@Marc11 - Congratulations sir. I consider you a minority. And you should worry. That you can ride w/o doing so, kudos to you. The FACTs argue against you.
I think we all do some projecting and interpreting, and I don't disagree with your observations.
You deliberately chose NOT mainstream. Why?
I'm at a loss why you would find the GSA appealing, but you might want to take a hard look at the service costs, recommended service intervals and go ride one before you pull that trigger. You're making assumptions too. I've had one in the garage. I've worked on it. I've seen first hand the bills from the dealer and that wasn't the first BMW in the garage.
And if you take absolutely nothing else from the conversation, take this to heart - buy an aftermarket extended warranty when you buy the bike. BMW doesn't sell them for a reason. If they don't trust their bikes to hold up over the miles, why should you?
This topic started off with someone asking which unsuitable bike version might have issues they need to be aware of? You can't defend your choice to ride a HD in the IBR. You can say why you did it, and what you like/enjoy about it, didn't like, etc. That's not the same thing. By your own words you chose a bike less suited for the task for your personal reasons.
Examine that. And why you're considering doing it again. I very concisely explained the big picture. You prefer not to accept that point of view. Your ignorance of BMW will change if you choose to own one. At a steep cost.
Trying to explain why someone's choices are a Bad Idea is simply an attempt at helping them achieve the goals they stated to begin with. As I originally asked the OP, did you want to finish these events? If so, why go out of your way to reduce the odds of doing so?
Some people just want to do things and go ahead and do it regardless of common sense. Michael Boge on the KTM 2-Stroke, for example. He didn't finish, didn't do well, spent most of the IBR dealing with the limitations of the bike, but he rode it to the end. I like Michael and have spent time talking with him at past events, but I think that was the most retarded choice of the last IBR. What's the point of being capable of a Gold level finish, but shooting yourself in the foot at the start and knowing full well you'll be lucky to even make it to the finish at all?
Eric, respectfully you are making assumption for all riders of non Japanese bikes, which just isn't fair or realistic.
I rode a BMW in two IBRs and ride one nearly every day, I can say MATTER OF FACT, I never once worried or worry about my bike making it to a finish or home, never once.
Have I had failures, yep. Will I have failures in the future, yep, did I think about failures during the 2021 IBR in the heat, traffic, dead if night or rain NOPE.
Riding a BMW never added any stress or worry over bike failure. If it happened then I'd worry, otherwise I'll jump on my BMW, despite having a Kawasaki parked next to it, and ride it anywhere and never once think about the bike breaking down.
Different people worry about different things, not everyone on a non-Japanese bike worries about mechanical issues.
BMW now offers first party extended warranties on their bikes, even if they are out of the factory warranty period. They have offered them overseas for years and are now providing same in the USA.
I'll say one more thing and then leave this thread alone, every rally is different for every person who rides it. We all have our own goals, generally it is to finish, some want to win, some want to see cool places, some want to enjoy the event and some...some want to try an additional challenge aside from the usual challenge a rally provides.
Nothing is wrong, no bike choice or route or any other choice is wrong, it's all personal choice for personal reasons.
I've run two IBRs, 2019 on a BMW I had a DNF due to a fuel pump failure. Did the bike fail or did the fact that I used the tank vent for my aux tank input put strain on the fuel pump and cause the failure, you cannot answer that 100 percent so you'll speculate it was BMWs fault.
In 2021 I ran and finished the IBR on a BMW, a chain drive, no aux tank BMW and did pretty well all things considered. Am I an idiot or just lucky? Or did I ride the IBR on the bike I chose for reasons personal to me and I'll be damned if I don't love my F850 and I'll be damned if I don't try for the LDX and the 2023 IBR and ride that bike again in them.
If it breaks down it breaks down, I'll know one thing, I will enjoy every mile on a bike I enjoy.
First we would have to pour over 15 years of IBR data to determine the oil and tires all the DNF's were using. The Bike is simple, water cooled, Japanese over a liter equals a Vmax.Can one of you with no preconceived notions tell me which Japanese motorcycle to buy and which tires and oil I should be using
There is more to motorcycle riding than getting your name listed on top of the leader boards. Success is often measured in terms of enjoyment. Different people get that enjoyment in different ways. Some just want to be the top of the leader boards. Others want to build a Harley and take it to a rally. It isn't always about winning. Sometimes, motorcycle riding is about the journey rather than the destination.The whole point of all this, AGAIN, is if you're starting from scratch, why not give yourself the best shot at success?
Soul! That's why. Nobody says "Dang, I feel like a million bucks every time I sit in this Corola." Plenty of people love sitting in an Elise, late 60's 'vette, a 911, or an old series 1 E-Type. Those vehicles are chosen because they aren't mainstream. The things that make those vehicles not mainstream are the things that make them enjoyable. People who are interested in building their own motorcycles don't want mainstream. They want something unique. That's why they build the bikes.You deliberately chose NOT mainstream. Why?
Instead of just accepting that you are a lost cause, I'm going to try again from a different angle. I honestly believe that you are capable of understanding what is going on here.Go ride more. Bikes with "soul" break. Do you have any rally experience at all?
I asked a polite question. One that was never answered. Preconceived notions indeed. Sure, not everyone is trying to win. I do get that. But at some level, you might as well skip rallies and just tour if you're not going to even try and are going to set yourself up for failure.
Let's explore that analogy a bit. The first sentence is extremely important, and I think it demonstrates the issue. Yes, bikes are tools. Yes, you should pick the correct tool for the task. But you don't always fully understand other people's intended tasks. Perhaps my vehicle's task isn't only to commute from Point A to Point B. Perhaps my vehicle's task is to provide driving enjoyment via stark contrast with my F350 diesel dually pickup truck. I may want something light weight, sporty, a good choice for track days, and it has to turn heads, but not cost a small fortune, and can do double duty as an occasional commuter when I don't want to take the big truck. An Elise is a good choice for such a vehicle. I can replace the seat in it in favor of something more comfortable, add carpeting, and tune the suspension for a bit more compliant ride and have a vehicle that still works well on the track, but also does okay as an occasional commuter and will definitely turn heads. Sometimes, the less popular less ideal choice is the best choice for the intended task.When you understand that the bike is a tool, then you might start to understand why you pick the correct tool for the task. You don't pick an Elise for a commuter car, you pick a Corolla. Could you commute in an Elise? Sure, but you'd be a damn fool to do so. Wasting money and beating up a car suited better for track days. Not to mention being uncomfortable as hell for a commuter task. The list goes on. Just because you can, doesn't make it a good choice.
Consider this your intervention. I am educating you that your preconceived idea that a mainstream rally bike isn't really a good choice for the OP's intended task. Maybe you should open your eyes and look around a bit before suggesting that he spends money on something he isn't looking for, i.e. spending far more money to get far poorer results. Your preconceived idea that the OP is just looking for the best possible rally bike is wrong.Intervention is when you educate someone that their preconceived idea isn't really a good choice and maybe they should open their eyes and look around a bit before they spend far more money to get far poorer results.
Yes, EricV, you are arguing against choice.You appear to have no rally experience. You also don't apparently know the back story here with the OP.
You're defending choice. I'm not arguing against choice. And I don't think you or I fully know what the OP is "looking for". Thus my original question.
That's you calling the OP a dumbass for his choices. That's you arguing against choice.Can you finish on an HD? Absolutely! But it's not a smart bet or a good rally bike. If you WANT to make it harder, go for it. I will point and laugh at you for being a dumbass.
That's you claiming that every HD rider is always worried about the mechanical integrity of their bike during any rally. That's you arguing against choice.Pick any HD you want. You're not going to get that peace of mind during the IBR or other multi-day rally. The same can be said for any BMW. You're always going to be checking it, wondering if it will hold up, wondering if it will handing the heat, etc. And if you're not, you should be.
This is you directly questioning someone else's choices. Later in that same post, you say that HD is unsuitable, then tell someone who has finished an IBR on a Harley that he can't defend his choice to do so. That's you arguing against choice.I think we all do some projecting and interpreting, and I don't disagree with your observations.
You deliberately chose NOT mainstream. Why?
That's you calling someone else's choice "the most retarded choice of the last IBR". That's you arguing against choice.Some people just want to do things and go ahead and do it regardless of common sense. Michael Boge on the KTM 2-Stroke, for example. He didn't finish, didn't do well, spent most of the IBR dealing with the limitations of the bike, but he rode it to the end. I like Michael and have spent time talking with him at past events, but I think that was the most retarded choice of the last IBR.
And there's no point in reading beyond this. Go fuck yourself Eric.Let me be clear Matthew, you're not qualified to have an opinion.