Following on from the agricultural machinery thread

Hi folks.

Was having a wander at Procycles, and saw a BMW R850 R for sale.

Asking six grand (but for $10), it's a 1998 model, and has traveled just
short of 100,000 kms.

http://www.procycles.com.au/bikes/used/hornsby/

What do you lot reckon?

I looked all over it and couldn't find the PTO for the slasher. :-(

regards,
CrazyCam

 

In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 13 May 2008 07:37:28 +1000

Never understood the 850 bracket. Guzzi has made similar 850 versions
of the Breva and Griso (and I think the Norge). They seem to be
sleeved down 1100s so same weight and size just fewer horses. There
must be some tax or insurance bracket in Europe that makes them a good
idea there.

Given the amount of electronics on your modern overweight overpriced
underpowered underbraked Eurotrash I suspect the power take off is
done via bluetooth...

Zebee

 

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

Personally, I thought they produced the 850's, and priced them
accordingly, to get punters into the showroom where they could then be
sold the full-bottle big engine, with the full-bottle price tag.

The Guzzi business of having a 750, 850 and 1100 (or is it 1200) does
seem a wee bit ott.

BTW, I do have an open mind to a 750 Nevada at a reasonable price, if
you know of any about.

When I got the Triumph, it's "tool kit" comprised of an allen key, to
unfasten the front of the fuel tank, and a steel rod, to prop the front
of the fuel tank up.

I have now added the USB cable to connect the laptop to the bike.

I don't think I'd feel comfortable with a bluetooth connection to the ECU.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

A bluetooth connection would help our opposition in a race, a laptop in the
stands would fix it
they would no longer have to lean across to turn the key off in a corner,
which used to be a habit in production races years ago

 

Think of it as the Royal Enfield of the BMW range, ie. slow(er) and
relaxed, but more reliable than the RE ;-)

If you are looking at a BMW boxer you are not comparing it to a sports
bike, but to other BMWs and maybe Guzzis. So a more relaxed version of
one of those, but with the benefits of being a BMW (sans PTO).

SteveB

 

Errmm are you old enough for a BMW yet Cam ?

JL
I mean, I know you're retired, but you're not THAT old are you ?

 

I've already had a BMW, a K100RS, back in the Dreamtime.

I admit that an R850 R is even more of an old farts bike than a K, but
perhaps the short answer to your question is "yes". :-(

For reasons not quite clear to me, I have currently cut back to only two
motorcycles. Having sold the 125, then the pink (was PINK!) RZ250, I'm
feeling just a little bit deprived.

The Z50 has obvious drawbacks in the area of passenger capacity, and the
Triumph is only slightly better, having room for maybe a 10 or 12 year
old school girl on the back.

So, I am vaguely looking for what I'd call a cruiser... not a Harley, or
copy there of, but maybe a Nevada, or an R850 R, or a Bonnie.

Strangely enough, one of the bikes that I've had, and now miss, is the
Suzi Intruder 750, but even if I found one now, it would probably need a
fair amount of work/money thrown at it to be as good as the one I used
to have.

I had toyed with the notion of just buying a new Bonnie, or trying to
find a Guzzi V7 Classic, but still don't know how much the MG will cost.

There are some decent deals on the Bonnie, with carbs, but still, laying
out another 13 grand or so, so soon after the last new bike smacks of
conspicuous consumption.

The BM got into the thoughts when I saw the R850. I wouldn't spend BM
kind of money on a new one, and, BM don't seem to make a plain
motorcycle now. Everything seems to be sporty, mega-tourer, or massive
chook chaser.

Then, I got to thinking that, since I have no urgent need for this next
bike, I can afford to relax and wait for a decent second hand machine
turning up.

In the mean time, I am sure that, with concentration and effort, I can
learn to ride the St.triple reasonably sensibly.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 14 May 2008 07:11:24 +1000

If you get a Nevada, you want the newer ones. So nothing earlier than
2004.

Had you considered one of the stripped down Calis like a Jackal or one
of the sillyname ones like Stone or Aluminium? Possibly a little
*too* cruiserish I suppose but not bad bikes.

Zebee

 

I did actually think about a Jackal or a Stone, but they are really a
bit bigger than I want, and, they have the side stand that I can't reach.

The Nevada, if one turns up, would be the fuel injected model.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that, I guess it has to happen to everyone
eventually. I suppose you could always get the R850 with a boob job
and buy a Griso - y'know - pretend to be young

The trumpy thunderbird I think it was called would be pretty cheap
nowadays and had a good all rounder relaxed riding position. Must
admit though the Bonnie would be my preference - lighter and nimbler
than the R or even the Nevada, pretty good retained values (with the
downside of being comparatively more expensive).

The late 90's, noughties Honda VT750 was cheap as chips new (under
10K), so second hand they'd have to be pretty cheap, IIRC correctly
there were 2 versions ( a fat boy style and a more chopper ish style).
Ditto the XVS650 - cheap new so second hand should be reasonable (4or
5K), and I rate the Yam quite highly for a baby cruiser (and preferred
it to the Honda), a bit of effort in the mods dept and you'd have a
very good option there. You'd want to get the suspension fixed (the
usual cruiser wallow from too soft springs) and chopping superfluous
bits off would probably rid it of 30 or 40Kg (they're both covered in
heaps of un-needed bling).

Should be plenty around second hand - surely, and it's not like it's
an overstressed motor so you should be able to safely buy one with a
few Kms on the clock.

I'm betting you have a subscription to "motorcycle trader" mag by now
(or whatever its called

Well it's not MEANT to be ridden sensibly- it's a hoon bike ! And you
sir, are a hoon. Hence there is obviously only one way it SHOULD be
ridden, and you're the man for the job. No more caviling, go do the
work that needs to be done (but do it mid - week to avoid the blue
gang

I'm surprised it's not pink or flouro yellow yet

JL

 

Actually they still make the R1200R which is the offspring of the R1150R
which is the descendent of the R1100R which is the larger sibling of the
R850R which you are looking at


G-S

 

Hell; I would've jumped at that if it was around when I had the cheque from
the written-off GS!

 

Do they indeed?

It's hard to tell in Procycles showroom.

The place seems full of bikes that either are fully faired or semi-chook
chasers.

The old one I was looking at seemed to be the nearest to a "normal" and
generic motorcycle in the whole place.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

JL wrote:

Buying a Griso would be as likely as me wearing my cap back to front.

Giving the appearance of youth, purely by exhibiting poor taste, ain't
going to work for me.

The Bonnie is my preference in the Triumph range, but, as you note, they
seem to hold value quite well, and my idea is to not spend too much.

There is also the down side of owning two Triumphs.

One Trumpy in the garage, you can explain away, but two looks too much
like an obsession.

Funnily enough, the only Jap cruisers that I fancied are the Suzi 750
that I had, or the Yammie 535(?) shaft drive thingy.

More modern than that and the level of loading up with supposed bling
just got too much.

Depends on the results of today's test ride, and any subsequent
negotiations.

Yesterday (Wed) I managed to get nearly a kilometre from home before my
encounter with the Hwy.Patrol.

So much for police free week days!

Well, I have learnt my lesson about flouro pink, dunno if I'm fully over
yellow yet.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Will do test ride later today.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

I read somewhere that the R1200GS series make up 50% of BMW's entire
motorcycle sales so that doesn't really surprise me.

The R1200R would be my preference for a new bimmer if I was getting one
or R1100R/R1150R for a 2nd hand one but yes even given the kms that
bimmer you are looking at is good value.

HairyT had one like it some years back.


G-S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 15 May 2008 07:15:01 +1000

And ugly as a hatful, the fully faired ones.

I suspect the desire for a "standard" is limited. I was about to say
"to old farts" but then that's BMWs constituency so why they aren't
catering to it anymore I dunno....

Zebee

 

Agree on both counts. The Griso is ugly and poor taste should be
confined to youth.

Theo

 

The 850 is the 1200 grandad's little brother then.

Theo

 

Pfft~~~

The Griso is a design masterpiece of such depth and integrity that
nothing to equal it has been seen since the original air-cooled Ducati
Monster design ;-P


G-S