First Annual I-BMW.com Track Day Weekend! A Smokin' Success!

What a great weekend. A big heterosexual hug to Steve Wilson (aka steveK1200s over at www.I-BMW.com) for enduring (and surviving) the process of organizing something as complicated as a track day weekend. The event came off without a hitch more or less. Three attendees went down, including yours truly but nothing serious. Thx Steve (and Zombie) for taking the time to show me the lines.. Next year should be even more fun.. Lets just think about planning it later in the year when temps are lower..Feel me?

Speaking of weather.. my biggest fear was the weather forecast .. Before leaving weather.com just said.. "90's with thick juicy humidity".. As it turned out, not too bad. Both days overcast with a coolish breeze. Amazing.

For youz guyz/galz that bailed or didn't make it, besides the riding we ate some great food.. Our motley group of misfits hit a local steakhouse the first night and a famous seafood place. Loves... the second. Best stuffed flounder and frog legs I'd had in years..

Product Review: 2009 HJC CL-15 Cyclone Helmet

In the holy scriptures (our June 2008 Cheesy Newsletter,) I did a brief review of the 2008 HJC CL-15 Orbit Helmet. A nice, inexpensive piece of shiny brain protector equipment. As I recently went down in said helmet (and lived to tell the tale)..I replaced it with the 2009 CL-15 Cyclone Helmet .Thought I'd spew a few words on it's behalf. Unlike most of my peers, I don't think the price of a helmet has any correlation whatsoever as to how safe it is or how desirable. Does this make me a moron? Perhaps, but in my skewered way of thinking, all helmets sold in the US have to pass the same rigorous tests. And Snell and/or DOT tests are better than any European tests so when its time to buy a helmet I just look at what appeals to the demons my head then figure out where I'll procure it..

The CL-15 Cyclone Helmet has a very similar fit as the 2008 version Orbit, but its a little different inside.. material, cut, and design. Nicer in fact. Again I got mine from NewEnough.com for a paltry $93.US + shipping. A killer price and I had it in my hands in 3 days. Geez those guys offer great service. While the Cyclone and the aforementioned CL-15 Orbit are obviously not in the same league as an Arai... the most comfortable helmets on earth (and some of the most expensive,) I am thoroughly impressed with this inexpensive line of HJC helmets.

The graphics on the Cyclone are (like the Orbit) as good as any I've seen. It has the standard features.... side and rear vents that don't do much... removable/washable cheek pads and inner liner... tool-less shield install and removal... and even a slide locking mechanism to keep the shield locked down for track riding. Is it luxurious? No.. Is it comfy? Very.. On a scale from 1-10 on the "how quiet is it" scale.. I'd give the HJC CL-15 Cyclone a solid 7.5. On the "how comfortable is it" scale.. I'd give it a 7.5. On the value scale... I'd give it a 10. For under $100 this helmet is a killer deal. And yes.like most helmets these days, it comes with it's own carrying/storage bag.

Company Review : JC Motors Motorcycle Transport: The Agony and the Ecstasy / Part 1

If you've been looking for a company to transport your motorcycle from one state to another or even from coast to coast you might find this verbal tidbit of cheese interesting and/or informative. FYI ...I'm halfway through the process of having my BMW K1200S hauled out to Kaleefornia. Thought I'd share. Here's part one with the (hopefully) happy ending coming in October's cheesy newsletter..

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When you need to transport your bike across country.. who do you call? You call professionals! As I intend on attending the I-BMW.com 2008 Sierra Gold Rush Rally near Sonora in September and I don't have the time (or cajones) to actually ride my bike the 3000+ miles.. what to do? Of course!!.. Fly and ride... After the usual prerequisite (read: anal) research, I heard about JC Motors Motorcycle Transport and signed them up to transport my 2006 K1200S from Asheville, NC to Sacramento, Ca and back so I can attend the rally.  It's the very first left coast K12 rally so how could I miss it?! JC Motors got a great write up in the Jan 2008 issue of Motorcyclist Magazine  and at least 2 other people in the know mentioned them. Good enough for me. As for the actual execution of said transport... I was/am in personal uncharted territories. I will admit.. trusting complete strangers with my perfectly maintained toys isn't something that comes easily for me. 

Company rep, Harry quoted me $1495 R/T which seemed reasonable and that includes a free cover for each way of transport and $20,000 worth of insurance. I paid extra for that. I think the usual coverage is about $8,000 or so. I called to make the arrangements on August 12th and Harry walked me though all the issues .. calming my paranoias ..squelching my phobias... lightening my wallet. He said they had transported over 10,000 motorcycles with only a 2% damage rate. Sounds impressive if true. I explained that my bike needed to be in California and ready for me to pick up on Sept 12th.  The plan was for them to simply drop it off at their hub in Sacramento, I'd fly in, take a cab from the airport to their hub, ride the bike to the rally, and then return a week later for the return transport home. What could be easier?... For the Full Story Click Here...

1. Just when you thought it was safe to ride again... BMW puts out yet another recall: BMW has recalled all 2007 F800 S, F800 ST, K1200 GT, K1200 R, K1200 R Sport, K1200 S, R1200 R motorcycles for steering damper issues. So much for "superior" German engineering. This recall is serious so don't f#@* around. Get 'r done. (see blurb in top section)

2. We just got word from Klaus at Run-N-Lites (aka.. EPM Performance Imports) that their planned K1200S FRONT Lite Buddy Kit has been cancelled. No explanation was given. I'll venture a guess it had something to do with the bikes unnecessary and obligatory complexity...

3. They (and you know who they are) just announced the 2009 BMWMOA Intl Rally will be held in Johnson City, TN next July (Actually in Gray, TN at the Appalachian Fairgrounds off I-26) Been there. Not far from Pirates Lair..

4. There's a pretty thorough XM and Heated Seat Installation on BMW K1200S here...

5. Interested on the latest news on the upcoming BMW Superbike...the S1000RR!? Are we not men? Of course you are.. - The French website Motomag.com just published some new juicy pics of their testing the S1000RR at the Magny Cours track. Looks sweet..All the text is in French. Good luck wit dat. Parlez vous français?

6. Are your spare motorcycle or car wheels and/or tires laying around your shop/garage collecting dust. Do you carry spare wheels and tires to your track day events? Do you usually toss them in the back of your car hoping you don't get dirt/grease on everything near them? And isn't it a bitch trying to carry them from your trailer to the tire mount guy? Here's a cool product I bought and evaluated recently. The Seasonal Tire Tote from the the www.TireRack.com. Basically.. these are wrap-around tire covers (they adjust to the size of the tire with velcro straps) with a handle. A super way to keep your stuff clean and make the tires and wheels easy to carry. These are designed for car tires and wheels but they work perfectly for motorcycle tires. I bought a pair and was very surprised at how nice they are... and the kicker is.. they sell them for only $20 a pair. and BTW.. I've been buying car and truck tires from them for years..Super prices and service.

7. Rumors are circulating about a K1300S and/or GT as an upgrade in 2009 or 2010..and some spy pics are circulating to back it up. Some were recently posted at the Italian website.. Motociclismo Honestly.. I'm surprised. BMW usually does things in longer cycles unlike the Japanese. They haven't even worked out all the gremlins in the current K1200S and GT and they are coming out with all new bikes? What the @%*? ... Will report as news comes in..

1. Freakish Storm Hits the 'Lair. A couple of weeks ago we had some sort of electric storm hit our area and it wrecked havoc on the prehistoric electrical wiring in our humble establishment. While the power outage lasted on a few minutes, we suffered one unusual computer hit and to this day I still don't understand how or exactly what happened. Amazingly ...every email that has come in in the last 6 months just vanished... and ONLY the ones from the last 6 months.. ??! All emails up to Novemeber 2007 are still in our database. It's as if somebody magically came in.. highlighted only those months and made them dissapear from my hard drive. *poof*

Why am I even mentioning this? Because many of our customers email me asking for order status or call referencing some past correspondence, ect etc and I usually go back and re-read the past emails to know what the f#@* they are talking about.. Obviously.. I won't be able to do that for a while. So... if I have forgotten something I was supposed to do, or if you feel short-changed from some well deserved attention.. Please remind me and I'll try to make amends.

2. Due to George Bush's failed economic and foreign policies, we've just had to raise the pricing on our Verholen Barbacks for the K1200RS by a whopping $10 a kit.... Yes.. it's so.

3. For our quasi-esteemed Ducati 1098 customers.. We now have a web page up for Pit Bull Stands to fit those bikes.

4. I while back we started carrying American Machine Peg Lowering Kits for the K1200S, K1200R, and R Sport.. About a dozen kits initially went out but we quickly learned that on some bikes with aftermarket exhausts.. there was install issues. We quickly pulled them from our product line, refunded some $ to those with the problems and have been waiting for a new improved version ever since. As it's been months now with no new kits in site.. we've decided to go in another direction. We have commissioned Evoluzione to produce some kits for us and that is in the works. There will be 2 versions.. Black and Silver. Cost will be around $100 delivered. Watch the website ..These should be about 4 weeks out. Coming Soon..

5. I recently mentioned we were discontinuing all imported Ilmberger and Pack Parts Carbon Fiber for the BMW K1200S and R and R Sport... Well.. we're getting down to the bare bones so if you've been procrastinating.. you might want to get it in gear soon ... 90% of our supply is already gone.. Last warning.

6. We just got our first shipment of Ducati 1098 Front and Rear Wheel Nut Socket Wrench Tools from Oberon in the UK. This one socket tool can handle removal of both the small front and large rear wheel nuts ...

7. We've just got our first shipment of RSC Linear Hyperpro Steering Dampers for the K1200RS, 03-05GT, and LT and kits for the Ducati 1098....We have the ever popular black version as well as Gunmetal and a wood inspiring Silver.. If you're thinking about buying a damper and you're not sure which to choose.. Just ask and I can probably clue you in..

How-To-Survive On A Motorcycle

Our last 3 contributions were from Peter Warren of Orange County, CA .!!! Thx mate!!

Could these tips 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.

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

I have a contribution of my own this month ..Woohoo!! Check out my How-To Install a Nautilus Air Horn on Ducati 1098. It's the first listing on the page.

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