BMW R1100R (2000)

  Andy, Mike and I ride to Seymour's Suzuki (Colonie) on a very hot afternoon the Friday before Labor Day to make a service appointment for Andy's VStrom 1000, and for me to ask some questions about the Suzuki Bandit 1200 carburetor / petcock problems.

  We see this bike, and another BMW that look particularly nice and not unreasonably priced.  I ask for a better deal and get $500 off.  This is now a great deal so we ask to test drive it.  Easily done.  Quirky BMW features.  Side stand must be up for ignition to work, and the controls are unfamiliar to me as is the torque reaction when engine is revved.  Before we leave, Andy does some on line price checking and we see that it is a fantastic deal.  I go back in and get another $100 off on the condition that there's not going to be a warantee the bike isn't coming back for service. 

   We make the deal and Andy I are are partners on this bike, just like we were on the Suzuki Gladius the month before. 

Sept. 10, 2014

- BMW hard luggage (one key for all; seat, ignition, bags)

- ABS

- windshield

- heated grips

- adjustable seat

  Andy and I share riding the bike.  We take it to Cooperstown and resolve a throttle cable issue at a rest area on Route 20.

  It gets sold in May of 2015 to an editor at Hemmings Motor News (Bennington Vt.).  We had ridden it around 1,200 miles.  The last ride is to drop it off in Bennington on a perfect day and meet at the VT Dept of Motor Vehicles to close the sale.

  Despite the perfect functioning and good looks of this bike, I found the seat/handlebar/footpeg positions too cramped for me.  I wanted to sit further back without my knees as bent.  The experience of learning about BMW's and the overall quality of the ride made this an excellent buying and riding experience.  It sets the stage for my purchase of the BMW R1200C.