Picture Of The Month! Passo Gardena, Dolomites (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 July/ August POTM was contributed by Jacek Sitko .. a Pole living in Mogliano Veneto, Italy. He says of the shot.. "The photo was taken on road (ss243) leading to Passo Gardena on June 2nd, 2022 using my smartphone. The weather as you can see was cloudy 18°C. I decided to go for a ride in the mountains even though I wasn't physically well but motorcycling in the Dolomites is always fabulous and the K1300S is always a friend on these winding roads. I have lived in Italy for 20 years the town where I am staying is called Mogliano Veneto in the province of Treviso. A big hello to all your readers."

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.

BikeBandit Pilfers $646,000 of Customers Money Then Disappears!

Motorcyclists around the country are confused and pissed at the rat bastards that own BikeBandit, a well-known online seller of motorcycle parts and gear. According to complaints posted on the Better Business Bureau website as well as motorcycle forums, BikeBandit owners have taken the money of hundreds of customers and skipped town... True 21st century bandits. Starting in late 2021, customers started complaining that orders were never delivered, refund requests never answered, online customer service chat broken, and their phone number dead.

Unbeknownst to customers, BikeBandit quietly filed for bankruptcy in February 2022. There’s no indication of that fact on the retailer’s still running website. In fact, up until the middle of April 2022 you could fill a shopping cart, enter your payment info, and send your money to a defunct company that had no way to fulfill your order. Recently, one thing has changed. If you try to place an order today, you’ll be told the item is “on backorder.” But aside from that, the site is still up and operating even though the company is not. Beware.

Digging into the bankruptcy paperwork, it seems BikeBandit’s closure is just one piece in a complex web of apparent self-dealing, massive debts, and customer money disappearing. My guess.. bad management with depleted coiffures during the "Covid" times. Glad I'm not one of the victims. I’ve purchased motorcycle tires from them in the past. Dodged a bullet there..

Pirates Lair I-BMW Reunion Party Re-Scheduled for 2023

In case you are/were a former I-BMW member wondering if the Pirates Lair I-BMW Reunion Party that was unceremoniously cancelled last October is going to happen in 2022, I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is.. Amber and I have decided to put the party off this year. The good news is... it is gonna happen in October 2023.

There are multiple reasons for the delay. In spite of the fact that I had insurance worthy of the gods, I'm still being inundated with medical bills from my recent open heart surgery. There's also high gas prices for those traveling long distances, a collapsing economy, and the short notice. Many of the people who were planning on attending have long distances to drive and (we're told) they need more than 3 months notice to get their Ducs in a row. We can relate. I also think gas prices will start to recede after the Republicans retake Congress in November.

The party will be held on our mountain property (Paradise Ridge Campground.. see info below) just a few miles east of Asheville and 5 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If all goes as planned we'll have food, drinks, campfires, outdoor toilets, scantily clad jugglers, maybe even live music. We don't care if you ride or drive. There will be plenty of parking although some of it may be in a grassy pasture. There are motels nearby if attendees want to overnight in the area. Limited on-site camping will be available. Bring your own intoxicants.

We do look forward to seeing youz guyz next year. Try not to die before the event. We're all getting old and we've lost two of our finest, original members over the last 24 months. I'll do my best to not have another heart attack before this next one. No promises. Guests are welcome.

We promise the event (our last) will be one to remember. In the months to come, I'll try to contact everyone who has expressed interest individually (via email) before the event. Mark your calendars (if you have 2023 calendars) for Sat. October 14th, 2023.

Paradise Ridge Campground: Asheville, NC ... Right Off the Blue Ridge Parkway

Amber and I bought 6 acres of mountain property just east of Asheville, NC a dozen or so years ago. We chose this location, just 8 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, as it's my favorite place to ride. We've slowly been making improvements to the property in preparation for inviting friends and family over and eventually building our retirement home on it.

A couple of years ago Amber had an idea to recoup some of our monthly expenses by allowing campers to pitch their tents on our beautiful plot of paradise. Asheville is a huge tourist destination. Wish I had thought of it!.. Anyway, this last fall we started taking reservations via the HipCamp.com website. So far we've had dozens of campers stay with us and we're getting rave reviews. Now that we've worked through the learning curve of discerning what campers need and/or want, we're ready to spread the word, allow booking direct, and offer invites to our quasi-esteemed newsletter readers. Keep in mind, this is a working farm so expect horses and free range chickens at times.

You can get most of the booking information and directions off the (admittedly lacking) Hipcamp website or call Amber direct at 828-707-7607 EST . We offer a few wooded camping spots plus a wide open grassy pasture for parking RVs, vans, campers, trailers, or buses. We are (of course) motorcycle friendly. We offer fire-wood for our fire pit, bottled water, a picnic table, a natural water shower, outhouse, and a covered gazebo with seasonal fireplace. Pets are welcome. No honey badgers.

1. Remus Black Hawk Slip-On Muffler Review [Project BMW R 1250 RS] from Ultimate Motorcycling. Nice write up if you were thinking about buying one for your RS..

2. Wanna add another 10 or so HP to your painfully underpowered K1300S? Are we not men? We've heard some good things about Vivid Racing's VR Tuned ECU Flash Tune BMW Motorrad K1300S. Besides an increase in horsepower, better throttle response is also one of the most noticeable features.

3. Mastering fear is a challenge for all riders at some point. Fear is the mind killer. Here's a vid that may help.. Overcome Fear- Lessons learned from traveling on a motorcycle.

4. Be prepared for gravity attacks. Check out the SW-Motech R1250RS Engine Protection Review from Ultimate Motorcycling...

5. Stuck with a flat battery in your BMW Motorrad keyless remote? Here's a simple tip that may save yourself a walk home!

6. Anyone else remember those bullet-proof headlight protectors that Cee Bailey used to sell? They were da bomb. When they stopped selling motorcycle accessories there was a void left for an inexpensive headlight protector for our bikes. Last week a customer pointed me to Slipscreens.co.UK (located in Wales).. The product looks a lot like Cee Bailey, except with smaller Velcro pads. Might be worth a look. Price is a paltry $27 before shipping. Here's their kits for the mighty BMW K1300S. They offer 13 colors. I glanced over their product line and they also sell windshields for lots of bikes.

1. Once again, Pirates Lair is forced to offer a solution to a problem that BMW's designers created and without their astronomical pay. We are now offering a two piece frame side panel cover kit to cover up those butt-ugly holes on the sides of your 2018+ K1600B Bagger & Grand America. Made from genuine ABS plastic (not that fake shit), install is *chimp-easy and takes only minutes and without tools or Ivy League college degree. While these frame panels come in a smooth matte black finish and make the sides of your magnificent bike look 100% better as delivered, some will want to paint them to match their bike. Not a problem. A little Scotch Brite and they'll be paint-ready. - * Chimp not included. You can order your K16 Bagger / Grand America Frame Side Panel Cover Kit here...

2.The all new Akrapovic Black Titanium Slip-On Exhaust System for the K16 Bagger / Grand America was developed for riders who want to make a change to the bike's look and sound with minimum modification. Ride in style with the Akrapovič Black Ti Slip-On exhaust system for the world's top-of-the-line BMW touring motorcycle. You will love its unique design, which is outstandingly executed using top-quality titanium canisters and carbon fiber outlet caps. Like every aftermarket exhaust available for the K1600 series, your O2 sensors remains plugged into your factory header. How does it sound? Fucking awesome. We're trying to determine if these kits fit the 2022 bikes..

3. Pirates Lair has an all new newsletter notification service in place. If you've subscribed and missed some notices we apologize. All kinds of shit has been going on behind the curtain. We think we've got it all sorted out. If you'd like to be notified when each new newsletter is posted, just email me with your request and I'll make that happen. Our email database is 100% secure. Never shared or sold to third parties.

4. The Pirates Lair email address of 20 years recently changed from pirate@acelink.net to pirateslair@gmail.com. Our newsletter notices will be sent from pirateslair@charter.net I suggest you OK that address in your spam filter otherwise you may or may not get the notices..

I-BMW Reunion.. Pirates Lair Is Throwing Another Party! October 14th, 2023

Where: 122 Flat Top Mountain Rd, Fairview, NC 28730
Remember, when you Google directions to our property to make sure you put in the zip code as there are TWO 122 Flat Top Mountain Rds in North Carolina. We don't want you getting lost or showing up at the wrong one.. Awkward.
GPS Coordinates: N 35 degrees, W 082 degrees
When: Sat. October 14th, 2023
Contact : 828-628-7093 or Pirateslair@gmail.com
Nearby Motel: Ramada by Wyndham Asheville Southeast

Amber and I will be hosting this one-day event (our first since 2007) for former I-BMW members, posters, or lurkers. Guests are welcome. This will be held on our mountain property (Paradise Ridge Permaculture Campground) just a few miles east of Asheville and 5 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If all goes as planned we'll have food @ noon, non-alcoholic drinks, campfires, outdoor toilets, scantily clad jugglers, annoying mimes, maybe even live music around 5pm. Keep in mind, we do NOT have electricity on site.

Note: This will NOT be a "rain or shine" event. If it's gonna be wet or rainy.. we will cancel. Check with us a week prior to the event to make sure we're still a go.

We don't care if you ride or drive. There will be plenty of parking although most of it will be in a grassy pasture. There are motels nearby if attendees want to overnight in the area, but you'll need to book in advance as this is near the peak leaf-peeping season. Limited on-site camping will be available. Bring your own intoxicants. Email me for EXACT DIRECTIONS.