New Product : Pirelli Diablo Rosso

As most of you know, I love Pirelli tires. I spend more of my hard earned doubloons with the Pirelli Tire Company than I do on insurance, rum, and speeding tickets combined. That's all I use on all 3 of my bikes. On my BMW K1200S and MV Agusta I run the Corsa 3's.. on my Yamaha R1 I run the Dragon Super Corsa Pros. On the track, Pirelli's premium rubber inspires Xerxes-like confidence allowing me to crush all but the Spartans (read: pros) with gleeful abandon.. although afterwards I insist.. "I am kind."

The new Pirelli Rosso, which is destined to replace their venerable but aging Diablo, is aimed at the supersport (600s and 1000s), sport-touring, UJM (think Suzuki Bandit) crowds. On the evolutionary scale the Rosso is placed between the Strada and current Diablo offering better handling than the tour-oriented Strada and better wear than the standard Diablo..

What's makes the Rosso different ? Plenty. First, it's different in appearance to the Diablo. The Rosso has grooves where they'd be most useful in the rain (for the all-weather non-sissy riders out there), and fewer where the tire can deliver maximum traction when the roads are dry and you are leaned over. The front tire has the duty of clearing a dry(ish) line in the wet, and so has more grooves overall, which reach the edge for the wet stuff. Looking at the back tire, you'll see a solid rubber edge telling the observer that Pirelli is looking to get as much rubber to the road when it counts most .. when you're corner carving.

Under that tread pattern is a zero-degree steel belt to help maintain proper profile shape, elasticity for progressive feedback and stability under hard braking. The tire structure is also designed to ensure that the front and rear tires work together in a balanced manner so mixing with other brands is probably discouraged..

Rubber compounds are new, and unique in regards to front and rear applications.  Both front and rear work great in high and low temperatures for a fast warm up and a linear grip response. Silica black, carbon and high mechanical resistance chemicals combine to create a tire that has strong traction, even wear, and exceptional traction in the wet. The front tire has higher flex  materials with a high energy dissipation factor (good bump absorption) for more grip and high braking stability.

Another issue concerning wear rates was addressed by the Rosso design team. Typically, for most mortals, a front tire will outlast the rear tire, forcing the rider into a dilemma of whether to fit a new rear tire with a partially worn front, or spring for a new front tire to replace it as well. Pirelli says that the front and rear Rossos should wear relatively evenly. Does this mean the front wears more quickly? Actually, no. The rear tire is intended to last a little longer like the front tire, which is good news. What all this means (in theory) is that we'll have a new sport-touring tire option just one step down from the Corsa 3's that lasts longer than it's predecessor, sticks better, warms up quicker, offers longer lasting erections, and with excellent overall handling characteristics. Worth a try.

The Yamaha FJ1300 Stealth Backrest: First Look!

Behold... the Yamaha FJ1300 Stealth Backrest. After a full year of development here's the first look at our FJ13 Stealth backrest. As per the ancient prophesies, it has turned out to be a thing of beauty, simplicity, and comfort ... a worthy addition to the Pirates' Lair line of specialty motorcycle products.

The all stainless steel stealth bracket with it's patent-pending design bolts directly to the rear 2006-08 FJR13 factory rack via 3 furnished bolts and blends perfectly with the lines of the bike. The production versions will be covered with a black Rhino coating (the same rubberized spray material seen in pick-up truck beds) that is both visually unobtrusive no matter what color your bike is, but also serves to protect the finish of the factory rack. The backrest's polished stainless steel slide bar slides on and off the bike in under 10 seconds and.. without tools.

Install of the FJ13 stealth rack is chimp-easy taking all of 5 minutes. Tamper-proof mounting screws will be included to deter walk-by thieving bastages. Our cover material matches the black factory seat perfectly. Soft T-Bag luggage is also available for this and all our other backrests. FYI.. We should have these on the market by early summer.

Price has yet to be determined. At the moment.. we have 3 more prototypes being built. Once they are ready we'll ship those out to testers around the US just to make sure everyone is happy. Yes.. this process takes longer but it's the ONLY way to make sure we haven't missed anything.... Anyway.. that's where we are now...Got wood? Pirate out.. Note: The FJ13 Stealth will fit the 2006-2008 FJ1300 Only.

Return of the Pirates Lair K1200S Plundering Tees! Prelude to the Apocalypse?!

I usually don't cave to incessant whining (unless it involves sex), but due to an influx of requests for our admittedly sexy BMW K1200S tees, I have bowed to the will of the masses. On 3/6/08 I placed a minimum order with our holy suppliers for the Yellow/Black bike version (pic at right) which I think is the best of them all. We should have them any day now..You can buy them Here...

Most will be short sleeve with summer coming up, but I have ordered a handful of LONG sleeves. Amber and I both agreed that this color scheme shows better on a white tee. We've seen them on gray as well and they just didn't look as good.. The short sleeve will be the same price as we sold them a few years ago..a paltry $20 to your US door (our cost with shipping) or $24 for long sleeve. We sell these at cost..Why? Because we're stoopid.. er I mean because it's good advertising for us and it makes our whiny customers happy.

Whether wanting to look stylish at your daughter's wedding or just lounging around the oval office.. this tee won't disappoint.. Be the envy of your work place or prison yard... !! Guaranteed to impress Jodi Foster. This is NOT the time to be apathetic. Only 50 have been ordered. Buy now or forever hold your piece..

Postscript: "Shaka.. When the walls fell...."A few days ago, we received our shipment of shirts... Woohoo!! The bad news.. they got the colors all wrong..DOH!.. the bike is black and ORANGE.. They are telling us they think the shirts look just fine and don't want to re-print them. Obviously I'm about to go medieval on their ass. Details to follow and I'll wager it aint gonna be pretty. FYI.. we've already returned the shirts..

1. Well pardners, the Texas Hill Country Roundup 2008 is upon us. The official dates are April 21st-24th. It will start on Monday and end Thursday. You can get additional information on the sponsoring site...www.I-BMW.com, under Forums-Rallies-THCR2008 or I have some information in my K12 Rally News/Info: Down The Road: 2008 section at bottom of this newsletter...

Of all the K12 rallies, this is my favorite. The Texas Hill Country is such a wonderful area to ride..Truly a motorcycle Mecca. Lots of twisties, triple digit straights, great food, and the always cheerful Sgt Sanchez to welcome you with a big warm Texas smile and open arms.. and cuffs.. You gays/gals be careful down there.. No speeding.!

2. . Motorcycle Cruise in Australia have new cruise control kits for the 1998-2001 and 2002-05 BMW K1200RS! Remember they sold kits for these bikes for years and they "rocked", but due to a parts shortage they discontinued them over a year ago. I'll assume they found another source for the parts they needed.. This is good news for any RS owner who travels. Cost for both the early and late K1200RS kits is $825..

3. FYI..If you have been waiting for the latest, greatest software for your new BMW K1200S, GT, R, etc..... The CIP 11.0 version software is out!! One of the things the new software allows that I found interesting is this ..Pasted from the official BMW bulletin.. The following models can be retrofitted with the "HP 2D instrument panel" (standard instrument panel for the HP2 Sport): K 1200 S (K40) K 1200 R (K43) K 1200 R Sport (K43HV) R 1200 S (K29) The "HP 2D instrument panel" retrofit is available as an option for the K-series models listed above as of construction status 08.2006 (i.e. MY 2007) and for all R 1200 S models. I LOVE the dash of the HP2!!! Unfortunately.. the US cost of the HP2 digital dash is a rectum bustin' $2200.

4. ZTechnik will have a taller, wider K1200GT VStream windshield on the market in a few weeks. The new version will be 2.5" taller than their current VStream and 1.5" wider. Part # will be Z2453 and retail for $210.. about twenty dollars more than the current version. Here are the specs: Height: 25.75 in. (65.4cm); Width: 25.25 in. (64.1cm) According to their website verbiage.."It's the perfect shield for taller riders or those who want even greater wind protection."

5. Woohoo! The first ever I-BMW.com Track Day Weekend has been arranged by a member of www.I-BMW.com . The event is almost booked so act now or forever hold your piece..At the very least, get your name on the waiting list in case somebody bails. The weekend is confirmed and reserved. If you've never tried a track day... you have no idea how much fun you are missing!! I'm hooked. If you are a member of I-BMW.com or just a mere mortal and are interested in attending this event you should visit the site for full details.. Hope to see you there.. in my mirrors...Here's some basic info...

When: August 16 & 17, 2008 (Saturday & Sunday)
Where: Roebling Road Race Track (Savannah, GA area)
Cost: 1 instructional group with 10 people. Cost is $250.00 per day. $500 total. BOTH DAYS REQUIRED! 1 non-instructional with 20 people. Cost is $150.00 per day. $300 total. BOTH DAYS REQUIRED!

6. There's a succinct How To Install the Pazzo Brake and Shift Levers link over at the K-bikes site..and at the I-BMW site as well..Thx 2tall2fall

7. Riddle me this, Batman. What's up with Chicane USA? The web URL license "chicaneusa.com" expired on 03/04/2008 and is pending renewal or deletion. " Our source says the owner of Chicane is "missing" and his whereabouts are unknown. Chicane isn't taking any new orders. Phone calls go to voicemail but none are returned and were're getting no response to emails. Does anyone hear a fat lady singing?

8. A Cruise Control Kit for the K1200S was just completed by the Aussies..."We just have to write instructions and price it properly and it will be available.  And it works great!  Also not too hard to fit.  The actuator is in a space on the LHS of the alternator between the alternator and the coolant bottle.  We can’t know whether USA bikes have anything there, so I suggest we send instructions before purchase to minimize hassles.  But at least we have a product! We also have a kit for the BMW F800ST in case you are interested in branching out!"

Tony Guymer / Director
MotorCycle Cruise Controls Pty. Ltd
Mount Waverley, Victoria, 3149 AUSTRALIA
Ph. +61 3 9808 2804   Fax. + 61 3 9808 2445

1. We are now carrying the new Kisan TailBlazer for both the K1200S and new version K1200GT. These 3rd generation versions are plug-n-play, essentially trouble free, and CanBus compatible. The new K1200S version is unique in that it has 2 bulbs with a single socket. (pic at right) One bulb is for the tail light... the other the brake light. Shows out of the box thinking by Kisan. Glad they finally figured it out. I'll imagine these kits will save a few lives. As of this writing, 3/29/08, we've gotten feedback from about 2 dozen customers... all but one reported a trouble-free install. One guy said he was getting intermittent flashing on his dash when the brakes were applied.

The Tailblazer is essentially plug-n-play replacement bulbs that are both brighter than stock and FLASH when you brake. The TailBlazer uses a flash pattern, which decays exponentially. The attention to the initial flashing now changes to a clear recognition that you're beginning to slow down! The GT kit (which fits the 2006 and Up models) offers 2 halogen bulbs. Sound good? Yes it does. Also.. each kits includes spare bulbs!! Protect your ass...the Kisan way.. Both versions are In Stock!

2.. We now are again offering the MotorCycle Cruise Cruise Control Kits for the 1998-2001 and 2002-05 BMW K1200RS! ... I've just added them to our website as a "special order item." Cost for both the early and late kits is $825.US delivered

3. As per the prophetic blurb above, we will soon have the new taller, wider ZTechnik K1200GT VStream Windshield on the menu. The new version will be 2.5" taller than their current VStream and 1.5" wider. Part # will be Z2453 and retail for about twenty dollars more than the current version. Here are the specs: Height: 25.75 in. (65.4cm); Width: 25.25 in. (64.1cm) According to their website verbiage.."It's the perfect shield for taller riders or those who want even greater wind protection."

4. We are now offering the Pit Bull One-Armed Rear Wheel Stand for the BMW R1200S which also fits the HP2 and HP2 Sport. Cost is $175 delivered.. Same as our K1200S and K1200R stands.

5. Looks like we will have a cruise control for the BMW K1200S on our menu sometime soon. The Aussies just completed a kit. Retail cost in the US should be between $900-$1000. Install time is estimated at 3-4 hours. Stay tuned..

6. T-Bags just sent me the 2008 pricing info along with a bottle of K-Y Ultra Gel.. the kind that warms to the touch. Bad news... FYI.. Prices just went from $100 to $145 on the Roll Bag and from $125 to $178 on the Universal Helmet Bag.. Ouch! T-Bags Soft Luggage

7. As per the blurb in the top section.. we will soon (if the planets align) have one last batch of Pirates Lair K1200S Plundering Tees! Stay tuned!

8. We just got a new shipment of GT Clear Blinker Kits from Pack Parts of Germany! Yes.. these are the first and only clear front lenses on the market for the new generation BMW K1200GT. Wanting a little more class over those cheesy amber factory covers? I feel ya. Install time is under 5 minutes for even a 'luded out chimp.. These are EXACT replicas of the factory lenses except clear. Install is as easy as removing the factory housings and dropping these into place. They will look 100% factory. These are complete housings, NOT just lens covers and bulbs are included. Typical German quality workmanship. Fits 2006-2008 BMW K1200GT Only. For Image of the 2007 BMW K1200GT Front Clear Lens Installed .. Click Here

How-To-Survive On A Motorcycle

Our last contribution?? Check out # 132 contributed by contributed by Gil Davis, Buena Park, CA .!!! Thx dude!!

Could this tip save your life? Dare you NOT look?

If you'd like to help others by contributing a How-To-Survive on your Motorcycle, How to Survive Deals Gap, or any How-To link.. First... check out the tips we already have and if you have something new... just send to me and if it's worthy... I'll add it.. Remember.. we're all in this together.. so use deodorant.

BMW How-To Section

Our last contribution??...contributed by Sir Rich Edwards.. He documented his '07 K1200GT Oil Change in pictures. It's the first listing on the page. Thx, Rich.

Picture at right Courtesy of Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss, Jr. / Model: Ms Melissa Haro