Gerontious

When I bought my bike I did discuss the service package you can buy, but in my case it was pointless. as I don't commute and so there was little chance of me doing the miles to get the major done under the scheme. Thats 16,000 miles. The service package would have expired next month and im currently on 11,000. The major is only expensive due to a pointless check of the valves. I will wait until the 24K to have that done as the expensive bit is the labour to get to the valves and its the same amount of labour to get to the spark plugs which aren't due to be swapped out until 24K. So, that's another expense saved that I might have been forced to pay for under pcp. circa £600

I did consider pcp when I decided to get the Africa Twin. But what I didn’t like was the fact the bike was never really mine. Plus all the little rules you have to follow. In the end I got a bank loan at 3% and from day one have made overpayments, so the interest cost is further reduced and the 5 year loan is now on course to be paid off in a little under 4 years. I’ve also saved extra £100s by not being obliged to follow all those little rules. Like the servicing schedule using the dealership - I’ve done much of it myself.

No shortages in Germany or any eu country. No gaps on shelves. There has always been shortages of drivers in this and every country however pre brexit we managed. Now we can’t.

Who could have possibly guessed that ending free movement of people and goods would result in a shortage of people and goods. oh wait, this was actually talked about in 2016 and attacked as “project fear”. and here we are in the truly stunning position where business owners are being blamed for not preparing to deal with problems they were told could never possibly happen.

The first thing I look at in bike gear is: does it zip together, if it does - I avoid. what works for me are trousers that come above the waist and a jacket that goes well below the waist... no drafts. Well, I say its what I look at, though the brands I now favour don't use zips like this. Seems to be more of a useful thing for bikes that have a rather more sporty riding position as the back of the jacket will have a higher tendency to ride up, couple this with trousers that sit relatively low at the waist and then you will need something to connect the two. This isn't so much of an issue on touring and adv style bikes with that upright position that some people love to hate. it could be that or a clever bit of underhand cost saving for the designers where saving material is the priority, using less.

I bought a goretex jacket in 2008. its still fully waterproof today, now after 13 years. its still under warranty too. And its that last point that makes goretex a worthwhile investment for some people

I blame your mothers.

They should ban horns.. they only seem to get used in a retaliatory fashion rather than as intended. Obviously. the louder you can shout "TWAT" the better... helps you calm down after a near miss you completely missed. They ruin otherwise highly entertaining 'fail' youtube videos too.. try standing up and wiggling your brown stained pants at them... that'll do it. .

£100 per hour labour plus parts. Is about average for bmw.

Just go for the cheapest you can find, though you will need to talk to them rather than rely on comparison sites. one thing. you absolutely must never make a claim for anything aside from a complete loss. ie theft. So the onus is on you to make sure this does not happen. Is there no way the dealership will not hang on to the bike for you until you gain your license?

Oh look. A bike with a beak. Original.

Today I bade farewell to my 21yr old BMW R1100GS. I have given it to @Snod Blatter I couldn't bear to sell it. Was a very odd feeling watching it get driven away. This was my main bike since 1997. a very long time, (though this particular bike was my second. But, its just sat on the patio, unused since I bought the Africa Twin. Snoddy will have it up and running in short order I guess... its a weird bike and that kind of thing really suits him. He even wanted the original (horrible) red seat.. just as further proof of how weird he really is.

Have you been asleep all these years. This forum has had 100s of members (mostly come and gone) who have asked about the CBT and then gone on to do it with zero experience, They are commonly told to do a taster lesson first, but mostly they've not, due to availability. they have turned up for the CBT having never ridden a bike before, not even a bicycle. Some have never even driven a car. .

The 1970s was a dreadful decade for me, I was at senior school. And "Happiest days of our lives" from "The Wall" which came out the year I left could easily have been written with my school in mind. When we grew up and went to school There were certain teachers who would Hurt the children in any way they could "OOF!" [someone being hit] By pouring their derision Upon anything we did And exposing every weakness However carefully hidden by the kids But in the town, it was well known When they got home at night, their fat and Psychopathic wives would thrash them Within inches of their lives.

This has aged well... .

It depends on how the screws fit. whether or not they are independent of the covers actual seal. most are in my experience. but its something you should check. If they are then it won't be a problem until you can get the correct screws that are better looking and don't stand proud.

Apart from - into the distance.

You’re worrying too much. It will be fine. If the engine starts then that’s all you need for The run to your friends which will be great for warming up the oil before you change it.

It changed with the 1200. prior to that they had 4 x 18mm.

Ive always either used bank transfer for cash for buying second hand bikes, Did so for the K1200GT (BT) F800S (BT) my second GS (BT) all previous bikes were pre internet and so bought with cash, The charges for PayPal transfers fall on the seller and they usually balk at that. .

Perhaps its ability to absorb water is a bit of red herring as problems go. Absorbing water isn't the problem, its if the water separates out then that could lead to problems over the very long term. absorbing water from the atmosphere within a fuel tank won't amount to much... drops. (or drips) if that as the fuel will be covered with a layer of vapour which will go some way to preventing atmospheric air from getting into the tank to any great extent. Its why tanks have breather hoses.. this is mainly about allowing vapour to escape as the tank heats up in the sunlight. I used to dose my tank on my old GS with Wynns Dry Fuel every spring.. this caused any water trapped at the bottom of the fuel tank, under the petrol to be homogenised into the petrol and then be burnt off under combustion, it also had a side effect of being a very effective injector cleaner.

Makes me wonder how the French have dealt with this since E10 became standard in all 24/24 stations they have been using it since 2009. Thinking back I don't recall much of a fuss on the BMW forums that I was a member of at the time.. where many of the owners were riding bikes from the 1980s and earlier. My guess is we will soon see the after market parts suppliers jumping in to provide parts to future proof vehicle of this age. I would be keeping an eye on the parts retailers. Or contact them and see what is already available.

Do you have an iPhone attached to you bike when riding?

Apple are recommending you do not use an affected phone on anything but a low capacity bike like a scooter and only then if you have a vibration damping mount. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803