"Oi, Mate!"..

[Morety]

...was the shouted greeting by a fellow biker at the petrol pumps today. He came over, pointed to the bike and said "blimey, you've been splashing out haven't you?". What followed was a full 6 minute rant telling me what "a pile of crap" BMW's are, citing evidence from a chat with a local (and I know the guy, quite an excellent) BMW independent mechanic. Transpires this chap who accosted me had a 2005 GS and he proceeded to tell me what an unserviceable heap of rubbish it was, listing all that had gone wrong with it, including needing two drive shafts by the time it hit 42K miles (he, paying for the final drive (sorry...couldn't resist) at the princely sum of £1300). He reckoned best thing for anyone wanting one ("and why anyone would want one is beyond me" was added) is to buy a newish one and sell after two years, taking the hit. I couldn't even be bothered trying to explain that the hit in doing that likely would pay for a new driveshaft every two years LoL! Then followed the story of self destructing camshafts and other terminal engine issues. Finally he signed off with "Utter junk, you'd be better off with one of these" pointing to his 600 Fazer, which he assured me "nowt has gone wrong wiv it in 45K miles...buy Japanese, not that bmw rubbish"

He parted with a friendly enough wave but only after castigating me for not wearing a high enough Hi-Viz jacket, and particularly for not having reflective bands on my arms , then went on his way.

Ahem.

What just happened?

I then filled up with petrol feeling a little dazed and verbally battered. He may be right, who knows, but I enjoyed my mercifully peaceful ride home

Note to self: I must send this to our friendly blood bike fleet manager who's only just scrapped a 2016 RT which had covered 155K miles....

 

[stever1]

...was the shouted greeting by a fellow biker at the petrol pumps today. He came over, pointed to the bike and said "blimey, you've been splashing out haven't you?". What followed was a full 6 minute rant telling me what "a pile of crap" BMW's are, citing evidence from a chat with a local (and I know the guy, quite an excellent) BMW independent mechanic. Transpires this chap who accosted me had a 2005 GS and he proceeded to tell me what an unserviceable heap of rubbish it was, listing all that had gone wrong with it, including needing two drive shafts by the time it hit 42K miles (he, paying for the final drive (sorry...couldn't resist) at the princely sum of £1300). He reckoned best thing for anyone wanting one ("and why anyone would want one is beyond me" was added) is to buy a newish one and sell after two years, taking the hit. I couldn't even be bothered trying to explain that the hit in doing that likely would pay for a new driveshaft every two years LoL! Then followed the story of self destructing camshafts and other terminal engine issues. Finally he signed off with "Utter junk, you'd be better off with one of these" pointing to his 600 Fazer, which he assured me "nowt has gone wrong wiv it in 45K miles...buy Japanese, not that bmw rubbish"

He parted with a friendly enough wave but only after castigating me for not wearing a high enough Hi-Viz jacket, and particularly for not having reflective bands on my arms , then went on his way.

Ahem.

What just happened?

I then filled up with petrol feeling a little dazed and verbally battered. He may be right, who knows, but I enjoyed my mercifully peaceful ride home

Note to self: I must send this to our friendly blood bike fleet manager who's only just scrapped a 2016 RT which had covered 155K miles....

Very similar to my experience in Sintra. Seems to be a ‘thing’ to castigate other riders choice of awesome steed

https://www.ukgser.com/community/threads/apparently-i%E2%80%99m-an-idiot-if-i-ride-a-goldwing%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6.367530/

 

[brut33]

I'd have told him that you'd just returned from an expedition up the Limpopo River in Mozambique
and contracted the highly contagious hippopotamus disease of the vital organs in which your testicles
drop down to your feet but float in water before exploding. Go on to say you haven't got time to tell him what
else happens because you have an urgent appointment at the School of Tropical Medicine. As your explaining
this gradually move within his personal space and extend your hand.
Always works.

 

[Morety]

Just read that Lol!

I was sorely tempted to give him my one liner as a parting shot:

“Sir, for a moment I thought you were a wit, but can see now that you’re really only half a one”

I stopped short as the feeling of contempt for bmw’s and the cluelessness of those who bought them, was matched only by his 6ft brick outhouse frame, shovel like hands and the sneaking suspicion that he might indeed have been a scaffolder.

 

[mikeyboy]

Why didn’t you just tell him to fuck off?
Always works for me

 

[beemerboy9]

There is certainly an element of truth in the saying "if you want reliable, buy Japanese". The downside is that so many of the Jap machines are good but uninspiring or have utterly amazing engines and a mediocre chassis, viz. that chap's Fazer 600.

 

[Morety]

Yep. Can’t argue with that. Had loads of Jap bikes. RRT Blade was ace but lacked soul; ditto my gpz. My favourite was probably my old FJ1100 which was gutsy, comfortable and handled well but not the best finished. Had a Super Ten 750. Reliable it was not. £900 bill after exhaust valves burnt out. Yamaha SV and DL650’s in there too and they’re lovely things to own and ride. Too many others to list but the really memorable ones were those I covered big miles on year round, most of which were boxers, and rather oddly, three utterly grin inducing rsv/rsvr Milles. Gruntier than a pig fed on beans.

Happy with my RS. Bought used so eyes wide open. Lovely thing to ride, whereas I couldn’t say the same for the Fazer…

 

[JJH]

Some people are just opinionated. If he had seen your watch or something else it may have resulted in another rant. Phone? Android? Another 10 minutes of wasted time. We have all met someone like that. Usually holding forth in a pub drinking points of shandy because he’d fall over otherwise. JJH

 

[littleade]

I'm looking forward to getting the RS, at least it'll make a change from having to deal with the usual GS haters, most of whom have never ridden one.

 

[Doris]

I never get approached when I’m out on my bike……

 

[Morety]

Well, my "crap" RS saw me through my IAM test today, despite being "utter crap" so I'll take that. It's funny, but the "Oi mate" chap also claimed to know what he was talking about as he "was an experienced biker who did his IAM training even though he never sat his test" (another common porky.....If I had a penny for every biker I've met who claimed this, it would've paid for a good part of the test!)

 

[longdog]

I never get approached when I’m out on my bike……

It’s tattoos, piercings, chains and the Dorset Hells Angels Chapter cut off jacket that puts them off!

 

[Doris]

I never get approached when I’m out on my bike……

It’s tattoos, piercings, chains and the Dorset Hells Angels Chapter cut off jacket that puts them off!

You are so far off the mark it’s funny…

 

[longdog]

Well it was just a guess but thank goodness you have a sense of humour!

 

[Morety]

It’s tattoos, piercings, chains and the Dorset Hells Angels Chapter cut off jacket that puts them off!

Nah...most of those riding Harley's have large beer guts, whispy long grey beards and that's just the female HOG members! They're generally big softies...I learned that from watching "Wild Hogs!" at least 7 times