.
We don't look like we are about to set off for North Africa on a GS.
What we have is a MOTORCYCLE!
All at least 20 years old now and usually in every day use, often looking like it, too. ie. Needing a wash and a touch of paint here and there.
How often do we come across this nowadays?
When most of us started riding bikes it was your only form of transport. Nowadays motorcycling has become a leisure activity.
If someone isn't riding a new(ish) model its an older model so polished it looks nothing like we remember.
I think this is why our bikes are attracting attention now.
We need to be careful or they will become collectable too!

aye !...indeed john

almost every weekend i see an old timer ...or a youngun give me a wave , a nod , or a chat wherever we stop .

not counting the ones you overtake ...giggle

Ah yes the effortless joy of being able to overtake or not as you please and how nice last weekend on the N? towards Athlone.
Let her rip and as the mood takes you, hit the ton with a smile.
Catch the lad in the Honda or w.h.y who flashed past 5 mins earlier thinks he's "king of the road", and with a sideways glance see the envy in his eyes as the smirk dies on his face.
but not to rub it in let him catch up .....a bit... and then off again like a hound. Ha, I love it.

R

ComberJohn the very fact that BMW chose something so different to the others and ran a bike more a case of a flat four built like a flat twin is testimony to the brilliance of the thinkers, imagine if it came out just like the UJM (universal japenese motorcycle) would we be in a similar position. But no we are on a unique bike for sure it has an air to it, that fits the "for the discerning rider" motto, And look at us are we the irascible young unkept anymore? do we frequent the pubs and leave our bikes dripping oil and our belstaff's leaking oil/grease all over the forcourt these days of any garage or coffee shop? no thats not really where we came from, we may have come through such a phase but never stayed there to long, but history (ours) teaches us to appreciate what we have come through and where we are today so when such a visit from those norms who see the badge and vaguely remember these to be the bikes of the elite or indeed another fellow rider see's it and comments because he likes em and relates to the owners ability to stay with something special, something a cut above the norm, we dont all fit the afore mentioned irascable youth but we can be seen as left over from a time when long haired belstaff clad wild men of the rally and pub scene roamed the earth, now look what you made me write and me with me belstaffs hanging in the shed all shrunk up and too small for me. But in short we are in a position to get those comments for my part becasue of the decision years ago to do something different with the fashionable four. now I'll go buy a can of alphabet soup so i can sprinkle the gaelic on it and help rossco decipher the landmarks. cheers

K75cster wrote:now I'll go buy a can of alphabet soup so i can sprinkle the gaelic on it and help rossco decipher the landmarks. cheers

Thanks for the thought Keith.
Maybe I should go looking for one of the elsewhere mentioned Babel fish.

What we have is a MOTORCYCLE!
All at least 20 years old now and usually in every day use, often looking like it, too. ie. Needing a wash and a touch of paint here and there.
How often do we come across this nowadays?

Nice say John.
As to the last question, yesterday, when arriving at the HD/BMW dealership in Louisville for to get some parts. Saw two fellows that had come from Owensboro, Ky. on K100's who had no small ride to get there, out in the parking lot.
They made their ride sound casual. Loved it. Wish had had to more time to spend with them but had to hurry in to the parts counter which was soon closing. Terribly socially inept, I fear...but wished them a safe trip home.
Pretty cool day.

K75cster

belstaff clad wild men of the rally and pub scene roamed the earth, now look what you made me write and me with me belstaffs hanging in the shed all shrunk up and too small for me.

I once had Belstaffs too....if I remember they were guaranteed not to shrink....which they didnt, from rain....... but for some reason beer always made them shrink.

92KK

I'm still wearing my Belstaff pants I've had since 1988.
Mind you, I think I may have originally worn them with stuff underneath.....
Still good dax though.

We in Ireland are slightly different. I have taken mine off a few times....need to shower occasionally etc. . . They were good kit though.

So when are you guys down under heading up this way to a land of unpronouncable names?

A few places for you.......Lixnaw, Termonfeckin, Twomileinn, NewTwoPotHouse, Threemilebridge, Fivemilebridge, Sixmilebridge, Seven Heads, Tara, Ballyvaughan, Craggy Island, Ballinskelligs, Knightstown, Kingstown, Borris-in-Ossory [actually he came over on a Dnieper in 1947 and hasnt been seen since although there are mysterious sightings of him from time to time 88KE can put Irish on that one!!], Aughrim, Letterkenny, the Vee, Blarney, Cobh [see if you can pronounce that one!!!] Rosscarbery, Schull, Carrick-a-Rede [for ComberJohn], Slea Head, Glengarriffe, Ballylickey, Murreagh., Buttevant, Kilrossanty, Helvick, Apologies to anyone left out.......

Not a challenge for 88KE to make them more unpronounceable.....so off to Wales... Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

92KK

Only dirty people wash.
I was there in 1990 and then again in 2009 when my sis was ambassador there.
Planning a trip back across that way in 2014, though I need to save a few more bottletops yet!
Have a mate in Holland who says he'll lend me his K75 for a week or two.

Saxon7 wrote:I'm still wearing my Belstaff pants I've had since 1988.
Mind you, I think I may have originally worn them with stuff underneath.....
Still good dax though.

Was wondering why that red dog had a strange look about it.

I am quite sure those of us who are still left in 2014 will have a nice run organised for when you are here......wherever that may be.

92KK

I loved my Belstaff jacket...because it had lots of pockets for me to fill with ceramic fuses to use on my Ducati 860.

I still have some of those in a drawer somewhere...
The fuses I mean.

I still carry them! Ya never know!

My old 860 is long gone now.....sold to Phil Aynsely who sold it to a Swiss collector.

I had a fat tank 860 and the colour was (drum roll please)...red!

The handlebar switches were so crap I grafted on a pair of Suzuki GT185 switches. Problem solved. Loved that bike.

Mmmm..ducati elletronica....Right up there with Joseph Lucas prince of darkness.
You must have had a GTS.
Thread hijacked again.....sigh.

Hmmm I've seen a few of those as I went past on the Z1300 and by the time the next corner came up I was so far in front I could slow to a pace that allowed me to get round safely.

I mean, a Ducati 860 in British Racing Green, of course it went to a Swiss collector at line up beside his watches....IMHO only one colour for Ducati.....no drum roll......but I saw the 860 in glorious black once and it made some impression.

92KK

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:I mean, a Ducati 860 in British Racing Green, of course it went to a Swiss collector at line up beside his watches....IMHO only one colour for Ducati.....no drum roll......but I saw the 860 in glorious black once and it made some impression.

92KK

That colour should actually be called Irish Racing Green, but then of course you knew that

Saxon7 wrote:Only dirty people wash.
I was there in 1990 and then again in 2009 when my sis was ambassador there.
Planning a trip back across that way in 2014, though I need to save a few more bottletops yet!
Have a mate in Holland who says he'll lend me his K75 for a week or two.

If you do come this way Sean they'll be a gathering in your honour! be sure to book an evening in your diary for that

88

Ever feel left out or have leprosy or similar disease? Went to Phipil McCallens bike shop on saturday for a pair of long over due boots. Pull up out side and parked beside these shinie triumphs and kawazakie things plus one k1200 sportie job. The owners of said bikes where standing around talking, turned to look at my bike and turned away! No waves, how-yo-going's or even the traditional nod! Philip McCallen was the only one to come over for a chat. Snobbie bikers, whats the world coming too!

G

PS with hindsight i think they were just jealous!

GMCQ....

Isn't it nice to see they show respect for culture when they meet it!!.

Elsewhere you will see the K bikes have a good turn of speed and a decent petrol tank......in order words it was their first chance to get a look at what has passed them more than once......been there. Last trip to Dublin in fact, guy thought he passed me....did a double take when he saw me ahead of him in Dublin.....Ok the K bike is quick but they pass enough petrol stations too...

92KK

Here is a photo of a mates 860

gmcq wrote:
PS with hindsight i think they were just jealous!

or just dont know about the mighty "k"....their loss

most folks with an "open mind" are willing to chat mate ....

Ah hah so It's me belstaffs, Now I know how to stop em shrinking. has anyone seen crazy frog since the green ducati was posted anyone wondering if he speaks two languages He'll be Bibrandual by now ducati and BMW

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:We in Ireland are slightly different. I have taken mine off a few times....need to shower occasionally etc. . . They were good kit though.

So when are you guys down under heading up this way to a land of unpronouncable names?

A few places for you.......Lixnaw, Termonfeckin, Twomileinn, NewTwoPotHouse, Threemilebridge, Fivemilebridge, Sixmilebridge, Seven Heads, Tara, Ballyvaughan, Craggy Island, Ballinskelligs, Knightstown, Kingstown, Borris-in-Ossory [actually he came over on a Dnieper in 1947 and hasnt been seen since although there are mysterious sightings of him from time to time 88KE can put Irish on that one!!], Aughrim, Letterkenny, the Vee, Blarney, Cobh [see if you can pronounce that one!!!] Rosscarbery, Schull, Carrick-a-Rede [for ComberJohn], Slea Head, Glengarriffe, Ballylickey, Murreagh., Buttevant, Kilrossanty, Helvick, Apologies to anyone left out.......




Not a challenge for 88KE to make them more unpronounceable.....so off to Wales... Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

92KK

Don't forget Muff....honest its in Donegal

Nice to know that Craggy Island really exists.

Paul.

And "Ballykissangel" - I was married in that church.

88

[quote="88KE"[/quote]

If you do come this way Sean they'll be a gathering in your honour! be sure to book an evening in your diary for that

88[/quote]

Thanks 88 and 92...hmm...sounds a bit like a TV show...I'll certainly try and catch up to say hello when I get over there! A man's not a camel after all.

[img][/img]

Been trying to upload a photo of Craggy Island without success!

92KK