I just made the terrible mistake of returning to a BMW GS forum and actually reading a few topics posted there. It's not new to me that users there seem to be more concerned with looks of their superdupermegaexpensive bike & gear than anything else. After all that was one of the reasons why I swore never to return. However, some have managed to take it to the next level by actually asking about how to maintain, service, clean and polish their panniers (!!!!) so they still look new after two or three years. I actually had to read it twice to realize they were really talking about aluminium panniers, and how some GS riders seem to clean and polish them together with their bike after every rideout... now, the crazy thing was not somebody asking that question but the fact that immediately he received several answers how others do it, what they use to keep their panniers new and shiney, etc.

Out of interest I kept reading and looking for older threads, and realized that either the world around me has gone crazy or I have. Granted, there were no wannabe adventurers among the freakazoids (for those not getting this reference I'm referring to Ted's rant about wannabe adventurers in the Charley & Ewan thread) but your regular sunday-afternoon-ice-cream-parlor-posers who obviously need a fully equipped brand-new GS Adventure for that dangerous all-paved 2km trip from the heated garage (no kidding, there's people who actually have a heated garage for their GS so it won't "freeze"...) to the local strip.

Am I crazy for not having a heated garage, for not cleaning and polishing my bike after every rideout and for not being concerened about the looks of my Tesch aluminium panniers? What happened here, has it always been like that? I'm new to the GS world and used to ride a '89 Tenere until last November, so this is all very unfamiliar to me.

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"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"

It's along the same lines as that ikea/apartment theory from the film fight club.

Consumerist society is close to reaching the appalling but inevitable outcome - Where people devote 100% of their time, interest and energy to their possessions, rather than to doing things.


It's the whole root and nature of 'first world' society, culture and history that is to blame.

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UK to Mongolia 2009, on a DR350

Why do you care about what other people do with their bikes??

Couldn't care less.

If people want to polish their panniers, collect stamps or read books that's fine by me. Having a hobby is healthy and if it can make people get out of the sofa and do something with their hands it's excellent.

People have washed and polished their bikes and cars more or less for 100 years. It's nothing new with that, just like the need of don't understanding other peoples hobbies.

Don't get me wrong, I really don't care what they do in their free time. It just struck me as odd, that's all.

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"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"

Is it really suprising? When you pay top dollar for something that you are not really using to it's full ability, then it makes sense to keep it in tiptop shape to retain the resale value, so when everyone jumps ship to the new Super Tenere (aparently to be shown in Turkey this month) they can sell it all, and buy nice new overpriced stuff for the Yamaha...

Personally, I preffer the 'used' look, less apealing to the toerags than nice shiney ones.

Each to their own though.


Curiously though, how do you service a metal box?

Well, you cared enough to look at a bunch of threads about it and then post here, so... In any event, just let it go--the bottom line is that some people are just like that, and if you don't like it you don't have to deal with them, speak with them, or, ahem, read their posts.

I'm sure your Tenere was a great bike, as are the GSs, whether or not you polish your panniers.

But there are plenty of BMW bashers on this site, and I'm sure that we'll hear from some of them with all of the usual crap.

Don't blame me LOL !!!

I have no problem with the wannabees who are on the path to becoming "doers" We all have to start somewhere. I was wet behind the ears and bought all the bling when I started out too.

I just get wound up with the ones who are going blatently going nowhere with a load of bullsh*t excuses but still try and walk the walk and talk the talk... It's so fake and lame. I have no time for false people.

Too harsh ???????

OK, rant over !!

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Maybe it’s not just a BMW thing but a German one?

There’s quite a few on a certain forum I frequent who drool over abominations such as this thing

Some days I laugh (some on there you can have a laugh with, others get abusive) some days it doesn’t bother me and I take no notice…………..BUT when these “experts” start pontificating about how you need ORC this (just replace Tourat*** by the sound of it) , heavy duty that, blah blah and how "superior" all this stuff is it can get a bit irritating.
Takes all sorts and all that, but I don’t really want to be tainted by association because I have and use a distant cousin to one of these.

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You been at the german Russ

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Chris
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"Never have a stupid argument with an idiot - he gets a lot more practice than you"
there I go again
not too hard really

Not yet

But after a few gallons it'll look pretty good

I would love a heated garage to keep my bike in its so cold in my shed iv not been and done all the little jobs i wanted to do this winter which i admit involved some polishing and making some shiny alloy parts i do like my bike to look gleaming but that does not stop me from riding in crappy weather or venturing off road my years riding moto x quite often involved getting there with an immaculate bike only to throw it down the track during the day just because its shiny dont mean its not used ROB

Hi Tr/Ted

Why should you get wound up if others aren't to your liking? Why bother? Who cares?

To be honest, I really don't care in the slightest !

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

It's like walking into a pub called the "Real Ale Rock Pub" and finding it's country and western night sponsored by Fosters. The Sex-in-a-Canoe drinking line dancers won't get why you want a pint of Sheep S***er and Death Rider by Anthrax on the Jukebox and you won't stay long. It is pointless to be annoyed and there is nothing wrong if fake Aussie Sheep **** and the Man In Black is your thing, but it's human nature to get annoyed because the label didn't match the contents (in your opinion).

I view the Bonneville as a nice simple, easy to get along with bike that'll do anything quite well, others want to play James Dean or Steve McQueen. I think they might as well get a dress and play Danny La Rue, they think I should get a video of Ray Mears, the Grilled Bear Bloke or (God Forbid) the actor and his mate and go forth and multiply.

Life would be boring with out these minor differences. The trick IMHO is to laugh and walk away (or better still find common ground with the ones who are prepared to admit that what's right for them doesn't work for you).

Andy