Road trip with the 'blads

[bensonga]

Ah, a rather new bike, only 12 years old. My Honda CBX550F2 celebrated her 24th birthday this year. :z04_2171: She is getting fresh oil and filters for her birthday.

Your BMW looks very well kept, I have to say.

Wilko

My hats off to you Wilko for keeping a classic running! My oldest motorcycle was a 1978 BMW R100S....it was a wonderful motorcycle, but I'll be the first to admit I'm not much of a mechanic and prefer modern technology and performance. She deserved someone who would ride her regularly and more often.

My wife also rides. Between the two of us we have eight motorcycles here in Alaska and two more stored with friends in the Seattle area (more great roads to ride in Washington and Oregon and better weather in the summer). Here's a photo from our ride along the Columbia River valley this summer. That's my wife's blue Ninja 650.....she's an excellent rider!

Just wish we had more time to spend in Washington, Oregon and California each summer for motorcycle rides and adventures.

We do get over to Dawson City on the motorcycles each summer.....my wife rides her BMW F650GS and I'm on a V-Strom 650.....it's great fun! Riders from all over the world converge on Dawson City during the Summer Solstice....the Dust to Dawson ride. Mostly GS-type motorcycles.

I can only imagine how great it must be to ride a motorcycle in the mountains of Europe! Hopefully someday I experience it first hand.

Gary Benson
Eagle River, Alaska

 

[polypal]

"I can only imagine how great it must be to ride a motorcycle in the mountains of Europe! Hopefully someday I experience it first hand."

Gary Benson

The funny thing is Europeans have the same urge to do trips in the US.

BMW promotion.



The BMW is just waiting for someone to ride her in that beautiful scenery.
Very inviting shot. Makes me want to cross the ocean again and spend some time in the US.

Paul

 

[vandevantersh]

"The funny thing is Europeans have the same urge to do trips in the US."
**********
In the US the Germans seem to like the HDs or maybe it's dressing up in the Harley leathers and other gear; what ever the reason they seem to have a lot of fun.

BTW, I still have my first motorcycle, a 1955 BSA 650cc Road Rocket and also a 1950's era reproduction "Cafe Racer", the Triumph Thruxton.

Steve

 

[vandevantersh]

Well..drove through Zion NP, Utah on the way to LV....thought for sure there would be great fall colors by Oct 15...I found one tree trying to turn yellow.
(SWC-D)
Steve

 

[polypal]

BTW, I still have my first motorcycle, a 1955 BSA 650cc Road Rocket and also a 1950's era reproduction "Cafe Racer", the Triumph Thruxton.

Steve

Many years ago I was stopped by a policeman in London probably because I drove a LHD Jaguar with a roof rack loaded with items.
Metropolitan Police still rode English bikes a little more recent than Steve's Rocket Star.
While we chatted a small pool of oil had formed under the engine of the motorcycle.
That brought up the question BMW versus English bikes.
The police officer complained about repeated visits to the toilet during the day.

His colleagues in Lincolnshire were the first to try BMW motorcycles.
They rode all day and were absolutely fit after a days work.
These first two BMW 750/5 were soon followed by a large fleet of BM's.
Running costs were about half compared to the products from the UK.

 

[vandevantersh]

I had to keep a pan under the crank case to catch the oil leaks. The Lucas electrics were terrible and resulted in me pushing the bike on home, more than once. Poor quality control and poor reliability killed the British motorcycle industry...it was sad to see all of those great names die...BSA. Norton, Ariel, Vincent, etc.

Steve

 

[blowupster]

I had several bikes in my life and now I use a 2001 sportster (for working) and a 1979 Triumph (Tiger 750) with side car (for child taxi duty) dayly without any problem. I had Yamaha and Honda too. One Honda colapsed in south of France (XL 500), one other Honda explosed in Holland (XLV 750) and a other Honda (XLV 750) gently die not far from my house. Tree dead Honda in 5 years ! I succed to swap 2 other Yamaha (125 DMX) just befor they bagan to feel too bad. And I sold a Suzuki (1100) I never liked to drive but run perfect.

Tow years ago I sold my beautiful 2002 Triumph Bonneville to get cash for the Leica M8 and lenses.

English and Harley are great bikes because it's allways possible to repair at reasonable prise. If you change all plastic parts and use scew glue for old english bikes and cars, then you get reliable engines.


BTW I dont know why we write about motorcycle.... hum ,ok, so if one has a Brough Superior for sale.. send me a mail !

 

[vandevantersh]

"
BTW I dont know why we write about motorcycle.... hum ,ok, so if one has a Brough Superior for sale.. send me a mail !"

Ah!!! The the Brough Superior; the SS100, T. E. Lawrence's last motorcycle. I still think about the Vincent Black Shadow that I could have purchased for $1000 USD.

Steve

 

[simonpg]

Europe ??? or the US ??? I can tell you that this Aussie won't be going to either.

In the last 2 weeks that Aussie $ dropped from US$0.90 to US$0.65 - Ooooooouuuuch!

And the Euro........ more ooooooouuuuch! Way way down to AU$1.94!

And to think - our banking / financial system is the best regulated in the world; the Aussie Government has not needed to offer even $1.00 to support any of our banks!!! Bank's profits here are at an all-time high. No Aussie banks have exposure to the garbage lending practices of the US......... There is NO defaults crisis here; our economy has the strongest indicators and we are not in recession.

Just goes to show that economic theory that says "markets are rational" is bull-crap (a polite Aussie expression )

My grumble for the day!

Love the shots guys.

 

[polypal]

BTW I don't know why we write about motorcycle.... hum ,OK, so if one has a Brough Superior for sale.. send me a mail !

I consider a good motorcycle as an excellent accessoire for a photographer.
A bike gets you fast to the place where it is all happening with little risk of getting caught in traffic.