Picture Of The Month! Orotina, Costa Rica.. (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 May / June POTM was contributed by Juan Carlos Chinchilla who lives in Alajuela, Costa Rica. He says of the photo.. "This shot was taken in Orotina, Costa Rica. The Central Valley of Costa Rica is a lush stretch of land that surrounds the small town of Orotina. Orotina may be little, but it is strategically located as a gateway to some of the best beaches and several national parks. Visiting this community is a great way to explore the real heart of Costa Rica. This day I took a short trip of 100km to clear my mind and have fun with the twist and turns. The temperature was 68°c . The picture was taken with a Samsung a30s "

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.

Face to Face With The Virus...

Crazy times, huh? Just when the economy is the envy of the world, record employment, and the stock market approaches an astounding 30,000 points for the first time in history.. something out of a sci-fi movie drops on us...

Our country is in bad economic shape as I write this.. I'm not going into the doom and gloom numbers as we see it hourly on every news station. Honestly.. I try not to watch more than a few minutes of it a day as I don't need the negativity in my life. I choose not to be afraid. I actually believe most of this will be in our rear view mirrors by mid-summer. I actually think the economy will rebound rather quickly once Americans are allowed to go back to work. Call me an optimist.. a Pollyanna... or irresponsible. I've been called worse.. This is the USA, dammit. The greatest country on earth. We've been through tougher times. I have faith in the resilience of our people and I honestly believe once the smoke has cleared and the masks come off, we'll have learned some valuable lessons from the experience.

Here at Pirates Lair, Amber and I are safe, healthy, and surprisingly well considering the carnage that surrounds us. In fact, out of the virus-borne bleakness,we've witnessed an unexpected silver lining. A cause for hope. Obviously a lot of riders are stuck at home. Apparently, when they're done working around the house, landscaping, walking their dogs, etc.. they are spending time in their shop, garage, or mancave with their motorcycles.

Many (we're told) now have the time for the project they've been putting off.. Installing lights, horns, exhausts, windshields, etc.. We're hearing this a lot. Almost daily, in fact. Many of them (we're told) are wanting to support Pirates Lair in this time of craziness as (we're told).. we've always been there for them. This outpouring of solidarity has been humbling and uplifting. Thank God for customer loyalty and empathy during these tough times. We appreciate you, too. You guyz and galz make Amber and I feel almost... "essential." Stay healthy, my friends. -- "We must endeavor to persevere" - Winston Churchill

BMW Rolls Out Its New R 18 Cruiser

I learned two decades ago when I started this business never try to predict what the Germans are gonna do. It's impossible. Their minds don't work like ours. More often than not.. you'll be wrong. Here's something I didn't see coming... the R18 Cruiser. Yes.. cruisers are the big thing here in the US. Yes.. they outsell most other bikes 4-1. Yes "retro" bikes are popular. But is another BMW cruiser what the populace has been waiting or asking for? I have no idea Honestly.. I'm wondering. "who is BMW's target demographic for this bike?" It may sell more than the aberration which was the R1200C, but I can't believe the R18 will end up more than a "boutique" bike. I challenge the Germans.. "Prove me wrong." The following introduction is off the BMW website.... Somebody wake me when the Germans come out with an updated version of the classic R100RS..

The new BMW R 18: supreme cruiser with historical roots. With the new R 18, BMW Motorrad now enters the cruiser segment. Like no other BMW motorcycle before it, this model stands entirely in the tradition of historical BMW motorcycles – both technically and in terms of design style. It borrows from famous models such as the BMW R 5 both technologically and visually, shifting the focus back onto the motorcycle essentials: purist, no-frills technology and the boxer engine as the epicenter of riding pleasure, combined with “good vibrations”. What is more, classic design is combined in the R 18 with clear-cut yet contemporary technology to create a fascinating overall concept – offering a riding experience that is as cultivated as it is emotional. Read more...

Here's another write up courtesy of Adventure Rider.com and here's a waaay cool video

End Of Days?.. Motorcycle Dealerships In Trouble
Spotted over at advrider.com

What the heck is going on here? Motorcycle magazines becoming extinct right before our eyes.. Sales down on virtually every brand bike in the US.. And now this sobering article spotted over at the ADVrider website.... The article is based mainly on the Australian motorcycle market, but I suspect the US is not dissimilar. It doesn't look good or bode well for the next generation of riders...

Some years ago, I was in a car with a Honda MPE (Motorcycles, Power Equipment) rep out in the country here in Australia. His phone rang, and one of his dealers complained that another dealer was discounting the new FireBlades. He – the dealer on the phone – couldn’t even get the ‘Blades he wanted, and yet this bloke was discounting. Someone had offered to buy two, and he had come down with his price. This, despite the fact that he would have sold the bikes anyway.At full price; it would just have taken a bit longer. As it was, he was just cutting his own profit margin.

Why would he do that? “A sale’s a sale,” said my mate from Honda, shaking his head. “He’s stupid doing it, but a sale’s a sale. And it’s against the law for us to do anything about it.” Read more..

The Demise of Norton Motorcycles
Spotted over at Visordown.com

Dang.. This is shaping up to be an issue short on hope and renewal and long on gloom and doom. That wasn't my intention. Yes.. dealerships nationwide are in trouble...Yes.. motorcycle magazines are disappearing at an alarming rate. Here's another weepy story of one of the lessor bike manufacturers recent demise and sell-off. While I've never owned a Norton, I sure did like what I'd been seeing from them over the last few years.. Apparently.. behind the scenes things were turning to shite.. Here's the story found at VisorDown..

Since Norton slid into administration in January this year, the tale of what has actually happened to the iconic UK motorcycle maker has not been fully known. Until now. As the BDO report on the financial status of Norton comes to light, it makes some seriously uncomfortable reading. While a tale of mismanagement and poor accounting seems to be a recurring theme that no doubt played a key role in sinking the firm, the true extent of the damage has not been revealed in public until this week.

As BDO begins the task of piecing the business back together and making it a viable product that could be re-sold, they've released their Administrator’s Report on Companies House. In it, they detail all of Norton’s assets, debts, and accounts held with banks and creditors. You might want to sit down and grab a cuppa. Read the full story here...

1. How'd they do it?! .. Seven print motorcycle magazines thriving in the digital age

2. Want something interesting for your man cave? Are we not men?! This is kinda cool... Artist Recycle Old Motorbike Parts Into Scrap Metal Animal Sculptures

3. How road saavy are you? Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation RIDER PERCEPTION CHALLENGE and find out..

4. Worth a read... Essay on My Favorite Motorbike

5. Top 10 Most Memorable 1970s Motorcycle Commercials... Most of them I'd never seen..

6. LONDON (Reuters) - MotoGP’s German, Dutch and Finnish Grands Prix in June and July have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the sport still hopes to start the season during the European summer, CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said on Wednesday. Look for a July start... More here..

7. New Garmin Zumo XT GPS unveiled.. A nav device aimed at adventure riders, finally.

8. Moto Camping Gear Review: Coleman Dual-Fuel Stove..

9. Last week, a law to allow lane-splitting in Virginia died... Read the whole story here...

10. Are you a road warrior? Of course you are. Ever been on a road that frightened the beegeezus out of you? I have. I admit it.. If so.. you might like this.. The World's 12 Most Dangerous Roads.. "We have nothing to fear... but fear itself... and these fucking roads.."

11. Remus has stopped making their K1300S Titanium slip-on exhaust kit.. My guess is... they'll discontinue the other versions as soon as they are out of stock... If you have a K1300S and have been thinking about a Remus for it... now would NOT be the time to procrastinate.. Consider yourself forewarned. Oh.. and it's my opinion that they'll soon discontinue the K1200S systems, too..

12. Here's something pretty cool... The Meaning of the BMW Logo. “Many people believe the BMW logo is a stylized propeller,” says Fred Jakobs of BMW Group Classic. “But the truth is a little different.”

13. I think we can all agree this is good news... EPA Considering Ethanol-Free Gasoline

1. New Product Alert! We now have the inView Wireless Helmet Brake and Turn Signal System. No on/off switch – you don’t have to remember to turn it on or off. Easily transferable between helmets (2 sets of mounts included) Passive braking (ex. downshifting) detection that illuminates both helmet and motorcycle brake light. Automatic diagnostics that test battery condition and communication. Available in Clear or Red Lenses. Reviews have been off-the-charts positive. The inView even won the prestigious “Best Safety Product AIMExpo” in 2o19! We're waiting for feedback on the first kits we've shipped.

2. We now Pyramid Plastics Frame Cap Kits for the R1250RS / R1250R & 2015+ R1200RS LC / R1200R.

3. New Product Alert! We now have the ZTechnik R1250 Engine Guards for the 2019+ BMW R1250RT, GS, RS, R

4. New At Pirates Lair: R1200RT LC & R1250RT Menu! After a few years of profound procrastination, we recently went live with a new menu for the BMW R1200RT LC / R1250RT. Yea yea.. It's taken me a while to get around to it, but I finally got 'er done. Getting chastised almost weekly by RT owners looking for swag was admittedly.. highly motivational. While the pickins on the new RT menu are somewhat limited at the moment, over the next few months I'll attempt to bring this new section up to Pirates Lair standards with all kinds of mouthwatering, wallet emptying goodies.

5. Yea.. many have noticed that I still haven't removed all the I-BMW How-to links from the world renowned, 20 years in the making.. Pirates Lair How-to page... It's not that I'm apathetic, although a case for that could be made.. No.. I just know that one hour after I remove them, I'll get an email from VicS telling me that he's bored and that he's putting the site back up.. It never fails.. Never.. ever.

2020 Blue Ridge Parkway Rally: May 28th-31st New Date!

Where: Wattstull Inn, just north of Buchanan, Virginia
When: Arrive Thursday May 28th - Depart Sunday May 31st

Call 540-254-1551 for reservations. / Mention: i-bmw group
SPECIFY ROOM TYPE - single, double, king.. / Rooms are $75 per night plus tax

This year we're trying a different weekend, May 28-31. Apologies to those who wanted the traditional, but this date was selected by climatological science, scouring local college graduation dates, avoiding Memorial Day, and getting it in before schools in Virginia get out.

Ann gave us a discounted room rate of $75 a night plus tax, which works out to $84.26. With a roommate that costs you a whopping $42.13 a night. Normal rate would be $94.46. She's blocked off the whole place, 26 rooms and will hold until April 1. She said that one night would be placed on your card as a hold. Informally she sounded pretty flexible on cancellations, but remember this is a family business that treats us well so do your best not to jerk them around.

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