Picture Of The Month! Colorado National Monument! (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 March / April POTM was contributed by our good buddy, Robert Rehkopf. He says of the shot.." While visiting the National Parks, I discovered the Colorado National Monument (CNM). I was thinking it was a ‘monument’, but to my surprise it was a ‘place’ with the camping sites atop the mesa looking down on Grand Junction, CO. about 2-3K feet below. This shot was taken with a Pentax A40 camera on auto. Weather was ‘hot’ with temps around 100 degrees, midday I think, I was traveling east to west (important heading for best riding.) I entered the park from the East and to my surprise there were 20 miles or so of the twistists’, most technical road I had ever ridden to get to the campground."

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.

The Frisbee... A Short True Story Of The Way We Were ...

Now that I'm winding down our newsletters, I'm re-posting some of my older scribblings. I wrote the following story in 1994 for my daughter and two grandsons five years before I started Pirates Lair. It's an oldie, but goodie although it is NOT motorcycle related. Just ramblings of an old rocker. A "legacy memory." It's one of my favorites.

I know for a fact that many of my customers, friends, and fellow travelers loved rock music (or still do) and concert going as a youth. I'm pretty damn sure the following will stir some misty water-colored memories of life in the 70's and the way we were. Enjoy...

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Isn't it funny how as we sail on the ocean of life, we accumulate memories along the way like multi-colored shells on a beach. Some taking on a personal significance..... some not. I've always felt that by looking at these mental treasures one could, in effect, ascertain a better understanding of the man.

As of late with the ugly specter of the forty year mark looming over me like a ravenous bird of prey and a newly born grandson tugging at my mortality strings, I have found myself quite often reflecting on my life and it's seemingly random series of checks and balances. Dreams fulfilled and nightmares realized....... Enduring friendships and misplaced trust...... Knowledge gained and opportunities missed, and many, many wonderful memories. In essence,... the things that make up a life.

I've noticed recently that my capacity to access memories is diminishing in direct proportion to the number of years I've squandered due in no small part to my past dalliances with certain illegal substances, like so many other children of the seventies. Just in case my memory deteriorates further, there is one treasure  I would like to share with you.

Andy Warhol once said... "Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." This is "my" story.... Read the whole story..

Invasion of the Body Snatchers! This Is Scary!

Unfortunately, the following is real. I shit you not. And yes.. it does sound like something out of a bad science fiction movie. I'll add.. I'm not a fan of the AMA, but this is certainly a worthy battle.. Make your voices heard.

Looks like the AMA is fighting the good fight against an unconstitutional Connecticut “Looney” bill threatening motorcyclists’ rights.. ie.. non-consensual organ donation for motorcycle crash victims not wearing a helmet. Yes.. you read that right. Harvesting your organs without permission.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) recently expressed outrage and began the fight against Connecticut’s proposed legislation, S.B. 96, which would presuppose that any street-riding motorcyclist killed would automatically become an organ donor if they were not wearing a helmet, something that’s currently legal under Connecticut state law for riders over the age of 18. “The bill shows a callous disregard for the motorcycling public,” said AMA Government Relations Director Mike Sayre. “Organ donation is a noble cause that regularly saves lives around the country, but the decision to become a donor is a deeply personal one — one that this legislation would take away from motorcyclists.”

Within the text of the bill, the statement of purpose reads, simply, “to improve public health.” The AMA counters that if public health is really a concern, preventing motorcycle crashes in the first place must be the priority. This bill makes motorcyclist safety a secondary concern, reducing motorcyclists to little more than a collection of organs to be harvested upon their death.

The AMA urges Connecticut residents to take action by visiting their bill complaint/respond page... Concerned motorcyclists who don’t live in Connecticut can express their outrage by emailing Connecticut Senator Looney at Looney@senatedems.ct.gov or going to Contact the Looney Bastard...

BMW Recall Notice: All 2019-2023 BMW R1250GS / Adventure & R1250RT!

On January 18, 2023, BMW of North America announced a safety recall for all 2019 through 2023 R 1250 GS, R 1250 GS Adventure, and R 1250 RTP motorcycles due to the potential risk of a broken gearbox input shaft. In certain conditions, the gearbox input shaft could become overloaded, causing it to break. This could, in turn, block the rear wheel, which could increase the risk of a crash and a really bad day.. 

Owners will be notified via postal mail that they should stop riding their affected bikes and contact their local authorized BMW dealer for recall service. The remedy involves an update to the engine control unit software on affected bikes, which will be performed free of charge by dealers under the terms of this recall. BMW has also issued a Stop Sale notice to its dealers for all affected 2019 through 2023 R 1250 GS, R 1250 GS Adventure, and R 1250 RTP bikes until recall service has been performed. 

BMW North America notified its dealer network about this recall on January 18, 2023. It plans to notify owners of affected bikes on March 10, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s campaign number for this recall is 23V-011. Comprehensive details here...

The History of I-BMW Rallies In Pictures: Get Them While They Are Still Available!

A few years ago when Vic Salemme shut down I-BMW.com with virtually no notice to members, we lost access to almost 20 years of rally and personal pictures, articles, and ride reports. Many of them my own. Stupidly I didn't save copies for my own files assuming that I-BMW would be around into infinity and beyond. That's on me, but.... dayum. What an epic loss. Every now and then I think of one or two of my lost stories. There's still a "ghost image" of I-BMW at the Wayback Machine website if you have the time to sort through it's remains. It's kind of like what Superman would find if he visited the remains of Krypton. Bits and pieces. Carnage of what once was.

Last week I got to thinking.. Sometime within the next 2 years when this aging pirate retires and shuts down the biz, there's gonna be some collateral damage.. ie.. our Pirates Lair SmugMug Photo Gallery will also go away. It costs me a nice sum to keep all the I-BMW rally photos stored and displayed there. I keep those photos available as a courtesy to our customers..

Unlike Vic, I'm giving all youz guyz a heads up now (and in the remaining newsletters) that if you want to save any old rally pics... now would be the time to find and download them. They are free for the taking. I'll assume you just pull up a picture, right click on it, and save to your hard drive. Or you could just pull up the picture and use your Windows "Snippet Tool." It's that easy.. FYI.. I saved pics from dozens of I-BMW rallies going back to 1999... Blue Ridge Parkway Rally, Deals Gap Rally , Texas Hill Country Rally, Sierra Gold Rush Rally, Rocky Mountain Rally, Australian I-BMW Rally, and our infamous Wall of Shame photos. Enjoy.

1. If you are the owner of a 2022 or 2023 K1600 Bagger or Grand America owner thinking about a Remus Quad slip-on exhaust kit and wondering if the 2018-2020 listed kit will fit your bike.... Yes..The MFR just got back to me with confirmation that part# rms7783 089518L and part# rms7783 089518R are confirmed to fit the 2022 and 2023 K1600 Bagger and Grand America . Here's an install how- to sent to us from one of our customers .. ‘22 K1600B - Remus install

2. K16 Headers: Still no word from the Austrians about when a header kit for the 2022-2023 K1600 Bagger and Grand America will be available...

3. Here's another helpful YouTube video for those needing to change their worn out grips courtesy of "the BMW Guy"... Heated Grip Replacement With ANY Grip for Cheap

4. Here's something waaaaay cool to start 2023 for the K1600 crowd who wants to remove the top case for a sleeker ride.. Check out the PUSH Topcase Delete Kit for the BMW Grand America. It's sleek, sexy, IMHO reasonably priced and easy to install.. I actually reached out to the one man operation to see If we could sell them, but he wasn't interested... Apparently he makes them to order on his 3D Printer.. Details are on the website.

5. Here's a nice write up by Roadcraft USA for motorcyclists about mental strategies used to handle adversity on the road. THIS TOO SHALL PASS: MENTAL STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH ADVERSITY.

6. In case you've not been paying attention, Staintune exhausts has a new owner and they've been making great progress getting the company back up to ramming speed. They've been producing systems for mostly smaller (under 650cc) bikes thus far, but.. we just got news a week ago that they are in pre-production for some kits for the BMW R1250 GS/GSA and should start production in February closely followed by their famous Conti Replicas including a version for the early Boxers. I'll post pics as soon as they are available. You can check out the all new Staintune website here.. and if you scroll down to the bottom of the page there's a very cool 13 minute video showing where the company is today, the new facility, and an idea of where they're going with the product line.

7. Here's some 2023 model updates and pictures for 2023 R1250GS / Adventure, R1250RT... Some of it is in German.. Some English..

8. 2023 BMW Motorrad R1250RS Updated, New colors

9. We're being told that Oberon (in the UK) will have new billet gas caps for late model BMWs sometime this year including one for the K16 series. Since Slingshot Racing discontinued their entire line recently due to "Build Back Better", aftermarket gas caps are virtually nonexistent in this galaxy. Yes, the British caps do cost more, but they are of supreme quality. I have one on my K1200S.

1. I'd like some opinions and/or feedback on a potential October Pirates Lair / I-BMW Reunion Party. The party was postponed 2 years ago when God put a hit out on me.. ie... a heart attack and now that I'm older and lazier I'm not even sure if I want to make the effort. Not one person has contacted me asking for an update or details. Not one person has mentioned they can't wait to see all the old site members. Putting one of these events together is like herding really old cats which have wandered all over the country. Are you guys and gals actually interested in one last I-BMW gathering? Let me know..

2.We just got news from ZTechnik that their 2022-2023 R1250RT VStream Touring and Sport Touring Windscreens are available..

3. 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. These frame panels come in a smooth matte black finish and make the sides of your magnificent bike look 100% better. *Chimp not included. We have them here... K16 Bagger / Grand America Frame Side Panel Cover Kit

4. Bad news for those who've been putting off buying a Remus or Akrapovic exhaust for your chosen steed.. Both companies have raised their retail prices by almost $200 per kit as of Jan 1st. I've spent the last few weeks trying to update our website with the new pricing and it's not fun. Don't shoot the messenger..

6. In case you hadn't noticed, the price of everything has skyrocketed over the last year or so. We all know who's to blame so I won't dwell on it. I'm bringing this up as most of our customers have probably noticed that prices on our menu have started creeping (or even rocketing) up in an exponential way. Besides the weekly increases in shipping costs (both here and abroad) virtually every month one of my vendors is contacting me with price changes that I'll be required to implement. Just wanted to say.. '"I'm sorry.. It's out of my control." Build Back Better.

7. If you like camping or know people who enjoy that type of outdoorsy punishment and have been wanting to visit the Asheville area and ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, we just got up a preliminary web page up for Amber's campground. Paradise Ridge Permaculture Campground. We'll be tweaking it over the next few weeks or months. Motorcycles welcome. Even GS's.

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

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 are thinking about 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 7 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. As of this newsletter... it's still tentative.

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.