The Latest Cheesy K12 Pirates' Lair Newsletter

News From The Two-Wheeled No-Spin Zone...!!

Back in Black from Guatemala Vacation: You Can Relax Now

As most of you know, Pirates Lair was closed for 2 full weeks just recently for a long overdue mental renovation.. a.k.a..vacation. We appreciate everyone's understanding while we were away and for those who didn't understand... Blow me. Anyway, Amber and I went to Guatemala in Central America. Many of you don't know I lived there for almost a year and it's my favorite place in all the world. Had always wanted to share it with Amber so we pulled the trigger in late Oct...

If you get bored and are even faintly interested feel free to check out our most humble vacation photos!

I loaded 3 albums as we visited 3 or 4 different locales in Guatemala..They should be the first 3 photo albums visible. The best way to view them is to click on the album you want to view then click the slide show button over on the right

Guatemala Trip 2007 Book # 1- Tikal The first 2 days we spent visiting the Mayan ruins at Tikal.. deep in the Guatemalan rain forest ..a true adventure.. How deep? I swear, road signs warned of Jaguar Crossing.. another warned of Boa Crossing.... I'm not kidding. That deep! We watched howler monkeys playing over our heads, fought off demonic insects, and stood 15 feet from one of the rarest eagles in the world.. and I got pics!

Guatemala Trip 2007 Book# 2 - Antigua Second leg of the trip was to the ancient, beautiful city of Antigua which sits at the base of a massive volcano. It's simply the coolest town I've ever visited.. Cobblestone streets, wonderful people, food to die for, etc...I always told Amber that I wanted to retire there.. now that she's seen it.. she wants to join me. We stayed at the best digs in the town.. the Meson Panza Verde which Amber told me was the most romantic hotel she'd ever stayed in.

Guatemala Trip 2007 Book # 3 - Panajachel Last leg was to the tiny town of Panajachel on scenic Lake Atitlan which virtually every travel guide in the world calls the most beautiful lake in the world.. and I believe it. Panajachel sits on the edge of the lake overlooking twin, mirror image volcanoes.

Click Here for the Guatemala Photo Album

Lake Atitlan is crystal clear and very deep. The local Indians, after thousands of years, still live out their lives on the shores. We stayed at the Hotel Atitlan which is, I swear, the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at... The grounds look like the Garden of Eden... The view in every direction is.. well.. breathtaking. Some side shots in the last book are from the tiny town of Chichicastanaga which we visited on market day which this year happened to fall on All Saints Day.. Nov 1st which is one of their biggest holidays...Indians come from all over to socialize and sell their food/wares, etc.. The sights, smells and sounds were amazing and the people ... wonderful... and beautiful. It's refreshing to see people so poor yet always happy and smiling.

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Group Bike Transporting: Two Wheels Travelers

A long time ago when the earth was still young and the only BMW's on the road were sissy twins, trailering a bike was frowned upon like taking a fat girl to the prom and the residual fallout ridicule was brutal sticking with you for years like that bad rumor that you were caught in the high-school girls bathroom masturbating. Those days are long gone.

With the advent of very expensive soft rubber tires, trailering a bike these days not only makes sense in some cases.. it's rational. Having your bike hauled for you is another option. Some of us simply don't have the time to ride 5 days each way to a 3 days event nor would some of us even want to if the roads are as boring as Florida or f%#*ing Ohio. So what to do?

There are lots of nameless, impersonal motorcycle transport companies out there hauling bikes as if they were cattle . Nameless carriers who don't know s#@t about motorcycles and only want to fill their trucks and collect a buck.

Recently I came upon a company that is taking motorcycle transporting to a whole new level. Two Wheels Travelers who bill themselves as the motorcycle transport specialists has nailed a new niche. They haul groups to a certain destinations.. rallies, bike week, Sturgis, BMW National, etc then hang around on site for all your motorcycling needs. I spoke with one of the owners, Mike Morey and he explained it thusly..." we stay for the duration of the event to offer overnight storage for bikes and gear on the trailer. The trailer also can serve as a "home-base" of sorts, it's custom fabricated and includes central heat and air, shower, toilet, and furnished lounge area (the same applies to the coach area). This way the clients that utilize our services, can relax for a bit after riding and it allows them certain luxuries without having to travel all the way back to their rooms or condos. Sometimes the client only requires one-way transport, but other times round trip. "

Here is some verbiage from their web site...
"Our transport services take the guess work and frustration out of planning to attend such an event. We make it simple. Fly and Ride! It doesn't get much simpler than that. How does it work? Once, your transport service is booked, we arrange for the pick-up of your bike by our qualified personnel. Next, your bike and gear are expertly loaded into our custom built transporter and transported to your event. If booking round-trip transport, the service is repeated all over again,and your bike is delivered back to your home or business.

Now, you've taken what would have been a week of travel time and condensed it down to a matter of hours by allowing your bike to be transported and waiting for your arrival. Now, you have time to attend the events you always thought you would never have time for. What are you waiting for? You deserve it, and we can make sure it happens."

You can reach them at 800.565.1375 or 404.915.0068 or check out their web site. Looks like a first class operation. Tell them I sent you..

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BMW To Recall 39,000 K & R Bikes! Flame On! (as seen over at www.i-BMW.com)

We've been hearing stories over the past year or so from K12 customers who'd be riding and notice a wet leg, look down and find their pants leg covered with gas... or find a puddle of gas under their bikes after a ride. One K1200RS owner told me his bike actually caught fire after a ride. Yikes! Unless you are Johnny Storm, going down the road in flames in probably NOT an ideal way to travel. Apparently there is more "heat" to the story than I had thought.. Check this out.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) will recall 39,000 motorcycles sold in the United States from the 2000 through 2004 model years to fix a damaged seal and a possible leak in the fuel line. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday on its web site that the German vehicle maker was recalling the K and R series motorcycles.

BMW said fuel-line seals might have been damaged when the vehicles were serviced. The agency began an investigation in December after receiving six complaints, including one involving an injury. Notification of bike owners, whose vehicles will be repaired at no charge, will begin next month. -- Bloomberg News

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 04V028000 Recall Date : JAN 15, 2004 Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS Potential Number Of Units Affected : 39000

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BMW K1200R Recall Notice : Got Brakes? (as seen over at www.i-BMW.com)

On Sunday, October 07, 2007, BMW of North America filed a recall notice with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding brake fluid foaming in the reservoir... The recall affects ALL K1200R's and R Sports.. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 07V466000

Basically .. on certain bikes, during long periods of riding at sustained high engine RPM, vibration within the front brake reservoir can cause the brake fluid to foam. This could/can allow air to enter the front brake system which could lead to baaaaaaad things. So much for superior German engineering. HA!

The Fix.. Dealers will bleed the front brakes and install a damper weight in the brake fluid reservoir. Supposedly, this weight will dampen possible vibrations that can cause foaming of the aforementioned brake fluid. The recall is expected to begin immediately. Just call your local extortionists...er dealer to make your appointment or call BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

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Dragged Into the 21st Century: An Office Space Odyssey!

We've been resisting upgrading our bank of Pirate computers for eons. Change doesn't come easy.. or cheap on this ship. I've been working with the prehistoric yet predictably horrible Windows ME for years and would have continued bravely forward if our main rig hadn't imploded just 2 weeks ago. Geezz..

On November 27th we paid the local geek-squad to come in and revamp our gear to the latest greatest goodies and it was anything but painless. I won't go into the personal learning curve or the Vista operating systems and pre-Vista software compatibility problems that smacked us right in the face. The change-over is still not complete as we are still working out gremlins/bugs. I'd guess we are operating at only about 80% with our new Hal 9000. The geeks did manage to download and then lose about 134 incoming emails on Nov 27th so if you have not received a response to a past email.... please re-send. Why am I wasting precious newsletter time mentioning this? Because our usual stellar customer service may suffer a bit until we get our sails back up and into the wind.. Just be patient.

Blue Ridge Parkway K12 Rally: May 15th - 18th, 2008 (Contributed by our good buddy, Sir Tim Hudspeth aka CBNFVR over at www.I-BMW.com )

Looks like the Snowshoe people have decided to let our bunch of miscreants inhabit the Inn at Snowshoe for BRPR 2008 (BRPW = Blue Ridge Parkway Rally). This is a confirmed event. I'm already booked.

Location: Inn at Snowshoe , Snowshoe, West Virginia
Reservations: 1 877 441-4386 , Mention "BMW Motorcycle Group - 5071OE" 40 rooms are held for us until 4-11-2008. After that any remaining rooms are available to the general public. The rate is 79 per night (plus taxes).
Amenities: Bar, jacuzzi, walk to beverage store, walk to gas or groceries, restaurant on site, pool. Each room has a TV and phone. Some have a fridge.
Sat Lunch: River Place, downtown Marlinton
Fri-Sat evening meals At the Inn or walk to the Deli a few hundred feet away! No riding required. (Note: There is no organized meal. (i.e. Pay as you go. Go when you wish.)
Links: http://www.pocahontas.org/
http://www.pocahontas.org/motorcycle_touring.aspx

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Deals Gap K12 Rally: Sept 25-28th 2008 (Sponsored by www.I-BMW.com )

Well.. the last K12 rally of the year will again be at the Tapoco Lodge at Deal's Gap. Dates are set for Thursday Sept 25th - Sunday 28th. It won't hold us all, so make plans now! Amber and I are already booked!! This'll be the last K12 Rally of 2008, my friends. Be there or forever regret it like the time you blew that chance with those twins because you misread the subtle signals they were giving you..

Call NOW to reserve a room...!

Friday noon meal (12-1:00pm) will be at the Troll Restaurant in Helen, Ga (under the bridge)
Saturday noon meal (12-1:00 pm) will be at the Bistro, Telico Plains, Tennessee (western end of the Cherohala)

As usual, Fri and Sat evening will consist of tall tales, videos worthy of "Americas Most Wanted", and food in the Lodge. No set times.

Alternate Lodging in Robbinsville, NC. Microtel Motel.
Closest dealer (err, one in Knoxville yet?) Touring Sport BMW Greenville, SC

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