Puget Sound area commuters?

[OfficerImpersonator]

I see you out there every day on your GS or your C or your RT or your K-bike.

Who here commutes year-round on their BMW? Where do you commute from/to?

I live near the Canyon Park area of South Snohomish County, near Mill Creek, Bothell, Lynnwood, Brier, etc. I work in downtown Seattle. My commute takes me south on I-5 every morning and north on I-5 every afternoon.

Are you one of the riders I wave/nod my head to as we pass each other?

[OldRed]

Nope, I'm south end. Puyallup to Tukwila. I do see a champagne K12LT occasionally around Tukwila.

[lamble]

Are you one of the riders I wave/nod my head to as we pass each other?

No I'm not, despite being your neighbour for the next few days.

Beer on Thursday?

[bdiver]

I ride daily on my RT but typically (99%) only in the Everett area the other 1% is zipping down 405 to Renton.

This spring I came out to snow on the bike numerous times. The parking in those situations is excellent:dance

I did see a guy on a dark blue K75 last Sunday heading north on 5, turned off to head towards Arlington, it was a nice day for a ride.

[masonke]

Commute almost every day on my '04 RT

[sgborgstrom]

Bainbridge to Seattle via the Washington State Ferry system. Depending on which job I'm headed for it's either southbound on Alaskan Way South to West Seattle or north to Queen Anne.

Lots of beemers on the ferry...

[110164]

I see you out there every day on your GS or your C or your RT or your K-bike.

Every day from West Seattle, these days only to downtown.

A short ride indeed, but it took an hour to get home tonight because of the usual panic-stricken cage-drivers trying to avoid the promise of nonexistent snow.

[OfficerImpersonator]

First of all, a "C" bike or an "RT" are both "R" bikes, so it's not like "R" bikes were left out in the cold!

The guy I bought my first BMW from lived on Bainbridge. He told me about the legions of M/C commuters who all ride BMWs and wear 'Stiches on the boat. That's how I learned of the venerable 'Stich and came to acquire one myself.

My office is at the corner of 3rd and Marion downtown. Marion is a popular street for motorists exiting the ferry and heading up to First Hill or I-5. If I time it right, I can watch a parade of three or four BMWs, obviously fresh off the ferry, heading up the hill towards I-5. If ever a squadron of M/Cs are heading up Marion, you can rest assured that a ferry just started unloading down at Coleman Dock.

[sgborgstrom]

The real fun is going home (back to the island) in the late afternoon...it's like the start of a GP race and you get to dodge bicyclists on the way up to the first light...

[cwsenn]

I can't say that I ride my bike every day but I do ride often. For daily commuteing I stay in Kitsap County. I leave Olalla towards Hwy 16 then to Hwy 3 to Subbase Bangor and then back home, 28 miles each way. I am longing to ride as I have too much snow and ice at the house to even consider going for a ride. As soon as the white stuff melts away enough for me to exit my property I will be back at it, hopefully sometime this week.

Chuck Senn
R1200RT (Red, the fastest color)

[Rob]

Ahh yes, those dark, cold, wet mornings. I've been commuting from Tacoma to Bellevue right up until this recent snow storm. I'm anxious to get back on my GS after the New Year. I just added some Piaa 510s which should help.
Rob

[coyotebmw]

As a Rider who is out there just about every day, Rain or Shine (But not Ice and Snow!) It is good to know I am not alone. Though at 5 am it is pretty lonely out on the I405 commute! I am the Blue F800ST with a BMW Motorrad Rack bag! Wave at me next time!

[masonke]

With the ice and snow finally gone, it looks like decent riding weather this week. Hmmm, 50's on <cough> Friday <cough>. <Sneeze> I feel a cold coming on later <sniffle> this week :wave

[coyotebmw]

Looks like the Snow and Cold is finally leaving, just in time to go back to work after the holidays. Well I am ready with my new Gerbing heated liner. Yeah!

[masonke]

Looks like the Snow and Cold is finally leaving, just in time to go back to work after the holidays. Well I am ready with my new Gerbing heated liner. Yeah!

You may not need it this week after Monday!

[sgborgstrom]

One brave RT rider on the 0520 ferry today. 7" of snow on parts of Kitsap County last night. I got "stuck" at girlfriend's house last night and had to drive over in the vanagon:(

[coyotebmw]

Just was watching the weather report, looks like we are going from Snow to HEAVY RAIN! Definitely not riding weather. Boy, i would really like it to let me ride!:bikes

[bdiver]

Frog strangler here in Everett @ 4:40 AM I'll probably fire up the bike tomorrow after work and ride in Thurs or Fri depending on the severity of the frogs comin down.:dance

[Rob]

I'll look for you Coyote.
Yea, I do the I-5 to 405 route from Tacoma to Bellevue. I rode Tuesday and got caught in a hellacious downpour and wind on my way home. Love the new Piaas though.
I may give it a go tomorrow if this rain lets up. It is really the deep pools of standing water and the other drivers that I worry about most.
See ya,
Rob

[Rob]

A cold but fast run into Bellevue today. Hey, who was that on the other GS that passed me? You had me going 85 through the Renton curves trying to catch ya.

[bmwbil]

I try to ride everyday from Olympia to Shelton. It's a nice run up 101.

[coyotebmw]

Weather is finally cooperating. Next week looks more like what we should be getting! Yeah!! Started riding again last Thursday, boy it feels good to finally be able to get back on the bike. The new Gerbing Liner makes a big difference.

[OfficerImpersonator]

I'm so glad our weather is back to normal. I rode in all five days last week now that the snow is finally gone.

The ride home last Wednesday was fun - that was the day with the big southwesterly wind. I was heading north on I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge and on up the Express Lanes when I noticed I couldn't hear any more wind noise. Turns out the wind was blowing almost as fast as I was traveling. All I heard was engine and tire noise. The noise from the slip stream almost vanished completely :)

This morning I got run out of the HOV lane and onto the shoulder by some guy in his big white Suburban playing slot racer with the rush-hour traffic. My word of wisdom to my fellow motorists is that if you're going to pull a moronic maneuver in front of me and make me angry, you shouldn't have the name of your business plastered on the back of your offending vehicle - because I WILL call and discuss your driving techniques with you.

[coyotebmw]

Well, just goes to prove that you shouldn't listen to the weather report. Foggy this morning and wet ride home this afternoon. Came back over Cougar Mountain and got caught in a heavy drizzle.

[coyotebmw]

But, I have my Gerbing liner to help. At least this weekend is suppose to be dry, which is good for me, since I am teaching a Motorcycle Safety Class.

[bdiver]

The fog was so thick this morning @ 4:40 that I couldn't see 3 cars in front of me. Traffic came to a stand still quite a ways back on exits and it's supposed to be much lighter on Fridays....:violin

Let's be safe out there:dance

[coyotebmw]

Yea! Tell me. The fog was so bad this morning I was almost crawling along I405 and I90 going to work. It was so bad my face shield fogged up both inside and out! Biggest problem was the inconsiderate driver behind me on my tail, because I wasn't going fast enough for them!:violin

[OfficerImpersonator]

Yea! Tell me. The fog was so bad this morning I was almost crawling along I405 and I90 going to work. It was so bad my face shield fogged up both inside and out! Biggest problem was the inconsiderate driver behind me on my tail, because I wasn't going fast enough for them!:violin

You need a "Pinlock" anti-fog faceshield insert.

I've had mine for over a year now and my visor doesn't fog. Period.

[SeabeckS]

Boy! Peeking at the comments in this thread (Suburban slot car racer, fog, rain, snow, etc) makes me really glad to be retired with no need to commute any more. Lived in Kent during my workaholic days and commuted to Swellvue for 16 years, I DON'T miss the 405 at all. Got knocked off my Ducati in '97 at Coal Creek by one of those "slot car" racers in the HOV lane...

Be careful out there!

Cheers! BJ

[OldRed]

Rode the bicycle to work today, Algona to Tukwila and very cold this morning. I was looking forward to a warmer ride home but the temp never changed. 36# both ways.

[sgborgstrom]

"Interesting" ride home this morning, black ice everywhere in West Seattle even after waiting for things to warm up. Had a few front end squiggles coming down 35 Av SW towards the WS Bridge... Heading back to the station at about 0700 I caught the the tail end of a dispatch about a 13 car pile up on (I think) 520. Aparently no injuries. Be careful heading in tomorrow, I don't want to meet any of you on a professional level, OK?

[coyotebmw]

Just checking the weather and while it is suppose to be cold tomorrow, it is suppose to to be dry and NO FOG! Yeah!

[OfficerImpersonator]

22 degrees and frosty/icy roads this morning.

I let the bike rest in the garage until the sun rose. Once the sun came up, I could see that it was frost and not ice, so I rode in to work. The windchill at 70 mph sure caught my attention :)

[coyotebmw]

I got up at my normal time and was really planning on riding. But, temperature 25 degrees, still frost and ice on the ground. Needless to say I didn't ride. When I got to work in my cage, the parking lot was covered with frost and ice. Glad I didn't ride.

[GrafikFeat]

I see you out there every day on your GS or your C or your RT or your K-bike.

Are you one of the riders I wave/nod my head to as we pass each other?

I ride from Gold Bar to Georgetown daily... Highway 2 to 522 to 405 to 90 to 5 to WSF/Spokane street to Fourth Ave.

108 rt daily...
Sometimes the C sometimes the C w/ a Ural chair.
One is grey the sidecar rig is green.

One morning I rode to work the "long way..."
From Gold Bar over Stevens Pass, over Bluetts Pass, Roslyn for breakfast, over Snoqualmie Pass and downtown by 11:45 to start work at noon.
225 miles to work. That was fun.

[sgborgstrom]

I ride from Gold Bar to Georgetown daily... Highway 2 to 522 to 405 to 90 to 5 to WSF/Spokane street to Fourth Ave.

That sounds like a marathon of slow moving heavy traffic...coming and going. Unless you work nights and get to do the "reverse commute".

I was up in Sultan 2 weeks ago for a mushroom farming class, the ground was still semi-frozen, you thawed out in Goldbar yet?

[GrafikFeat]

That sounds like a marathon of slow moving heavy traffic...coming and going. Unless you work nights and get to do the "reverse commute".

I was up in Sultan 2 weeks ago for a mushroom farming class, the ground was still semi-frozen, you thawed out in Goldbar yet?

I work noon to eight so I'm off the commute. Still... It's a haul what w/ all the morons...

Thawed? Yup... Just watch the ice on the bridges! Weeeeeee!

[bdiver]

We were supposed to get Snow & ice Tuesday morning not this morning. I'm basically at sea level near the Snohomish river and I rarely get accumulation. Decided it would be better to scrape the windows of the truck and drive in instead of playing ice racer with the RT, besides I'm still trying to get rid of the Everett Gombu.

[GrafikFeat]

Driving day!

http://images.wsdot.wa.gov/nwflow/002vc01525.jpg


Ha! I forgot the picture updates!

[pturner820]

Hi All,

I typically ride every day, although tend to either stay home or drive when there's too much ice or snow on the road.

I currently have a R1100GS and a R1150R (soon to be a R1200C) and commute from Renton to Seattle by way of 169->405->5.

If I see other bikes they do tend to be BMWs, but I have noticed more of other manufacturers out this Winter than previous years. Must be that some of the mostly Summer riders are venturing out in the cold due to the economy?

I'm up for a get together at some point in the future if anyone else is interested.

Patrick

[OfficerImpersonator]

Seemed chillier this morning than the past couple of days. Vowed to put the handlebar covers back on even though there's no rain in the forecast. Handlebar covers + heated grips = happy hands!

[kazmanff]

Hey everybody, just wanted to intro myself as i'm new to the board and BMW's. I recently started commuting from Bremerton to Everett and picked up a ex-CHP RTP to help with the commuting costs. I had been riding a '01 V-Star 650, but wanted something more commute friendly. The bike's still in the garage awaiting the title so I can get plates, to get base stickers. Currently trying to zero out all the maintenance (fluids, valves, TB sync, etc.) Got the RT dvd's on maintenance, as i've never really messed with valves or a servoed abs system, but should be entertaining. I'll keep an eye out for ya, and you can be assured of a friendly wave.

[SeabeckS]

Hi! Welcome to this board...:wave

In your commute to Everett do you ride up the Peninsula and take the Kingston/Edmonds ferry? If so, if you see an old dude on a Gray/Mandarin '04 R1100S give me a wave. Maybe buy you a cup of coffee one of these days. Don't know what hours you commute, but I'm usually out and about in the afternoons.

We live in Seabeck, and I spent a fair amount of time in Silverdale/Poulsbo...

Cheers, Bill J.

[coxengr01]

I ride in South end; Enumclaw to Bellevue almost every day. This year has been cold and snowy though.

I do not see many bikes in winter, a GS now and then. But when weather gets above 60 boy the bikes come out.

I ride 1150 RT in wet and 1200 GS rest of time, uhhh also my Kawai mean streak on hot nice days... is that appropriate to mention?

I do have hard time getting thru the garage gates with my GS, they won't open for me. I added magnet but still have times it will not open. any other people have this problem??

[dtgates]

:brad I do have hard time getting thru the garage gates with my GS, they won't open for me. I added magnet but still have times it will not open. any other people have this problem??

Do you have room to go around the gate? I sometimes work downtown Seattle (at this particular garage) and they allow M/Cs around the gates and park for free. They say just don't use a parking space that a car could use.

[coxengr01]

I work in down town Bellevue, yes I have driven around gates leaving the garage when have trouble with gate opening with my key card. the person at the gat just watches me.
When coming in; if the gate will not open, I have to take a ticket to open the gate. I always park in a motorcycle spot that is marked off.

I never have problems with my 1150 RT but the GS is hit and miss.


:type

[otterboy]

Rarely see other winter riders. Always a pleasure. Phoenix gray R1100S, I am one of the 60's set, both in age and orientation. Heads on straight in the combat zone.

[TheGorf]

Year round here. '08 Namibia Orange GS. I roll out of Maple Valley to Kirkland via 405. Call me crazy but I kinda prefer riding in the winter when I am usually the only bike I see my entire commute. Not that I don't like the warm, but dealing with the squids and fair weather riders with bad skills starts to get a little old by mid-summer.