And so it comes to pass that my R1150R has gone to another rider for his enjoyment in the years to come. For that reason, I bid you all farewell. Some will know me, and many will have never heard of me, but I offer you all my thanks and gratitude for making this a great Forum to visit.
I stumbled across this Forum many years ago, when it lived under another server system and when there seemed to be far more ‘characters’ on-board and the Roadster was still a current model full of awe and wonder. I never actually ‘joined’ the throng, and that is something that I have a small regret about, but I did make a number of friends and enjoyed the people I met and conversed with along the way. There were times when I dropped out for a while, and times when I sought or offered help and assistance for some of the little things that make the BMW brand such an intriguing thing sometimes. As a place for all things R1150R, this was definitely ‘it’.
I’ve enjoyed my time on the Roadster, and have fond memories of my first test ride along a rough and winding section of the old Federal Highway north of Canberra. What a revelation the machine was! It had handling, brakes, comfort and just enough power to make it the ideal bike for my mountain roads. It had a few foibles as well, but these were surmountable problems and issues that we all lived with, and fixed, through places like this Forum. There seemed to be so many problems sometimes. Are these bikes lemons? Is it just a vocal minority we hear about? Mine seemed to be indestructible, even after drowning it in a floodway up in central Queensland. We survived many other long-distance rides as well. For all the complaints and concerns of others, I enjoyed every ride immensely.
My Roadster enabled me to travel my own great land, and took me on a three-week journey around Australia. 10,000 miles done and dusted without a problem or glitch or any sign of resistance after day-after-day of long and hot roads across the Northern Territory and down through Western Australia. It also enabled me to join a group called ‘FarRiders’, and together we enjoyed many 600 mile rides to have lunch with like-minded ‘strangers’, and then ride home again. This style of riding also required a great deal of night travel, and my Roadster was eventually fitted with crash-bars, large spot-lights, and a few other bits and pieces to improve its comfort through the long nights in all kinds of very unkind weather. They are a great long-distance tourer if you shun the protection of large fairings and other comforts.
It also led me to join Mike Kneebone and his Iron Butt Association and has carried me on a number of certified IBA rides like the SaddleSore 1600k and BunBurner 2500k. That’s a good test for any bike, but the Roadster always felt like ‘home’ on the long days and nights it takes to complete such arduous rides. 24 hours? 36 hours? What a great bike! It’s difficult to pass such a machine on to someone else and I have had serious thoughts of letting it sit quietly in the back shed to be taken out for the occasional weekend ride, but ............................... No, better to let someone else enjoy what it has to offer.
I haven’t completely broken my link with the old R1150 though. My ‘new’ ride is also of the same breed, and same engine, and hopefully will provide me with the same level of enjoyment in the years to come. The R1150R has been replaced with a slightly newer R1150GS Adventure. This is the bike I wanted to have after I discovered the delights of the Roadster, but wants were subdued by other needs that were unrelated to bikes, so the opportunity never came. Now I can complete some of my more serious rides with a little more comfort, range and dirt capability. Time will tell how that works out.
So I say farewell to this Forum and wish you all well, and trust that you will continue to have good times with your Roadsters and stay forever upright in your travels. My Roadster (pictured at the top - taken yesterday!) looks as good now as it did when I purchased it. That was many years and almost 100,000 miles ago. What a thoroughly enjoyable experience it has been. Cheers people. Mick.
