22 April 2011

Bike(s) Update:

A quick refresher for those just tuning in:
Late last summer I bought a Moto Guzzi SPIII thinking it would be good transportation for to and from work, and also (mistakenly) thinking my lovely bride would enjoy riding along with me.
I later found out she was frightened of riding any bike that had no backrest for her.
Oh well... I enjoy the Guzzi and have decided to keep it.
But to satisfy my wife's desires I searched the world over and found a nice '87 Honda Goldwing, which of course has the nice trunk/backrest and also came with an AM/FM stereo system.
The "Goldwing Surprise" came when I tried to maneuver the bike in tight spaces, particularly tight,
inclined spaces. This two-wheeled automobile weighs almost 800 lbs., and if you're not real careful you can Chinese-handcuff yourself with it pretty easily...
Park it in such a way that you cannot move it until a good Samaritan comes along to lend a hand.

Back to the drawing board, I quickly realize I SHOULD have bought a slightly newer Goldwing...
I found an '89 model with all the bells and whistles... AM/FM Casette, CB radio, intercom, air compressor, electronic cruise control, AND... REVERSE!
Bike in neutral, pull a little lever on the left side from horizontal to vertical, push the "starter" button, and the starter motor backs the bike at a nice, controllable pace.
So I bought the '89, with the promise to my wife that we'd sell the '87 "in the Spring".
And I will.
I promise.
REALLY!

Then I made the mistake drug addicts make.
I went back to eBay for "just a little hit", to see where bike prices were heading.
And there it was-
A '79 BMW R100T in "fair" condition that no one seemed to be bidding on. I watched it for a couple days and still, no one was bidding on the poor thing. What could it hurt if I bid on it?
At this price, even if I end up owning it I can ride it a while, learn about BMW's, tinker with it a little, and maybe sell it at a profit
"in the Spring"!!

I bid on it.
I own it.

Now there are four motorcycles in my garage. Me and the shop are still tinkering with the newer 'Wing, so I'm not excited about marketing the older 'Wing until that tinkering is done. (And yes, Sara Jean LOVES riding the Goldwing and will come along anytime the weather is nice.)
I ride the Guzzi once a week or so to keep the machinery oiled and battery charged, and still enjoy its character.
The newer 'Wing is even heavier than the old one, so it's a moose to handle, even with Reverse. But I'm sure I'll get comfortable with it over time.

The BMW is now a source of concern.
Describing the bike as "Fair" was a fair way of describing it.
It has more than its fair share of problems...
The rear tire is dry-rotted and needs replacing. (The new one is at the shop waiting for me to bring the wheel over.)
The push rods leak a little oil, so like Harleys of old, it "marks" its territory when parked. (This problem is getting better as I ride the bike and the seals soften and do their job better.)
The speedometer works, but the odometer/tripmeter doesn't. (That's something the seller didn't tell me about, but he was a dealer and may never have ridden the bike.)

My concern?
I like the stupid thing.
A LOT.
Compared to the Guzzi it's smoother, quieter, more maneuverable, and I like the exhaust tone better.
And I've got to sell it?
Yeah, I've got to sell it.
Later...
After a little more tinkering.

6 comments:

Rita said...

It's time for an intervention.

Old NFO said...

Sure... sure... :-) And you won't buy anymore... :-)

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Is it faired? With bags? Or is it naked?

I had a 1984 R100RT. One of the most beautiful bikes I ever owned.

BZ

Greybeard said...

It's got a Windjammer fairing with some road-rash on it, BZ. It also has the BMW square panniers on it.
(I don't like the BMW bags as much as I like the Givi bags on the Pizza Bike.)
A big part of the reason I bought this thing was to compare the vibration level with the Guzzi. I've been told the smaller BMW's vibrate even less. If that's so, I think I'd love to own an R65!

Unknown said...

yup...it's definately time for an intervention

CJ said...

I'm with Rita. Time for an intervention...

But if you no longer have room in your garage for that piece of junk car you've got up on blocks. I'll take it off your hands...

cjh