EuroKClub
Welcome to the BMW K1200 K1300 K1600 Forum => Who's Who? => Topic started by: Merrowman on June 02, 2015, 11:50:24 pm
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Hi to all.
My name's Derek and I live in Horndean, just North of Portsmouth, Hampshire. Nature has dictated that I'm 61, although I'm really 25 at heart. I'm an HGV driver, and a local DJ for my sins (yes, really!), having retired 7 years ago from the Metropolitan Police, where I spent most of my 25 years service in Traffic Division (sorry!), on both bikes and cars.
I started riding bikes in 1970, at 16. My first bike was a 175cc BSA Bantam D7, which I loved for 5 months until I dramatically shortened its wheelbase with a little help from an idiot in a Ford Cortina who turned right in front of me. 3 days coma, 2 weeks in hospital and a Summer in plaster casts taught me a valuable lesson - it doesn't matter whose fault it is, the biker always comes off worse.
With the damages from that little meeting I bought a Honda CB250 K1 which took me through my test (yes, test on a 250, at 16: you could in them days - and without a helmet!).
Progressed to a Triumph Trident 750 and there it all began.
Since then, apart from a short dalliance with a Yamaha XJ900 I've always been a Honda man. During my time in 'The Job' our workhorses were always Beemers - I started training on the R80s and that's what we rode for years after - they popped and clattered, had wildly optimistic speedos (flat out at an indicated 121mph, the calibrated speedo next to the BMW one read 104!), the early ones had Avon fairings and single disc front brakes - when you got above 80mph the front wheel started to lift because of the fairing aerodynamics (or lack thereof!), and you learned to plan well ahead if you want to stop in time. But they were all-day comfy, reliable workhorses, which ran hot enough to melt the polish of our boots in Summer (I kid you not!) but never packed up.
Step forward many years, into R1100s and R1150s, and Honda ST1100s came into the fleet. Excellent bikes which I confess I much preferred to the Beemers, so much so that I sold my beloved Honda CBR1000F and bought a Pan for myself. Then the dream bike came on the fleet - it was a BMW K1200S, supposedly on trial as a pursuit bike (God knows why, we weren't allowed to pursue on bikes!). It was fully striped up, with blues and twos, and was blindingly quick. I fell in love with it straightaway, but being a very expensive BMW there was no hope I'd ever own one.
But the dream was there. I carried on with my venerable old ST1100 Pan until 2 years ago, when I changed it for a really nice Honda CBF1000. Brilliant bike, comfy, quick, nippy, reliable, and will do me for the rest of my biking days... except the dream was still there.
About a month ago I realised I wasn't going to be satisfied with the Biffer, and suddenly realised I could afford a 'K'. A little searching through Autotrader brought me to an immaculate 2009 K1300 GT SE which I collected a few days ago from Chandlers BMW in Brighton. What a machine - unsurprisingly even better than my memories of the K12 - OK, it's not an 'S' but 160bhp will do me at my age, and my spine thanks me for the more upright seating position. The bike is everything I ever wanted and more, now this could last me until... well, you know.
I intend to tour a lot, UK and Europe, am planning to do the Route des Grandes Alpes later this year (was going to be June but since my bank balance has just taken a large hit I will probably put it off 'til September now). I'm passionate about road safety and spreading the word to up and coming bikers. I was an IAM Examiner for a few years but stopped as it was taking too much of my spare time, but I'm now thinking of training up to become a bike instructor - if I can find the time!
Really pleased to find this group, and hope I can put into the forum as much as I take out of it. If you're still awake, thanks for putting up with my ramblings - I'm not always this long-winded.
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Hello and welcome to the ''madhouse'', it become a standard greeting that one so no worries.
Nice story, somehow similar piece about the HONDA bikes, similar also to the point that after my retirement the BMW dream came true too.
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Hello Derek and welcome.
Glad you took my advise from the CBF1000 forum and searched out the EuroK Club.
Have a great time on a great bike, far better than a biffer.
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Hello Derek and welcome ! :) What an excellent and exquisite choice of Beemer if I might say so...!! ;)
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Hi Derek. Welcome to the forum. Will be good to have your experience on board.
I started with a D7 and graduated to a Tiger 100. Thought that the R100RS was a great bike until I discovered the VFR750FJ which I had from new for over 20 years. The VFR would clean up like a new bike even though it had some miles on it. Of course it was in the best colour which we all know is red. Said that I would never get a BMW again when I had the Honda but now I have a K1200S which awes me with it's amazing grunt. Never fails to put a smile on my face.
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I live in Horndean, just North of Portsmouth, Hampshire.
If I'm selling, I'm in Horndean, if you're buying, its Cowplain
Please tell me you don't go to Bahnstoppers...
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2009 K1300 GT SE which I collected a few days ago from Chandlers BMW in Brighton.
Is it Red?
I'll explain...
Seems its grey after checking with Chandlers. I was riding an 09 13GTSE from Chandlers when I got rear-ended by an X5 in Wandsworth one-way. The X5 driver ended up lecturing the then m/c principal at Chandlers that all m/c riders should be banned from the roads.
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Hi and welcome Derek.
You are most definitely awarded the goldstar for the very interesting and informative intro. and for being by far the longest ::) You can collect your reward from the EW once he has returned from windy Wales.
Bob
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So they were chasing the wind not the sun, now it makes sense.
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Welcome to the forum Derek sorry for the late reply we've been away enjoying ourselves ;D
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Yep, thanks for the tip, Gibbo, good to see you here too. Niall, spotted you on here a few days ago when I was following Gibbo's advice. I live just up the road in Merchistoun Road. Think we're bound to meet up before long. Thanks for all the advice in the PM, and no, I have never run a bouncy castle business!
All... thanks for the welcome. It's good to belong.
Stay safe :)
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Yep, thanks for the tip, Gibbo, good to see you here too. Niall, spotted you on here a few days ago when I was following Gibbo's advice. I live just up the road in Merchistoun Road. Think we're bound to meet up before long. Thanks for all the advice in the PM, and no, I have never run a bouncy castle business!
All... thanks for the welcome. It's good to belong.
Stay safe :)
"Mr Bouncy" was on Five Heads. He was (is?) MET. Not seen his van around recently
Russ at Horndean are very difficult to beat for price. The only issue I have is no one local for services (as in no specialist or mechanic type to trust). You'll find a picture of mine on Googlemaps, end of Herriott Close. Its not very recent, there are 4 houses at the end now, not the over grown garden
Rear tyre - From To Distance Notes
Bridgestone BT020 0 5,530 5,530 Worn out
Bridgestone BT020 5,530 9,713 4,183 Puncture, wearing out
Bridgestone BT021 9,713 16,339 6,626 Worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 16,339 20,021 3,682 Puncture
Michelin Pilot Road 2 20,021 22,383 2,362 Puncture
Michelin Pilot Road 2 22,383 29,436 7,053 Worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 29,436 34,562 5,126 Slow puncture
Michelin Pilot Road 2 34,562 39,333 4,771 2nd Puncture
Michelin Pilot Road 2 39,333 46,806 7,473 worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 46,806 58,739 11,933 worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 58,739 68,752 10,013 worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 68,752 78,087 9,335 Puncture
Michelin Pilot Road 2 78,087 83,073
Front tyre - From To Distance Notes
Bridgestone BT020 0 6,396 6,396 Worn out
Bridgestone BT020 6,396 9,713 3,317 Replaced as BT021 are matched
Bridgestone BT021 9,713 16,339 6,626 Worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 16,339 22,383 6,044 Worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 22,383 29,436 7,053 Worn out
Michelin Pilot Road 2 29,436 39,077 9,641 Worn out, but with some spare
Michelin Pilot Road 2 39,077 41,274 2,197 Wheel replaced - hit a brick
Michelin Pilot Road 2 41,274 53,341 12,067 Worn out, replaced
Michelin Pilot Road 2 53,341 64,601 11,260 Worn out, replaced
Michelin Pilot Road 2 64,601 74,984 10,383 Worn out, replaced
Michelin Pilot Road 2 74,984 83,073 8,089
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Please tell me you don't go to Bahnstoppers...
May I ask why? Just curious as is my nearest bmw dealer, not been there yet........
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Hi Derek and welcome to the increasingly mad madhouse that is EuroKClub!
Lovely intro and I'm sure we all feel we know you already; just have to get round to putting a face to the name. Also, having been a CBR1000F-H owner for 25 years, I see you are a man of exquisite taste 8)
Brian (who made it back home in one piece (almost) even without a satnav but that omission has now been rectified ::) )
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Please tell me you don't go to Bahnstoppers...
May I ask why? Just curious as is my nearest bmw dealer, not been there yet........
I'll send you a PM
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Merrowman, Welcome to the forum and enjoy the ride. Nice bike by the way.
JS
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Oh no its the Rossers, only kidding mate, welcome. Excellent choice, I had a K1300GT from new for 3 years and put 60K miles on it, Ballistic Sofa sort of sums them up. Ive gone down to the cheap seats for now to an F800GS, we'll, cheap for BMW, more suited really to what I need, rather than what I want. Mine gets used for work more than anything else, though I get to play while working so its win win really. Anyway they still let me in here, though I get banned most weeks, I might be banned now, I lose track. Everyone here is mad except me, though I am sometimes.
have they told you about new recruits buying cakes? ;D
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Tim, stop it with the bloody cakes!
Yer banned, even if you are already banned, and especially if you aren't :o )