With the daunting task of competing with such heavily developed competition, it’s yet unknown if BMW will be ready to race at the season-opening round in Australia on March 1. We’ll know more after the next round of tests at Portimao, Portugal on January 24-25. However, it appears likely the S1000RR won’t be ready for prime time until perhaps the third round in April, according to a BMW spokesman. To qualify for inclusion in the WSB grid, a manufacturer has to produce a minimum of 1,000 bikes by the end of that season’s year.

In a class segment so highly competitive, customers expect a new or heavily revised bike every two to four years, and BMW acknowledges this product cycle and is willing to step up to the plate. De Waal told us that noted American designer David Robb is already working on a successor.

Looking further into the future, we can expect some big things from BMW. The company is set to spend in 2009 the most the motorcycle division has ever spent on research and development, according to a recent interview with Hendrik von Kuenheim, general director of BMW Motorrad.

1. Looking for a backrest for your new K1200GT? Tired of waiting for Pirates Lair to come up with one? Sick of listening to your wife whine? I don't blame you... Here's one option for you.. the RCU K1200GT2 (06-on) Passenger Backrest and some sage wordage from the Sierra BMW website ..
"Your passenger can lean back with confidence with this sturdy backrest. All RCU Designs’ backrests have an integral, weather-resistant, 1000-denieer, padded Cordura bag for carrying small items. The backrest pad is covered with marine vinyl for maximum weather resistance. Like all other RCU Designs’ products, the frame is manufactured from ¼” aircraft-quality aluminum alloy material with a black, powder-coated, paint finish. The attachment screws and washers have been black-zinc plated to resist corrosion. Attachment plates are also aluminum alloy and are anodized in a black finish. The backrest pad measures 7 ¾” wide at the widest point and 8” tall. Two plates clamp to the R1200RT’s luggage rack. The adjustable backrest frame attaches to the top plate providing ample fore/aft movement to fit your passenger. Of course, there are no holes to drill for installation. "

2. In case you've been thinking about adding an aftermarket gas cap (Oberon, etc) to your BMW, we just discovered that some of the late 2008 and early 2009 models have a new type that will NOT accommodate any aftermarket cap that we've seen.. This is what the new cap looks like..This cap is on a 2008 R1200R.

3. The German company Schwabenmax has some unique products for the K1200R, K1200S, K1200GT including a very nice small windshild for the K1200R. Check dem out..looks pretty good.

4. An "Electronic" Guide To the K13 Series Bikes! Never seen anything quite like this before. It's a clever, short-cut, and entertaining way to pick-up anything you would like to know about the K13 series bikes. Thx, Miles

5. For some interesting motorcycle related blogging, product reviews, interviews with industry insiders, and quasi-cerebral ravings check out Mid-Life Rider: Rambling Through Mid-life on Motorcycles It's done by fellow K12'er, Kevin Hoffberg.. Smart guy.. good since of humor.. Worth a look.

6. Speaking of reviews with celebrities.. If you get really, really bored... Kevin at Mid-Life Rider.com recently did an interview with yours truly... it's called..Conversation with Jerry Finley, The Man Behind Pirate’s Lair For whatever reason.. he's under the impression that I'm an interesting guy. Go figure. You'll laugh.. you'll cry.. Hopefully you won't hurl.

7. Looking for some bar risers for your 07 and later K1200GT? Suburban Machine has a new kit on the market. With the Suburban kit installed and the handlebar set in the lowest position, the handgrips move back 1.7" and up 1.0". The length of the throttle cables limits adjustment to the three lowest positions out of a possible five. The two available additional positions are each 9mm (.375") up and back at a 30 degree angle. Each move is .324" up and .178" back. Sounds like they are telling you up front.. if you want the risers at full extension you'll need longer cables. That's fair enough.  Not a pretty as the Verholen risers, but cheaper. Price looks to be a reasonable $154.95 + shipping. .

8. Getting bent? Join the club. I finally got a response from R & G Racing concerning bent bolts on their frame sliders. FYI..Over the last few months I had heard from 2 or 3 people who had crashed while using R & G Frame Sliders. They were asking me if it's normal for the bolts in the sliders to bend. Great question!!. I sent R & G pics of my own R1 after it's crash showing the same bent bolts..Here's their views on this.... "The bolts are in fact supposed to bend, in order to take stresses away from the bike and absorb some of the impact. If they didn't bend then they would probably snap and then the frame would possibly get it. The bolt bending a lot, like on your bike, isn't necessarily a problem - If the upper bolt bends a lot, it can of course mean that the bobbin smashes the panel, which is unfortunate but sometimes inevitable, given the massive forces involved in certain impacts. Of all the crashes we hear about, in the vast majority of cases the bolt only bends a little. We do constantly monitor the quality / grade of the bolts." Regards, Simon Simon Hughes International Sales Director R&G Racing

9. If you've been considering the upcoming S1000RR... Heres some good news from Germany. Although BMW is known for being one of the pricier brands, the company is aiming to keep the MSRP of its RR to within about 10% of its Japanese rivals, now priced around $12,000. As such, when the S1000 arrives in December of 2009, we hope to see it priced at about $14,000.

10. We just got this warning from a friend of ours. He learned the hard way from his local dealer.."If you have a Canbus bike, do NOT cut into any of BMW's wiring. They will void your warranty and NOT pay for repairs." Note to the Germans: I could be wrong, but giving your customers problematic, overly complicated motorcycles and then berating said customers and refusing warranty work just because they chose to add aftermarket accessories probably isn't a good way to earn more market share or garner return business. I'm just sayin.'

11. If you've heard a rumor that the Verholen Bar Riser Kit meant for the 2007-2008 K1200GT was problematic with the 2008 bike.. Not true. Forwarded this question to the manufacturer and got this answer from Monika Verholen..
Q. I was planning on buying the Verholen Handlebar risers for my 2008 BMW K1200S (advertised as for 2007-2008 models), but there was a comment on the BMW Superbike Forum that these cannot be used on the 2008 BMW K1200S because the brake fluid reservoir was moved and they no longer fit. Is that correct?
A. No. Last week our BMW dealer has fit the adapter on the K1200S model 2008. It is all ok, it is the same as the model before. No issues. You can bring the handlebar 20° near to the driver.

12. If you've been lusting over the better looking factory exhausts on the upcoming 2009 K1300S and wondering whether it'll fit the K1200S... Wonder no longer. They will be interchangeable. I asked BMW about the interchangeability between the 1200 and 1300 and they confirmed. The engine changes on the new bikes are internal so the pipes will fit each other.and yes.. that means if you are upgrading from a K1200 to a 13, your aftermarket pipe can be removed and put on the new bike.

13. We just got word that the long awaited cruise control for the K1200S is still under-development from the boyz at www.mccruise.com/

14. We hate to break the bad news to you US K1200R owners wanting the new K1300R.. but we've had confirmation from 4 different sources that the K1300R will not be imported into the US. Nobody seems to know why.. Sounds like another bonehead decision from the motherland...

15. Not quite dead yet...! In our Oct/Nov cheesy newsletter I mistakenly reported that Richard Catey, the owner of Catey Enterprises ( the maker of BOMS AWAY metal polish) had passed away. Apparently I got a few minor details wrong..er... well actually I got virtually everything wrong. Doh! Here are my humble corrections.. 1. The owner of the business who passed away was George Walter Catey. George passed away on February 13th, 2008. 2. The Cateys were distributors of Boms Away, not the manufacturer. 3. Captain Richard says that he is the manufacturer, and his products are still being made and sold from his website. 4.The product name is changing from Boms Away to Bombs Away, but the website has mixed names. My apologies for reporting Richards early demise and getting George's name wrong. This would have never happened if I had gotten Hans Delbrook's brain.

1. In a rare selfless gesture..(don't tell anyone as it'll ruin my plundering reputation)..I'm actually doing something out of the goodness of my cold pirate's heart for the good people over at www.I-BMW.com ..the worlds largest and oldest K12 chat site. To help them generate some well deserved revenue to cover site operating expenses, Vic's dreadlock maintenance, and their fleet of corporate jets, I'm now advertising the 2009 I-BMW.com K12 Wall Calendar on our website. You'll find them listed at the bottom of every BMW product page. I would assume that keeping track of important dates, whether it be upcoming court appearances, prostate exams, and/or alimony payments would be so much easier to swallow while viewing soul inspiring images that reflect your personal interests and/or two-wheel addictions. The high-quality calendars are printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper and adds impact to any room, shop, or cell. The calendar measures 11" x 17" when hung on wall! Sounds well hung to me! Each shot features full bleed dynamic color that a rainbow would envy. The current calendar runs from January-December 2009 with a 2010 preview. US holidays are marked. 100% of proceeds go to funding the I-BMW.com website. Price for the calendar is a reasonable $19.99.US (+ shipping) Support the site and get a cool calendar in return.

2. We now have the Kriega R15 and R20 Back-Packs on our menu.. IMHO.. they are the best motorcycling back-packs on the market. Worthy of the gods.

3. We've still waiting to get the new software from FedEx allowing us to resume our FedEx Int Ground service to Canada. As I mentioned in last months cheesy newsletter, the problem is... FedEx has doubled all their ground rates in the last few weeks and told us that we have to pay an additional $35 for each outgoing Int ground shipment to cover back-end brokerage fees. These fees used to be covered by the customer.. Not any more. Bottom line.. I'm simply NOT willing to bend over and take it.. So what does this mean for our Canadian customers? Well.. as UPS will not pick up here and we refuse to have to drive to the US Post office for every Canadian order then fill out forms to ship via them (which we consider no better than gambling), there's only 2 other options..1. FedEx Express service.. Either Priority or Economy.. Not cheap.. 2. We'd be glad to ship any Canadian orders to a US address near the border for local pick-up. We are very sorry about this.

4. I recently mentioned we were discontinuing all imported Ilmberger and/or Pack Parts Carbon Fiber for the BMW K1200S and R and R Sport... Well.. amazingly we had a handful of IIlmberger Carbon Fiber Rear Huggers come in last week. We'd ordered them over a year ago and had forgotten all about them. That's how slow their service has been. Krikey. Anyway... I have (2) left @ $360.US. delivered. These will fit the K1200S, K1200R, R Sport, and the new GT. No more will be ordered.

5. We've just placed our first order for the new waaay cool looking Verholen bar riser kits for the 2006-2008 BMW K1200GT. The kit allows for a more upright, relaxed riding position. The silver anodized adapters are adjustable and bring the handle bars about 42 mm higher and 25 mm closer to the rider. In the good ol' USA that translates out to 1.65 inches higher and about 1 inch closer to the rider..In case you are curious.. No,..it is not necessary to change the brake cable. The kit is pretty much plug-n-play and better looking than the competition. I have been told that the install is as easy as it looks. Fits the 2006-2008 K1200GT only. Those should be here by early January.

6. Are you a limp wristed Ducati rider? I feel your pain. We have a new product in our Ducati section that should help alleviate the strong clutch-pull problem... the Ducati Clutch Slave Cylinder (from Oberon Engineering in the UK) This replacement clutch slave cylinder kit was designed to improve the performance and the looks of the original Ducati clutch cylinder. Substantially reducing the heaviness of the original Italian clutch action. Aching arms and clunky gear changes are a thing of the past. The internal piston design, seals and breather hole have been drastically enhanced to stop leaks and leave a smoother clutch action. CNC machined from billet aluminum for lightness, strength and precision looks. Six wood giving colors to choose from including Black, Red, Blue, Silver, and a Titanium-look. Everything you need is included in the kit, plus a conversion shaft for earlier bikes. Chimp-easy install. Fits current Ducati’s including the 1098, 848 696, & Hypermotard. Amazingly it's only $145.US delivered inside the US. I suspect it'll also fit the new 1198 bikes, as well.

7. Just in time for the spring farkel rush. We just got a one of the rare shipments of those waaaaay cool Billet Torque Arms for the K1200S, K1200R, and R Sport. Each with the stylish Pirates Lair logo lovingly engraved on the side. Each will guarantee attention from the apposite sex..and occasionally from the same sex. We have only (2) left in silver and (5) left in anodized black... I should mention .. we get perhaps 2 small shipments a year so if you are prone to procrastination...now would be the time to get over it if you've been wanting one of these.. Consider yourself forewarned, swabbie. I keeed you not.. these will transform the rear section of your bike (below the tail light) into a thing of beauty. In Stock / Limited Supply!

How-To-Survive On A Motorcycle

We have no new contributions this month..

If you'd like to help others by contributing a How-To-Survive On A 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.

Pirates Lair Sacred Archives

We get a lot of requests for specific articles and/or reviews I've written in the past. Rather than fry my aging brain trying to remember where they are on our multi-thousand page website.. I have decided to list the "worthy" ones here. Most of the links are to past newsletters.. Some are to full web articles. Remember, I'm no expert on anything except perhaps cunnilingus so the opinions within the archives are only my own. Saavy?

BMW How-To Section

We have a new offering this month from Sir Kevin Hoffberg over at his Mid-Life Rider website... Check out his How-To Install a Bags Connection Engage Tank Bag. It's the first listing on the page. Installation was on a K1200GT. Thx Kev. Well done.

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