Short NEC review, including rideout

zephyrgirl · Spanner Monkey Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Karma :

Went to the NEC Bike Show today.

Got there by 9:20am, bought ticket and queued up (luckily) at entrance 17.
This gave me a good short sprint to the Ride out booking desk!

The barriers opened at 10:00am exactly and off I set at brisk pace. I got to the desk and was booked onto the first rideout of the day!
Excellent!

The weather was very bad and pissing with rain.
Shit!

I was booked onto the 10:50am ride and had to be at the rideout tent half an hour before the time. It was by then 10:10 and I had to make my way immediately to the rideout area.

I arrived at the mini, fully stocked Hein Gericke shop. My sizes were taken (I was sad enough to make a note of them) and I was handed brand new, labels still on, waterproof kit.
I had new Bullson boots, new gloves and, at the Arai trailer, was fitted with a new Astro Race lid.

After being breath tested and had my eyesight tested (twice) I was ready to meet my steed for the next 13 miles.

.........a new, black BMW K1200R Shocked

Oh, sweet baby Jesus!

I got astride and had a short briefing on the idiosyncrasies of the Beemer indicators and controls. It took a while to get used to the fact that there were 3 separate sitches for the indicators.

I went out with three others, all blokes, riding a Triumph Sprint, CBF600, and to be honest, I can't for the life of me remember what the 3rd chap was riding, I was so overcome with my bike! Smile

There were 2 BSM outriders, the chap in front on a BMW 1200GS and a woman behind on a Multistrada, they had intercom communication with each other.

We set off out of the NEC at a very slow pace moving through the traffic out onto a dual carriageway. There was a lot of standing water, a lot.
We stopped 10 minutes in and the instructor asked each of us if we were OK and if we wanted to carry on.
my reply was "Hell, Yeah Baby!"
And apparently this was the only positive response!

Wusses! Very Happy

We carried on and onto some nice twisty country roads, which would have been heavenly in the dry, and were fun in the wet!

The K1200R was immense, I tried my best to treat her with respect in the conditions, but the torque that she threw out was scary.... but good! Twisted Evil

Cornering in the wet was so planted I felt more confidence on this beast I'd been on for less than 10 minutes, than on my XJR. I don't know if this is an indication of my mental state when I ride the XJR or if the BMW is really that good. Maybe I just need to get some new BT020's on the XJR!

I was impressed by the flickablity too. Even on the slippery roads I found that it was no effort to go through the S bends, The XJR is significantly more hard work.

The bike was so responsive, the mearest thought of increase in speed brought about an instantaneous rush. The engine really rumbled aggressively above about 6000 revs, and when we went under a bridge I couldn't resist pulling in the clutch and wringing the throttle like a sneezing chicken's neck.
Vrooom!

We got back to the NEC and got one of the chaps to take a pic on my shitty (and wet) mobile. I got out of the Hein Gericke gear and into my jeans, took one last longing look at the Beemer and went back to the show.

I'd love to own one, but in the real world (barring a lotto win) this is just fantasy.

So, I'm now selling all possessions to get one, please buy my stuff people.
Please........
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Fly away on my Zephyr?
I bloody wish.

Andy C · Tree Seeking Missile Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Karma :

sound well good, how much was the rideout using the new BMW?
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99 RS125 --> 02 SV650s --> 03 Speed Four --> 92 RXS100 --> 93 CB400sf --> 01 CB600f Hornet

Andy C · Tree Seeking Missile Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Karma :

Double Post Crying or Very sad

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99 RS125 --> 02 SV650s --> 03 Speed Four --> 92 RXS100 --> 93 CB400sf --> 01 CB600f Hornet

zephyrgirl · Spanner Monkey Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Karma :

Oh yeah I forgot, this was the best bit...........

IT WAS TOTALLY FREE!!

No catches, no small print threatening you with forking out full cost of the bike if anything went wrong, zip!

Sublime.
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Fly away on my Zephyr?
I bloody wish.

kawakid · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Karma :

Do they have any 33bhp bikes? For us with a year to go. Crying or Very sad

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I've a twin and a 4.

Lee_367 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 22 May 2004 Karma :

Nice one, i was unfortunately too young to go out on test rides, but i got an hour session on the supermoto school. Cool

Guess what.... I want one. Smile

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?It?s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack?not rationality.?

zephyrgirl · Spanner Monkey Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Karma :

Valentino Mossy · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Karma :

Whats the weather like for tomorrow up there ?
Thinking about going up on the bike (free parking !), but dont fancy spending 2 hrs in the rain !
Cant remember how much car parking was last year ? Question

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Ducati 916,white framed corse replica https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=239309
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Bezzer · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Karma :

Car parking is £6 Shocked

, believe showers for Monday and not a bad day Tuesday if that's any better for you.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.