"The sky is falling.. the sky is falling!".. er.. I mean..No reason to panic..but I suggest you get under the nearest doorway or in the basement until the storm passes. There is so much going on behind closed doors right now that I'm not even gonna comment until the smoke clears and I have personnaly checked the DNA and epithelias of the rotting corpse.... Will www.i-BMW.com, like Icarus, rise from the ashes? Or is www.K-bikes.com aire to the K Chat throne? At this point.. anything could happen. This should be the biggest story to hit the K12 community since.. since.. well... the beginning... Full details in our December newsletter. Stay tuned..and may your respective god/goddess/graven idol usher you through this trying time. Me thinks this story will not go quitely into the night...

The weather was perfect, the traffic wasn't bad, and the nude belly dancers were particularly beautiful this year. As far as I know.. our group of about 70 made it though the weekend without a single velocity award.. zero.. nada.. setting a new precedence for all future K12 rallies. Come on people.. we're gonna have to try harder next time.. !

I have posted some pics in our Photo Gallery in an album cleverly titled.. Deals Gap 6 BMW K12 Rally 9/29/05
If that link doesn't work. Try http://www.community.webshots.com/user/pirate0007 Besides my own shots, I have included pics contributed by fellow attendees Tim Hudspeth, Wayne Taylor, and Richard Clompus. Check out the pics... Relive the fantasy. If you have rally pics that you'd like to contribute.. please forward them to me and I'll add them....

I've always hated tank bags. Most are ugly and distract from the sleekness of a bike. While functional for traveling, for everyday riding they are generally just too much. I would hypothesize that the majority of riders, like me would like to have a sleek, small, attractive tankbag for everyday riding, canyon blasting, or the quick run to the courthouse to pay this month's speeding tickets. A few years ago, I actually produced a small tankbag which utilized suction cups to hold it to the gas tank. It had small flip-up levers inside which would release the suction for gassing up, etc. While I sold the hell out of them.. they were a PITA to produce.. Consumed a lot of my invaluable time so I dropped them from the product line and moved on to my next quasi-brilliant idea.

I've been looking for a replacement bag for our menu ever since and it looks like I may have just found it in the new Verholen Mini Tank Bag A few weeks ago I ordered and received 4 from the German company for evaluation. As it turns out, It's not actually made by Verholen even though they market it under their name.

While the quality is NOT up there with any BMW or Marsee tankbag (nor is the price) the design, shape, and lilliputian size of 9" long x 8.5" wide x 2.75" tall is perfect for a book, sandwich or phone. The mounting method is simply ingenious. (see pic at right) You simply remove the two opposing screws from your gas cap ring, replace them with (2) furnished replacement screws which have little bullet type heads on them, and the bag slots down and locks onto them. Once on.. the bag does not move even a centimeter. The bag has a soft-rubbery bottom to (in theory) keep the bag from marring the paint although if I were to use one daily I'd probably install some http://www.thetankslapper.com/ material or clear 3M plastic in the contact areas.

To remove the bag for gas-ups, just open the top, push the 2 inner buttons to release the pins and it's off. Takes only seconds. The bag utilizes one wraparound zipper and no other compartments, but it's the perfect size for a phone, (1) paperback book, wallet, sandwich, rolling papers, Walther PPK, or other essentials. There's even a Lilliputian map-viewing window on the top but other than showcasing a biz card, drivers license, or medical info... It's virtually useless.

One other cool feature which caught me off guard.. Besides the locking bullethead screw attachment method, there are also powerful MAGNETS sewn into the bottom of the bag. I didn't even notice them until I placed the bag on my MV's gas tank to see how it would look and it locked down like a Mike Tyson on Evander Holyfield's ear. The magnets are so strong that the locking screws aren't even necessary for a bike with a metal gas tank. As fate would have it.. I can use the bag with the mounting hdwr on my K1200RS and then switch it over to my sport bike with metal tank with no hdwr necessary. A double duty bag and it looks sleek as hell on BOTH bikes. Well worth the asking price of around $40-45.US after shipping to the USA. For now, you can buy these direct at http://www.verholen.de/ We'll probably be placing our first bulk order this week if you can wait.

Pirelli Strada Sport Touring Tires: My Review

The search for the perfect all-around tire.. Ahhh.. Like Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail..or Jude Law's quest for the perfect nanny.. you wonder if it's there really is such a thing.. or just a myth. Opinions on what's the best sport touring tire are all over the board and for good reason. A tire that works great in Florida or Ohio where the roads are flat and boring may suck in Northern Kaleefornia or Virginia and vice versa. Like choosing a woman, each of our needs are defined by our expectations and/or sick demented desires.. Higher mileage? The ultimate stick? Decent mileage AND stick? A woman that laughs at your jokes and wears Chanel No 5? Or a slut in a nun's habit, stiletto heels, and a cat-woman mask?

Most of us are looking for a good compromise.. and I think I have found one... in both my wife Amber and the all new Pirelli Strada Extended Mileage Sport Touring Tire. I have less than 1000 miles on my first set but unlike every other tire I have tried in the past... Dunlops 205's & 7's, Metzeler MEZ-4's & M-1's, Michelins Pilots, Conti's, Pirelli Diablos, Corsa, & Super Corsa's, etc... these show virtually zero wear yet stick virtually as good as all but the super soft compound tires I've tried. As with all Pirelli tires, the feel is perfectly neutral with no surprises. Handling at triple digit speeds (or so I have heard.. wink wink.. nudge.. nudge) is rock solid. Warm-up is quick and peg/shift lever dragging lean angles are effortless. Pricing is even pretty damn good. You can find them all over the www at under $190 a pair. If you want to try something different next time around... you'll not be disappointed. I'll post updates as to long term mileage in a month or so.

End Of an Era / Yoko...The Pirates Lair White K1200RS Is For Sale...

Just last week I put Yoko up for sale.. my prized 98 RS.. Why am I selling? Actually it’s for all the WRONG reasons. I wish I could say I simply want the new “S” bike, but in actuality... I really don’t. I recently took a test ride on one and while it was very nice.. It didn’t rock my world. I don’t think it’s as attractive as the RS, or as stable, or as smooth. I think the Germans missed the mark with the angular styling which makes it look like every other Jap bike on the road.

However, Amber has convinced me (and unfortunately she’s usually right..) that we need hands-on access to an “S” in order for me to design products around it and... I can’t afford both. It’s a biz decision plain and simple and a tough one to make as my K1200RS is simply the finest motorcycle I’ve ever owned and is running better now than the day I bought it.. As we go to press with this newsletter, a deposit has been accepted. Check out my For Sale page with all the wood-giving details and lots of pretty pictures. Tecnically.. it's not been sold.. yet.

According to 2005 stats coming out of Washington, 60% of all motorcycle fatalities involved motorcyclists with alcohol in their blood.. 60%!!?? Geezz. Are there that many stupid motorcyclists out there?? The study didn't break it down into what type bikes comprised this 60% but I'd hazard an encompassing guess that many were Harley riders as I don't think you can pass a pub or bar at any hour in any city in any state on any planet and not see a few Harley's sitting in the parking lot. I've never quite understood this mentality... of drinking and riding or of actually buying a Harley,.. but I digress. While I'll admit I have no qualms about boozing and/or recreational drugs AFTER a ride (spare the sermons please)... I do draw the line at mixing the aforementioned with riding. If you are drinking and/or smoking BEFORE a ride...you are a moron.. Wise up. The life you save may belong to your daughter's father or your riding buddy. .. and that's all I've got to say about that. Now excuse me while I climb down off my high horse..