New bike

Last weekend Andre took his bike, a BMW GS1200 Adventure, for a service. While there he chatted to the owner of the shop, Paul at Bahnstormer, who happens to be the same guy he bought his first bike from here in the UK in 2004. Paul worked out a real good deal for Andre on a different bike with some discount which basically came to the same he's been paying per month for the GS.

I was on first aid training last Saturday. When I got home we had to go to the BMW shop so Andre could show me this bike. I played devil's advocate. He really didn't need a new bike. But since it wasn't going to cost any more, then why not if it's what he wants.

So he ordered it right there and then. So not him. Andre always sleeps on things like this before making a decision. 

Here he is leaving for the last time on the GS.

He picked up the new bike this morning. It's a BMW 1200RT. 

Arriving home for the first time with his new bike.

We've just come back from a nice 2 hour ride. Started out a sunny 14C, then started raining on the way back and dropped to 6C before it started hailing! We stayed dry :-) When we arrived home we realised even though we made sure to take house keys, my keys were still in the front door on the inside so we couldn't open the door from the outside!! We managed to get the garage door open the way the locksmith did it a while back. (I don't think I ever told you that story here.)

Some details Andre would like me to tell you about the bike:

Firstly it has heated seats!! Even my seat is heated with a switch which I can adjust myself while I'm sitting behind Andre.

While the GS was more of an off road bike, this one, the RT, is a road bike, but not a sports bike. So you still sit upright like on the GS. As I understand it, it's just more comfortable for long trips and seeing as we won't ever do any off road riding here in Europe we don't really need a GS anymore. It's supposed to be more comfortable for me too. My heated seat sure makes it nice and comfy!

The windshield in the front is electronically adjustable so Andre can raise it for more wind protection. Of course it still has the heated grips as the GS had too. Still no heated grips anywhere for me though.

Oh, it also has cruise control so on the motorway Andre can sit back and relax. (not quite!)

It has speakers so you can have a radio installed although that's an optional extra which Andre didn't take.

Some things I know nothing about and can't explain is:

it also has stability control, ABS brakes and adjustable suspension for either one person, two people or with luggage.