R65 after 20 yrs out of biking.

[Geckohunter]

I bought a 1983 R65 after not having a bike for 20 years. I never took my m/c licence, when riding Honda CD175, CG125, CZ175 in the 70s and 80s. The test has become miles more expensive and demanding but I love a new challenge and I passed the theory test today.  So I'm celebrating with a bottle of red wine. I blogged about it and there are a couple of photographs at: the usual w,w,w seagreenribbons.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-bmw-r65-motorcycle.html
My R65 will be garaged until I have my full licence. It is a good time of year to have a new bike. I'm so looking forward to being let loose on her and what a left-field choice I eventually made in the R65, but all the other bikes I considered just didn't move me enough, even though I knew I wanted a bike. Suddenly the R65 was the one to get and I got it. [smiley=bmw_smiley.gif]

[Bob_Roller]

Welcome to the forum girl in a gale !!!

You made a great choice in bikes, the R65 is a pretty much all around 'standard' street bike .

Ask all the questions you want, there's a lot of ownership experience here, there's not too much we haven't seen or heard of about this bike .

[Geckohunter]

Welcome to the forum girl in a gale !!!

You made a great choice in bikes, the R65 is a pretty much all around 'standard' street bike .

Ask all the questions you want, there's a lot of ownership experience here, there's not too much we haven't seen or heard of about this bike .

Hi Bob. Eventually I'll put ride reports and questions, but for now my wise self is enjoying the progression towards riding. Having a bike is so nice when six months ago it was all just a dream. Meanwhile we have a German shop in te UK that sells cheap food and household goods, called lidl. Occasionally Lidl sells their own brand (German manufactured, or would that be China?) motorcycle clothing for really cheap prices and UK bikers have big respect for Lidl bikers gear. So Thursday it's a Lidl helmet, waterproofs, gloves and whatever else. Bikers say Lidl items are really cheap, really good, and the year after you can afford to just buy another one, such as the full face helmet with internal flip up sun visor. When the external rain visor gets scratched, instead of replacing it it for £40, you get another new Lidl helmet for £40. It's consumerism Jim, but not as we know it.

[nhmaf]

Welcome aboard!
We've got a growing number of forum members in the UK, and we've a number of females, but you just might be the first female from the UK!?!

In any case, glad to have you join us - and ask away - if we cannot answer your question(s) in an understandable manner, some of the ladies on the forum probably can.

I get the impression that you've read Lois Pryce's books, "Lois on the Loose" and "Red Tape and White Knuckles"...  if not, I certainly recommend them - just finished the "Red Tape.." one a week or so ago, and it was very entertaining!

Mike

[tvrla]

Hi ya sweetie! Welcome to the forum! And to bikes again.

Read your article and love your style - you're a good writer.

You made a good choice in bikes - that one does look very nice. And it's got the stronger dual disc brakes up front. I like that!

You'll go far, girl! And I mean that literally!

Any idea how long till you get your license???

[RSMike]

Welcome aboard!

Your bike looks in sweet condition, good choice!

Highly recommend the Lidl gear also, my favourites are the socks, kidney belt(excellent for warmth as well as back support), tank bag and cover.

I'm jealous though, :-), for some reason Lidl in Ireland are not doing the bike gear this week, Ah well maybe next week.

[Barry]

Welcome to another UK member

That's a nice clean looking bike. If you need any service items for it there is a very good  parts supplier in your area called http://www.Motobins.co.uk  Look them up, they are so good many of our US member use them.

[montmil]

Welcome to our Happy Herd, Girl.

Good luck on your road test. We do things a little different here in Texas. If you've got a pulse, well...

Monte

[Barry]

I remember my test well. 1970 riding on wet cobbles near Strangeways prison in Manchester. The bike was a Ducati Monza single with Honda forks and I had just finished rebuilding it the night before after an argument with a Taxi. It had the tax disc off my brothers car mounted so low down no one would get close enough to see it wasn't the correct one for the bike.

Happy days.

Good luck with your test.

[Geckohunter]

I remember my test well. 1970 riding on wet cobbles near Strangeways prison in Manchester. The bike was a Ducati Monza single with Honda forks and I had just finished rebuilding it the night before after an argument with a Taxi. It had the tax disc off my brothers car mounted so low down no one would get close enough to see it wasn't the correct one for the bike.

Happy days.

Good luck with your test.

I wish I'd done the test in the 70s when it was a demonstration of riding sense. Nowadays the test is a hugely expensive set of hoops to jump through.

[Geckohunter]

Welcome to our Happy Herd, Girl.

Good luck on your road test. We do things a little different here in Texas. If you've got a pulse, well...

Monte

That's why it's called the Land of the Free. Europe is becoming more and more the nanny state and a motorcycle offers at least the wind in your face, which is not yet taxed or govt. controlled.

[Geckohunter]

Welcome to another UK member

That's a nice clean looking bike. If you need any service items for it there is a very good  parts supplier in your area called http://www.Motobins.co.uk  Look them up, they are so good many of our US member use them.

Ta, with a 29 year old BMW R65 I will build a resource of information and suppliers. I'll add this to my R65 bookmarks.

[Geckohunter]

Welcome aboard!

Your bike looks in sweet condition, good choice!

Highly recommend the Lidl gear also, my favourites are the socks, kidney belt(excellent for warmth as well as back support), tank bag and cover.

I'm jealous though, :-), for some reason Lidl in Ireland are not doing the bike gear this week, Ah well maybe next week.

Ta for the item reminders. I was trying to think today what to look out for, but kidney belt, tank bag, and cover hadn't come to mind. Looks like I'll be spending quite a bit even though Lidl is very low prices. There's a load of items I need.

[Geckohunter]

Welcome to the forum girl in a gale !!!

You made a great choice in bikes, the R65 is a pretty much all around 'standard' street bike .

Ask all the questions you want, there's a lot of ownership experience here, there's not too much we haven't seen or heard of about this bike .

That's what attracted me above all the other types of bike. R65 is a proper bike without the racey styling, instead it has a classic brrrm, brrrm look  

[Lucky_Lou]

Welcome hope you have fun with the bike, Like Barry i took my test in 1970  the "tester" sent me down a dead end with instructions to meet at a point down the next road, as i got to the bottom to turn round i was on gravel and promptly landed on my deriair..... fortunately he didnt see me laying in the road with my legs in the air and passed me any way.
Lou
ps i dont seem to be able to follow the blog link??.
pps Lidl sale is this Thursday