What we did at the rally

[kbasa]

Here's something you won't see every day. It's a full artillery setup, towed by a two wheel drive R75 with sidecar. On the R75 is a little lever in a beautifully machined and letter metal gate. At one end, it says Gelande and at the other, it says Strasse. This bike is the great, great, great, great grandfather of your GS.

If you think about the Afrika Corps paint job and BMW's history of racing in the Sahara region, it's apparent that domination of the North African area has been a long standing obsession.

[kbasa]

I'm told that this is a 1925 or so R32. Whatever it is, it's old and it's cool.

Consider this bike, not as an individual motorcycle, but in the context of the time. Ford was producing the Model A. Motorcycles still wore their bicycle roots clearly, with frames that had a motor living where the pedals used to go.

And then BMW rolls out with something different. A purpose built frame, devised specifically for a motorcycle. A front suspension. And the basics of a formula that extends even to today: a boxer motor, a separate transmission, a shaft drive, a final drive unit. Even then, this was a bike made to go fast and go far.

Additionally, it carries the bauhaus design ethic of simplicity and form created by function, with a bit of thought added to make it beautiful.

These notions carry through to today. Even now, you can down to the dealership and buy a bike with many of these same ideas, born anew. The black tank with white pinstriping. The driveline. The idea that fast and far is the way to go riding.

There's heritage here. And the factory seems determined to keep that heritage alive.

[kbasa]

Sometimes, being the president has its perks.

I do what I do best, look like a goober and giggle like I'm ten.

Peter Nettersheim, who owns this bike and is explaining how to operate all 37 controls on this thing, suffers this fool gladly.

I'm still giggling about it when I think about it, just like when the guys at the Isle of Man let me sit on their Scott Flying Squirrel.

[kbasa]

This is what motorcycle people do best. Stand around in a parking lot, hands on knees, and look at bikes. If you look at pictures from the 20s and 30s, back in the infancy of motorcycles, you'll see this same kind of pose in candid rider shots.

Some things never change.

Thank God.

[kbasa]

Yes. Dynamic art.

Look at the kids on the bench.

[kbasa]

[kbasa]

A while back, we had some difficulty here. But we're all riders and we get over it.

Generals Montgomery and Patton meet and decide it's all good.

[kbasa]

And so, let's decide if this is a BMW, shall we?

Funky front end? Check.
Power? Check.
Shaft drive? Check.
Able to take you anywhere at whatever speed you'd like? Check.

Yeah. It's a BMW. And if you look at its form, which seem outlandish to us, it probably has the same effect BMWs had when they first started rolling out of the factory back in 1923.

Different? Check.
Unlike the competition? Check.
Funky and innovative engineering solutions. Check and check.

I lust for these things.

[kbasa]

I think he's composing the Morning Read, folks. Stand back.

M1ka, the serial poster. Great to meet you again, man.

[BOKRIJDER]

Dave , gotta say this is one of the finest threads which I have seen on the forum.

Motard

[kbasa]

So you fancy yourself a hardcore rider, eh? Rode 25 or 30K last year? Heh. This grandmother on the left kicked your ass. May I introduce Ardys Kellerman. Like my grandmother, she just gets up, does what needs to be done and calls it a day. No fanfare, no attention required, she's just doing her thing. Her thing, last year, was 100K miles.

Sitting next to her is Carol "Skert" Youroski. This little firecracker can probably kick your ass on a back road and when you finallly succumb to your pride and slide off the road trying to keep up, she'll come back and pick your bike up for you, all the while with a big smile and a southern charm that makes my head spin a little every time I see her.

The guy? I don't know him, but he's clearly in the right spot shuttling these two around.

Drive the car, boy. You've got a couple pretty fine folks on board.

[kbasa]

Dave , gotta say this is one of the finest threads which I have seen on the forum.

Motard

Thanks, man. It was great to see you there. And it is all about the people, isn't it?

See you in Wyoming?

[kbasa]

My favorite recovering bulimics.

Brad on the left, and Evil Mastermind on the right. You don't want to know what they were doing.

At all.

[kbasa]

It took a couple hours, but the coroner and CSI finally left and Brad and Hodag could get back in the trailer they were sharing.

[j-budimlya]

Dave, thanks for the tour....hated to miss this one....it won't happen next year....

Ride On.....