Stopped by the local BMW motorcycle dealer yesterday.............

[3fan4life]

I needed a charger for my Gerbing 12 volt batteries.
And they are the only place in the Roanoke Valley that sells Gerbing products.

It turns out that they didn't have one.

But they're trying to find one for me.


As soon as I stepped through the door this caught my eye:









This is a sharp looking bike.

1800cc boxer twin.

The salesman said that when you first fire it up it vibrates more than a Harley.

He also said that it's the most chrome they've had in their shop in a long time.

Sitting on it you can feel the weight as you lean it from one side to the other.

It has an open driveshaft which is a neat retro feature.

Not a practical bike but it's pretty.





The next thing that caught my attention was this:

 





It's a 2019 Demo model and it's priced to sell.
I may have to take it for a test ride when we get a nice day.




I also saw this:




It's an inflatable crash vest.

It's $400, but if you need it even once that's a small price.

[da prez]

I have only ridden a couple beemers. I think it was before asphalt was invented. They are a great bike from what I hear. Rode with a couple of them a long time ago. Even before my Valkyrie . I guess its time for a ride down memory lane. 

         da prez

[AwesomeDad]

Yeah love the K1600B however for a touring bike BMW dropped the ball not offering a luggage rack. You have to get the grand America with the top case.

JJ

[96valk]

Back in around the year 2000 I got paid to go to a ,focus group at Sturgis . Ended up it was for BMW . That new bike is what we told them to build for the US market.  Only took them 21 years.

[John Schmidt]

That frontal picture of the blue bagger looks like the Predator alien from the movies. Nice looking ride.

[Oss]

Good price and color on the hit-air vest.  You have seen my mesh jacket several times.  Better to have it and not need it.....

No place for my feet as far as highway pegs, not interested in resting my feet on that boxer engine

Pretty nice looking scooter though but a small tank

[f6john]

There is no future for me where I and a $24k bike are legally joined!

[3fan4life]

Good price and color on the hit-air vest.  You have seen my mesh jacket several times.  Better to have it and not need it.....

No place for my feet as far as highway pegs, not interested in resting my feet on that boxer engine

Pretty nice looking scooter though but a small tank

That was one of my observations about the black bike as well.

The salesman said they have an optional engine guard that lets you put your feet up.

I still think that it's a very cool looking bike, I just don't see it being an everyday rider.


The blue bike has a set of floor boards mounted forward of the controls that make for a very comfortable seating position.

With my feet back on the pegs my knees were bent too much to be comfortable.

The salesman said they have a kit to move them down and forward.

I'd have to see it.

It looked to me that the brake pedal and the shift lever would have to be longer for that to work.



I think that I will get me one of those vests.

My biggest thing is that I can't wear a lot of gear when it's hot as hell outside.

That vest looks like it will allow plenty of air flow.

[3fan4life]

There is no future for me where I and a $24k bike are legally joined!

There's always some wiggle room, the blue one was stickered at $26k and I can have it for under $20k if I want it bad enough.

The only thing that you can take with you when you go are your tattoos anyway.

[Patrick]

I like that black bike. I like BMW [ bikes ] and rode one for 25 yrs prior to the Valk.

[cookiedough]

that 1st air cooled twin cylinder one for 24K takes premium unleaded, no thanks, on gas as well as pricing.  I do wonder though did you measure the width of that engine and see if even wider than our Valks.  It appears to be wider to me in the pic or very close.

[Jess from VA]

Those look like very nice bikes.

But I've always heard they are a bear to work on, and shop rates require a 2d mortgage.

[Robert]

Ill stick with my 14 Valk all day long, since I too looked at them but for the reasons others have stated and being 12k more than what I paid for this, to me its not worth it.

[Patrick]

BMW's are good bikes and expensive, goes along with being BMW I guess. I didn't find them that hard to work on. The main thing that bothered me is the right side carb intake tube kept rubbing a hole in my shin.

[BigInSeattle]

That R18 is a decent bike but it looks like it drags parts if you breathe on it too heavily

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA4J2IgeaQA

[Fazer]

That R18 is a decent bike but it looks like it drags parts if you breathe on it too heavily

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA4J2IgeaQA

The 1800 was reviewed recently in Rider magazine.  Overall, they liked the looks and the ride, but as BigInSeattle says above, not much cornering clearance.  Aside from that, for the price, you can have a lifetime supply of Valkyries.

[G-Man]

I rode this BMW about 15 years ago for an afternoon.  It was flawless.  Well balanced.  Lots of power that came on so smoothly.  Decent seating position, but I would have had to make a few adjustments and add a thing here and there to make it fit me.  I came very close to trading in the Valkyrie, but the cool factor of the Valkyrie blew away the BMW.

[Reb]

I like big jugs!

 

[Bret SD]

I rode this BMW about 15 years ago for an afternoon.  It was flawless.  Well balanced.  Lots of power that came on so smoothly.  Decent seating position, but I would have had to make a few adjustments and add a thing here and there to make it fit me.  I came very close to trading in the Valkyrie, but the cool factor of the Valkyrie blew away the BMW.

R 1200 C? What year? I like the look of that bike 

[hubcapsc]

I rode this BMW about 15 years ago for an afternoon.  It was flawless.  Well balanced.  Lots of power that came on so smoothly.  Decent seating position, but I would have had to make a few adjustments and add a thing here and there to make it fit me.  I came very close to trading in the Valkyrie, but the cool factor of the Valkyrie blew away the BMW.

Thumper's brother had one of those, I've seen it at multiple ride-ins... I liked it too...

-Mike

[Reb]

I rode this BMW about 15 years ago for an afternoon.  It was flawless.  Well balanced.  Lots of power that came on so smoothly.  Decent seating position, but I would have had to make a few adjustments and add a thing here and there to make it fit me.  I came very close to trading in the Valkyrie, but the cool factor of the Valkyrie blew away the BMW.

Thumper's brother had one of those, I've seen it at multiple ride-ins... I liked it too...

-Mike

Didn't Pierce Brosnan ride it in one of the 90's Bond films?

[Reb]

Tomorrow Never Dies..

[Jess from VA]

BMW...Bring More Wallet

I like big jugs!

 

[CajunRider]

Currently sitting in my shop since today's forecast was rain, rain, and more rain.   



It's a bit on the dusty side here because we hit about 20 minutes of gravel road on the way to this location. 

[Bret SD]

Currently sitting in my shop since today's forecast was rain, rain, and more rain.   



It's a bit on the dusty side here because we hit about 20 minutes of gravel road on the way to this location. 

Love the look of that bike 

[BigInSeattle]

BMW...Bring More Wallet

I like big jugs!

 

Something we can all finally agree on 

[G-Man]

I rode this BMW about 15 years ago for an afternoon.  It was flawless.  Well balanced.  Lots of power that came on so smoothly.  Decent seating position, but I would have had to make a few adjustments and add a thing here and there to make it fit me.  I came very close to trading in the Valkyrie, but the cool factor of the Valkyrie blew away the BMW.

R 1200 C? What year? I like the look of that bike 

This was around 2004 or 2005.  Not sure the trim designation, but it looked just like the picture, even same color.  Reminds me of a Schwinn Stingray I had as a kid.

I'm sure it was because of sales that they discontinued them, but not sure why sales would have been so off.  It was a great bike at the height of the motorcycle world comeback.

[Bret SD]

I rode this BMW about 15 years ago for an afternoon.  It was flawless.  Well balanced.  Lots of power that came on so smoothly.  Decent seating position, but I would have had to make a few adjustments and add a thing here and there to make it fit me.  I came very close to trading in the Valkyrie, but the cool factor of the Valkyrie blew away the BMW.

R 1200 C? What year? I like the look of that bike 

This was around 2004 or 2005.  Not sure the trim designation, but it looked just like the picture, even same color.  Reminds me of a Schwinn Stingray I had as a kid.

I'm sure it was because of sales that they discontinued them, but not sure why sales would have been so off.  It was a great bike at the height of the motorcycle world comeback.

I had a sting-ray as a kid too, seems everyone in the neighborhood had one.

It is a beautiful bike with some great lines, one downside I can see would be tube tires?

[CajunRider]

This was around 2004 or 2005.  Not sure the trim designation, but it looked just like the picture, even same color.  Reminds me of a Schwinn Stingray I had as a kid.

I'm sure it was because of sales that they discontinued them, but not sure why sales would have been so off.  It was a great bike at the height of the motorcycle world comeback.

It didn't sell well because this was the age of the cruiser size wars...
While everyone else was getting bigger (Honda VTX1800, Suzuki M109, etc. etc.), BMW was stuck with a 1200 boxer that pushed a whole 60 (ish) horse power. 

With their new 1800, they might have a chance, but I think they are a bit late to the party.  These days, bigger doesn't seem to sell just for the sake of being bigger.

Sadly, that same boxer 1200 with different cams puts out 90+ horse power in the R/RT/RS/ST variants (roadsters and sports).  I think the C would have sold better if they had just left the engine alone and slapped it in the C frame.