Picture Of The Month! View From the Hirschegg! (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 Jan POTM was contributed by Gijs van Dijk , in the Netherlands. He says of the picture..."This shot was taken near Graz, Austria. The road is called Hirschegg. It is a very small road through a gorgeous valley going to the Saltzstiegl, which is near an old salt mine. Once you reach the mine, the road turns to gravel for the next 2 miles or so before you reach the top. It’s 4 miles of up to 10 degree slopes and very tight hairpin turns in gravel. Exciting stuff. :) On top there is a little restaurant and a great view. The shot was taken about halfway through the gravel to the top. Shot was taken April 30,2010, hence the leftover snow - top is at just 1553m. I guess it was about 20C at the time, around 11am. Not bad given the time of year. The camera I used is my trusty Canon 5D (mk1) with the EF24-105/f4-L lens that I lug around everywhere I go. "

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. It'll need to be at least 800x600 in size or larger and preferably A. Of a BMW K1200S or K1300S, K1200RS, K1200R, R Sport, S1000RR, or any model year K1200GT or K1300GT and B. In focus.

Another BMW Recall! Yawn .. the Myth of Superior German Engineering!

BMW has issued yet another recall for many late model K12/K13 series bikes. How many does this make? 5? 6? 7? I forget. We've been hearing reports about the rear linkage locking up and even snapping for over a year now. Guess BMW decided to do something about it before somebody got killed. Look for a letter from BMW in the mail sometime after the first of the year. From what I understand.. your BMW dealer will be replacing the part marked in this pic as # 5 or the bearings in that piece.. The fix takes less than 15 minutes.

Model Year: Motorcycles manufactured between 2004 and May 2010.
Makes / Models / Years Affected:
BMW/K1200 GT/2004-2010
BMW/K1200 R/2004-2010
BMW/K1200 S/2004-2010
BMW/K1300 GT/2004-2010
BMW/K1300 R/2004-2010
BMW/K1300 S/2004-2010
NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V-488
Mfr's Report Date: October 8, 2010

Summary and Consequences: BMW has ascertained that the pivot mount of the relay lever on the rear spring strut can become stiff on account of corrosion. This can be the result of moisture penetrating the assembly (eg road spray, wateringress from washing with steam cleaner, power hose, riding in winter conditions). If the stiffness of the pivot mount is not noticed in good time (within the service maintenance schedule) the problem may become aggrivated to a point where the relay lever might break. Should a break of the lever occur, the handling of the motorcycle will be severly affected. In order to ensure trouble free operation throughout the service life of the motorcycle, the relay lever will be replaced with an improved version. Consequences include bad handling and increased risk of driver losing control of the bike resulting in a crash followed by a HUGE lawsuit against BMW of NA, followed by an early retirement to your new home in Malibu or Antigua...

Lake Lure, NC Anti-Motorcycle? Harley Riders Piss in the Punch Bowl

One of my favorite places to ride to is the little town of Lake Lure which is located on the super twisty Hwy 74, about 15 miles east of Asheville, NC. Lake Lure reminds me of Lake Tahoe or Gatlinburg about 30 years ago before those quaint little towns became overrun with fat flip-flop wearing tourists, Arab-run tee shirt shops, and fast food restaurants. Lake Lure sits on a scenic little lake with sheer mountain walls on both sides with perhaps a 3 motels, family run shops, and quaint restaurants.

The people are friendly and the air clean. Up until recently, it was a much visited motorcycle destination due to both the wonderful ride in and the view upon arriving. On any given weekend, the single road in and out was filled with bikes from all over the US. When I make the 15 minute ride to Lake Lure, I usually stop and grab a burger at the restaurant, pull up at the parking area over by the lake where all the motorcycles usually sit, and enjoy the spanktacular view while chatting with fellow cyclists.

Question: "Jim ...I'm working on a write up for an upcoming newsletter on how I think Lake Lure seems decidedly anti-motorcycle as of the last few years and thought I'd see what you had to say about it being the major of that fair city."

Reply: "Jerry... I am not the mayor here anymore, but I do go to a lot of local meetings. I do not think the town is anti motorcycle. I do think the majority of folks here are anti noise. As long as motorcycles and trucks with 'Jake Brakes' have adequate mufflers they are more than welcome. If not, they are breaking state and local codes. The town did not put the 'no parking' signs at the road. This is a section that is privately owned (the owner of the Lake Lure Inn also owns the former Margarita Grill) and the owner put the signs up. The Lake Lure Inn has lost many thousands of dollars due to noisy vehicles and this is something they did to try and stop some of the noise. The owner did designate parking for motorcycles on the other side of the restaurant.

When my vacation rental customers complain about motorcycle noise and don't return, that is a problem. When customers come to my real estate office across the way from the Lake Lure Inn and end up going  somewhere else to buy their weekend getaway or retirement home because of noise, that is a problem. When I go to a funeral at the church in Bat Cave and I can't hear the service for the motorcycle noise, that is a problem. This is not just a personal problem, it is a business problem. The owners of the Lake Lure Inn bought the Margarita Grill and the real estate office next door so they could control where motorcycles can park. It was (and is) very hard for them to charge thousands of dollars for a wedding when you couldn't hear each other talk at the pool or veranda.  The property owners associations at more than one nearby development don't allow motorcycles. Not because of the fact that the vehicle does not have four wheels, but because many are too loud.

Once again, this is not a motorcycle problem, it is a noise problem.  Certainly we want more tourists to come to our area, but when a few cause many others to not want to be here, the town starts thinking of regulations and business owners create cumbersome rules that affect us all.

The answer is for motorcycle owners that respect the law and respect other people's right to a quite environment to let the motorcycle owners that don't have this same respect know that they are negatively impacting all the rest of us. I spent a decade as mayor of Lake Lure turning the conversations about bad motorcycles to conversations about bad noise. It is an uphill battle. Sorry to ramble on, but until the few motorcycle owners that insist on loud bikes understand the negatives of this, we will have a problem with how the general public looks at motorcycles."

Interesting and well thought out reply from Jim. Honestly, I was prepared to release the Kraken on them for my perceived anti-motorcycle bias, but after hearing Jim's opinion I have to admit.. I kinda feel their pain and if I were in their shoes.. I'd probably do the same.. or something similar. Once again, the morons riding loud bikes.. (ie..Harleys) with the prerequisite loud pipes have done the rest of their fellow motorcyclists a disservice making us all look bad. I'll give Lake Lure a pass on this one. I hate loud pipes, too.

2011 Texas Hill Country K12 / K13 Rally: April 10-14, 2011 (New!)

Location: Hwy 39 near Hunt - 22 miles from hwy 83
Where: River Inn Resort in Hunt, Texas
When: Sunday thru Thursday, April 10-14, 2010 (arrive Sunday - leave Friday)

Please call 1-800-841-0501 and tell them you are with the BMW motorcycle group. (No on-line reservations available) Call Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm cst. Sat. and Sun. 9am to 4pm cst., only. A one bedroom is $60.00 plus tax, some do have sofa sleepers. Lodging is limited, so Book early to guarantee a room. You can secure your reservation with AMEX, MasterCard or Visa....7 day cancellation policy, however there is a $25 service charge. They all have a refrigerator and microwave.

Agenda: Meet. Ride. Talk, Eat. Ride. Talk.

2011 Blue Ridge Parkway K12 / K13 Rally: May 12-15, 2011 (New!)

Where: Wattstull Inn, just north of Buchanan, Virginia
When: May 12th thru 15th, 2010 (Thur – Sun)

Call Wattstull Inn for reservations.
540-254-1551 / Mention: i-bmw group
SPECIFY ROOM TYPE - single, double, king

Blue Ridge Parkway info and maps can be found here and here

Alternate Lodging (info only) : Super 8 – Bedford or Days Inn – Bedford or Peaks of Otter Lodge

The 12th Annual Deals Gap K12 / K13 Rally: October 6-9th, 2011 (New!)

Where: Fontana Village Resort
Nearest town: Robbinsville, NC
When: October 6th-9th, 2011 [Thur-Sunday]
Reservations: Direct 800.849.2258

30 lodge rooms w/ 2 queen beds/ns: $85+tax 7-10 2br cabins with 1 queen and 2 twin beds/kitchen/ns: $120+tax When calling, specify room or cabin. Lodge rooms are in the Garden units with parking outside the door. Cabins will be either the Laurel or Hemlock cabins. Reservations for blocked out rooms will end 45 days prior. Saavy? Be sure to mention i-bmw group when booking. Thx to my good buddy, Bert B for arranging this event!!

NOTE: I-bmw.com is not an official sponsor of any posted events. Event participation is the sole responsibility of the attendee. Motorcycle riding is potentially dangerous and can result in personal injury or death. You and you alone are responsible for your own safety. Ride within your own ability.