Ever bought the same bike twice? Or Thrice?

[RiceBurner]

Reason I ask is that even though I've now written off two Rocksters: first one after about 11 days (2000miles); 2nd one after about 19 months, (42000 miles); I still find that a) it's the bike that's closest to my "needs" (as opposed to "wants"), and b) it's still bike that's closest to my "wants" (as opposed to "needs"). :)

Is there any reason anyone can come up with why I shouldn't buy a third?

(I can only get one 2nd hand, since they're not on BMW's list anymore but my dealer found one that is the same age as my 2nd one, but with only 1200 miles on it.... what did the guy do????? )

[BobFV1]

RIce -

42000 miles in 19 months, on that little, pissy-rain drenched island! YOU THE MAN!!!

No reason not ot get a Rockster with 1200 miles on it if that's what blows your skirt up. But do me a favor - just to humor me. Test ride the R1200GS with that hexhead engine, and tell me what you think - you may find yourself waiting for the next generation naked boxer!

[Deans BMW]

I feel quiet strongly that you will see a R1200R this year, on the other hand, a second hand Rock might be just the bike until you get a chance to try a R1200R.

Boy oh boy, you do put some miles on your bike.

[Sir Limpsalot]

Rice, South London Motorcycles had a new Rockster still in the window a short while back. Alongside a new 1150R. I was half considering the R myself as it's going to be the last chance to get a new one.
I don't see any problem with keep buying the same bike. I have one friend who has had every model of Fireblade since the first '92 model. A different guy has had four VFR's. I suppose they would claim that they were buying updated models and not the same bike all the time. I'm not so sure, one 'Blade looks much like another to me!
Good luck with the search. Does this mean another unused Cat in the shed?
Si.

[Bones]

I feel quiet strongly that you will see a R1200R this year, on the other hand, a second hand Rock might be just the bike until you get a chance to try a R1200R.

Boy oh boy, you do put some miles on your bike.


Dean has spoken. There will be an R1200R. Now all we have to do is wait. THAT is going to be one hell of a bike in terms of ride, I am 100% certain of that. It will be interesting to see what it looks like.


Rice,
I haven't bought the same bike more than once, but I have missed those I have moved on from, in one way or another. Tough decision. Knowing that the 1200R is coming, I would check that out, because that hex head engine is just fantastic and the bike will be lighter if it fits the trend of all the other 1200's. But then again, I preferred the 1150R over the Rock to begin with.

Jeff

[Dallara]

Oh, yeah.... Babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I have bought the same bike three times... And some more than that!

I must have had EIGHT (and maybe more) 1973/74 Honda CR-250-M1's...



http://www.ahrma.org/machines/74_hon_cr250m-1.jpg

http://www.ahrma.org/machines/74_hon_cr250m-2.jpg


Of course, the shop I worked for and raced for provided them free of charge!!! We would pull a new one from the crate, race it for 2 to 3 months, then pull another one from the crate, put the brand new tank and other bodywork on the previoulsy raced one (and any trick parts we have mounted, or personal bars, etc.) and our used body work on the new one... Then sell the raced one as a used bike and start the cycle all over again.

This is where I truly learned that no two bikes are ever the same, even if they are the same year and model. One was so good I managed to get the shop owner to let me keep it for about five months before we rolled it over.

I also owned so many Honda XR's I can't even recall the number... I had three different Yamaha RD's too - a 1973 RD-350 and 1977 and 1979 RD-400's. I had a Honda 1979 CB-750-F used only as a production road racer until it was sold. Then I got a 1981 Honda CB-900-F, which was not my daily driver, but also crossed the country twice, was drag raced, and road raced for two seasons! After it (and a diasterous ownership of a literally useless 1982 Honda VF-750-S Sabre... Which I soundly proved could not be a successful road racer, BTW...), I got a Honda 1983 CB-1100-F, though it turned out to not be anywhere near the fantastic motorcycle the CB-750-F and CB-900-F were...

I owned two Kawasaki Z-1's, two original Honda VF-750-F Interceptor's (a 1983 and a 1984) along with a 1986 VF-750-F Interceptor (which I still have). Along the way I owned three different Honda CBX's (two 1979's and one 1980), two Gold Wings, and two 1988 Honda CR-250-R's. There were also 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985 Honda CR-250-R's... and the 1981 and 1982 models were not just MX and hare scrambles raced, but ROAD RACED as well! (and the 1982 won multiple times on tight tracks in the 250-GP class, and never finished worse than 3rd... and this was against Yamaha TZ-250's!!! I even beat John Koczinski on it a few times when he was WERA racing...)

Owned two Yamaha YZ's... a 1975 YZ-360 and a 1978 YZ-250.

And believe it or not, some other repeats... Like about six Honda Z-50's for pit bikes and a bunch of Honda Big Red three-wheeled ATC's...

I say if you like it and the bike fits your style, buy it!

I know I wouldn't hesitate to own another Oilhead in a heartbeat...

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[RiceBurner]

Rice, South London Motorcycles had a new Rockster still in the window a short while back.

Brand new??? hmmm - must give them a ring then..... I haven't got my payouts yet, but I have 'Shortfall' insurance so should be getting the entire invoice amount back (nearly £9K :D:D).



Does this mean another unused Cat in the shed?
Si.


LOL - very probably. :D

[RiceBurner]

RIce -

42000 miles in 19 months, on that little, pissy-rain drenched island! YOU THE MAN!!!

No reason not ot get a Rockster with 1200 miles on it if that's what blows your skirt up. But do me a favor - just to humor me. Test ride the R1200GS with that hexhead engine, and tell me what you think - you may find yourself waiting for the next generation naked boxer!


I've ridden most of the 1200s and to be quite honest, I don't like em. I find the engine weak in the lower end of the rev range and don't like their revvy nature, I LIKE being able to pull away from a standstill in top. ;) (ok that's exaggeration, but you get my drift I hope).

I also didn't like the handling of the 1200GS when I rode it, compared to an 1150Adv the front end felt far too flighty - even my knackered old ZR550 Zephyr felt more stable! (although I admit that I tuned the forks on that bike - well....... I put in 15w oil instead of 10W. ;) )

[fnfalman]

Let's see, your first bike was a mechanical nightmare, so that doesn't count. Your second bike was hit, so that doesn't count either. You need to get a replacement Rock.

[DarthRider]

Here's the only one I ever bought twice...my first. And second.

The morning of my 14th birthday in 1957 my mother took me down to the Sears Roebuck warehouse to pick up my new Allstate 50cc 2-speed Moped. It was made by Puch in Austria, pedaled to start, clutched & shifted on the left grip and with 2.5 bhp, ran like the wind! I taught myself to ride on the way home and only downshifted to low at speed once, even then I was a fast learner but always "the hard way". Can you believe it was ever actually legal for a 14 year old to operate a motorized vehicle!? What *were* they thinking...?

I had been mowing lawns and throwing the Amarillo Globe Times for three years to save up the $218.95 price of freedom and it was absolutely delicious!
Instead of being the runt of the neighborhood I was suddenly a hero, leaving the formerly cool kids in my dust as they furiously pedalled their Schwinns, futilely trying to keep me in sight. But with 45 mph at my command the little bastards never had a chance! Life was sweet.

I learned many things on that little Moped...freedom, independence, responsibility, the pain of gravel rash, the freezing cold of providing my own transportation on a freezing Texas morning. Where "those" girls hung out in the summer with their cute little hineys and their shirts with two points in front, and sometimes let you touch them! Where to get the largest cherry-vanilla-Cokes and hot dogs. And which hang-outs would let you turn up that new "Rock & Roll" music, LOUD.

Where the really cool older kids hung out, with their "DA" haircuts, packs of Luckies rolled up in their t-shirt sleeves...and their Harleys, Indians, Triumphs, BSA's, and hot-rod cars. Until they ran my skinny wannabe ass off to find the younger semi-cool kids like me with other Mopeds, Cushmans, Triumph Cubs and the like.

And I learned, also for the first but not the last time, what it feels like to lose a best friend - riding buddy. Charles Sibley was "throwing" his paper route one Friday after school when a woman ran a stop sign and hurled Charles across the street where his unhelmeted head was crushed on a curb and he died instantly.

Then three days later I learned an easier version of poor Charles' hard lesson of having the right-of-way mean not very much. I was "pumping" a buddy to lunch on the back of the Moped before we were to adjourn early to attend Charles' funeral. A woman ran a yield sign and I T-boned her car, throwing myself cleanly over the top but slamming my friend into the side of the car. I had landed on both feet followed by an asphalt sandwich. I jumped up and ran around the car to find my friend lying on his back unconscious, in a growing pool of blood. The back of his head had smacked the big round outside mirror, leaving a perfect semi-circle cut in the back of his noggin. He spent the night in the hospital for observation after getting a slew of stitches while I got the early boot with two sprained ankles and my first set of crutches.

Before you jump to any unfounded conclusions about my parents, let me say they were hard working, decent, honest Christian parents raising a kid in a different place and time, so don't judge them too harshly. I'll write sometime about why I think they let me have and keep motorcycles.

Anyway, the woman's insurance replaced my totalled out MoPed and I was back in business. Until one night when I learned a surprising lesson about adults and their priorities. I came home one night and rode the MoPed up into the garage between the wall and my Old Man's Nash Rambler wagon. When I hit the compression release the little jet of combustion flame ignited a small gas leak I didn't know I had. FIRE! I beat it straight to find the Old Man to help me save my MoPed and was totally dumbfounded when he chose to get the Rambler out of the line of fire before he extinguished my Allstate! Can you imagine such a thing?

The MoPed was soon repaired and not much later sold to raise the down payment for a 3rd hand Harley 165. The Big Leagues at last!

Like they say though, you never forget your first...

Dave

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/32936545-S.jpg

[Sir Limpsalot]

That well crafted piece sums up beautifully the "bitter/sweet" memories of an earlier time.
Wish I'd been clever enough to write it.
Si

[RiceBurner]

Let's see, your first bike was a mechanical nightmare, so that doesn't count. Your second bike was hit, so that doesn't count either. You need to get a replacement Rock.


er - not quite correct - the first bike was mechanically fine - it was written off in another accident.