A quiet question

[medwards1969]

I live in Corpus Christi TX. Currently no dealer here. Now, they have one in San Antonio (out the West side), in Austin, and in Houston (are there any others closer?).

I just bought a used '03 K1200RS. If this bike turns out to be good, I will keep it a long time and plan to do most of my own maintenance obviously, since I live so far from any dealer. If it turns out to be a pain to maintain I will probably go trade it for a new GS.

Do any of you have any opinions on which of the above three dealers have any particular reputations for good, or bad, maintenance experiences on repairs?

Thanks in advance,
Mark

[GSJIHAD]

Can't say personally Mark as I live in Colorado. However, a friend of mine hates the dealer in Houston. That being said my guess is your K is going to serve you well for a long time to come.

On a side note I might be passing thru your area in the next few weeks. Any scoop on some decent tent camp sites either in Corpus or around? Quieter and cheaper the better (descent pub nearby is also a plus).
Cheers

[medwards1969]

Yeah the dealer in Houston only stocks a few bikes and is basically a big Honda dealer.

I have never camped here in Corpus and don't know much about the camping areas. The key thing about Corpus is expect there to be an obnoxious amount of wind to contend with. This is one of the windiest cities in the US lots of the time. It often picks up about 8:15 in the morning and doesn't let up. Golf is a different game here! There are also lots of Mexicans here looking for the old 5-finger discount, so lock your stuff up and hide it if you can.

One of the best restuarants downtown is called Water Street Seafood Co. (Or its companion The Waterstreet Oyster Bar) and has an adjacent bar owned by the same guy called The Executive Surf Club. It is a town favorite watering hole, with sometimes live music in the evenings. It is along Water Street which is the street running behind the hotels along the downtown waterfront (Take I-37 straight into town it dead-ends at Shoreline drive exit -do not take the Portland exits!) The "Surf Club" as it is known by the town regulars also has a grill. I recommend try the beef nachos with the trimmings They have about 20 different beers on draft. I would describe this place as basically a dive-bar. This place is open every day and exactly what is going on in there depends on the day. They have a website - Google The Executive Surf Club Corpus and you will likely get an idea what is going on.

Keep in mind Corpus freeways basically form a triangle made by I-37, the "Crosstown Expressway", and South Padre Island Drive (known by the acronym SPID). All three are six-lane freeways now. The big bridge downtown takes you north across the bay to Portland, and SPID south takes you out onto Padre Island which is about a 20 mile stretch. From Padre Island you can go left at the traffic light and get on the road north toward Aransas Pass. Aransas Pass has some nice restuarants as well (when they are open). Expect lots of wind as this ain't Florida! To actually ride/drive on the beach you will need to buy a beach driving sticker at one of the local shop & go stores.