Times They Are A Changing

Before I get into the meat of what I want to say, a brief digression. I was filling the bikes up at the usual place and when I went in to pay, something was different. It took me a moment to realise what it was. The stupid perspex covid screen was gone. Hopefully for good. Let’s see more of these ridiculous things given the boot.

Now, bikes…

I’ve made a decision. It’s a decision that has probably been brewing for a while now and various little factors along the way have nudged me in the direction I’m planning to take.

Since the mid nineties, I’ve had a BMW RT. Firstly the R1100RT (oil cooled) then subsequently R1150RT, then after nearly 12 years of ownership, I replaced that with one of the new water cooled R1200RTs. I have loved all of them. When Mrs L was alive, we would tour two-up across the continent. Also, being an itinerant contractor on the railway, tramping across the country in all weathers made these bikes perfect for the job.

In 2017, things started to change. My 1200 was stolen. I was desperate that summer to get back on an RT and when the insurance money came through, I replaced it. Yet… I never quite felt the same about it. At about the same time, Mrs L was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her subsequent death the following February put a final end to the two-up touring. Indirectly, it also put an end to my railway contracting as I finished in December 2019. I simply did not want to be away from home for extended periods and didn’t need to, now that the pensions had kicked in and the mortgage was paid off.

In July 2019, I replaced the 1200RT with a 1250 as I’d bought it on PCP and the term came to an end, so I replaced like for like.

Looking back, I wasn’t that enthusiastic. I’d probably have been happy to hang onto the one I had for a little longer. Also, something telling was let slip by the dealer. As he handed the bike over, he thanked me for buying the bike at that time as it meant he got his bonus for the month.

I’m no fool. I know this is what happens, but even so, it left a sour taste. I’ve never really felt the same about this bike as I have its predecessors. It’s been difficult to put a finger on it. It took me a year to put 1000 miles on it. But recent purchases have seen me move away from the big touring bikes to more fun naked machines. My Kawasaki Z900RS, for example. I also bought a Yamaha Tracer, but that didn’t really satisfy me. Sure, it was a good ride and did everything I wanted, but the build quality let it down, hence my decision to trade it in for an Indian FTR earlier this year. Now, again, the FTR does stir my soul. And again, the complete opposite of the RT.

I had a bit of a falling out with my BMW dealer over petrol. When they lend a bike while the customer’s machine is in for service, they have a bring it back full policy. I’m cool with that, if they give me a bike with less than a full tank, I top it up for them. If they give me a bike with a full tank, the round trip doesn’t use enough fuel to meet the minimum vend requirement at the petrol station, I use so little. I did explain this, but was given a hard time about cheating them on fuel. This despite my pointing out that I’ve put more in than I’ve used when the bike doesn’t have a full tank. It’s my way of evening things up. However, whatever their issue, to have this conversation on the showroom floor is well out of order.

To say that I was livid would be an understatement. I complained directly to the head of servicing, pointing out that having spent around £60k on bikes, servicing, parts and accessories over the past few years, I was hardly likely to try and diddle them out of a couple of quidsworth of fuel. Over filling the tank would be a fire hazard, hence I didn’t. I offered them a fiver at the time to cover it, but the fuss was enough to make me take my business elsewhere.

I did get a grovelling apology and the matter seemed to be settled until this week. A problem with the fuel cap. This is a known fault on these bikes, so I expected a straightforward warranty job. Not so, apparently. Because I have Givi tanklock tank bag system, this invalidated the warranty, so I had to stump up the £350. Frankly, I’m not convinced. They saw some wriggle room and used it. Even if BMW refused to honour it, the dealer could have taken it on the chin for the sake of good customer relations. They chose not to. Likewise, I have also made a choice. They have sold me their last bike. As one of my colleagues pointed out, this is typical big dealership attitude. Okay, fine, they can do without my custom.

I went to the lake district last month. It pissed down and the trip was a bit of a disaster. The RT was probably the best choice from the point of weather protection. However, riding narrow twisty roads in those conditions, I found myself thinking that a lighter machine would have been more enjoyable. The Indian or the Kawasaki – even the F900XR.

Since Mrs L died, my affair with the RT BMWs has waned. Now, some twenty five years after buying my first, I’m moving on. They have been a blast, but something new beckons..