Picture Of The Month! Scenic Scotland.. (Click Image for a Larger View)

Every month customers send us killer photos and I see no reason to keep them to myself so what better way to say thanks for sharing than to post them in this Picture of the Month spot..

Our January/ February POTM was contributed by Colin Jamieson who lives in Carluke Scotland. He says of the photo.. "This picture was taken on Saturday 26th September 2020. It was taken in Glen Coe in the West Highlands of Scotland on a pretty cold autumn day of about 10c. So thank god for the heated grips. I was out on a run of about 300 miles north from Glasgow through the West Highlands and back south via the costal town of Oban hopefully you get the chance to see beautiful Scotland sometime and the K1300S is the perfect bike to see it on. The pic was taken with a iPhone 11 Pro Max.

If you would like to contribute your own"worthy" shot for our newsletter, here's what I'll need. First.. just email me 1 or 2 of your best digital shots or send me a link if you've already uploaded them somewhere. It'll need to be at least 1024x768 in size or larger and preferably A. Of any late model BMW .. B. In focus... C. No GSs for God's sake.

New Product: Pirates Lair BMW R1250RS / R1250R / R1200RS / R1200R Stealth Backrest

I've designed and manufactured a lot of backrests through the years. I thought I had the process down to a science until this project came along.. What should have taken 4 months from start to finish took 2 years. Everything that could go wrong did. It was as if the project was cursed. As if God said.. "You think I'm gonna make this one easy?.. Hold my beer." I actually gave up on the project (twice), but I don't like to be beaten and eventually persevered. As of July 1st.. we have them here... R1250RS / R1200RS Stealth Backrests and they are selling well. Customer Comments are just now trickling in and it's all good.

Like all the Pirates Lair backrests, install of the R12RS stealth rack is chimp easy with basic tools and intellect taking all of 10 minutes. No modifications necessary. While we designed these to fit the 2015+ BMW R1200RS and 2018+ R1250RS, we found out only recently that these will also fit the 2015+ BMW R1200R and R1250R when they're equipped with the optional BMW rear rack. Cool beans. Each rack is powder coated with a rich, durable, textured black finish. We also offer an optional BMW peel-n-stick emblem to make the rack look factory. Our latest backrests are in stock and shipping...

SPECIAL OFFER: We bought a factory R1200RS / R1250RS rear rack from BMW for design purposes for our RS backrest project. Now that the project is complete we're selling it. If you have a 2015+ BMW R1200R and R1250R and would like to purchase it for the purpose of installing our RS backrest, we're offering it at a substantial discount. You can find it here.

New Product: ZTechnik 2020+ S1000XR VStream Windshields

New to the Pirates Lair S1000XR menu for 2021, we now have the latest windshields for the 2020+ bikes. ZTechnik windshields revolutionize windscreen performance! The advanced 'V' shape and dimensional contours of the VStream windscreens push the wake, typically referred to as the von Karman vortex, out and away from the side of the rider's helmet. This improvement is notable for the passenger as well should you be burdened with one ..Tough FMR hard coated polycarbonate gives VStream windshields outstanding clarity and strength characteristics unmatched by any windshield maker worldwide. This windshield is 3X more resistant to abrasion than acrylic materials, and has superior crack and impact resistance.

We offer 3 options for your 2020+ XR. The Z2394 Touring shield is the perfect choice for long cross-country days in the saddle or for S1000XR riders who are taller than average. The VStream Touring shield comes in clear only. Next up is the Z2393 Sport Touring shield which is both taller and wider than the tiny stock screen, and gives the S1000XR rider increased wind protection without sacrificing the cutting edge sporting appearance. It comes in a light gray tint only. For those wanting a shield only slightly taller and wider than oem we offer the Z2392 which comes in a dark gray tint only. We have these new XR shields here..

I-BMW Reunion.. Pirates Lair Is Throwing Another Party!

It's been 13 years since Amber and I threw a party. Our last was in 2007 at a park near Lake Lure just east of Asheville. We had around 80 riders show up in spite of some brutal heat. Pretty damn sure a good time was had by all. Here's a link to pictures of that event.. Lately I've been missing the I-BMW events and the dozens of friends and quasi-friends I've met through the former website. Call me nostalgic. As of late, I've been thinking we might try to get the gang together for one last blow out while we're still alive.

As Amber and I just recently turned our 6 acres of mountain property into a "boutique" campground, I've been thinking it would be a perfect place to host an event. I've mentioned my idea to a few of the old crowd and all seemed interested bordering on excited. I'm pretty sure one of them got an erection.

As to when we'll hold this party, nothing is in concrete. I'm shooting for October 16th, 2021. Generally the leaves are in full color that time of year and the gravity isn't as strong. The weather in October is cool-ish for excellent riding with little rain and there are no holidays worth mentioning to get in the way. Our property has plenty of parking space for bikes, cars, trailers, etc. Like all past I-BMW events or the last two Pirates Lair parties, there will be no entry fees. No hoops to jump through. No waivers to sign. We just want our friends to show up, eat some burgers, hang out for a few hours, then get the fuck out. Interested? Let me know.

I'll be posting updates in upcoming newsletters as the year progresses. Stay tuned.

1. Here's some good news for two-wheel travelers to start the new year... Ecuador Opens for Motorcycle Tourism. Having spent some time in Ecuador I can enthusiastically say that riding in the country rivals Europe except .. the gas is cheaper, the people friendlier, the food far better. This is on my bucket list.

2. I post links to the Adventure Rider website all the time.. Good bunch of people over there with lots of good information. Looks like they're making a bold move for 2021.. While motorcycle magazines are dropping like conservative posts on Facebook, Adventure Rider is Coming To Print. We wish them well. They'll need it in today's market when new riders are few and the only things they seem to read are Facebook and Twitter posts.

3. Breaking BMW brings out updated R NineT line: BMW will bring its R NineT line forward into 2021 with updated engine, suspension and electronics, but not every sub-model will make the cut. For 2021, you get the standard R NineT, the “base model” R NineT Pure, the R NineT Scrambler and the R NineT Urban GS. The Racer version, with clip-on handlebars, wasn’t on the list BMW announced today, although we wouldn’t count it out from returning down the road.

4. MotoAmerica Drag Specialties King of the Baggers Race Highlights at Laguna Seca 2020.. The answer to a question nobody asks... Fun as hell to watch!!

8. Can I have that to go? Honda is now offering home delivery.. Welcome to 2021. Indian announced it was doing it. Then Yamaha and Kawasaki. Now, Honda is also announcing a home delivery program for its US customers.

9. This shouldn't surprise anyone reading this newsletter... Study Finds Motorcyclists Happier Than Motorists...

10. One hassle associated with chain-driven motorcycles is cleaning the chain. Yes, it can be quite messy, but it’s really not that hard. Are there any solutions that can make this dirty but necessary chore faster, easier, and perhaps even more environmentally friendly? Enter ChainBath.

11. Last year, Motorcycle Consumer News announced they were shutting their doors permanently. A tragic event. I grew up reading it. MCS was a news platform dedicated to providing the latest news on motorcycles and riding. They worked on a subscription-only platform where readers had to purchase a subscription to read the magazine. The revenue from these subscriptions went directly toward keeping the magazine advertisement-free. Imagine that.. Well, my friends.. Good news to start the new year.. Looks like it's coming back under new ownership.

12.Temples, Temples, Temples- A late bloomer’s guide to South East Asia.. An article for those who travel to exotic locations only in their dreams...

13. More bad news for riders around the world... No new Haynes manuals will be printed: Publisher

14. This is too fucking cool... How To U-Turn on Adventure Motorcycles / Works with Street Bikes Too

1. About the USPS Shipping Crisis: Yes... it probably comes as no surprise that the USPS has slowed to a painful crawl over the last few months. Overseas shipments have become black holes. According to the Washington Post, 19,000 postal workers are out sick with Chinese virus. The good news is.. items are moving a little more quickly now. Overall, we are finding that many of packages thought to be lost are just delayed. If you're currently waiting on a delayed delivery from Pirates Lair, please know we're in your corner tracking your packages right there along with you. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you need tracking... we're here for you... pirate@acelink.net

2. New Product Alert! While the slip-on kits have been discontinued, Pirates Lair is still carrying the Remus K1300S / K1300R Hexacone Full Exhaust System from Austria. Be all you can. The benefits of the kit are: Ultra Lightweight... Deeptone Sound... High Quality materials .. Extra ponies... Longer lasting erections.. Lighter wallet. Unchain the beast. Fits the BMW K1300S, K1300R only.

3. New Product Alert! Want to get rid of the catalytic converter on your 2019+ BMW R1250R & R1250RS? Are we not men? Be all you can be with an Akrapovic header kit for your 2019-2020 BMW R1250RS and R1250R. Choose from the finest titanium or stainless steel to upgrade your Akrapovič Slip-On to a full exhaust system. Stand out from the pack with more power, beautiful design, a lighter wallet, and the unique Akrapovič sound. Featuring exhaust valve for improved rideability in lower rpm. Unleash the beast.

4. Drum roll please..... As per the blurb in our top section.. our latest Stealth Backrest for the BMW R1200RS / R1250RS is in stock for early spring delivery. Production pieces are in a textured black powder-coated finish. Cost is a bit less than our other offerings. Like all our other backrests, install is under 10 minutes with standard tools and intellect. The backrest slides on and off the bike in under 10 seconds. No modifications necessary. A one beer job. Get em while they're hot. Customer comments are just now trickling in..

5. As per the blurb in the top section... There's a good chance Pirates Lair is throwing one last I-BMW party in October.. Interested? Let us know..

6. More bad news for K1300S owners.. Just got off the phone with my Two Brothers Racing rep.. They have discontinued all their K1300S exhausts..

7. New Product Alert! We now have CanBus-specific, 55w Watonlight LED bulbs on all our menus EXCEPT the K1600s. ... I have one installed on my K1200S..

8.We just got notified by WhiteLights of Germany that some of their specialty K-Bike lenses have been discontinued.. As time relentlessly marches on, I'll assume their other lenses for these aging bikes will also disappear soon. I'm working on securing another source.

9. Sign O' the Times: Good news / Bad news from Remus.. We were just informed that they have discontinued all the Non-Cat Hexacone slip-on kits for the K1300S and K1300R. The only slip-on kits still in production contain cats. Ain't dat a pisser?!