Wolfgang

Thanks again for the welcome and for the info re: the tire change! $40.00 (for a pair) is heck of a lot better than $100 bucks. I'll take the savings anywhere I can get it. As far as where I'm located, I live in central San Diego in Banker's Hill (a block away from Hillcrest, though Madoff and his cohorts don't appear to be in sight, so I think it's a safe area. Lots of poodles and such. I suppose the largest major cross streets would be University Ave. and 1st Ave or about 1 mile from "GPCycles" Today, I received Clymer's manual for my '00 r1150gs today. I'm afraid. Oil changes are 3-page affairs and dare I attempt changing the brake fluid, I am to truck the bike to a BMW dealer to be properly bled...hmm.... Starting to think I just wasted $45.00 bucks. In any case, I have a copy, if anyone needs it. Probably talk for the tech section, though. Okay guys and gals, be safe out there. I hear drivers (of cars, trucks, buses) do crazy things around April 15th...Something having to do with Robin Hood and the King's taxes? I'm not quite sure, actually... Cheers, Wolf

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome, as well as for the information on local rides. Glad to hear that there are a few who have sport bikes, as well! I'm no speed freak, but I still like to have fun, to be sure. No statistic will be adjusted on my behalf. Thanks for the warning. I go a bit overboard when it comes to safety and look like an Alien in a space suit half the time. No tickets in 18 yrs.! (good radar detector j/k)... if it's any consolation to the "bower" lovers, I had a BMW automobile that had a recurring stalling problem. The dealer replaced over $20k worth of parts (their cost), before I demanded a new one. New one arrives...3 months later...I figure it must have been a fluke. It couldn't happen twice... First week of ownership with 300 miles on the clock, I start smelling something through the vents at a stop light. Seconds later I see what I had been smelling...as did the fire dept. and the neighbors...and the dealership...60 days in the shop later...currently lemoning and washing my hands at BMW Automobiles for good. Thankfully, their motorbikes are far more reliable. Though BMW engineers must be the oddest individuals on the planet...or so I tell myself after approaching, then passing, the 4th hour replacing a simple throttle cable...and balancing the throttle bodies <cough>. Anyway, nice to "digitally" meet you all, once again. I'll post to the ride section next time I'm headed out, which is rather frequently, as of late. Today, I had planned to explore Hwy. 94 for the first time, but the clouds looked a pretty menacing from where I was standing. Maybe later in the week? Cheers and ride safe, Wolf

Hi All, I recently moved here from the Bay Area. I've been riding for 20-yrs exactly. At the moment I own two motorcycles, both of which I adore. The first is most relevant to this group a 2000 BMW r1150GS w/ABS & 22k miles on the clock. I just picked it up less than 2 weeks ago, and I'm thrilled. The bike is low mileage, but it's my first "Oilhead" and it needs a tad bit of TLC- nothing more than fluid changes, tires and yearly adjustments. It came with a full set of OEM BMW Hard Case Panniers and Top Case, so I should be ready to hit the open road in a serious way, by the end of this week. I've never bled brakes or adjusted valves on a Beemer before, so if anyone wants to help the new guy out, over a few beers and pizza (my treat obviously), I'd be eternally grateful. Though, I did purchase the manual and the job appears quite simple. There's not much else, I haven't tackled over the yrs. save for changing my own tires. On that note- , the cheapest quote I've gotten is $100 to change both front and rear. Anyone know of a cheap (but good location) that doesn't mind mounting tires bought elsewhere? I'm looking forward to putting some serious miles on this bike and the bike below now that the weather has turned awesome again. My second bike may or may not be relevant to this forum. But, in any case, it's a 2012 BMW S1000RR. It has 130 miles on it, so, it's just learning to talk. So, I'm very, very lucky to have the best of both worlds at the moment. My other interests revolve around photography (occasionally at the professional level, when called upon), day hiking and overnight hiking trips, running, camping, motorcycle road trips, sci-fi movie junkie, and occasionally the random bicycle ride. Upon a time I was a professional road cyclist. I never used pharmaceuticals, mind you. With that, I'll wrap up this long intro with a bit about my local, etc. I live centrally in Banker's Hill or about a mile from 1st. Ave. and University. I plan to ride 3 to 5 times per week, for the next few months. I'm also trying to put together a 1 or 2 week long adventure touring ride, involving camping most of the days, perhaps up north as it's already quite warm in the Southwest. But nothing too extreme. Maybe no more than 100 miles of road before hitting the trails. I'm sure some of you have developed some great routes over the years, so I'm glad I found this group. In closing, it's nice to meet everyone and I look forward to seeing some of you guys and gals out on the road. Cheers, Wolf