BMWs

I think Park Lane BMW has consistently employed useless cunts in its
service department. Been doing it for years I've heard.

 

yes, but would it be reliable?

 

Possibly - it obviously does show a lot of R&D - 176Kg/100HP is pretty
impressive...for a BMW.

BMW are much bigger than Triumph, surely.

good point.

 

all valid points - none of which address the second part of my question
which is why, for a "premium brand' with prices to match, are the
actual bikes fairly mediocre?

 

Because they don't need to make them any better for the business unit to
serve its purpose?

Or they're built by a bunch of box-headed cunts.

Take your pick.

 

can I go for "all of the above"?

 

Because if they sold bikes that lasted (or wasn't revamped as often as
they do now), the demand would have diminished the following year(s)?
And if the performance demanded too much of the rider, the number of
potential customers would be too low?

I wonder how many of the companies that sell accessories or replacement
bits that actually are owned by the major manufacturers.

 

As reliable as any fast supermoto, I'd have thought.

I'd really quite like one, but just can't justify it as I've decided that
a ZX12R, or similar, just isn't sensible[1] so I'd have to keep the Z1000
and whatever else I buy, (probably another Tiger). I just don't have the
garage space for that, and better - or at least more important - things to
do with the money.

[1] I just know I'd end up with a ban within a year.

 

If you take the whole company, yes, but the motorcycle side of things is
about the same size, I think.

 

I'm in a similar position, sort of.

As you know, I'm 95% sold on the idea of buying a Z1000[0] myself[1],
but I do miss having a supermoto in the garage. I quite fancy the idea
of buying something fairly exotic, and only doing low miles on it,
something like a KTM 520 Supercomp, or one of the odder Husabergs or
Husqvarnas. I have to ask myself: where the hell do people get these
things serviced, though?

I don't have a space constraint - I could easily fit 8-9 bikes in my
current garage, and although I'm moving house, I intend to buy
somewhere with similar (or larger) garage space, or other equivalent
structure.

Again, similarly to yourself, I have a "money issue", insofar as
currently we're saving a rather large chunk per month into the "pay the
stamp duty/estate agent commission/solicitors fee" savings account, so
I can't splash out as much as I'd like on bikes at the moment[2]. So,
getting back to the KTM 990 SM, yes, probably a great bike, but it's a
fair wodge of cash to put into a vehicle that is almost exclusively a
toy - no way would I want to tour on one, whereas I could easily see
myself touring on a Z1000.

I'm quasi-tempted to say "sod it" to the odd ergonomics of the thing,
and instead of buying a single bike to replace the 'blade, buy a 2nd
hand M900 and the aforementioned semi-exotic supermoto.


[0] I still like the concept of the Speed Triple, but every day as a I
walk past the one parked two doors away, it looks uglier and uglier[3]
[1] Kenyon and Soar: Shut It!
[2] I'm also intending to buy another cage, but that's another story.
[3] note to Ace, Champ et al who don't think the appearance of a bike
is important - bollocks, particularly in the naked/roadster class.

 

which brings us back, yet again, to the point where we have to consider
that BMWs are overpriced mediocre niche-market rubbish, bought by
people who've belived the hype and attempted to buy into the consensual
dream.

I'd still have an HP2 if I win the lottery, mind.

Interesting that you cf. H-D. I know what you mean - people who buy
Harleys seem to be blinkered to the possibility that they might /not/
be the greatest motorcycles on Earth, despite pretty damning evidence
that in fact they're complete shite.

Another interesting comparison is Ducati. Again, some of their range
appear overpriced, but - unlike BMW - they do have some "OK" mid-priced
entry level machines, and at the top end, although they're pretty damn
expensive, at least what you get for your money is a decent bit of kit.

 

within my current org, I'm IT Business Relationship Manager for
Marketing, Sales, Client Services and e-Business

I'm probably in the right place.

 

Verdigris wrote:
[Z1000 -v- KTM 990 SM for touring]

I've toured on an unfaired 1200 Bandit, no problems whatsoever.

Same for the Bandit, though TBH I'm not a great fan of tankbags, being
a short arse.

Tank range doesn't bother me overly - I tend to stop for fuel/leg
stretch approx. every 90 minutes/120 miles or so anyway.

The thing with the KTM is that it does have a typical supermoto style
seat i.e. pretty narrow - it would get uncomfortable very quickly, I
reckon.

For short-term (i.e. long weekend) touring, I'm happy with a largeish
rucksack bungeed to the pillion seat. I did Chimay on Blaney's 400 Four
with a rucksack, tent and sleeping bag bungeed on the back, and that's
a lot less bungeeable surface than on a Z1000.

Even for going further afield, I did a 3 week tour of France and Italy
on my old SZR660, with a set of throwovers over the pillion seat, and a
tailpack and sleeping bag bungeed on top.

Then again, you take up somewhat more space on a bike than I do...

 

Fairy nuff, but it becomes a major headache if, for instance, you've got
to stop at a filling station after (say) 75 miles simply because you
might not make the next one.

Or, indeed, if you try riding anywhere in France on a Sunday or public
holiday

 

And? There is a problem?

 

In message

Not too much of a problem in France so long as you have a 'local' credit
card to bung in the automatic pump at the nearest supermarket. Even
quite small French places have a Super 'U', Champion or Intermarche on
the outskirts of town with a filling station, and a fair number of these
have a 24 hour pump.

If you don't have a Carte Bancaire and are desperate you could try
hanging around the pump waiting for a friendly native (or even better a
Brit) you can buy some petrol from.

When I went to Milan for a week on a Nordwest, range on a full tank was
certainly an issue. At one stage, pressing on two-up with throw-over
panniers, tank bag and swagman tank panniers (SWMBO hates travelling
ultra light) range was down to 100 miles.

A mate of mine is toying with the idea of a KTM 990 SM or a Morini
Corsaro to replace his ageing Nordwest. As a NHCA class champion he is
very keen on supermoto machines . Looking forward to blagging a ride on
whichever it is when finally makes his mind up.

--

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

John Clark , Dundee is

 

I guess so, however, I don't tend to use Autoroutes or Motorways much
these days, and in the UK at least, there are usually plenty of petrol
stations on A roads.

well, yes, but it's not an insurmountable problem - a couple of times
now I've got around this restriction by giving a French bloke cash in
return for using his card to fill up my bike.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, darsy

****'s sake man, buy a bike with a bigger tank.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - To stay young requires unceasing cultivation of
the ability to unlearn old falsehoods.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

first trolly-frogging, now with the post-editing...what is this, 1999
already?