Hello from Lincolnshire
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 5:48 pm
Hello.
Earlier in the summer, She Who (thinks she) Must Be Obeyed, asked me if I missed bikes....
I let my last bike (ZZR1400) go after moving to Lincolnshire from NW Scotland where the biggest problem on the roads were sheep, tourists and the occasional coo. Lincolnshire was a culture shock - I thought every other motorist was out to get me and tractor drivers all have a death wish - yours. Prior to this I'd owned an FJR1300, A few CBR1000xx's and a plethora of other odds and ends on the way. My first bike as a spotty youth was a Honda CB250. Back in the 90's (with a Fireblade) I took my advanced test and got involved with the local IAM group - good guys with a 'progressive' attitude towards how to ride safely.
So having developed some sort of understanding Lincolnshire roads and farm machinery the size of a small bungalow, my equal other's question made me curious. Which is usually dangerous.
Anyway, left alone to my own devices for a few days, I somehow managed to buy a K1300rs. It's a 2020 model, but in nice nick. I didn't pay a lot for it and it was a bit of an experiment to see if I should really dismiss the idea of bikes or not. The result is, I love it. A few miles down the road and it all came back. My rationale was, 'buy an old bike and do it up over the winter'.
Well, rollocks to that, because unless the roads are caked in salt, I want to be out on the King's Highway (or does it now belong to Rishi?) all year round. SWMBO is a willing co-pilot (warning: never use the question, "do you leathers still fit you"....) so something that was less of a guided missile and with a few more creature comforts seemed appealing.
Now 'into' the quirkiness of BMW, I chatted to guys in the local m/c group, read blogs and reviews, looked at adverts, chatted to mates and.... tomorrow I head for some hitherto uncharted place called 'Alesbury' to pick up a 2010 RT LE. The first part of my adventure will involve 'public transport' which I believe can be highly unreliable and is full of other people, but then I can get acquainted with my new machine as we dodge eastern european van drivers and VW Polo's driven by students on the A1.
If I survive the experience, I'll let you know how it goes and my first impressions.
Earlier in the summer, She Who (thinks she) Must Be Obeyed, asked me if I missed bikes....
I let my last bike (ZZR1400) go after moving to Lincolnshire from NW Scotland where the biggest problem on the roads were sheep, tourists and the occasional coo. Lincolnshire was a culture shock - I thought every other motorist was out to get me and tractor drivers all have a death wish - yours. Prior to this I'd owned an FJR1300, A few CBR1000xx's and a plethora of other odds and ends on the way. My first bike as a spotty youth was a Honda CB250. Back in the 90's (with a Fireblade) I took my advanced test and got involved with the local IAM group - good guys with a 'progressive' attitude towards how to ride safely.
So having developed some sort of understanding Lincolnshire roads and farm machinery the size of a small bungalow, my equal other's question made me curious. Which is usually dangerous.
Anyway, left alone to my own devices for a few days, I somehow managed to buy a K1300rs. It's a 2020 model, but in nice nick. I didn't pay a lot for it and it was a bit of an experiment to see if I should really dismiss the idea of bikes or not. The result is, I love it. A few miles down the road and it all came back. My rationale was, 'buy an old bike and do it up over the winter'.
Well, rollocks to that, because unless the roads are caked in salt, I want to be out on the King's Highway (or does it now belong to Rishi?) all year round. SWMBO is a willing co-pilot (warning: never use the question, "do you leathers still fit you"....) so something that was less of a guided missile and with a few more creature comforts seemed appealing.
Now 'into' the quirkiness of BMW, I chatted to guys in the local m/c group, read blogs and reviews, looked at adverts, chatted to mates and.... tomorrow I head for some hitherto uncharted place called 'Alesbury' to pick up a 2010 RT LE. The first part of my adventure will involve 'public transport' which I believe can be highly unreliable and is full of other people, but then I can get acquainted with my new machine as we dodge eastern european van drivers and VW Polo's driven by students on the A1.
If I survive the experience, I'll let you know how it goes and my first impressions.