What Is It About Beemer Riders???

[ZenMan]

I know, ya'll think this is gonna be another comment on BMW riders' "smug" attitudes or fancy gear.... nope.

I finally caught my friend Brad with an afternoon off and no excuses, and we went for a good 200+ mile ride last Monday. Brad has been the owner/chief mechanic at Brad's Bike Shop in our little town for the past 20 years or so. He's an ex-hare scrambler/flat-tracker who's been through a lot of problems lately... kidney transplant, lukemia, etc... worse stuff than I've been through, and I've had my share.  

He rides an old BMW R90 standard, about '78 vintage. Skinny tires, spoke wheels, older style 1/2 fairing. Beautiful classic boxer. He's only about 140 lbs. wet, and makes the bike look big sitting on it. So I took the lead and we headed out.

Ya'll know how it is riding with someone the first time, it's a matter of getting to know each others comfort zone, style, and feeling out a pace that works for everybody to have a good ride. I figured I'd just take it easy, but at the same time spark it up a bit just to see if Brad was up to it.

So after awhile I see he's staying with me ok, he looks comfy and relaxed, so I up the pace a little more, he sticks, and so on. We were cookin' along pretty good by the time we get to Mountain View. Then we take a break, take some pics, relax awhile. When we get back on I wave him ahead and we go down the road.

It's funny... what is it about Beemer riders, anyway? They're all so damn smooth. Ol' Brad upped the pace a few notches and next thing I know we're swoopin' through the sweepers at a good, spirited clip. And the way he's sitting upright on that Beemer and the bike and him stay locked in that laid-back "armchair" position, just leaning real lazy-like into the curves, maintaining a steady speed right through... well, it was a real pleasure to watch. And it seems like most BMW riders are like that, you know what I mean?

The last leg towards home, I was feelin' the need for a little speed, so I went by him and worked the twisties a little harder the last few miles. But he hung with me for awhile before I lost him in my mirrors, and I didn't have to wait long for him at the turn-off. It was a damn good, fun ride, and we're hopefully gonna make a regular thing of it.

He's got my respect... considering what he's been through and has to deal with health-wise, he's a damn good rider... experienced, safe, and he's got that Beemer style... SMOOTH.  

[txbanditrydr]

Watching a smooth rider is a real pleasure... makes you really start examining your own riding style.

Did you guys hit 14 on the way down or back???   Sweet road especially between 5 and 87.  Of course, 341 ain't no slouch either.

Glad you enjoyed the ride.

[pmackie]

I agree, it's a pleasure to follow a smooth rider, who just makes the entry, apex and exit look so durn easy. I find myself getting smoother right along with them...

It's not just Beemer though, but I agree, the bike seems to attract the guys that just know what their doing, and the guys that don't know/aren't smooth just don't seem to buy BMW's.

[Dave 02 1200]

You are right about smooth being good but on an older BMW, it is mandatory if you want to stay out of the ditch.

The shaft can cause some really unsettling behaviors if the throttle is cut abruptly causing the rear suspension to instantly settle and reducing ground clearance in a turn where you are using all you have and the head is already skimming the tarmac!

Off-on-off throttle action that is no problem on a chain drive bike will put a BMW (old style anyway) into the weeds.

Those riders of old BMWs are good, in part, because the bike won't have it any other way.

[Red01]

Good point, Dave.

OTOH, IMHO your typical BMW rider is one with many years of m/c experience. Inexperienced types in street riderdom are typically drawn by some kind of percieved "flash" - be that a crotch rocket or a chromed out bar-hopper.

[ZenMan]

Did you guys hit 14 on the way down or back???   Sweet road especially between 5 and 87.  Of course, 341 ain't no slouch either.

Nope, you must be thinking of Mountain View, Arkanasas, we went to the one in Missouri. But the routes you mentioned are great rides, we'll have to hit them another time.  

[txbanditrydr]

Nope, you must be thinking of Mountain View, Arkanasas, ......

Yup - that's the one.  I had no idea there'd be two Mountain View's in neighboring states with great roads to boot.  

Now... about that 125 - we hit that the last week in August and it was COVERED in fresh chipseal.  They sure found a way to ruin a perfect road.

[LowRyter]

Nope, you must be thinking of Mountain View, Arkanasas, ......

Yup - that's the one.  I had no idea there'd be two Mountain View's in neighboring states with great roads to boot.  

Now... about that 125 - we hit that the last week in August and it was COVERED in fresh chipseal.  They sure found a way to ruin a perfect road.

two Mountain Views, two states......sounds like another Ozark ride.

[B6mick]

Yes, I totally agree. A good old beemer rider, thats, age of bike as well as rider, can be at times a hard rider to shake of your tail. In my younger days I house shared with one such Beemer rider, on what could be the same model beemer, blue and silver R/90. I think it was an s model.
( Don't quote me, but I think the S model came with meater cams)

He would out ride myself and most blokes I knew, on any road any time, and just to piss us off, he made it look like it was a stroll in the park.

But having said that those types of Beemer riders are few and far between, in this neck of the woods. Even Kev is no longer with us, The head pluck of Vietnam and the habbit he picked up, caught up with him.

[Dave 02 1200]

One other thing that may be a factor:

The classic BMWs had good speed but acceleration was not their strength.

The experienced riders know what I learned as a young club racer:  Cornering speed = straightaway speed.

If you don't give away precious speed on the brakes entering a corner, you don't have to get it back on the corner exit and you are already entering the straight at a higher speed.

Those bikes could carry some good cornering speed if the rider had a steady throttle hand and that was key to their ability to get from point A to point B more quickly than some other bikes that had stronger acceleration (Kawasaki H2 for example).

[drewpy_dawg]

DOOD...totally agree.  
Went on a ride with a couple adventure tourer BMW guys a couple weeks ago.  They were cruising through the curves and I was having a hard time keeping up!  Toe scraping for me, more lean for them...It was cool to watch them though and made me learn the roads better.

[Dave 02 1200]

The smooth high cornering speed approach is cool but it has its risks too:

If the bike is leaned over and moving fast, anything that interferes with the chosen line or interrupts traction can result in a crash.

The fast and smooth approach allows little margin for changing line mid-corner and, because the bike is using most of the available traction to maintain cornering speed, any momentary reduction in traction can be catastrophic.

That approach is best saved for smooth roads with good visability all the way around the corner.  Most "real-world" roads don't fit that description.

Ride safely.

Dave