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| Vol. 2 - Issue 7 | July 2011
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I. Service Department Hours Change
Our Ride West Service Department opens at 8am to allow greater flexibility for folks dropping off their bikes for service on the way to work. On Saturdays most people are not at work Ergo, less need. Therefore, Service is now open at 8am Tuesday through Saturday, but at 9am (with the rest of the store) on Saturday.
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II. 1957 BMW R50... On the Road
This saga might give you some great ideas!
OLD BIKES, OLD ROADS
And... old guys. George and I are in our 70s and have long fantasized about taking a long distance motorcycle trip together. First it was to be to Poland when the Cold War ended. Then there was the plan to cycle through the Gaspe' Peninsula in Canada. Jobs and fortune were against us and both plans fell through.
Now however we were going to do it! I shipped my bike from Plattsburgh, NY to Seattle. It is a 1967 R50 with 27,000 miles on the clock and in fair to good condition. George rides a 1981 Yamaha 250. The rules were: minimal gear, all back roads, no more than 50-60 mph, and no more than 3-4 hours of riding a day. We did not camp out and allotted 30 days for the trip. [Read More]
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III. A Picture is Worth...
This could be the first K1600 GT to scale Mt. Rainier - sort of. Bent Kirkegaard took this shot on July 2nd
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IV. Team Ride West Demo Ride #5
Our 5th demo ride took place on July 17th, and like the last two it "sold out" several days beforehand.
Demo ride #6 will take place August 28th and there is one registrant already, so planning ahead would be wise.
All those who go on the ride, whether on a demo bike or their own, receive a $50 coupon that can be used toward the purchase of a 2011 new BMW model before the end of the year, and you can use them up to 5 at a time. Am I tempting you yet?
As usual, the route was similar to but not identical to the previous editions, and we had a nice collection of demo bikes and folks enjoying their own bikes. The weather could have been better - a lot, but afterward most of us enjoyed lunch at Coopers are we watched the USA women almost win the world cup. Here is who participated:
On Ride West BMW Bikes:
Dave Preston - BMW F 650 GS
Patrick Cordell - BMW K 1300S, F 800 GS
Roland Vetter - BMW R 1200 GS
Garrett Padera - BMW S 1000RR
Bunnie Jorgenson - BMW F 800R
Erik Pollard - BMW F 800GS, S 1000RR
Paul Bullard - BMW R1200 RT, 1200 GS,1600 GTL
Anand Namasivayam - BMW G 650 GS
Roman Lemeshkov - used BMW
On Their Own Bikes:
Kevin Terrell - BMW R 1200 GS Adv
David Walsh - BMW F 650 GS
Will Wen - MV Augusta F4
Travis Metcalf - BMW F 800 GS
Dave Taylor - BMW G 650 GS
Lee Stewart - BMW R 1200 RT
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V. Motorcycle and Product Tests
1. 2008 Aprilia Tuono #5000902 $ 7,990
With only 3,793 miles, this Tuono needs and deserves a new owner. It is spotless and carries with it aftermarket ASV "shorty" levers and a marvelous sound system of an exhaust pipe from an unknown source.
The colors of an Aprilia are always "interesting.'' This one is mostly a somber dark matte grey, with some nice Aprilia graphics in orange and some small Italian tricolor bits here and there. And blue wheels. Blue? To me they ask the question I usually have about Aprilias, which is what drugs are the design directors using? To be fair, my wife looked at the bike and liked the blue wheels, so perhaps Aprilia is right and I am... wrong. As the customer, you be the judge.
Produced a few years after the Triumph Speed triple created the naked "hooligan" bike genre, this one picks up where the Speed Triple (like the one I own) leaves off and keeps going. It is wilder looking, louder, and has a lot more power. It also spits and pops a bit and has snatchy fuel injection when cold - traits I actually liked because it makes this bike an animal - not an appliance. I think in most situations it would prove faster than a Speed Triple - by a lot.
Downsides are a lot of vibration through the grips and a horn button too close to the turn signals for my liking, not to mention all the people who wondered why I was honking at them. If you owned it you would get used to it and do better than I did.
At $7,990 this is a tremendous motorcycle for the money. Perhaps not one you would want to ride every day, (but you could), but if you want to exercise your inner hooligan, do the occasional track day or riding school, or just impress the socks off all who watch you throb by - this is a great buy!
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VI. TRW Events Calendar
- Thursday 8/4 - 2Fast Seminar 7PM Club Room
- Saturday 8/6 - Team Ride West Rides to Mt. Baker 9AM
- Saturday 8/13 - PSS Maintenance 1 @ 9AM - Club Room
- Sat&Sun 8/13&14 - WMRRA Racing @ Pacific Raceways
- Mon-Fri 8/15-19 - SoundRider! Sasquatch Dual Sport Ride
- Tuesday 8/16 - Team Ride West Dinner
- Sunday 8/28 - Team Ride West Demo Ride #6
- Mon-Fri 8/29-9/2 - SoundRider! Road Trip
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VII. You, Me, You-Tube, We..Etc.
We have our own Team Ride West web site page on the Ride West site. Go to www.ridewest.com and locate the Team Ride West page. There you'll find lots of information, links to ride videos and slide shows from past adventures.
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VIII. Dinner at Cafe Veloce
We enjoy a fine time and great food at Café Veloce for our club monthly dinners. "Our" night is the 3rd Tuesday of each month. We're in the "club" room in inclement weather and on the deck when the sun shines.
This month's Team Ride West Club Dinner will be Tuesday, June 21st.
Cafe Veloce is located in the Totem Lake mall area north of Kirkland and south of the Bothell/Woodinville I-405 exits.
Directions to Cafe Veloce:
Heading north on I-405 take exit 20B (NE 124th St) and then the ramp to Totem Lake Blvd. You will go through the traffic light to 120th Ave and Café Veloce is to the right just past the auto parts store.
Heading south on I-405 take exit 20 (NE 124th St) and turn left on NE 124th Street. You will go through two traffic lights and then take a left on Totem Lake Blvd. Into the right lane, and right at 120th Ave to the restaurant.
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IX. The Ride West Difference
Say you're chatting with friends about the varied events and rides you're enjoying with Team Ride West. Say further that these friends ask you, "What makes Ride West different?" When you find yourself in that situation, here are concepts we would thank you for putting across - the "Magnificent Seven."
1. With Team Ride West, more rides, dinners, and events than anyone else.
2. More in-store sales, swap meets, seminars, classes, etc. than anyone else.
3. Ability to purchase insurance for your bike, home, and auto - all in-house.
4. More demo bikes than anyone else.
5. Encouragement to take longer demo rides than any one else.
6. Service Department capable and happy to work on any brand.
7. Wide assortment of used bikes of all brands.
And always remember, when you send in a new customer who purchases a new BMW and mentions your name - BEFORE the deal is done - YOU get a $200 Ride West gift card!
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X. TRW "Concept" Rides
Team Ride West rides are referred to as "concept rides" because route and destination changes may evolve during the day depending on the wishes of those on the ride, the weather, and events of interest we may find along the way. The initial route directions will be sent out by e-mail a few days prior to the ride, but it is not required that everyone on the ride follow the same route or reach the same destination!
Here are the guidelines that we follow:
- Arrive at the start of the ride (usually Ride West BMW) with a full tank of fuel and funds for fuel, food, and other expenses during the day.
- Sign in and receive the printed instructions if needed. (Pause - if you do not have both a motorcycle endorsement on your license and insurance on your motorcycle, we ask that you wait until you do to ride with us.)
- Be VERY careful as we turn out of the Ride West parking lot onto 16th. Cars can and sometimes do turn left from Lake City Way onto 16th - potentially at a lethal speed.
- Once on the ride, find a group to ride with of 3 to 5 bikes - based on friends, model, experience, style of riding, and/or desired pace.
- Allow LOTS of space around you - front, side, and rear. Do not "tailgate."
- At major intersections that involve a turn, make sure the person behind you (in your group) has seen the turn before you accelerate away.
- RIDE AT YOUR OWN PACE - always.
- Pass on the left - well over the centerline. Do not pass on the right - EVER, under any circumstances barring dire emergency.
- Use hand/foot signals as needed. There's no required guide to these.
- On the way home, once past the final group fuel stop, it's every person for him/her self. You may drop off at your exit or street without the need to let the entire group know - but mentioning your intent at the final stop is a nice gesture.
- Other groups of motorcycles? - pass them very carefully with lots of room.
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XI. Pythy Words to Ride By...
"Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than open it and remove all doubt." Interestingly, this is attributed to various authors and folks from history, in several different forms. Bet you thought it was Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) as did I.
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